Man On The River - The Channel Crossing in 3 minutes

We crossed the English Channel on a Ness yawl named Clodia

[@Alastair510]

Nicely filmed. I think a Ness Yawl is my dream boat, would suit the conditions here so well.

[@dr.lexwinter8604]

It took me longer than three minutes in a plane, I'm impressed.

[@BigFiveJack]

You men have a huge portion of the sailing community that would love to replicate your adventure!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@TrailerYacht]

What a great daytrip. Enjoyed this video - and just shocked to see it is TEN YEARS OLD ! Great work.

[@chewitt6426]

no, 13 !

[@HagothVoyage]

I’m glad I found this. It’s wonderful see to remember your great adventures in Claudia. A lot of water has passed under both our keels since then my friend. Warm aloha, Brandon

[@b_ks]

Very nice, thanks for posting. I've been mulling over a boat for a voyage north on the Inside Passage.

[@aNaturalist]

One of those boat designs by Iain Oughtred, such as this Ness Yawl, or the Alaska or Myst by Don Kurylko, seem to be perfect for that. I might venture up to the northwest one day myself.

[@directorstu]

Beautiful boat beautifully filmed. Class!

[@lyndonlondon]

What a great little boat, easy handled and seaworthy. I'm impressed and you've got me thinking...

[@MrRourk]

lyndonlondon Take a look at a Stone Horse great little sail

[@FrekeOne]

Not offshore no way

[@lyndonlondon]

8 years later and I have actually bought an Iain Oughtred Ness. I told you that you had got me thinking...

[@frontoffice6631]

Damn I thought it would take longer

[@Antipodean33]

No way did he cross the channel in 3 minutes at that speed :)

[@felipek6496]

Very good! 😅😅😅😅

[@AdventuresofanoldSeadog]

Brilliant little film.

[@somechrisguy]

Beautiful and very inspirational to somebody wishing to do this

[@dockmasterted]

One of the best design's for the trip I would say my friend!

[@chrismalim]

Really nicely filmed and congratulations on the crossing! Clodia is beautiful.

[@hellapellanyc6465]

legends.

[@stephenjones219]

Very Good-A grand trip.

[@manontheriver]

@davemakesawave Yes dave, we kept the rudder down to reduce dragging. Thanks fro your words Be water

[@josejesusiiivergara1011]

very inspiring little boat

[@msf60khz]

Very well done. Graveline looks like a good place to aim for.

[@johns7713]

Nice adventure! That ain't no video game. That's the real thing!

[@alexrus1713]

Спасибо!!! Ваша лодка - это чудо!

[@jhollands68]

oh yes, good point !!

[@Albertocasca]

very good video! it´s realy beautiful your yawl! greetings from south Brazil Alberto Blank

[@Knapweed]

Pretty little craft.

[@bowman26]

Very nice!

[@FelixstoweNews]

Very nice video - although I've sailed from Ramsgate several times, never been into Gravelines - love the town, but never sailed there . .

[@neleabels]

This is a very beautiful boat. Thanks for the video!

[@spondylos]

Very nice video! Beautiful boat!

[@manontheriver]

@mdvvi Thanks for your comment. Sorry to be so late.

[@davemakesawave]

that looked great and a beauty of a boat but is the rudder supposed to be so high? As a dinghy sailor it looks like it has sprung up to me and should be cleated down otherwise it causes drag and makes the helm heavier. ??

[@josephk7954]

Real men - cool video - crazy looking Tiller.

[@GLL1912]

Wait...is that the type of boat that Jack sparrow was left to use when Barbosa took His pearl away back in The Fountain of Youth?

[@rogberube6422]

Nice job, guys.

[@borisprotopopov6420]

Congratulations, guys! There are a lot of sofa-captins (me as well) but very few of them could lift their asses and do it. But, how did u cross with BIG ships? I mean its the hardest point in the Chanal...

[@daveholden3554]

Hi there, I took it to be a Ness Yole, with it's origins in Shetland, it is typical of the traditional North Isles craft. Other thing is, No the rudder blade should not be that high, as suggested it should have been in a more vertical position, held by a down haul. A Yawl, has it's mizzen mast aft of the rudder post whereas a ketch has it's mizzen mast forward of the rudder post -the rudder post being the point about which the rudder hinges. Lovely boat, great film, what an adventure!

[@hendrikarqitekt6286]

but, isn’t there the rule to sail first towards spain and in the middle the other way around?

[@bikemessenger7]

wonderful, in my imagination I see you both smoking pipes and relaxing out there on the Ocean!

[@jsmcguireIII]

Running downwind to France with a following sea may seem relaxing but things can go bad quickly on a small vessel. Now lets see them beat back to windward like the Spanish Armada!

[@schuttrostig5729]

great job guys!

[@tekwaro]

Well done Brother! Thanks for posting.

[@dockmasterted]

My I also mention I hate to row any boat, but prefer to scull using the rudder.

[@darioneselvatico1]

very nice adventure, well done from an old gaffer.

[@AndrewStokes1966]

great. Enjoyed that, thank you

[@tuneviking7800]

Nice!

[@factorylad5071]

Looks like you should fly a spinnaker next time

[@manontheriver]

@mdvvi yes 32 miles. The boom is shorter. We use oars bound together. See the video about the tent in our last post on the web site. A hug

[@maxwellsmart2720]

i think a yawl must have de "mesana" (i dont now the name of the stern or rear mast in english) behind the waterline ... forgive me for my awful english . greetings from the very south , argentine . :)

[@jhollands68]

135,000 views....for 3 a minutes film?

[@dockmasterted]

Though I must admit I have a thing for the Balanced Lug Rig!......lol@me

[@giorgiomussi6617]

bello, mi è piaciuto,ciao Giacomo Giorgio

[@dangsventure9664]

Watching I have like this also

[@aberoia11]

well done boys! Good video.

[@FrekeOne]

Low unstable hard to reef dinghy going offshore with one guy not wearing a lifevest. You bettar be having a PLB or a life insurence. Crazy brits.

[@kennylaxague5528]

Yes, they should have PFTs. But a balanced lug is very easy to reef. They have at least two sets of reefing points on the main.

[@roygumpel8415]

so how long did the trip take you??

[@alexnumsegodt]

what kind off boat is it. and thank you beautiful ship

[@marklloyd3536]

So jealous.

[@vicentcarro]

Less than 10 hours, that's what l am curious about..... In medieval times how much time French / English invade by sailing across. Thanks

[@mikefule330]

The one big invasion of England (1066) involved the Normans waiting in their camp nearly 2 months for the right weather so they could make the crossing. The actual crossing probably took a long day. Their ships were bigger than this one, and heavier, and a bit slower. Landing and disembarking would have been a slow process too. Throughout the 100 years war (1337 - 1453) the English landed troops in France many times, and it would have taken a similar length of time to get there.

[@PYE172]

where did you go from folkestone it looks like folkestone kent

[@vinm300]

No outboard ! At last , a real boat. I was going to ask what a Yawl is but don't want folk thinking I'm a landlubber.

[@mikefule330]

Any two masted boat, for and aft rigged, with the forward mast carrying the main sail, and the rear (mizzen) mast carrying only a small sail. On a yawl, the mizzen mast is positioned a long way back. The main purpose of the mizzen sail is to give a balanced sail area to aid steering, rather than to provide power. The yawl was developed as a working rig because it can use short timber spars, it leaves a lot of deck space free, and it is easy for one or two people to control the sails because the total sail area is divided into several parts. As the sail are area is carried fairly low down (compared to a modern dinghy) the yawl heels less in a side wind. Modern racing dinghies usually have tall masts with stays and carry a small number of large tall sails: faster, but more complex, more costly, and the crew needs to lean out a lot to balance the boat.

[@jupitorious7925]

a yawl is a seamans term for walking when drunk but trying to act sober

[@JoeBlack-co7is]

Don't be afraid to ask, the only dumb questions are the ones you don't ask. Besides, boaties love to pontificate, for example: By definition a yawl is a 2 masted vessel where the mizzen mast is significantly smaller than the main and mounted aft of the rudder post, a ketch is a 2 masted vessel where the mizzen mast is somewhat smaller than the main and mounted forward of the rudder post. The next question is this then really a yawl?There is some argument however that the location of the mast is more for racing rule purposes where a precise answer is needed to this question!So now you can pontificate next time!

[@mikefule330]

@@JoeBlack-co7is The "aft of the rudder post" rule is not an absolute part of the definition. I believe that came from a time when overhanging sterns were popular and the rudder was therefore mounted some way forward from the stern. If the rule were to be applied literally, there could never be a yawl with a transom-mounted rudder, and that is clearly not the case. A safer definition might be that in a yawl, the mizzen sail significantly overhangs the stern. The relative sizes of the main and mizzen sails and the primary function of the mizzen are important aspects of when a ketch becomes a yawl, or vice versa. Ketch: mizzen mast stepped further forward, larger mizzen sail primarily for driving the boat; yawl, mizzen mast stepped further aft, smaller mizzen sail mainly for balancing and steering the boat. A ketch divides its sail area between two masts for ease of handling; a yawl has an extra small sail for helping the boat to point the right way. No doubt there are some individual examples where people would argue, but in most cases, it's obvious at a glance.

[@dizzywilliams3557]

@@mikefule330 i would argue that,,,i thought the definition was more,,,(or should be) "aft of the steering position" most(?) ketches having the mizzen f'ward of the helm ,,but i am a argumentative bastard,, (-: haha i agree with you,,i just thought that small difference may help in the defining,,,

[@bigmuso123]

Read the book Jack DeCrow