Sharing your boating thoughts and opinions
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Offshore capability
As usual, I much enjoyed the latest PBO. My attention in particular was drawn to Duncan Kent’s article on round-Britain boats, specifically under 25ft motorboats. Having just hung up my solo sailing spurs, I (a Guernseyman) have just got a 40-year-old Channel Island 22ft, now fully refurbished.
Duncan described the CI 22 as “primarily intended for coastal and estuary cruising.” I accept his qualification of “primarily” but the CI 22 brochure description states: “Its inherent seaworthiness enables it to perform offshore duties in most parts of the British Isles and Northern Europe…”
All 400 or so CI 22s were built in Jersey, and every CI 22 that was sold ‘abroad’ was delivered on its bottom, including to Finland, Wales and France. I have only had mine a few months, but have already been to Plymouth from Guernsey and back, and between all the Channel Islands in a variety of conditions. Most certainly not an estuary boat.
Naturally, close comparisons are drawn between the CI 22 and the Seaward 23, the latter being a much more expensive vessel with excellent features such as a self-draining cockpit and separate fuel tanks that the CI 22 does not have. Talking to an experienced delivery skipper, who has cross-Channel experience of both these redoubtable vessels, he opined that he preferred the handling of the CI 22, with its slimmer forward sections.
Finally, a number of CI 22s were built as single-engined craft, such as mine, with engines from around 60-140hp. Mine was re-engined with a 160hp diesel and cruises very comfortably and economically at 12 knots through any weather I would choose to take her out in. Slow her down to around 7 knots and you can probably motor 250 miles, no less than a Seaward 23/25. Case rests.
Bottle won’t fit
Contrary to Barry Pickthall’s advice in ‘Discontinued gas bottle alternatives’ (PBO July 2023), the Flogas 4.5kg is not a straight replacement for the Calor 4.5kg bottle.
I went ahead and purchased a Flogas bottle and regulator/connector to replace the Calor installation, but found the Flogas bottle is slightly taller and impossible to fit in my Seawolf 30. I cannot modify the locker to fit the bottle, as the bottom of the locker is the roof of the pilot berth, and the top is the locker lid which forms a seating surface in the cockpit. Neither can be modified to accommodate the increased height, and there is nowhere else which can provide an air-vented compartment.
I have now fitted a Campingaz cylinder instead.
Barry Pickthall responds: I’m sorry if my article was
