[ANON POST] Historical fishing boats and crossing the English Channel

[kutsuwamushi]

Here's the situation: I am trying to get my characters from Dover, Kent (of white cliffs fame) across the English Channel to France. Setting is late 19th century, but for various reasons, the ferries/mail packets are not an option. My working assumption is that they can find a fisherman with a boat that can make the crossing if they offer him

Comments

[jayb111]

Fishing was actually a sideline for many of the men on this stretch of coastline. Salvage work and other (dis)services to shipping were the main source of income though very much in decline by late 19th century. The lugger, as already said, and the galley punt, a smaller boat, were the two principal types. Typically they were owned by groups of men (and sometimes women) in shares, rather than by a single owner. Not the Thames Barge; I don't know that I've ever come across a reference to one on this stretch of coastline. Fishing smacks/trawlers which went into the North Sea would be found at Ramsgate.

By the late 19th century some of the luggers were taking holiday visitors on day trips over towards the French coast, and smuggling was a fine old tradition in the area, although again very much in decline by the late 19th century. But your characters would certainly have no trouble finding a boat and crew to take them across, wind and weather permitting.

I don't want to out myself here, but if OP Anon would like to pm me, I've got quite a lot of information which might be helpful.

[jayb111]

Yeah, I considered smuggling for a little while before discovering that it was a bit too anachronistic. If the story was set 70 or 80 years earlier, I would have been on that possibility like white on rice. :)

I would love any information you'd care to give me - should I just send a message to your account?

[jayb111]

Yes, message me through my account. Do you have a precise date for the story?

[penguineggs]

I see the OP doesn't think the Thames Barge is suitable, but it's interesting the spread of Thames Barges along the Kent coast, not just Rochester, as you'd expect, but Ramsgate, Deal and Sandwich. The Savoy, interestingly, is registered out of Dover and has a Dover-based owner.