boats.

Can anyone tell me if they know about boats that go between the UK and India? I am thinking about boats transporting goods, but anything in this area would be useful to me. Thanks!

The Bowfell is a full-rigged ship built by Thos. & Jno. Brocklebank at Bransty, Whitehaven. She was launched on the 20th July 1864 and was owned and operated by the Brocklebank Line for her entire career.

Her masters were Capts. Ponsonby, James Balderstone, William Ellery (1870 to 1875), James Connell, Kershaw, Collins, Forshaw and Graham. The vessel traded to Calcutta until 1878, then to Singapore and Manila.

For further details and booking please visit ..

http://www.mightyseas.co.uk/marhist/...ks/bowfell.htm

Well, I was really looking for a boat that still exists and sails between Britain and India.. for the purpose of getting to India. Perhaps I should have made that clearer
Interesting site though!

No. There's plenty of commercial shipping (containers, freighters, etc.), but the likelihood of finding a vessel going from Britain to India is nil. Shipping doesn't work that way. If you got on a ship departing Britain it might sail to Rotterdam, then Oslo, wait a week, then Lisbon, maybe Istanbul, etc. You would never get where you wanted to go.

Also, the flow of goods is the reverse of your intended direction. Goods come from Asia to Europe, not the other way around. What does Britain export to India?

looked into that,anything is possible but it would probely cost one hell of a lot of money!!!!cheapest and fastest now is flying.Overland possiple and very,very interesting.If you have the time ,way to go !!

You're right, overland is cheaper and simpler than by sea, although I'd have to actually arrange things. If I took a crappy car it wouldn't matter.. but then I'd have to get back. Hmmm.

Yeah, I had considered all of this, which is why I wasn't holding out much hope! I would also have used up half of my visa by the time I arrived, and probably have to get a dozen other visas as well.

Wait, wait, I've got it!

I export MYSELF!!! And when I'm finished, I post myself back!

Ruprecht; fascinating idea; getting there by boat! And it must be possible, because various International Removals websites assure me that they could put the contents of my house into a container and deliver it in India about 3 weeks later!

Maybe that's an idea: check out the removal companies to see what shipping companies they use, check out the shipping companies to see what ships they use, check out the captains and try to get a lift...

As to exporting yourself... wasn't there a Velvet Underground (?) song about a guy who put himself in a box addressed to his girlfriend: unfortunately she used a sharp knife to open it

Another possibility, although you're probably thinking in terms of something that's hundreds rather than tens of feet long, is a yacht! You could try contacting something like The Cruising Association in London, who have a crewing service. You'd be more likely to get a weekend in the North Sea, but you could try asking if anyone's India-bound. There's another International association: The Ocean Cruising Club, but I have no idea where they are based. I could give you (or you could google) the Cruising Association contact details if you want. Yet another possibility would be looking for a delivery skipper with a boat to take out there and join the crew.

Hey; I can see your book jacket now: Slow Boat To India. Original title, ehh?

Nick, you are officially the most helpful person there is

anyone know the name of the velvet underground nick mentioned? i'm going through a bit of a velvet underground phase!