SHTF while you're on holiday

[Steve]

Attempting to swim the Channel without a support vessel would be suicide, even if you're fit enough how are you going to navigate ?

A small yacht, say 20ft upwards, would be comfortable and safe. In desperate times a GRP dinghy of around 14ft will do the trip, especially if fitted with an outboard motor. If you can find a yacht in the 35ft range it will likely have an inboard diesel, navigation gear, fridge and cooker. You can happily live on one that size, I know people who do, in fact this would be my favoured BOL as there are many natural harbours around here that can only be reached by boat because of the surrounding cliffs.