So don't go for the paukenschlag action, or use a Milchcow along the way to get your trusty type VII to the US coast, would be a shame not to have those extra eels for the unprotected and unsuspecting merchies though.
and yes it does take a godawful long time to get there....
Also as a VII skipper you get to see places where it would be inavisable at best to take a type IX like the st. George's channel or AM36