16 month Med/European Cruise

[gunnarsilins]

Me and my wife are planning a 16 month cruise year 2003/4. Start 1'st of May in Stockholm, back 31'st of August next year.
We will sail a Moody 42 ketch, basically it will be me and her but friends and kids will join us now and then for longer periods.

We would like to go the canals in either direction between northern Germany and the Med.
The other way we would like to sail along the coast of Portugal, Spain, France, the Irish sea and round Scotland.

So the questions are:

Which direction is to prefer?

And where to go between the late autumn until spring next year?

We are quite used to cold and wet weather and have a very effecient diesel/shore powered heating system on board.

Shall we spend the winter in the Med, sail when the weather is good and spend a lot of time in harbour? In such case, which areas? (Intersting in a cultural sense)
Or is the weather considered to bad and shall we should go to the Canary Islands for the winter? (A bit boring, isn´t it?)
Or any other suggestions?
The only thing we do NOT want to do is to cross the Atlantic to the West Indies and back.

 

[MedMan]

Your draft will determine whether or not the canals are an option. If you can get through the canals I would suggest that you go via the outside route (Biscay, Portugal, Spain, Gibralter), overwinter November to February in Almerimar or Aguadulce at the eastern end of the Costa del Sol (best winter weather in the Med and good social life), cruise the Balearics in Spring, and return by the canals. This will avoid the uphill slog against the prevailing NE along the Portugese coast.

Sorry this is short, but I should be packing, not typing. We fly back out to the Med tomorrow morning!

Good luck,

David

 

[chrisc]

Gunnar ,we are leaving 1st May +- from Göteborg -keil canal first week /second week
in May , down to amsterdam and through canals from there .May see you on the way.

 

[Ray_G]

I leave the English east coast at the same time and have posted seperately, questions relating to the canal route. We may see you on the way!

 

[Paulka]

Have a nice sail, all of you.
.... And if you happen to be in the Balearics, drop me a mail. We may have a drink and a chat together.

Paul