Boating season is officially starting!

Very different this end of the Med this year.
That weather that PeteM mentioned went through here a few days earlier.

I have some yachtie friends in Mallorca who have been dodging strong winds and storms.
But it does seem to be getting better.

For us, even in our safe lagoon, we couldn't anchor in our usual spot.
We had a party on three boats - ended up anchoring in front of the town beach behind the harbour wall.
But spirits were high and all the visitors enjoyed themselves.
Most importantly, there was no damage or injuries.
 
Hurricane said:
Very different this end of the Med this year
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Yup, we also experienced so far a somewhat different pattern, compared to the average of the last years.
Actually we had neither very strong winds not storms (fingers crossed, touch wood, etc.), but just by chance, so to speak.
In fact, Sep weather has been rather unstable also in our neck of the woods, and sometimes we heard of heavy storms at just a few kms from CF, along the Sardinian coast, and also inland.
Oh, well. A rainy day onboard is still much better than a sunny day at the office, I reckon! :rolleyes: :D
 
I can only add that I just crossed to Porquerolles (I know, again) and the sea was dead calm without a breath of wind. The kind of conditions where you can park anywhere just like a pro:)
Having lunch now, after which we will have a short dog walk, a nice nap followed by an epic dog walk then dinner. It must be paradise :)
 
BruceK said:
dont you Med boys hanker for a bit of variety?
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Of course we do. Well, I do, anyway.
Since myself and swmbo abandoned the rat race, whenever Med boating is not as nice as in the late spring-mid autumn timeframe, we have lived (in no particular order) in the following places:
California
Florida
Alaska
Canada
New Zealand
Australia
Japan

And when I say "lived", I actually mean it - i.e. not as tourists, but using home exchange, at least for several weeks if not months, which is a radically different perspective.
We liked a lot of places, and loved some of them. But you know what?
Whenever someone ask me where I live, "in a small island in the very center of the Med" still is my most accurate answer :encouragement:
 
Lovely answers :encouragement: Here in the Welsh Med every weekend is a Lotto Lucky Dip. And even if you visit the same place, it's never the same twice, nor is getting there.

MapisM, that is simply awesome. Nicely done!! Unfortunately I can neither abandon the rat race nor divest myself of the responsibilities of parenthood and their schooling. I mean boarding school has it's charms and as an "Old Boy" myself see the benefits but their mother holds sway and I dare not broach the subject more than a couple times a year.
 





Someone once told me that you don’t know a country until you are bored because no matter where you go the natives are bored
 
Bouba said:
Someone once told me that you don’t know a country until you are bored because no matter where you go the natives are bored
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:D That is quite an insightful comment. Your ghetto pics aren't quite selling it to me though. A boat should only be "parked" if nobody is onboard. I get the sun worship bit but then I see loads of posts about AC's, icemakers, heat etc. It's like you have too much of a good thing too often.
 
BruceK said:
It's like you have too much of a good thing too often.
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yes and I do feel guilty. You are truly privileged if you can choose where you live.:)
The amazing thing is that on top of the idyllic scenery, the sunshine, the crystal clear turquoise sea and good food, there are no tides!!
 
Well, it isn't called Med mooring for nothing: just imagine securing your boat to a bow line in the Channel at low tide.
You'd better hope that either the line or the cleat lets go, because the alternative would be a sunk boat with the next high tide! :D :D
It's no coincidence that in the N Adriatic, which is the part of the Med with the more relevant tides (albeit nowhere near what you are used to in the UK), they use a different system, with poles at the bow.
 
The down side to Med mooring (besides the hard work) is when a neighbor arrives. Today a yacht with sharp pointy parts projecting out, squeezed in next to us (the yottie on the other side was not amused I can tell you). Although I’ve good side decks the dog decided to help. I needed to walk to the stern which required the dog to reverse, something dogs are not good at! Not only was the wife mad at me but I must have pulled twelve muscles pushing the yacht off. And now I’m worried he will leave without me being here to defend my boat.
Joys of boating :)
 
Well, at least leaving is normally easier/safer than entering a tight berth, but you surely know that already.

I'm a bit puzzled by the "sharp pointy parts" anyway, since theoretically only the boat sides are at risk of collision, while reversing in a berth.
Did the offending boat try to dock with paravanes deployed!? :D
 
He had a rocket launcher poking out the side right at my gelcote and an outboard on the outside of his rails. These were hard to keep away when there was only a squashed fender’s width on each side. Fortunately, after docking I asked him to do something and he changed the angle of the rocket launcher and fendered the outboard!
 
MapisM said:
Of course we do. Well, I do, anyway.
Since myself and swmbo abandoned the rat race, whenever Med boating is not as nice as in the late spring-mid autumn timeframe, we have lived (in no particular order) in the following places:
California
Florida
Alaska
Canada
New Zealand
Australia
Japan

And when I say "lived", I actually mean it - i.e. not as tourists, but using home exchange, at least for several weeks if not months, which is a radically different perspective.
We liked a lot of places, and loved some of them. But you know what?
Whenever someone ask me where I live, "in a small island in the very center of the Med" still is my most accurate answer :encouragement:
Click to expand...

Yes, and we don’t need reminding what a great life you lead.....:cool:

As long as don’t mind sharing it with some friends every now and again :D
 
Not only I (we, actually) don't mind, but it's part of the pleasure! :encouragement:

And you know that I'm not talking just of the boating bit, but also sharing the home exchange experiences, whenever possible!
 
Just returned from a very pleasant 9 days on board. Weather was a bit mixed but nice nevertheless. Speaking to the marineros, they say the season is already completely over. In fact we saw hardly any other boats out, even with the glassy smooth, sunny and still conditions that we enjoyed. Their loss!

Talking of Med boating, I don't think I have EVER seen anyone else sleeping on their boat in our marina (they're all used as day boats), even at the height of the season. Is this unusual?
 
petem said:
Just returned from a very pleasant 9 days on board. Weather was a bit mixed but nice nevertheless. Speaking to the marineros, they say the season is already completely over. In fact we saw hardly any other boats out, even with the glassy smooth, sunny and still conditions that we enjoyed. Their loss!
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Agree some of the best days are during the quiet season months, sea conditions generally better. The Spanish tend to moth ball from Oct - April.

petem said:
Talking of Med boating, I don't think I have EVER seen anyone else sleeping on their boat in our marina (they're all used as day boats), even at the height of the season. Is this unusual?
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That's my experience as well. We do the same. We stay on-board for 2-3 weeks a year but hardly ever in our home marina, from there it's just day boating.
 
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