Cost relative to boat LOA

[charles_reed]

If marina costs bother you, it won't only be Spain you'll be dashing past, so why bother going at all? You can anchor, you know

Seriously, NW Spain, in particular, is a delight. You'll miss an awful lot (in Spain and elsewhere) if you're not happy to use the hook on a regular basis. Personally, I rarely use marinas except in the winter, and much prefer it that way. And FWIW, the Vila Nova price you mention is far from typical in mainland Spain.

I think anyone is wise in dashing past Meiterranean Spain.

A far more experienced sailor than I is reported as having remarked that the Western and Central Med are there as obstacles placed by God to see if you deserve the Eastern Med.

Having done it, I agree.

However N Spain and NW Spain are thankfully free of Brit liveaboards, have delightful scenery, good sailing and are economically priced.
I'm always sorry for those who, white-knuckled and lips compressed, essay the Biscay crossing to rush to the bathos of the Med which is thoroughly disappointing on all counts except the sun.
Even the French canals cannot compare with Donostia, the Picos d'Europa, Rias Biaxas and all the other delights round there. 3 years spent doing that part are far more rewarding than any time spent in the Med.
It does, however, rain even more in Galicia than in County Cork.

 

[laffinskip]

Could,nt agree more,we used to spend at least 6wks just pottering around the rias on our way back to the uk for the summer.

& on the way back we would spend roughly the same.The sailing is brilliant,its hot without being too hot,there is invariably a breeze for a bit of good

sailing in sheltered waters,we always spent at least 95% of our time on the hook.who needs marinas?.

One memory we have is swopping a few packets of fags for a lobster one morning as a fisherman returned home. Oh boy did that taste good.

 

[charles_reed]

Could,nt agree more,we used to spend at least 6wks just pottering around the rias on our way back to the uk for the summer.

& on the way back we would spend roughly the same.The sailing is brilliant,its hot without being too hot,there is invariably a breeze for a bit of good

sailing in sheltered waters,we always spent at least 95% of our time on the hook.who needs marinas?.

One memory we have is swopping a few packets of fags for a lobster one morning as a fisherman returned home. Oh boy did that taste good.

4 of us on board Flica, Tied up in the new EC-funded fishing port in Llanes (midway between Santander & Gijon), a bit like one of the Lorient U-boat pens but rather more comfortable, if less picturesque, than the drying estuary of the town. So new was the FV port that there was no mention of it in any Pilot.
I was introduced to one of the FV crews through his dog, a black lab, and found his French better than my Asturian and our French mutually easier to comprehend than Castilian. For the next 4 days we were there we had about 3kg of fresh fish in the boat every morning on getting up - in the end the crew mutinied at the prospect of a 4th day of fish-soup. The Guardia Civile came down and inspected papers and, when we asked about fresh water insisted on taking our cans and refilling them, in their 4-wheel drive. Finally they introduced us to a cousin who hired us a car for 3 days (from memory as it was 2001 just after the €) @ €14/day in which we were able to thoroughly explore the Picos d'Europa.

Extremely diverse culturally (spoken Asturian is nothing like the Spanish we knew), unbelievably welcoming (a world away from the surly, artificial bonhomie of the Costas) and gastronomically outstanding. Mind you their cider is awful, but Estrella Galicia one of the most delightful bottom-fermented beers I've tasted, up there with the best Czech beers.

One can imagine the ghastly comparison with Mediterranean Spain, when I finally got there.