Delivery from Algarve

[Graham376]

Any idea of price?

£7,500 Gib to Southampton, boat strapped into cradle, cradle welded to deck, mast up and sails on. I think he said 3 1/2 day trip.

 

[scotty123]

I’ve sailed UK to Algarve (both directions) many times , usually shorthanded and without any real “moments”. I made the comment because the prevailing wind sailing South to North will normally be on the nose and the Portuguese current is always running North to South. Of course you can use the engine to make progress (or of course you can put a long tack into the Atlantic if you prefer to sail) but by and large, the sail South will be a far more pleasant experience than the sail back against the prevailing conditions. And especially so this late in the season with higher risk of encountering heavy weather from the wrong direction.

I wasn’t intending to say it wasn't possible or even that it wouldn't be very pleasant, I’ve made the same passage several times without drama but at this time of year and against the prevailing wind & current, I don’t think the OP would find a crew wanting a free holiday in return for delivering their boat. That was the only point I was making.

Well, I've done both ways several times & had wind on the nose in equal direction, also never been influenced by this 'mythical' portugese current. In regard to prevailing wind direction, this is an extract from the World Cruising Club, which seems to confirm there is little disadvantage S/N or N/S.
"The Bay of Biscay is a wide concave sweep of water that stretches around the western coast of France and along the northern coast of Spain. Combine this geography with the prevailing westerly winds that sweep in from the Atlantic, and you have one long, 310-mile lee shore."

 

[GHA]

Well, I've done both ways several times & had wind on the nose in equal direction, also never been influenced by this 'mythical' portugese current. In regard to prevailing wind direction, this is an extract from the World Cruising Club, which seems to confirm there is little disadvantage S/N or N/S.
"The Bay of Biscay is a wide concave sweep of water that stretches around the western coast of France and along the northern coast of Spain. Combine this geography with the prevailing westerly winds that sweep in from the Atlantic, and you have one long, 310-mile lee shore."

The northerlies are down the portuguese coast. Well known about. Nothing to with biscay. A fairly common technique seems to be leave each harbour well early and get a load of motoring miles in before the N gets going.
Obvious in the satellite averages, looks like it tails off mid october.
http://numbat.coas.oregonstate.edu/cogow/0101/66_top_right.html

 

[scotty123]

The northerlies are down the portuguese coast. Well known about. Nothing to with biscay. A fairly common technique seems to be leave each harbour well early and get a load of motoring miles in before the N gets going.
Obvious in the satellite averages, looks like it tails off mid october.
http://numbat.coas.oregonstate.edu/cogow/0101/66_top_right.html

The northerlies, are associated with a deep low pressure sitting over central Spain in summer, not sure its that hot in October.

 

[capnsensible]

The northerlies are down the portuguese coast. Well known about. Nothing to with biscay. A fairly common technique seems to be leave each harbour well early and get a load of motoring miles in before the N gets going.
Obvious in the satellite averages, looks like it tails off mid october.
http://numbat.coas.oregonstate.edu/cogow/0101/66_top_right.html

Yeah which sets off the weak south flowing current that builds into the Canary current further south. I generally stay well offshore just nipping in for fuel......because of the several billion pot markers sometimes out to 120 metres.

 

[SteveSarabande]

Ask halcyon yachts, they do it as a regular run. The sooner the better as insurance and weather in Biscay gets worse as you get nearer to end of October

 

[Ohlin Karcher]

We did a delivery from the Algarve to Falmouth and the wind was dead on the nose, and with small tanks we had to sail most of the way out towards the Azores before we could tack towards the channel.
It was a totally uneventful trip, but crawling up the coast, against the prevailing everything, weaving between trawlers and pot buoys, sounds unlikely to be so pleasant..

 

[nortada]

The northerlies, are associated with a deep low pressure sitting over central Spain in summer, not sure its that hot in October.

Believe these northerlies are known as the nortada.

 

[Graham376]

I generally stay well offshore just nipping in for fuel......because of the several billion pot markers sometimes out to 120 metres.

Which in 99% of cases are danbuoys on weighted line without pick-up buoy line (unlike the UK) so not actually the problem people worry about. 12 years in Portugal and so far haven't personally met anyone who caught one.

 

[capnsensible]

Which in 99% of cases are danbuoys on weighted line without pick-up buoy line (unlike the UK) so not actually the problem people worry about. 12 years in Portugal and so far haven't personally met anyone who caught one.

You've met me and I have!

Actually I think the line we snagged had been cut by someone else and it was floating under the surface. It was green polypropylene in a right snarl, must have been at least fifty metres long. Had to dive to cut it off the prop. Was off, I think, Tavira around May time.

 

[scotty123]

Which in 99% of cases are danbuoys on weighted line without pick-up buoy line (unlike the UK) so not actually the problem people worry about. 12 years in Portugal and so far haven't personally met anyone who caught one.

Motoring from Finisterre to Horta, got polyprop wrapped around prop when halfway, almost didn't make it before major storm hit.

 

[Graham376]

Motoring from Finisterre to Horta, got polyprop wrapped around prop when halfway, almost didn't make it before major storm hit.

I've had polyprop around the prop as well but not from snagging a danbuoy. Met a guy one time who had run into the well marked Barbate tuna net, IIRC it cost him around 1.5k euro to be released and pay for alleged damage he had caused.

 

[Graham376]

You've met me and I have!

Actually I think the line we snagged had been cut by someone else and it was floating under the surface. It was green polypropylene in a right snarl, must have been at least fifty metres long. Had to dive to cut it off the prop. Was off, I think, Tavira around May time.

The polyprop, also long length, I picked up was between Tavira and the Guadiana and others have reported line there, suspected to be offcuts from tuna net maintenance. Stripper didn't cut ours so like you had to dive but at least it was flat calm and warm.