Delivery of 26 foot sailboat from UK south coast to Portugal Atlantic coast (Porto area)...

[V1701]

Morning all,,

I’m exploring the possibility of having my 1969 Bowman 26 delivered to Portugal (Atlantic coast, Porto area) before the end of this year. I’m guessing that the bigger companies wouldn’t really be interested in taking on the delivery of a small, old boat and even if they were the cost might be prohibitive. She has good sails, recent standing rigging, a reliable low hours Beta engine, tiller pilot, windvane steering, AIS receiver & new Knox & Fortress anchors. She most certainly is not a floating shed, I brought her round from Aberdovey to Brighton last year, we had some pretty bad conditions coming round into Milford Haven in the early hours of the morning, got across the Bristol Channel & into Falmouth, then a few weeks later I did Falmouth to Brighton over 4 days solo all with no problems.

Is there anyone who’s a member here or knows of anyone who might be interested? I had booked a year off work to do the trip myself and get temporary Portuguese residency at the same time before the end of the Brexit transition period but that was cancelled due to the virus.

Also does anyone know a ballpark figure for delivery by road (her beam is 8 feet/2.44m) or have any recommendations of road hauliers that I might approach?

Thanks,
David.

 

[Carib]

It might be worth at least checking the cost with a delivery company - Halcyon (highly recommended) were happy to deliver my similarly vintaged 26 footer when I sold her last year, albeit only from the Solent to Falmouth, so a rather different proposition. As you say it might be prohibitively expensive - but I suspect no more than road transport would be.

 

[Poignard]

I was going to suggest Lashleys of Southbourne but it seems they have gone into liquidation.

If you are flexible with dates you might get a good deal from a firm making a delivery from Portugal to UK.

 

[Zagato]

Speaking to one firm last week they are not going abroad at the moment due to Coronavirus. I am getting quotes for around £500 just for Devon to Sussex. Is it really worth it for a Bowman, can you not buy abroad or charter...

 

[[178529]]

If by some luck a company has something booked to come back the other way then you might be lucky. If it doesn't have a backload then the cost is going to be horrendous.

So It would be clode to 4000 km return/ At 8 - 9 mpg you are talking 400 - 500 in fuel costs. Then with driver hour restrictions you are are talking about being able to cover 700 - 800 km per day. So 2.5 days out and 2.5 days back. Then the ferry costs say 600 return.

My guess would be minum 10k.

 

[oldmanofthehills]

Its 1500 from bristol to poole by road, so many time that to portugal by lorry unless its taken as a back load with the costs born by the other load going the other way.

Shipping by sea might be cheaper if anyone has free deckspace, or stick it in a container

Sailing its a week to get half way down Brittany plus fuel if wind adverse. Add another week to get to Spanish boarder plus where you want to go. Say 2 men 3 weeks or 3 men maybe a bit less. If the OP booked off a year he must be aware of the amount of sailing hours needed plus the lost time in ports due to adverse weather.

Unless OP has own lorry and free fuel I fear its not really practical.

 

[Buck Turgidson]

Best hope they are accepting international yachts arrivals soon. My boat's in Valencia but I can't book a berth in the Balearics in July!

I recon you could do the trip in 10 days if you get a window. I did Falmouth - Valencia in 18 this time last year ;-)

 

[oldmanofthehills]

Best hope they are accepting international yachts arrivals soon. My boat's in Valencia but I can't book a berth in the Balearics in July!

I recon you could do the trip in 10 days if you get a window. I did Falmouth - Valencia in 18 this time last year ;-)

Much of south coast is about 3 days or more from falmouth and and that compensates for not having to get to valencia portugal. You managed 18 days and that seems about right. A large boat sailing non stop with enough watchkeepers could do it in less but not a 2 up Bowman. I reckon 200 hours or so sailing, thats about 9 days non stop at 4kt

 

[capnsensible]

Much of south coast is about 3 days or more from falmouth and and that compensates for not having to get to valencia portugal. You managed 18 days and that seems about right. A large boat sailing non stop with enough watchkeepers could do it in less but not a 2 up Bowman. I reckon 200 hours or so sailing, thats about 9 days non stop at 4kt

Straightforward trip. Reckon your nine days about right, easily done non stop two people....if nothing important breaks.

 

[oldmanofthehills]

Straightforward trip. Reckon your nine days about right, easily done non stop two people....if nothing important breaks.

Bit of a caveat there. An 800 miles that involves going straight across the Bay of Biscay not going into the coastal waters and 12 hour watches or split days. Fatigue would be an issue. Rather you than me.

 

[Praxinoscope]

Bit of a caveat there. An 800 miles that involves going straight across the Bay of Biscay not going into the coastal waters and 12 hour watches or split days. Fatigue would be an issue. Rather you than me.

Did that a few years back, La Caruna to Milford Haven, with two up on an Invicta 26, very similar to the Bowman.
Four hours on four hours off routine, can get a bit tiring, but you do slip into the routine eventually.
Big essential, make sure you get on well with the other 50% of the crew.

 

[capnsensible]

Bit of a caveat there. An 800 miles that involves going straight across the Bay of Biscay not going into the coastal waters and 12 hour watches or split days. Fatigue would be an issue. Rather you than me.

I'm lucky to have done it lots so personally not a problem. ?

 

[capnsensible]

Did that a few years back, La Caruna to Milford Haven, with two up on an Invicta 26, very similar to the Bowman.
Four hours on four hours off routine, can get a bit tiring, but you do slip into the routine eventually.
Big essential, make sure you get on well with the other 50% of the crew.

With two, I often do 3 hour watches during the night and four on during the day.

The only real pain is if whatever self steering system fitted breaks. That's a pita if you are two up.

 

[Buck Turgidson]

Do it singlehanded. less provisions and no rosters to worry about

 

[V1701]

Do it singlehanded. less provisions and no rosters to worry about

That was the plan, before Brexit I was going to take a one year sabbatical from work and do it next year, because of Brexit I brought it forward to this year and then Corona happened. I was planning on going solo, taking my time, stopping for a week or two wherever I fancied, finishing up in Portugal and getting a 5 year temp residency. The object of the exercise now is to try to ensure that I have a boat in the EU and a residency before the end of Brexit transition and I have 4 weeks annual leave to play with hence looking at any and all options...

 

[nortada]

If I was confronted with this situation, I would route:- single handed Falmouth - Camaret (over night in SW approaches, land fall at dawn), best speed single handed hops to La Rochelle ( 2 man crew to Gigon), best speed single handed hops the rest of the trip to Porto or further.

Even with weather considerations should be possible to do Falmouth to Porto in your 4 week window of opportunity. If you run out of time, you could always leave the boat in one of the ports along the way to meet the need to be in the EU at the end of the TP.

If you do nothing else, I would strongly advise that you get Portuguese Residency before the end of the transition period.

 

[dansaskip]

4 weeks should be plenty of time to sail it and if you run short of time you could stop at one of the many ports on the way. Personally I’d plan to cross Biscay in one hit aiming for a landfall say at La Corona That way you can keep clear of all the nasties around Brittany coast etc and keep in deep water clear of the continental shelf. Then coast hopping from there. Anyway that’s the way I did it a few years ago singlehanded in a 28 footer and you do have windvane self steering And Bowman good sea boats. Mind you might be more fun with company

 

[V1701]

Thank you all for your replies,

As Nortada points out my priority is to get Portuguese residency before the end of transition, I do not really want to risk setting off with just 4 weeks to sail the boat there and get the residency sorted. Leaving the boat somewhere on the way wouldn't work because the marina contract for the boat is needed to get the residency (although that begs the question of whether I could get a marina contract before the boat arrives at the marina!). So I made this post to explore the options of road transport (seems this will for sure be prohibitively expensive) or delivery by sea. So if anyone else has any suggestions or advice related to that side of all this it will be more than welcome...

Thanks again,
David.

 

[Wansworth]

Does the boat actually have to be there to complete the paperwork?

 

[capnsensible]

I would suggest again contacting a delivery company like Halcyon. This is not a difficult or a long passage. Delivery skippers see things in a rather different way to cruising sailors. ?