Different, Different Mallorca Report

[MedDreamer]

The story so far.......we are selling up and coming home.........firmly made our minds up........

I followed with interest Plantys and Magnums posts about keeping the boat in the Med - less frequent use, long journeys etc. and I have had these thoughts myself many times over the last year.

However there is an upside.........................May Bank Holiday, Bay of Alcudia

The previous weekend we had been in Windermere and it was cold and dull.

So I sat and wondered whether we should reconsider our decision..

Trying to make her mind up put SWMBO off her breakfast....

And this stern to mooring is a bit of a doddle....

Anchoring.......no problem...

So, we see less of the boat, get stressed worrying about it, have a five hour journey to get to her....is it worth it........

Well it certainly feels like it at the moment...

Martyn

 

[Magnum]

Looks worth it to me. Jammy git.

Was planning on spending the weekend aboard Magnum in Torquay. Then I looked at the forecast :-

If only we were here :-

 

[Renegade_Master]

Looks good to me Martyn. I am sure you have this covered, but Just a thought for those proposing the same.

Do make sure that if you leave the boat for lengthy periods, someone keeps an eye on it for you. Case in point guy bought a lovely Sealine 365 in our marina last October about. Lifted for purchase survey, report mentioned a few things including anodes 50% down need changing soon.

This week he booked an own boat ICC with us, had'nt been near her for over 6 months and had'nt done what the surveyors report recommended.



Port would not go into reverse, would not do over 13 knts (fifthy bottom you see) anodes non existant ali props falling apart.

Big lesson

 

[Renegade_Master]

tell you what Magnum I look like that guy in your piccie /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[MedDreamer]

Yes, good point Clive, The longest we have been away is 8 weeks and the guy I rent my mooring from is out there every couple of weeks and keeps an eye on her, If I weren't going to see her for six months I would have her lifted.

 

[MedDreamer]

Yup - it will be especially nice on a beautiful new Princess /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif what are your plans now? Will you be over here this year?

Martyn

 

[Magnum]

Oh yes. Will be there from approx mid-August /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[MedDreamer]

I hope it all work out well, we could have so easily given up at times last year but wiser heads encouraged us to stick it out (especially TCM and Nat) and we are now really enjoying it.

While I'm thanking people should add thanks to Alistairr for the help in loading the piccies

Martyn

 

[tcm]

Hm, a difficult decison, and not unlike the one i had recently: whether to go the restuarant in town which is very nice, OR stay at home and smash my fingers with a hammer in the rain...

 

[MedDreamer]

Really? which did you choose? ......do you find it hard typing with stumpy bandaged fingers?

 

[jfm]

Fab pix Martyn. Surely you must be reconsidering, when you see those pix?

Look, I'm gonna sound like broken record so sorry for that but your prob with Med has been hassle and travel. So why not cut 1.5hours off the journey and move her to Nice? Look at this pic below, also taken in May, 1/2mile from Nice town. I'm not saying it's any better than your location (though you did use careful camera angles to avoid the Alcudia industrial chimneys /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif) but it's AS GOOD isn't it, yet 1.5 hours closer? Dont give up all that blue sea and sunshine!

 

[jfm]

Keep up at the back!

Oops, I am not keeping up? Have you decided to stay in the Med? Ignore previous post then!

 

[MedDreamer]

Re: Keep up at the back!

Certainly staying put for now, but I take your point about travel hassle and SOF is served by Jet2 from Leeds so its something we should consider.

Do you know the availability of 10m berths for rent?

 

[tcm]

Re: 10m no prob

its 45foot and up that is monster booked up imho. 10m should be ok in almost every marina. Also, er there seem to enough armtwisting power hereabouts to get people in various places.

One quite interesting place regarding the looking after boatiness and ooer wonder if it is ok is the Port a Sec in Cannes. They stack the thing ashore overwinter so quite good. But it's a £15 quid cab ride from Nice (hence£50) but lots that are nearer.

You route is north to barcelona 100miles, and hop along coast where it gets progressively nicer. Altho Barca is ok, sorry paulineb ahem...

 

[MedDreamer]

Re: 10m no prob

Hmm interesting, so where exactly should I be looking? Hope the fingers are getting better

Martyn

 

[tcm]

Re: 10m no prob

erm, not sure how far you need to look. There are mates of mates to find a space somewhere along the coast, and you can take it from there. There are marinas about every 2miles mile on average bit more bit less. jfm's foredeck looks a bit unused if there's a problem.

Close to the airport and and heding west is
st laurent du var - cheap, ok, bit of a boat park, bit dead out of season

baie des anges, good place for flat with boat like ex defence minster John Nott who has sealine 36 and flat and refers to Yacht in South Of France

Antibes, good town, massive marina (now up to 50 euros taxi and ooh bout 9miles to Nice airport)

nother marina west side of cap dantibe forgotten the name ahem, next to beach that's nice as well

Golfe Juan, big marina, bit small town bit dead out of season but fine really

Cannes also v nice proper place, smack in centre of town

Cannes sur mer under a road bridge and newish marina i can't get in but goota be ok, same with port a sec up the river near the golf course

La napoule quite pop with brits, now bout 15 miles (?) from airport

la rague a furthe half mile, fab for boatfixing, i went there for a while and first four days we stayed in port cos it was so fab - then went to other ports and discoverd it was a dump in comparison. But quiet and some restaurants.


West from Nice airport is Nice, then Villefranche who are helpful and plez, then St Jean Cap ferat which may be a bit £steep and then Beaulieu

 

[MedDreamer]

Re: 10m no prob

Thanks Matt, I think you might have given us a good excuse for a long weekend in the SoF

Martyn

 

[jfm]

Re: 10m no prob

The marina west of CapD'Antibes that tcm forgot name of is Port Gallice. Quite nice imho. In tcm's final sentence he meant East not West. Also Beaulieu comes before St Jean if travelling from airport.

Agree, you should get a 10m berth rental for a year without much prob. There is a less supply demand mismatch at that size.

Imho get close to airport, euro50 taxi max. So, SLaurent du Var, baia des anges, antibes, gallice, Golfe Juan. Not cannes, lanapoule, la rague (euros 90). Ditto East, Nice harbour, villefranche, and mebbe beaulieu and St Jean are just within 60 euros. Next along eastwards, Cap Dail, def isn't (though it is the most convenient of all becuase direct 225mph chopper euros 75 per seat from airport to your marina every 15min)

TCM stop complaining my foredeck is unused. It was a quiet day. your foredeck is pretty unused too, hm? I bet you've never had a load of girls on it, and you dont have pix to prove it, hm??

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

Anchor ball hoisted. Very impressive seamanship or was it just for the photo?

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

MedDreamer, having had one season in SoF and one in Spain/Palma, I'm in a position to compare the two. All things being equal, I cant see how you can shave 1.5hrs off the journey time. The difference in flying time is about 30-40mins. If you want to cut your journey, maybe worth considering berthing in Palma? Possibly true though that there are more flying options to Nice, at least from SE England
I've got no statistics to back this up but my impression is that the season is longer in the Balearics than SoF which is quite a bit further north. We had 2 glorious Oct and Nov long weekends in Majorca last year and I specifically noted the weather report from SoF which was much cooler and rainier. On the other hand, maybe Balearics are a bit windier. As I say, no statistics to back this up, just a bit of experience
SoF is more expensive than Majorca - moorings, fuel, labour costs, taxi fares, car hire, restaurants, supermarkets but SoF is better for food, restaurants, shopping and altogether more sophisticated
SoF cruising grounds are not as good as Balearics imho (cue flaming). Balearics have more anchorages per nautical mile than SoF and being islands you can always go round other side to get shelter
But, Sof, particularly the Cote d'Azur, is a beautiful area and is certainly worth a look