Estimate time and cost to sail from Baltic Sea to Mallorca

charles_reed said:
The time would be almost incalculable - I'd give myself 6 months. Too many uncontrollable variables.

However starting from where you are why not come up the Rhine, across on the Main and then down the Danube to the Black Sea. That would take you about 10 weeks to do comfortably. I know two boats who've done that and both have found it inexpensive and great fun.
Click to expand...


Well, I confess I studied that route, but could not find much references. My biggest doubt is: can it be done with a 1.58m draft? I don't want to get stuck somewhere... If you have any weblink to suggest.... thanks!
(in any case is a bit a longer route and going far away from my destination in the Med)
 
Last edited:
charles_reed said:
However starting from where you are why not come up the Rhine, across on the Main and then down the Danube to the Black Sea. That would take you about 10 weeks to do comfortably. I know two boats who've done that and both have found it inexpensive and great fun.
Click to expand...

Bit of a hike from the Black Sea to the Balearics, though, Charles...the better part of 2000 miles.
However if Voyager would like more info of the Danube route, I'm pretty sure there are relevant blogs on line. Heikell also did the trip years ago, and I think wrote about the experience.
 
Voyager 5 said:
Well, I confess I studied that route, but could not find much references. My biggest doubt is: can it be done with a 1.58m draft? I don't want to get stuck somewhere... If you have any weblink to suggest.... thanks!
(in any case is a bit a longer route and going far away from my destination in the Med)
Click to expand...

I think you'll find little difference in distance and far more surety of being able to make progress every day. Having done the scenic route, I know it's most likely that you'll be delayed by weather and foul winds for at least 40% of the time. The part of the Med you'll then be going through on the Danube route, is (in the estimation of most who know the subject) is infinitely more pleasant than the Western part as well as offering the far greater certainty of overnight moorings.
 
I think that your 1.6 m draft might be the biggest obstacle for the canal route, it is a lottery. With a rainy season and full rivers you might win.
What is your beam ? This might be another limiting factor.
I don't think that the black sea route is currently a viable alternative either.

Why don't you contact the normal Truckers hauling French made boats ( Dufour, Beneteau, Jeanneau ) to North Europe?
You might get a good deal from somebody who otherwise might have to return empty ( if your beam is below 3.3 m even better ).
http://www.transports-morlin.fr/transports_bateaux.htm

They might give you an option to offload your boat in the Marseille or La Rochelle area. From Marseille it is a simple 2 day trip to Mallorca.
From La Rochelle you only have to go around Portugal :)
BTW don't be surprised about the mooring fees in the marinas in high season, the Operators are all descendants from the Caribbean pirates.
 
Last edited:
Voyager: Rotterdam to the Black sea is over 2100 miles (a significant part of it uphill against a strong current); Romania to the Balearics is, as said, the better part of 2000 miles. If that makes the Rhine/Danube attractive, by all means go for it.
 
I did the same trip, round the outside, some 20 years ago and it took from 2nd April to mid June but I did spent 2 weeks going up the Douro.Start point was Portsmouth however. Hope this helps.
 
Sorry I have been not answering for a while but reading the various comments, just wanted to thank you all for the useful input, every bit helps.

At the moment I am thinking of sailing beginning early January and go to the UK as a first stop. Then from there I will decide what to do.
The trip will go through Baltic Sea, then Kiel Canal, then Dutch Canals Mast Up Route, then a bit of Belgium and France coast and then straight to Dover, UK and then I will reach another marina south-UK to stay for a while.
Later on (March?) I may sail down to La Rochelle and put the boat on a lorry to deliver it in the Med, that seems to be the less expensive option, in time and money.

Truth is the best option would be a boat delivery straight from North Germany Baltic Coast (Rostock or whereabouts) and from there splash the boat back into the Med (France or Italy, shortest path). If this delivery was available, it would save me A LOT of time and spare me the pain of sailing single-handed a lot of nautical miles in winter (I love tropical and mediterranean seas, not the Northern Latitudes, in case you wonder...).

I could not find any boat deliverer with empty return loads from the Baltic Coast of Germany to the Med, if you know one, please let me know.

Thank you.
 
Gentlemen I have also another question,
if I wanted to put the boat on the dry for the winter in the south UK (say 2-3 months), what marina would you recommend based on this criteria:

- reasonable/cheap prices
- crane in-out of water available all year around without having to call a truck with crane just to take in-out my boat (too expensive, down here is 300 eur to put in and 300 eur to put out, if you do not team up with a bunch of sailors to share costs and there is none in winter)
- good contractors to do some professional engine maintenance (Yanmar) and a few small electric jobs and rig maintenance
 
One other thing you should consider is the suitability of your present boat for cruising in the Mediterranean. If your boat is a north European type, you may as well sell it in the area for which it is suited (and where it will fetch the best price) and by a Med cruiser, jen/bav/Ben down south. You'll then avoid the transport time and cost and end up with a boat suitable for hot weather.
Just a thought.
 
Beside the fact I am a bit in love with my boat :o, but I am just wondering: which parts of a swedish boat are not supposed to work in hot weather? I saw a lot of swedish boats in hot, even tropical weathers, couldn't really see why a Jeanneau would be better?
(I guess this discussion may now detonate a war, but I am curious about what makes scandinavian boats not right for the med, mine is a fin keel, bit of a cruiser-racer from 1979).
 
Another vote for the canals route. Brought a 37' ketch home that way & it was both more economic and more pleasurable than going the long way round, which I have done before. Enjoy it.
 
maxi said:
Another vote for the canals route. Brought a 37' ketch home that way & it was both more economic and more pleasurable than going the long way round, which I have done before. Enjoy it.
Click to expand...

The canal route requires anyway to bring the boat to Calais, that is the largest part of my trip as I come from the Baltic, that is what I want to avoid. If I was already in UK, I agree it's easy to hop into the canals of France.

However, if I have to sail all the way to Calais, then I'd rather sail down another 10 days to reach La Rochelle, put the boat on a truck and for ~1500 eur have it delivered on the France Med Coast. Maybe even for less cost if I find a empty return load.

Going through the french channels will force me to ship my 12 metres-tall mast by truck at a ~1000 eur cost (can't transport it with me on a 8.58m boat single-handed), then drive for 20-30 days alone through a myriad of locks. Personally I'd rather sail.
 
Last edited:
Voyager,

just check with your local Beneteau, Jeanneau, Dufour dealer. They might tell you when they receive road transports in 2016 with new boats and even who would be the trucking company.
Alternatively I would check this also out with the Northern German Dealers of these brands.
I don't think that a January sailing trip from Sweden to the UK would be much fun:)
 
Voyager 5 said:
Beside the fact I am a bit in love with my boat :o, but I am just wondering: which parts of a swedish boat are not supposed to work in hot weather? I saw a lot of swedish boats in hot, even tropical weathers, couldn't really see why a Jeanneau would be better?
(I guess this discussion may now detonate a war, but I am curious about what makes scandinavian boats not right for the med, mine is a fin keel, bit of a cruiser-racer from 1979).
Click to expand...

Do you have any experience of sailing in the Med? If so, you will understand why "modern" style boats are preferred. Winds are generally very light there, it is very hot and most of the ports require stern to mooring. So the boats are designed to be good in light airs, good for motoring, large open cockpits, often with open transoms, large battery capacity, good fridges, biminis etc. In other words all good things for the local style of sailing and living on board. This is in contrast to the characteristics of boats designed primarily for northern waters and which do not sell in warmer climates.

This does not mean that northern boats such as yours cannot be used there, but are usually taken there by people such as yourself who are in love with their boats. However as you are discovering it does not make economic sense and is practically a challenge to get the boat there. It may not be important for you now, but if ever you change your mind it will be very difficult to sell your boat there for the reasons explained above.

As I think I suggested earlier, actually sailing the boat there is a challenge and a worthwhile exercise in its own right - but if all you want to do is sail a boat in the Med, then it makes sense to buy one there, and probably choose a different style of boat from what you have now.

Agree with others, sailing to UK in January is not a good idea. It is a challenge even in the summer, particularly in a small boat and single handed. Have a look at the weather charts at the moment and then imagine how you would like to be going west against this constant stream of depressions coming in from the Atlantic!

If you do get to the UK south coast (and Dover is not a very good place to aim for) you will find an excellent choice of places to leave a boat. Most boatyards have on site lifting facilities and storage, although might be difficult to find storage ashore in the winter months without booking. The best choice is in the Solent area between Chichester and Poole.
 
Unless there is a specific reason that you want to leave the boat on the UK south coast then I would look at Dieppe & Le Havre. I suspect that prices may be a bit cheaper & offset travel costs.
Even Cherbourg should be easy to reach & with a £ 50 ( or thereabouts) RYA membership one gets 20% discount although I am not sure how long for. The fact that it is offered suggests a long term stay may make prices negotiable
 
Fendant said:
Voyager,

just check with your local Beneteau, Jeanneau, Dufour dealer. They might tell you when they receive road transports in 2016 with new boats and even who would be the trucking company.
Alternatively I would check this also out with the Northern German Dealers of these brands.
I don't think that a January sailing trip from Sweden to the UK would be much fun:)
Click to expand...

Thanks Fendant.
 
In case someone is going to do the same trip one day, I have figured out this is a good route for a single handed skipper that just wants to take a boat from the Baltic Sea to the UK/France (click on weblink for large image):

http://postimg.org/image/klweixg8t/
 

Attachments

  • the trip.jpg
    the trip.jpg
    23.3 KB · Views: 4
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Other threads that may be of interest

B
How does a tacho get RPM and engine-hours data, and how to fix faulty readings?
Replies
16
Views
486
Babylon
B
B
Halberg Rassey 31
2 3 4
Replies
71
Views
2K
ashtead
ashtead

Share this page

Top