Extended cruising

[FellFred]

Hi. I'm new to the forum. I'm looking for some advice.

I'm looking for a used cruiser for extended cruising, including offshore cruising. I'd particularly like to travel between the U.K. and Crete, where I have friends.

Internal space is more important to me than lots of deck space, as is a big, fresh-water tank. I'd prefer two cabins if possible, but I have no objection to one of those being a single.

I hope that's enough to go on.

Fred

 

[Clash]

Have you calculated the fuel cost for such a trip? For any kind of reasonably sized cruiser, it would be substantial.

 

[jrudge]

Squadron 58 is a good cruising boat. Lots of storage and a utility room with more storage / washing machine / second fridge / freezer and large under galley storage as well.

 

[Tranona]

Welcome to the forum

Very few motor cruisers are designed for that sort of use, lacking range and to an extent seakeeping ability to undertake the passage around the Iberian peninsular to enter the Med. However, possible starting from the western Med and harbour hopping along the northern shores is possible but slow and heavy on fuel. Also possible to go from the UK through the French canals, although that limits the type of boat you can use. If you are a UK citizen your biggest constraint is the amount of time you can spend in the EU in periods when boating is possible.

If you want to see your friends in Crete hop on a plane.

 

[dunedin]

Hi. I'm new to the forum. I'm looking for some advice.

I'm looking for a used cruiser for extended cruising, including offshore cruising. I'd particularly like to travel between the U.K. and Crete, where I have friends.

Internal space is more important to me than lots of deck space, as is a big, fresh-water tank. I'd prefer two cabins if possible, but I have no objection to one of those being a single.

I hope that's enough to go on.

Fred

Welcome to the forum

Generally three important questions - Budget? Budget? Budget?


PS. Is it a motor cruiser you are looking for or one with sails (the latter may be more common and practical for long offshore passages)?

 

[FellFred]

Have you calculated the fuel cost for such a trip? For any kind of reasonably sized cruiser, it would be substantial.

Thank you. I assumed, perhaps incorrectly, that it would be better choosing a boat before calculating the fuel cost. You're quite correct in pointing out the distance, though.

 

[FellFred]

Squadron 58 is a good cruising boat. Lots of storage and a utility room with more storage / washing machine / second fridge / freezer and large under galley storage as well.

This does look like a good boat. I'll look more closely and try to compare it with it's competitors. Thank you.

 

[FellFred]

Welcome to the forum

Very few motor cruisers are designed for that sort of use, lacking range and to an extent seakeeping ability to undertake the passage around the Iberian peninsular to enter the Med. However, possible starting from the western Med and harbour hopping along the northern shores is possible but slow and heavy on fuel. Also possible to go from the UK through the French canals, although that limits the type of boat you can use. If you are a UK citizen your biggest constraint is the amount of time you can spend in the EU in periods when boating is possible.

If you want to see your friends in Crete hop on a plane.

Thank you for this. It's helpful. I had thought about cruising through France but few boats give me the seaworthiness I'd need at the other end.
Also, I can't fly. Makes me very ill.

 

[FellFred]

I'm beginning to

Welcome to the forum

Generally three important questions - Budget? Budget? Budget?


PS. Is it a motor cruiser you are looking for or one with sails (the latter may be more common and practical for long offshore passages)?

Think my dreams are too big! Yes, motor cruiser not yacht. But it's not looking likely on my bu.

 

[Clash]

I'm beginning to

Think my dreams are too big! Yes, motor cruiser not yacht. But it's not looking likely on my bu.

Maybe look at a hybrid approach. Drive to Italy (or Greece) and cruise from there.

 

[PlanB]

In 2005, as our retirement project, we set off from London in our Princess 435, heading Med-wards via Biscay, specifically to the Peloponnese where the boat idea was first conceived. We got as far as Estepona, just inside the Med, before settling for 12 years as liveaboards.
The decision to stay was partly because we loved where we were. But also, we had already spent nearly £10K on fuel (budgeted, not a surprise). We realised that to get to Greece was going to cost the same again. And that was 20 years ago.
We had super-planned our trip to the western Med, but had not concentrated much on travelling eastwards once we got there.
Once we started looking at it, we realised that as you got further east, fuel stations were further and further apart. Range was an issue.
I do know someone who went down the canals/Rhone route who got as far as Corfu, but the dodgy winter weather meant that they had to leave the boat and come back to the UK for winters.
And now of course you have the Brexit 90/180 rule.
Lots to think about.

 

[FellFred]

In 2005, as our retirement project, we set off from London in our Princess 435, heading Med-wards via Biscay, specifically to the Peloponnese where the boat idea was first conceived. We got as far as Estepona, just inside the Med, before settling for 12 years as liveaboards.
The decision to stay was partly because we loved where we were. But also, we had already spent nearly £10K on fuel (budgeted, not a surprise). We realised that to get to Greece was going to cost the same again. And that was 20 years ago.
We had super-planned our trip to the western Med, but had not concentrated much on travelling eastwards once we got there.
Once we started looking at it, we realised that as you got further east, fuel stations were further and further apart. Range was an issue.
I do know someone who went down the canals/Rhone route who got as far as Corfu, but the dodgy winter weather meant that they had to leave the boat and come back to the UK for winters.
And now of course you have the Brexit 90/180 rule.
Lots to think about.

This is really helpful. Thank you.
Fuel costs aside, I assume the boat performed well?

 

[Grubble]

Thank you for this. It's helpful. I had thought about cruising through France but few boats give me the seaworthiness I'd need at the other end.
Also, I can't fly. Makes me very ill.

Take the train across Europe then a ferry. Rent a boat when you get there. It will be a lot less stressful.

 

[petem]

Pleasure cruisers (under 80 foot or so) aren't efficient or comfortable forms of transport.

My advice would be to do some RYA courses so that you understand the basics and that might give you an idea of the type of boat that might suit you.

 

[Hurricane]

Definitely doable but this link might put you off the idea.
The link is to a report when we took our (then) new Princess 67 from the UK to the (then new) MDL Spanish marina located halfway between Barcelona and Valencia. Princess 67 Delivery - UK to Spain - Loads of Pics and Videos
In the report, I have detailed the fuel burn and all the stops on the way.
We travelled at planing speed all the way so it could be done with a lot less fuel if you ran at displacement speed.
And, if you have time, it would be a great adventure if you stopped for a few weeks/months on the way and flying home.
That way, you could enjoy all those fabulous places on the way.

The following season, we went down to Malta and back - see this report thread - unfortunately not all the photo links work.

Thread 'Spain to Malta (Warning: long & loads of pics!)'

28 Apr 2009

Mike asked me to do the writeup of the trip from Spain to Malta, so this is from memory. Those who were there - feel free to put me straight where I go awry. Photos are from my collection (so there are likely better photos on the other cameras which were on board - though you can leave out all the embarassing ones, okay?!?!).

Photos should all click to larger versions. The panoramas are VERY large though.

Writing this up & pimping photos has taken hours. All errors & omissions are the fault of my memory.

Day 1
The crew gather at Gatwick - Hurricane, SWMBO and daughter. djefabs...

• rickp
• Replies: 51
• Forum: Motor Boat Forum

Maybe that will help you make your decision - one way or the other.
Apart from the 90/180 day rule, you need to think about VAT on a boat being imported into the EU. If you are careful, you should be able to use the 18 month TA rules until you get the boat to Crete but buying a second hand boat in the EU with all its VAT paid might be more appropriate.

 

[PlanB]

This is really helpful. Thank you.
Fuel costs aside, I assume the boat performed well?

Well, we had a turbo rebuild in A Coruna and the other engine had to come out for rebuild when we reached La Duquesa.
That increased the budget somewhat.
Plan B was14 years old when we set off - we had numerous other small things that needed fixing over the years - that's boating, even if, I'm told, you have a newer boat.

 

[FellFred]

Definitely doable but this link might put you off the idea.
The link is to a report when we took our (then) new Princess 67 from the UK to the (then new) MDL Spanish marina located halfway between Barcelona and Valencia. Princess 67 Delivery - UK to Spain - Loads of Pics and Videos
In the report, I have detailed the fuel burn and all the stops on the way.
We travelled at planing speed all the way so it could be done with a lot less fuel if you ran at displacement speed.
And, if you have time, it would be a great adventure if you stopped for a few weeks/months on the way and flying home.
That way, you could enjoy all those fabulous places on the way.

The following season, we went down to Malta and back - see this report thread - unfortunately not all the photo links work.

Thread 'Spain to Malta (Warning: long & loads of pics!)'

28 Apr 2009

Mike asked me to do the writeup of the trip from Spain to Malta, so this is from memory. Those who were there - feel free to put me straight where I go awry. Photos are from my collection (so there are likely better photos on the other cameras which were on board - though you can leave out all the embarassing ones, okay?!?!).

Photos should all click to larger versions. The panoramas are VERY large though.

Writing this up & pimping photos has taken hours. All errors & omissions are the fault of my memory.

Day 1
The crew gather at Gatwick - Hurricane, SWMBO and daughter. djefabs...

• rickp
• Replies: 51
• Forum: Motor Boat Forum

Maybe that will help you make your decision - one way or the other.
Apart from the 90/180 day rule, you need to think about VAT on a boat being imported into the EU. If you are careful, you should be able to use the 18 month TA rules until you get the boat to Crete but buying a second hand boat in the EU with all its VAT paid might be more appropriate.

Wow! This is wonderful!
Thank you so much for sharing. There's a lot of really helpful detail in here as well as some excellent pictures.
That's some boat, by the way!
Fred

 

[Hurricane]

Wow! This is wonderful!
Thank you so much for sharing. There's a lot of really helpful detail in here as well as some excellent pictures.
That's some boat, by the way!
Fred

If you do go ahead with a project like this - one thing to remember is that boats get smaller in the Med.
Well, not actually smaller - they just appear to be smaller.
We had our P67 in the UK for a summer season and IMO, she was too big for the UK.
But, for us - just the right size for the Med.

In my view, concentrate on the boat and its eventual location.
It may be better to set your sights a bit bigger and concentrate on a good used model already in the Med.
Also don't necessarily go for cabin space - for example a 20m boat would usually have 4 cabins plus crew.
Our P67 only has 3 cabins plus crew but each one is palatial with the biggest mid cabins for its size.
After all, it is a second home and I like to be comfortable.
If you find something already in the EU, make sure she was fully VAT paid and ACTUALLY in EU waters on the 31st December 2020.
Then enjoy cruising like this