I want a bolt hole in the sun

[Tranona]

May-October? Where does that come from? Athens is a big international airport with flights every day of the year to most European countries.

Not so good, however if you keep your boat in the popular Ionian which relies heavily on cheap(er) charter flights and Easyjet. For those of us who have done it regularly flying through Athens is not the most pleasant experience and the number of flights from the UK has dropped in recent years. Other parts of the Med, Spain and Portugal for example have many more flights from UK including regional airports, to more local airports all year round, hence their popularity.

 

[Steve C Cronin]

This looks good, do you have any contact details please?

Just turn up and park your boat then get a local to look after it for you. The owner of the hotel overlooking the "marina" is the usual choice but ask around.

 

[Steve C Cronin]

Not so good, however if you keep your boat in the popular Ionian which relies heavily on cheap(er) charter flights and Easyjet. For those of us who have done it regularly flying through Athens is not the most pleasant experience and the number of flights from the UK has dropped in recent years. Other parts of the Med, Spain and Portugal for example have many more flights from UK including regional airports, to more local airports all year round, hence their popularity.

Most years I fly LHR to Corfu via Athens around 5 times with Aegean Air. The costs are reasonable, around £350 Rtn including meals and a hold baggage allowance (recently reduced, it must be said). Stop-over times are 5hrs one way and 45mins the other.

 

[Bertramdriver]

I have to say Greece. Not the mainland but the islands that have a good connection with Athens. If you can manage a mindshift keep your boat on the hard rather than a berth. Less worry and launched (if you want it) the day you arrive. Costs about one third of UK costs, everybody speaks English in one form or another. Look at the atlas and you will see Aegina, Poros, Porto Heli, Syros I know. All within a few hours of the airport. Plus you have the whole Aegean within your range.

 

[Tranona]

Most years I fly LHR to Corfu via Athens around 5 times with Aegean Air. The costs are reasonable, around £350 Rtn including meals and a hold baggage allowance (recently reduced, it must be said). Stop-over times are 5hrs one way and 45mins the other.

Yes - I have done it many times but it is still inconvenient compared with Easyjet direct or Thomson from Bournemouth (for me living in Poole). No need to go to Heathrow. Usually paid around £150 return with Easyjet, £200 with a charter flight. Gatwick much better for access by car with reasonably priced off site car parking.

Anyway, the OP was asking about locations to keep a boat to use in the winter which is why my original comment suggested downside of Greece is poor winter access and most places are closed down.

 

[Steve C Cronin]

Yes - I have done it many times but it is still inconvenient compared with Easyjet direct or Thomson from Bournemouth (for me living in Poole). No need to go to Heathrow. Usually paid around £150 return with Easyjet, £200 with a charter flight. Gatwick much better for access by car with reasonably priced off site car parking.

Anyway, the OP was asking about locations to keep a boat to use in the winter which is why my original comment suggested downside of Greece is poor winter access and most places are closed down.

Aegean Air fly the whole year round with many onward connections so it is ideal for his purposes.

 

[rallyveteran]

Aegean Air fly the whole year round with many onward connections so it is ideal for his purposes.

He's asking for somewhere warm. I'd agree that Greece is warmer than the Clyde, but that may not be enough to make it the 'ideal' place you claim. Warmer places would include Tunisia (especially the south), the south of Spain, Canaries (as others have mentioned) or even the Egyptian coast in the Red Sea at El Gouna or Hurghada

 

[rustybarge]

He's asking for somewhere warm. I'd agree that Greece is warmer than the Clyde, but that may not be enough to make it the 'ideal' place you claim.

I've spent dozens of winters in the Provence, south of France, and you can't depend on the winter weather. Some years you can eat your christmas lunch outside if you're lucky, but it's mostly cold in the evenings and maybe half the week will be cool and sunny. Some years the weather is as bad as the UK.

I spent a couple of winters in the Algarve, Portugal, and the weather is definitely much better. There is more humidity, but also much more sunshine and warmth in the winter. It's also 50% cheaper than France. The Portuguese are much nicer people than the arrogant French.

The Cote D 'Azure is wrecked with modern development, exactly the same as the Algarve. But there are nice places hidden away.

I can recommend Tavira on the Algarve as a genuine old Portuguese Town. The some old parts of Faro are very nice as well. The Ria Formosa is a gorgeous place to keep a boat ( think intercostal waterway). You can just pull your boat up on the beach anywhere you wish...it's free! The sand dunes separate you from the Atlantic sea swells.

France: overcrowded, expensive, rude people, poor food in south, beautiful scenery, 6/10
Portugal: quieter, cheap, nice people, poor food, gorgeous beaches, scenery not so good. 7/10

You pay your money and ........

 

[jordanbasset]

He's asking for somewhere warm. I'd agree that Greece is warmer than the Clyde, but that may not be enough to make it the 'ideal' place you claim. Warmer places would include Tunisia (especially the south), the south of Spain, Canaries (as others have mentioned) or even the Egyptian coast in the Red Sea at El Gouna or Hurghada

Agree

 

[blueglass]

Nowhere in the Med is guaranteed good winter weather. You would need to look further afield.

 

[Bertramdriver]

That has to be the understatement of the century

 

[Honey]

I keep a sailboat in the UK for summer use and a motorboat in Florida for winter use. Thinking I came home too early this year!!!

 

[jordanbasset]

I keep a sailboat in the UK for summer use and a motorboat in Florida for winter use. Thinking I came home too early this year!!!

That's interesting, how does Florida work out, do you live on the boat

 

[Honey]

That's interesting, how does Florida work out, do you live on the boat

No I have a house there and thanks to their much geater towing limits (55' I think) I can tow my boat (28' and about 3 - 4 tons)
to whichever coast or lake I prefer. UK today 6°C Florida 24°C.

 

[V1701]

Crete? Better in winter than Ionian/Aegean. Agios Nikolaos Marina's very attractive pricelist here:

http://www.marinaofagiosnikolaos.gr/index.php/price-list

 

[rustybarge]

The Ria Formosa, Tavira, Portugal. Well worth a visit.

View attachment 30360View attachment 30361View attachment 30362View attachment 30363

 

[Steve C Cronin]

Crete? Better in winter than Ionian/Aegean. Agios Nikolaos Marina's very attractive pricelist here:

http://www.marinaofagiosnikolaos.gr/index.php/price-list

B - H !!!

That's half what I'm paying in Gouvia.

Ah, but when I add on the €6 a day for electricity and water, it comes out about the same.

 

[JoeQ]

Thanks for all the replies, plenty of info and advice for me to consider.

Cheers,

JoeQ

 

[Tony Cross]

B - H !!!

That's half what I'm paying in Gouvia.

Ah, but when I add on the €6 a day for electricity and water, it comes out about the same.

It's not €6 per day. Water here (Ag Nik, Crete) is €3.50 per cubic metre (inc VAT) and electricity is €0.30 per kwH (inc VAT). Metered at all berths.

 

[jimbaerselman]

Quote from http://jimbsail.info/mediterranean

Winter Mediterranean Weather. In winter (say, 1 Nov to late March), unsettled weather is common, with day temperatures around 10C to 18C. Frost is unlikely except in northernmost areas. Winters in the N Adriatic and Sea of Marmaris (where there can be snow) and N Aegean are chilly and wet. In unsettled weather, easy access to a well sheltered harbour is vital, since truly vicous winds sometimes blow. But periods of settled weather are reliably forecast, and provide fine cruising conditions, with peak day temperatures often exceeding 20C. There are no crowds, although berths may not always be easy to find as few boats are on the move. Some tourist areas really do go to sleep, and facilities, shops and restaurants in smaller places will be shut. The transition from bustling high season August to empty September can be astonishingly abrupt.

Having said that, the sunniest Med spots in winter are Costa del Sol (rain shadow of Sierra Nevada, between Motril and Almeria) and Djerba, Tunisia (desert climate!)

Otherwise, Persian Gulf (there must be a taxi service for oily boys between Aberdeen and the gulf!), Caribbean or Florida.