silversailor
New Member
Plan to cross Biscay in June, but need to leave boat unattended in Northern Spain or Portugal for a month. Any recommendations for a secure marina?
Leaving boat in N Spain/Portugal for a month
- Thread starter silversailor
- Start date
chinita
Well-Known Member
The new marina at Porto seems to be getting decent reviews - cheap too.
http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?t=342883
http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?t=342883
Ludd
Well-Known Member
I'd choose Portosin,Ria de Muros .Safe as houses well sheltered,reasonably priced(or was). Slight downside is that the nearest airport is Santiago de Compostela,but I'm sure there's a bus service.
silversailor
New Member
Many thanks Ludd and Chinita- very helpful. I'll do some more research. Soon be summer! 
Mistroma
Well-Known Member
Lots to choose from and it might help to look at flights home before you decide. We are in Vigo but have to fly to Asturias and drive to Vigo or put up with ungodly hours, hotels and heaven knows what else to get back to the boat.
Probably not a problem if you are flying from London.
If you get stuck at Biscay then you could do worse than Viveiro. Security seems OK, it isn't too expensive, you won't get better shelter and there's a big supermarket very close to the marina. I don't know about transport but FEVE to Asturias airport might be viable, or bus to Coruna. You'd need to check transport.
Marina at Coruna gives 15% discount if you book via email. However, Royal Club is still cheaper, better shelter and closer to town. They were pretty empty last year so might give a deal for a month.
Muros has pretty good shelter and I'd happily leave my boat there for a month. Don't know about transport links but we found it a lot cheaper than Portosin.
Vilanova and Vilagarcia would be fine in Ria Arousa as long as you aren't near the entrance. Vilagarcia has a train station so easy to get to airports (Santiago or Vigo).
Vigo has several marinas that are Ok. Moana is the cheapest (ferry ride to Vigo) but might be full. I think that the others are pretty similar in price but check first. Marina Davila gets some swell from fishing boats but nothing major. Pontoons, spacing and cleats are huge. The Royal Club is MUCH closer to the town but I think that they might still be finishing work on the new section (so moving boats around as work progresses).
That's only a sample of places and I know that there are other people with much more knowledge of the area so you should get good advice.
As I said, my tip is to look at flights first, then local transport FEVE, RENFE) and finally pick the marina.
Probably not a problem if you are flying from London.
If you get stuck at Biscay then you could do worse than Viveiro. Security seems OK, it isn't too expensive, you won't get better shelter and there's a big supermarket very close to the marina. I don't know about transport but FEVE to Asturias airport might be viable, or bus to Coruna. You'd need to check transport.
Marina at Coruna gives 15% discount if you book via email. However, Royal Club is still cheaper, better shelter and closer to town. They were pretty empty last year so might give a deal for a month.
Muros has pretty good shelter and I'd happily leave my boat there for a month. Don't know about transport links but we found it a lot cheaper than Portosin.
Vilanova and Vilagarcia would be fine in Ria Arousa as long as you aren't near the entrance. Vilagarcia has a train station so easy to get to airports (Santiago or Vigo).
Vigo has several marinas that are Ok. Moana is the cheapest (ferry ride to Vigo) but might be full. I think that the others are pretty similar in price but check first. Marina Davila gets some swell from fishing boats but nothing major. Pontoons, spacing and cleats are huge. The Royal Club is MUCH closer to the town but I think that they might still be finishing work on the new section (so moving boats around as work progresses).
That's only a sample of places and I know that there are other people with much more knowledge of the area so you should get good advice.
As I said, my tip is to look at flights first, then local transport FEVE, RENFE) and finally pick the marina.
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Firefly211
Well-Known Member
Pavoa de Varzim
Cannot recommend Pavoa de Varzim enough. I left my boat there for a month last year following the Biscay crossing. Small, cheap, nice enough town nearby and easy access to Metro/Porto airport and the staff could not be more helpful.
I think it cost me a 150 for the month!!!!!!
Cannot recommend Pavoa de Varzim enough. I left my boat there for a month last year following the Biscay crossing. Small, cheap, nice enough town nearby and easy access to Metro/Porto airport and the staff could not be more helpful.
I think it cost me a 150 for the month!!!!!!
Sandyman
Well-Known Member
Last summer Viviero were trying to drum up business and offered what seemed silly rates.
Friends did a lot of research before leaving their boat there for the winter.
Cant remember the exact cost but it was something like 35% cheaper than Corunna.
Friends did a lot of research before leaving their boat there for the winter.
Cant remember the exact cost but it was something like 35% cheaper than Corunna.
youen
Well-Known Member
Povoa
The problem with Povoa is the swell which can enter the marina and make the mooring on the finger pontoon very uncomfortable at least.I was there in this conditions and was happy to be on board to look after the mooring lines.If you are not on the boat you need to have somebody who can check your boat during your vacancy 24 hours a day
The problem with Povoa is the swell which can enter the marina and make the mooring on the finger pontoon very uncomfortable at least.I was there in this conditions and was happy to be on board to look after the mooring lines.If you are not on the boat you need to have somebody who can check your boat during your vacancy 24 hours a day
GrahamM376
Well-Known Member
Came across this place during Christmas travels - http://en.cnalges.pt/ - it's a boat yard (no marina) recently opened at Alges, on the north bank of the Tagus, roughly half way between Oeiras and the bridge. Couldn't get in as the gate was locked during holidays but looks secure. No liveaboards evident but was told it can be done.
duncan99210
Well-Known Member
+1 - we had to go back to UK for a wedding and left the boat there. Only downside was getting the first tram to the airport at 0530 IIRC!
jimbaerselman
Well-Known Member
Leaving the Boat - N Spain
I've left my boat for various periods in most of the locations mentioned so far. You're spoilt for choice really. Along the north coast, the FEVE train chugs back and forth, and is good for putting you within range of Bilbao or the Galician airports. Ferries run from Bilbao and Santander. Flights from Bilbao, Santander, Santiago de Compstela, Porto, Lisboa.
http://jimbsail.info/tidal-europe/biscay/n-spain compares all the most useful places for your purposes along the north coast of Spain, and related pages cover the rias of Galicia and Portugal.
I've left my boat for various periods in most of the locations mentioned so far. You're spoilt for choice really. Along the north coast, the FEVE train chugs back and forth, and is good for putting you within range of Bilbao or the Galician airports. Ferries run from Bilbao and Santander. Flights from Bilbao, Santander, Santiago de Compstela, Porto, Lisboa.
http://jimbsail.info/tidal-europe/biscay/n-spain compares all the most useful places for your purposes along the north coast of Spain, and related pages cover the rias of Galicia and Portugal.
silversailor
New Member
Fantastic response. Many thanks to all those who took the trouble to write and I'm sure the information will be very useful to other forum members.
Mike
Mike
charles_reed
Well-Known Member
I'd second Viviero - as cheap, safe and charming. There was the coast railway which allowed travel (very slowly) between Basque lands and Galicia, the last presents a lot of airports but, more usefully ferry ports for a UK return.
Some friends who joined me @ Ribasdella, came by ferry and car and enjoyed the trip. In your case it would need to be hire car - from memory not an expensive item in that area of Spain.
Whilst about it don't whatever you do miss having some time in the Picos d'Europa, one of the last unspoilt wilderness area of Europe. Speaking Castilain Spanish is apt to reduce communication ability rather than improve it as Asturian, though very similar in written form sounds a mile away from Spanish as we know it.
I frequently think, that in the grim determination to get miles under the keel, we miss the best part of the trip to the (totally overcrowded, overpriced and overvalued) Mediterranean.
It all depends on how much time you perceive yourself to have - I'd certainly not waste mine in the W Med - far better that N Spanish coast and the Rias Biaxas.
silversailor
New Member
Has anyone been to Sada Marina (Fontan)?
GrahamM376
Well-Known Member
Ducked in there 5 or 6 years ago for a night or two when the weather blew up, had been anchored off Cabanas. Can't remember much about the town but quite a large fairly new marina with good facilities.
Mistroma
Well-Known Member
I was in Sada for a couple of days in mid-August last year. One night at anchor in the bay and one in the marina. I think the cost was around 35 Euro per day for 13m. We were on the furthest out pontoon near the entrance and it was just over 0.5km walk to the office block. I asked about berths further in but these were reserved for smaller long stay boats. The girl in the office was English so no language problems.
I didn't write much about it apart from following.
"Sada appears to be a Spanish holiday resort with a fun fair and market along the front and a lot of extremely loud music every night."
I do remember that power boats and jet-skis charged past our pontoon regularly. They didn't bother about the speed limit and travelled at max. wash speed (i.e. Just below planing speed). I know that one person complained but the office weren't bothered. We were worried about one jet-ski playing around close to the pontoons several times. Two adults and a small child on the back. Not surprised to see it upside down later and someone diving in from the pontoon opposite to resucue the 6-7 year old about 50m away. I'd just come on deck when the wash hit so didn't see what happened. I assume that they were playing around inside the marina and repeating their behaviour of an hour earlier.
X shows the office and red lines show pontoons used for visitors when I was there.
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