Leaving for Med

[Das_Boot]

What is the latest one should leave for the Med I am leaving from North East England . I am having my boat re-engined but does not look like I will get the work done in time to go in August. I was planning to go in July but times just seem to keep slipping. Is it possible to go after September by day hopping? I could not bear another winter in the North.
I have a 40ft steel boat built by Feltz and with the new engine (Beta) dont mind motoring. 50hr Range.

 

[TigaWave]

We left Falmouth November 5th, with lots of other boats, its a bit chilly until you get to Lisbon. One hop to La coruna is fine or try and get around the corner to Bayona in the first hop. 40ft steel boat you should be fine.
Having said that we did have to heave to (or is it hove to) for two nights as it was getting a bit silly at times.

 

[Das_Boot]

Knowing my luck though I will get caught in an 11. Dont mind heaving to if there is enough whisky in the cabin for a bit of Dutch courage. My wife might object if it gets a bit lumpy, thats why I am looking for the path of least resistance.
Hopefully should be ready by November if not I will get a truck.

 

[dart]

Check your insurance as they may have something to say about it.

It is possible any time as long as you have time and you are patient. Ideally you want to go from good harbour to good harbour and be prepared so sit for 1-2 weeks before you can leave. Ideally you need to go non stop for 24 hours to get to the next good harbour. Many of the harbours are really summer only and can be awful in winter.

Weather across Biscay is reasonably predictable, you can nip across from France in two days well inside a weather window, but make sure you have good forecasts and a mixture of them.

 

[Das_Boot]

I came up last year but did it non stop from La Coruna in June, so am ignorant of the bit between as far as harbours etc are concerned.
I have bought VPP2 and it has just arrived will do some work on it once I have found out how to use it.
Thanks for the comments

 

[Sea Devil]

I have crossed the bay in October - not really a problem - From Falmouth to Vigo - Bayonne it is at most 5 days probably less... The forecasts for the area are pretty good so you should be able to get a 5 day forecast OK and provided the 5th day is pretty benign even if hey are wrong you should be on the right side and could dive into Corouna.

From Bayonne south there are lots of ports to dive into and it is getting warmer all the time. Could day sail that part of it with one or two overnights as there are no tidal issues and all you need is the weather - also you are not rock hopping

If you try to day sail it you will never get there - have to work the tides in lots of places and the distance involved is too great.

 

[Das_Boot]

Tnks for the reply I will try for Bayone or Pavoa as I want to stop there to have my boat painted. My wife is a good sailor probably less scared than I am however I would hate to set out in a gale travel in a gale and arrive in a gale. My trust of wheather forcasting does not extend beyond 2 days. As you say if you get caught ariving in Coruna it is not too bad just dont want to get stuck there for too long. Last year I was stuck coming north North Easterlys for weeks on end but that was in June.

 

[tcm]

some insurance forbids biscay crossing between mid august and end march. Even if yours doesn't, this is a reasonable guideline as to when the mankier weather is more common. But of course, it is posible at any time of year IF you have time to wait and reasonable access to weather forecasts.

 

[Das_Boot]

I was thinking of reducing my insurance to third party only, would that make a difference. If the boat goes down I will probably go with it. The less my outgoings the longer I can cruise for. If possible I would like to avoid all marinas but I know this wont be possible otherwise I would let my third party lapse as well.

 

[Steve Clayton]

"If the boat goes down I will probably go with it". Tres negative thinking /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

Murphys law: If you think it will happen then it probably will.

Is it just the 2 (you and your wife) doing the trip straight across Biscay? Stongly recommend at least one other who is knowledgable in sailing matters and better if another sailor as well. You might find your insurance dictates minimum number of POB. Make sure you've all done Sea Survival course.

 

[Das_Boot]

It is a big step taking on crew. I sailed it back from Pavoa with my daughter without incident.
It is a good well found boat with all mod cons auto pilot radar etc. I wont of course go down with the boat it is just if it does sink I would be depressed for at least a year or untill I can get a new one. I had an Irish guy on from Ayamonte and he bought himself an inflatable paddeling pool because he did not like the look of the liferaft, he also hid all my lighters instead of asking me not to smoke in the cabin as it made him sick. All he needed to do was ask.
I have had bad experiences with crew. However not all of them were bad. I think one needs to get to know them quite well before taking them on.

 

[Sea Devil]

The Bay is pretty straight forward for two of you I think - your right forecasts are good for two days but you can see the lows tracking over yourself and if you leave as one is clearing and there is a good gap before the next... and the weather men agree it should be fine - I stick inside the shipping lane and watch them off to starboard - Coruna has an excellent marina if you do not fancy the anchorage and is a nice town. Bayonne is a very sheltered anchorage and the marina are very helpful - enjoy

 

[PBarve]

What is the better first stop for break sailing from Jersey in a non EU flagged vessel? I know La Coruna has the apropriate custom control. I am going in mid May. Any leads please would be appreciated.

 

[Das_Boot]

I went to benatazos next door to Coruna, as well. The Marina is Marina de Sada it was realy great but expensive.
I did not read the reeds properly when I got to Coruna so went to the old Marina. At first I was on the pontoons (decrepid and half sinking) and everytime a boat went past all the yachts started yawing. After seeing a few masts make friends I legged it onto a mooring. Wasnt so bad then.
As to the answer for the non eu boat. All of the portugese and spanish ports I went into have customs control, They will almost allways come down to your boat and even help you to tie up. Although I was sailing an EU boat I was sailing on a South African Passport and even had a Lithuanian on board (before EU membership) and never ever had a problem with Spanish or Portugese customs. The Portugese are slightly stricter than the Spanish.

 

[Danthegorrila]

Good luck, I know hartlepool well, do you know the folk on Bora Bora?

We left in June/July from the North West going to Cork then planning to go straight south. Had 36 hours of over 40' wind that was not forcast, then fantastic weather in Portugal in October, so who can say? Climate change IS here and old sayings are questionable. We were advised to get to Bayona area before the end Sept and past cape St Vincent before November, which I still think makes sense.

D'ont forget Gijon in Northen Spain, cuts the crossing by a lot and is nice we were very pleased that we ende up diverted there! Also Portosin a day sail north of Bayona very nice and helpful and cheap. (We found La Coruna one of the worst marinas in Spain)

Good luck

 

[Sea Devil]

(We found La Coruna one of the worst marinas in Spain)

Do you mean the old yacht club or the new one in the enclosed basin? I was in the new one for a few days and found it comfortable.

 

[wagenaar]

I crossed from Ile d'Oleron to Coruña singlehandedly and found the trip very pleasant. While daysailing from Brest to Ile d'Oleron I found that the distance to La Coruna from almost every port between Ile de Sein and Ile d'Oleron was more or less the same, 300 miles. Since you have to cross sooner or later, you may just as well start as soon as you pass the Ile de Sein. This assuming that you stop in Brittany.
The marina in Sada is located in the Ria de Betanzos. I have never been in the marina, but know Sada from former times, when my ship was on a buoy there, as well as now from just visiting by road, and I think it has a number of advantages over Coruna. Close to the harbour is a big supermarket, Champion, where you can basically buy everything you want. On the marina-site or two chandlers and across the road are a number of bars and restaurants.
Going west from Coruna, the first marina is in Camarinas. It is not a big marina, but is the most suited for a fast trip south. Remember Coruna is still about 100 kilometer East of the westernmost point!! Camarinas is almost at that point. Portosin has a nice marina and so do some of the towns in the Ria de Arosa. Although I never sailed to Muros, to me it seems one of the nicest anchorages, well protected from most directions. Bayona in the Ria de Vigo is the last marina in Spain, when going south. In the mouth of the Ria de Vigo are the Cies Islands, with a very nice anchorage and again well protected from most directions. If at all possible do visit the spanish rias, they are worth some time and enjoy the delicious galician seafood!
Henk