Liveaboard advice request? Plus is Barcelona good?

[Shano_Dublin]

Hello all,

I am planning to leave London permanently by the end year. I shall still keep a home here but hope to spend more time onboard and travelling. So I have a few questions.

1). With euro 100,000 max to spend what yacht do you suggest? What age yacht should I aim for? (I am thinking a 10 year old 12 metre single hull. The boat is for me alone and to entertain friends and family when they visit. I may do some solo sailing but mostly in company of others).
2) In a few years time I may upgrade my boat size and quality. What yacht would have a good resale value in my price range?
3). I was thinking of getting an annual berth in Barcelona and then doing trips out of there for the next 2 years. Is the idea of an annual berthing fee just silly? Are there lots of nice 1 and 2 week trips out of Barcelona? (I really like Barcelona as a city, great winter weather versus Nice, and it is easy for friends and family to fly to).
4) How often would I have to take the boat out of the water to have it cleaned, and for how long? (yeap, this shall be my first purchase).

Many thanks for all your help and suggestions,

Shano.

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[Shano_Dublin]

Re: Liveaboard advice request? Plus is Barcelona g

Just one follow up:

I suppose it can get very hot there in the Med inside the cabin. What have you used to stop the boat becoming a cooker? I have seen air-con but I bet that is both too expensive and too bulky!

Thanks again for all you advice,

Shano

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[tcm]

1) Get something "known" : Beneteau, Jeanneau, Moody, Westerly. Consider internal space rather than sailing performance. Avoid catamarans - great for space but expensive to berth
2) Most good-looking yachts are fine for resale.
3). No, annual berthing is relatively cheap, comparable with not-top-of the range UK, praps 4k a year max . From Barcelona, bal;earics are but a 100 miles away, and they are not visited by millions (partly spoiled in tiny areas) for no reason. The coast to spain, and towards France also very good.
4) Once a year tops, usually only for a couple of days. Most boats stay in all year except for an occassioanl lift to paint the bottom with antifoul - special paint which flakes off microscopically to rid the hull of barnacles .

I wd seriosuly consider looking at bropkerages etc whilst you are down there. This wil give you leverage to get a berth where you want - so ask/insist on a space in Port Vell or wherever before buying - but there is a good deal of space so you should be okay. Many boaters aren't keen on townie places.

Heat-wise, only summer months get dead hot. yes, aircon is a no-no for 10 metre boat really, not worth it. Buying down there will show what can be done - hopefully included- they will have big awnings with perhaps ingenious boom fixings for use in a marina, some have double skin awnings, most will have "bimni" covers (ie cockpit hoods) with all-important side covers for when the sun is low but still hot - an option in UK but vital in sunny spain. Consider insulation behind the headlining inside if you are handy, and anyway cover the skylights with silver foil - which makes it dark, but cool. White decks reflect heat, teak holds much more heat, unbearable in exposed sun above about 38degrees C. Go out and just anchor on hot days - far cooler than in a sticky wind-protected marina.

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[ccscott49]

barcelona is great! Trips out include going north, or south to the ballearics or across the bay to france. I'm not sure whether a permanent berth will be available, it can also be pricey. As for a boat to live on, I'm not the guy to ask, although I live aboard, I'm not on the type of boat you will need.

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[mikewilkes]

Barcelona is bl**dy fantastic. 12 m will cost about the top end of 3000 pa, thats this euro thingies.
Good bimini and a couple of wee fans are all you need even this year when all the Catalans are complaining of the heat.
Plenty to do onshore, loads of flight connections to all over not just back to Lional Blair/ Charlie Brown country.
Berths can be a bit of a prob bit as another body said come down and have a shufty at the boats down here with the brokers.
We get some great barbies too, but some people fall off their passarelles!!!
Mike

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[tony_brighton]

Do those wind-scoops work for cooling down?

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[Shano_Dublin]

Re: Liveaboard advice request? Plus is Barcelona g

Many thanks for all the advice. I am on the way to Barcelona in a week! Fingers crossed.

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[tcm]

I haven't got the floppy windscoops, but i have hardly ever seen them in the med. They rely on having a load of wind, which usually (esp in port) there isn't. If there is a bit of wind or no wind, then best to go and anchor out a bit, keeping the interior dark and cool. If very windy, no prob, stay in port. Other good keeping cool hints are

1. The awnings are universally used. I have seen double-skin awnings, one on top of the other in 36+ degree heat, which makes sense. All awnings use the boom somehow to keep the awning up, sometimes with nice boltrope style rail on the boom.
2. Biminis need sides, not just a simple top cover, for high heat even with low sun.
3. Bigger boats, esp stinkies, have icemakers and chuck loads of ice away. It is sometimes a good make-friends gambit to ask if someone could sell you some ice.
4. In moderate heat (not super heat with 30 degrees at night) it gets cool suddenly just around dusk, and there is rapid condensation, enought to make the deck very damp, so beware of slippery decks, and close hatches before dusk and get towels and cushions etc down below before dark. Once dark, it's gone, and can open hatches again.
5. Skylights and companionways doors let in light and lots of heat. Cover with towels etc if not your boat, else with halfords etc reflective sticky on stuff to make the windows darker, or even completely dark - experiment first with this below. Many Italian boats have few if any skylights or windows facing upwards - just portholes.
6. If you can plug in to mains, small fans are cheap and worthwhile. The 12volt ones not so good, but anything is welcome.
7. Using the engine heats up everything. Insulate the engineroom and esp any part near a sleeping area with decent sound-deadening material with a reflective surface layer. Else you will be heated all night by the engine block. If eating out, consider opening the engineoom/companionwaystairs to vent outside to release heat before leaving.



<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[tony_brighton]

Thanks for that - we're looking at the Med as a destination so currently kitting out our Bav34.

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[Adrian]

Having just spent 2 weeks in Croatia, where the temp reached 43deg, i would say the most important thing is a permanent bimini that you can keep up while sailing, if we didn’t have that we would have burnt to a cinder, they do reduce the visibility but in my opinion essential, also as mentioned above any exposed wood not just decks, ie toe rail, cockpit gratings, get too hot to touch.

I would also make sure the cockpit is long enough to lie down in, much more comfortable than sleeping below.







<hr width=100% size=1>Adrian
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.kydproducts.co.uk>http://www.kydproducts.co.uk</A>

 

[ccscott49]

The floppy wind scoops do work, at anchor, but no use in marinas. A good windscoop, draws in a bunch of air! I agree with TCM, the 12 volt fans are not a lot of use, a biggish mains one with an inverter is great and draws very little current. Overall covers and biminis are the thing, try and channel air through the boat, to cool things down.

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[Guest]

just bought a new bavaria 38 with teak and 55 hp engine and a few extra goodies for a total price of 120,000 euros. The boat is a cracker but i would not recomend the dealer who sold it to me.
just spent a month cruising the costa del sol (i live here) these marinas take some serious liberties at this time of year, with thier pricing policies.
they will nearly always tell u they are full on the phone, but when u turn up they always have a berth.
been up to barcelona and had a look around the marinas, cracking spot.
BUY YOUR BOAT IN THE HARBOUR WHERE YOU WANT TO BERTH IT LONG TERM.
I am spending a fortune here in the summer whilst i wait for these (crooked waiting lists to drop)

i really should sell my house and become a total itinerant........... maybe next week

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[jeanne]

Windscoop design

Windscoop design...the ones like the top of a spinnaker are OK at anchor, but as others say, no good in marinas.

There is a way to get the breeze though with a different design.

Get a shower curtain (they're nice and light); cut it in half lengthways, and make hems at top and bottom. Sew the two pieces together lengthways down the centre of the two pieces. Put grommets along short edges. Spread top and bottom into cross shape, hang top from suitable halyard, keeping the cross spread using dowel or anything suitable ,attached to the grommets, attach the bottom inside forehatch at all four corners. The catcher will find the breeze coming from any direction - it works....pity our latest has flowers on it...but it only cost pennies from a second hand shop

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[rrees]

our engine room has an extractor fan to remove the heat if you dont have one may be worth fitting
Am about to bypass the switch which cuts the fan in only when the engine is running so will be able to cool things down after the engine has been off for a while as the fan only draws about 2.5A

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[James_Woodford]

Just come back from sailing from Barcelona. A great city! but take care. Port Olimpic is very noisy at night with disco music upto 4am. Stay there first to see if you can take it.
There is a great rail line up the coast so staying in marinas N of Barcelona may be cheaper, but with excellent links to the city when you need it.

<hr width=100% size=1>