Moving from Torquay to Spain

We moved here to SC in June and are loving it.
Great service in the marina, love the lagoon for lazy days or popping to one of the restaurants for lunch. We have visited Cambrils Stiges and Barcelona so far and tomorrow hope to set off for Vinaros.
 
I'm thinking of moving next year, what's the best airport and distances to the marina ?

Suggest that you log into the marina's forum - run by us (berth holders) for berth holders at Sanf Carles Marina
Free to use discussion forum - ocasionally, we have a "whip round" for a few quid to pay the internet charges.

You questions will be answered in some recent threads.

Address is
www.scmchat.com
Just register and a few minutes later James will approve you.
Loads of info on there - gallery, interactive map - AIS SCMCHAT Fleet tracker and loads more.
 
Barcelona - 2hrs mostly toll motorway but I usually leave the toll road at torredembarra to take the A7 which is a non-toll motorway running parallel with the toll motorway!
Reus (sometimes called Barcelona Reus) - 1hr mostly motorway very easy run can take AP7 Toll or A7 non-toll road
Castellon - 1hr Ryanair later this year from Stansted and Bristol again very easy motorway run to SCM

Flight times are generally 2 hrs from UK airports and delays are rare in my experience.
 
will register on the SCM site over the weekend. In the mean time, some more questions for the SCM bunch....

1) Looks like there's a swimming pool at the marina. SWMBO is particularly interested in this. Is it free to use for berth holders?
2) I'm assuming that car hire is the easiest and cheapest way to get from the airport to the marina. I'm assuming there are cheap cars available that won't rip you off?
3) Are there nice hotels / restaurants / bars within walking distance of the marina?
4) Are there decent local service companies that can undertake engine servicing, refurb work (upholstery, hoods), valeting, GRP, etc? What are prices like?
5) Is it easy to get bulky stuff back and forwards from the UK to SCM?

Cheers, Pete
 
will register on the SCM site over the weekend. In the mean time, some more questions for the SCM bunch....

1) Looks like there's a swimming pool at the marina. SWMBO is particularly interested in this. Is it free to use for berth holders?
2) I'm assuming that car hire is the easiest and cheapest way to get from the airport to the marina. I'm assuming there are cheap cars available that won't rip you off?
3) Are there nice hotels / restaurants / bars within walking distance of the marina?
4) Are there decent local service companies that can undertake engine servicing, refurb work (upholstery, hoods), valeting, GRP, etc? What are prices like?
5) Is it easy to get bulky stuff back and forwards from the UK to SCM?

Cheers, Pete

Based on my limited experience .....

1. Swimming pool is free for berth holders
2. I am paying EUR112 for 8 days car hire in 2 weeks time (4 seat option "fiat 500 or equivalent"). Search doyouspain.com for prices
3. We stayed at a really nice hotel 10 - 15 minutes walk from marina ("Miamimar" and found it clean and inexpensive - would have no hesitation on recommending to [fussy] aging in-laws if they wanted to visit) the food was top notch too- recommended by Hurricane of this parish
4. Local VP agent who declared "I only change / service what is needed and whilst my parts may be slightly more expensive than the UK, my labour charges are much cheaper". Also I need a boot made for our bimini, and am trying to find a thread on SCM chat I read regarding a very efficient and cheap local service who was recommended. We used to pay a chap GBP160 a month for a wash down in Torquay. Need to do some more homework but going prices seems to be EUR75 per washdown + photos before and after, + checking lines etc every 3 days ...
5. Depends on definition of "bulky". We are planning to travel in September with hand luggage only, but I was talking to a bertholder who took a new Red Air SUP as hold luggage. I have seen some forum threads where bertholders are travelling from the UK and offer to transport items for a contribution towards fuel ...

If you register for the SCM website you will see I have asked a load of questions - and received a lot of helpful answers !

Also I would say that since our boat has arrived, I can not believe the friendliness and community spirit of the bertholders there - 2 have contacted me seperately to point out that I left my cabin lights on and offered to turn them off, one has emptied a load of rain water (!) from my tonneau cover and one plugs my mains lead in once a week to keep the batteries topped up and save my anodes.

Hope this helps
 
Thanks Andy, that's very helpful.

Sounds like there are cars, vans and boats travelling between SCM and the UK fairly regularly so some co-ordination might make transporting heavier / bulky stuff viable if the services aren't available over there (which it sounds like they are)!

What's not to like?
 
and one plugs my mains lead in once a week to keep the batteries topped up and save my anodes.

You don't need to unplug youf mains to save your anodes.
SC isn't like Torquay.
Anodes don't seem to go as quickly.
We were in Torquay for about 3 months and our trim tab anodes were all but gone.
They easily last a season at SC - in fact longer
I leave our shore power on all the time.
In fact I even have a monitor to text me if it gets disconnected.
 
I keep reading these posts about S C M and we are very tempted still but my eldest is still at school and flights would be too expensive to keep going in holls and we cant take him out of school

I would like to know

what is the average cost of fuel out there

I am also struggling to find flights from east midlands airport to Reus and the ones I have found are about £280 return per person which blows my plans out the water

But I am sick of the uk weather and this year has been pants I look at the S C M weather and its lovely all the time really with low winds
 
Lanerboy -looking @ your position -SkyScanner Nice from Uk .
I moved my Itama ( del trip) last Dec to SoF been on it every month since .
I can honestly say yet to experiance RAIN ,even a 2weeker in July -Air temp low 30 ,s -Sea temp 30 oC .
Only "winded off " 1 day -went into Cannes Shopping -nod to wife + daughter :o
Basically I,ve never been on the boat to see rain -this year ,and 1day we elected not to out .
Point is weather is predictable -that's the whole point of Med thing !
Oh and the season lasts until Oct 1/2 term ,yup you can swim -sunbath etc end of Oct .
 
I keep reading these posts about S C M and we are very tempted still but my eldest is still at school and flights would be too expensive to keep going in holls and we cant take him out of school

I would like to know

what is the average cost of fuel out there

I am also struggling to find flights from east midlands airport to Reus and the ones I have found are about £280 return per person which blows my plans out the water

But I am sick of the uk weather and this year has been pants I look at the S C M weather and its lovely all the time really with low winds
Last time I asked €1.19 about 4 - 6 weeks ago. Flights were the big sticking point for us - needed to multiply school hol costs by 5, but our now pay for themselves.... Well mostly. Just checked Skyscanner 17th - 24th October £50 return. 24th to 31st (half term) £220...
 
we're off to majorca tomorrow for the week, this will be the 5th visit of the year and I havent seen rain yet this year.
 
If you book early in the year, you can get some very good cheap flights - if you intend to hire a car then also look at Barcelona and of course there's Reus and Castellon the new airport but UK flights only from Stansted and Bristol at the moment.

I believe Monach also do flights from East Midlands......
 
Can any of the San Carlos crew give me a rough rate guide for berthing, short and longer term. Am looking at a couple of boats in Spain and looking at all the positive comments SCM would be a great start to some Med boating.
Boat length length between 45 and 50 feet, no clues as yet !!

Much appreciated
Cheers
Tetleys
 
Can any of the San Carlos crew give me a rough rate guide for berthing, short and longer term. Am looking at a couple of boats in Spain and looking at all the positive comments SCM would be a great start to some Med boating.
Boat length length between 45 and 50 feet, no clues as yet !!

Much appreciated
Cheers
Tetleys

Have you logged into the Sant Carles forum yet?
It is a free discussion forum for current or potential Sant Carles Marina bertholders - the forum is run by us, the berth holders - no funding or control from the marina or MDL.
The address is www.scmchat.com
Click Register and one of us will approve you (generally) within a couple of hours.
Most of your questions will be answered on that forum by existing berth holders.
Lots of other features on that forum - interactive map, AIS Fleet tracker, Quick Reference pages and Photo Gallery etc.
 
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