Moving the boat abroad......advice

[westernman]

Canals - Via Paris, best resource is Grehans site.

I believe that a 5 week transit across France is 'working hard'

I had my boat delivered from Cowes to the South of France around the outside. That took 13 days in a January. I don't imagine that it was much fun.

 

[Fantasie 19]

A number of reasons:

1. The rate for the summer three months is almost as much as the nine month contract.

2. The boat can dry out in the yard over the summer and is accessible for maintenance on our return.

3. It is hotter - but not unbearably so.

4. There are many more tourists around the town. The marina area is crowded and nowhere near as pleasant as the winter and shoulder seasons.

5. We have a house in UK needs the normal maintenance stuff.

6. We have family and friends in UK to see.

7. We quite enjoy doing some of the UK summer things - Festivals and such like.

8. We have a wooden boat in UK which needs work - and a bit of sailing!

The vast majority of Lagos based boats will vacate their berths from 15 Jun - 15 Sep. Either to leave their boats on the hard, like us, or sail off into the Med for the summer via a number of anchorages (Alvor, Culatra, Guadiana).

Others choose to travel to the Azores, Madeira or the Canaries.

One of the attractions to us is the wide variety of boats and crews overwintering - a nice community of upwards of 100 people from all over the world. Of course, last winters contingent have all moved on now. However, a new bunch will start to arrive from October onwards.

In the meantime, the vacant (larger) berths will be occupied by visiting boats. When we left the marina was expecting about 40 boats from Rally Portugal and ARC Europe to arrive.

Cheers for that.. makes sense... as a cold dwelling UK'er the thought of 3 months in Portugal in the summer sounds superb..!

 

[JamesFrance]

Thanks so much for all the replies, some really usefull info. I am now thinking about Sant Carles as a possibility if they have any room as its an MDL Marina, now have to start thinking about how to get the boat there if it comes off. I guess it's either round the outside, road from le harve or canals, but with 1.62 draught not sure that the canals are an option?

We have a forum at Sant Carles where most things about delivery and flights etc. have been discussed.

If you haven't found it already you would be welcome to join.

http://www.scmchat.com/scm2/index.php

 

[DoubleEnder]

White van

We drive out in a white van taking all that is expensive in Portugal with us. We return in the van loaded with booze.

Can you tell me briefly how the insurance works for the van? Do you use a standard UK policy and extend it for Europe? Or is there a special angle? I assume the van spends months in Portugal, rather than a short trip...?
Thank you
Graham

 

[chinita]

Can you tell me briefly how the insurance works for the van? Do you use a standard UK policy and extend it for Europe? Or is there a special angle? I assume the van spends months in Portugal, rather than a short trip...?
Thank you
Graham

You can buy all year round EU cover from Saga.

We don't, (Saga don't like vans very much); our UK comprehensive cover lasts for 90 days before it switches to third party only. This is a - financial - risk we are prepared to take. Often the risk is minimised as we may make more than one trip out and back in a year.

Every insurance company is obliged to provide the minimum legal cover throughout the EU.

http://www.mib.org.uk/Customer+Services/en/General+Cross+Border+Information/FAQs+Green+Card.htm

See para 3.

 

[GrahamM376]

Abbeygate are always advertising 12 months UK car cover in Portugal, don't know what their rates are like though. Portuguese insurance is expensive compared to UK and most cars are only covered TPFT. Like the UK companies, most Portuguese insurers will only cover foreign cars for 3 months.

 

[scoty]

Costs

You can have first hand information, on moorings and prices, motor boat prices, sailing yacht prices, etc, etc,

Just google, search, Cosas de Barcos, click on english (idioma) then select what you require,

It·s even possible to see my Westerly 31ft, for sale.