Moving to the Canaries?

[Akestor]

Hi all
I am a Greek citizen from Athens and lucky enough to have sailed many places in Greece. I really dislike the winter in Greece though as you all know it sucks lol I was thinking of moving the boat to the Canaries permanently and having the luxury to enjoy a milder winter but being able to fly back and forth in Greece at reasonable prices. I guess there should be a lot to see there, and Capo Verde is not much far either.
I was wondering if anyone has done a similar plan and has some insight to share about prices, boat safety in marinas and boatyard , living there etc

 

[Deleted member 478]

IIRC, sailing from Cr^p Merde back to the Canaries is directly into wind and against the current and about 1,000NM as the crow flies, so perhaps not much fun?

 

[The Q]

not where I'd move at the moment as it looks like another volcano is going to go bang..

 

[Akestor]

IIRC, sailing from Cr^p Merde back to the Canaries is directly into wind and against the current and about 10000NM as the crow flies, so perhaps not much fun?

indeed, so the Verde can stay out of the route

 

[Yngmar]

Marina Rubicon on Lanzarote was perfectly safe, prices you can find here: Rates - Marina Rubicón Lanzarote (as usual for Spanish rates you need to add tax and work out the discount yourself). IGIC is the Canaries version of VAT.

The Canaries are in the EU but outside the EU customs union, so importing parts is tedious and can be expensive. With your boat in Greece, you probably already have Camping Gaz, which was the only one easily available. For others it's a trip to the refinery.

Boatyard was okay for liftout, workers not amazing and prices high, especially as they often had to come three times before something was resolved.

Unless you're in it for the showboating, I'd try to get a berth away from the bars and restaurants Tourism is year-round.

Otherwise the weather was great all year round, there was lots of red dust on the boat, it rained almost never, they have the best potato chips (crisps) and there's no alcohol tax so a bottle of quite drinkable white was 60 cents in Lidl a couple years ago.

 

[Yngmar]

Oh, almost forgot - the sailing is rubbish. You can hop between islands and that's it, there's always Atlantic swell and not many anchorages. Probably will spot whales though!

 

[capnsensible]

Hi all
I am a Greek citizen from Athens and lucky enough to have sailed many places in Greece. I really dislike the winter in Greece though as you all know it sucks lol I was thinking of moving the boat to the Canaries permanently and having the luxury to enjoy a milder winter but being able to fly back and forth in Greece at reasonable prices. I guess there should be a lot to see there, and Capo Verde is not much far either.
I was wondering if anyone has done a similar plan and has some insight to share about prices, boat safety in marinas and boatyard , living there etc

Hiya. I now live in the Canaries after a couple of decades cruising and working around. We have chosen to settle here.

I've sailed o the Cape Verdes a few times. Great places but for me and most others, it's a place to visit rather than stay for extended periods. Less than 900 nm to get there, but hard work taking back to the Canary Islands.

The Canaries have so much more to offer. Its possible, economically, to take berths in the marinas for 6 months to get good discounts. Then move on.

There are marinas on all eight main islands. El Hierro and Graciosa, however, join that list of visit, not stay.

The rest all have marinas of varying quality and provide interesting sailing. Between the islands can often be quite brisk in the areas known as wind acceleration zones but can generally be crossed most of the year. The south side of the main islands are quite sheltered for local sailing.

Winter is still......winter. most days can be sunny with nice temperatures in the lee of the prevailing winds. Evenings distinctly cooler but rarely less than 12c. The Eastern islands see little winter rain, but the western ones more so.

It works for me!

 

[capnsensible]

Oh, almost forgot - the sailing is rubbish. You can hop between islands and that's it, there's always Atlantic swell and not many anchorages. Probably will spot whales though!

Sorry can't agree with that. Every island has plenty of anchorages. A good pilot book reveals all. I've sailed around the islands a lot and can only think that you don't know what you missed! The blast across the gaps is great. Every island has its own character. Prices are cheap.

What are you looking for?

 

[ashtead]

All I can say is some marinas in Tenerife are more suited to kite surfing than cruisers.

 

[balder]

[Deleted quoted content removed]

[Unwelcome content removed]
To answer politely to the OP, Canarys Islands are more and more crowdy with boats not crossing to the Caribbean. Prices of marina more expansive.. and of course swell of Atlantic and as mentioned , few anchorages..
After 3 years cruising from east to west and back, I plan to come back in Med but I will certainly miss the Canary islands and our fair and exquisite hosts.

 

[billskip]

All I can say is some marinas in Tenerife are more suited to kite surfing than cruisers.

Which ones would they be? I'll go and look, there are two very local to Los Cristianos, they look ok.

 

[capnsensible]

[Unwelcome content removed]
To answer politely to the OP, Canarys Islands are more and more crowdy with boats not crossing to the Caribbean. Prices of marina more expansive.. and of course swell of Atlantic and as mentioned , few anchorages..
After 3 years cruising from east to west and back, I plan to come back in Med but I will certainly miss the Canary islands and our fair and exquisite hosts.

Emptied out quite a bit this year now covid is trending down. Rubicon was stuffed from September until Christmas, but lots of room now. And you can now dance in the bars.

 

[capnsensible]

Which ones would they be? I'll go and look, there are two very local to Los Cristianos, they look ok.

I wondered that! Las Galletas, San Miguel and Santa cruz always have room. Especially the last two......

 

[billskip]

I wondered that! Las Galletas, San Miguel and Santa cruz always have room. Especially the last two......

San Miguel is a very nice marina, very clean and tidy easy access, plenty of space.

 

[Davy_S]

I think it was Nigel who used to post here, he had his yacht moored at San Miguel, he seemed to like it.

 

[Akestor]

Thanks, everyone for your feedback ?, very helpful, and really appreciate having direct info from people actually doing it or have done this in the past.

 

[billskip]

Thanks, everyone for your feedback ?, very helpful, and really appreciate having direct info from people actually doing it or have done this in the past.

I was Greece for 6 yrs back in 2000, the winters here in Canaries are much warmer and you can sail all year round.

 

[ashtead]

I was really referring to degree of wind and bouncing around observed at marina in the south of Tenerife . Clearly I might of chosen bad days to visit . I cannot comment on quality of facilities it just some seemed to have a lot of hard concrete and boats bouncing around on the kitesurfing coast. I sure in north there might be some pretty ones . Maybe not like the Balearics though ? We just sit on top of hill and look out to la Gomera which does seem attractive. Some marina might be challenging to enter due to win

 

[billskip]

I was really referring to degree of wind and bouncing around observed at marina in the south of Tenerife . Clearly I might of chosen bad days to visit . I cannot comment on quality of facilities it just some seemed to have a lot of hard concrete and boats bouncing around on the kitesurfing coast. I sure in north there might be some pretty ones . Maybe not like the Balearics though ? We just sit on top of hill and look out to la Gomera which does seem attractive. Some marina might be challenging to enter due to win

In the 18months I have lived here in Los Cristianos and walked the seafront every day,and been out to sea with 99% wind less than f3, biggest waves from the ferry.
You must have been unlucky.
Now up in the north and on the west coast the waves are ideal for the surfer.
There is a place famous for kite surfing to the east near the south airport that has good wind accelerated by a hill, but the water is very flat.

 

[ashtead]

I will be out in may so hopefully it will be peaceful and not too busy . Yes as you say it might have just been the times I have been to the southern marina.