Our first foreign winter berth...

[Wife of Lofticus]

We started to live aboard in May and are currently in Nazare, Portugal cruising down the atlantic coast. We hope to be in Gibralter/ med coast of Spain bythe end of Aug/Sept.
We have started to think ahead to the winter (probably due to awful weather here, worst summer in over 10 years!) and start thinking about what we need to do about a winter marina.
We want to live aboard in the winter with a couple of holidays to the UK. We don't need to antifoul but would like to have the boat on the hard for some of the winter and still liveaboard. We would like a reasonably priced marina(who doesn't) with a good liveaboard community. Our boat is 14.5m
We are not sure what else we need to know or ask a marina or what the best way to book is. Is there any room for negotiation and is that better in e-mail or phone call or in person when you get somewhere you like ??
Looking forward to your replies and advice and hoping we have not already left it too late !!

 

[Richard10002]

Lagos for quality, but not cheap. Almerimar would probably tick your boxes.

 

[duncan99210]

If you can get there, try Marina Port Vell in Barcelona. Not exactly the cheapest option, but there is a great liveaboard community there, and you're in the middle of one of the nicest cities in Spain. However, you need to email now to book a place and may need to turn up 'on spec' and see what you can get. 15m berths are easier to come by than smaller ones though.

 

[CJ13]

We went through the same thought process as you earlier this year. We're moving rather slower than you - boat is currently left on a mooring in R Guardiana, but we plan to be in Gib by early Sept.
Options we've come up with for this winter are, Cartagena, Almerimar or Cagliari in Sardinia. All have their good points, but we'll head for Cartagena at end Oct. I'm lead to believe it has a reasonable community and good facilities, but importantly it's a very interesting town. Almerimar is the fall back if we don't like Cartagena. The down side with Almerimar is it's a tourist developement with no sole - described to us by some dutch friends and a 'wintering factory'. Having said that it has a good community and is very popular with live aboards. You don't need to book at either place.

If you do a search you'll find all the answers i got to the question about 6 months ago.

John

 

[Carmel2]

If you can get there, try Marina Port Vell Barcelona.

+1

 

[chinita]

Your problem will be living aboard whilst on the Hard; many Spanish Yards are secure at night and weekends and claim that their insurance does not permit people staying overnight. Next problem will be being permitted to work on your own boat.

No problem with this in Lagos, Portimao and Bruce's Yard in Faro. However, as some have said, not cheap.

Almerimar looks cheapest at first glance but daily water and electricity costs bump it up. A good place to leave a boat for a month or two but, IMO not a place I would like to winter. It is isolated and drab. Plenty of liveaboards who run a lively and helpful radio net, good Mercadona Supermarket on the marina and as many Irish/English bars as you like. If you have a taste for Eastern European ladies, the nightclubs are full of them.

Further East Cartagena is delightful. Very little tourism (no beaches) and a great history. As I recall, the yard is tiny and I don't believe living aboard would be possible.

Tomas Maestre Marina on the Mar Menor is a ghost town in the winter. Good if you want to write a novel or two.

Torrevieja is, again, IMO, dire. Even anchoring for a few nights brings stresses.

Alicante is horrendously expensive.

What about Denia? A nice little town. Friendly and several marina options. The German owned one is run by the fearsome Tania. Don't be offended by her manner, she is Himmler's great grand daughter and treats everyone like untermensch.

Denia also has the advantage of being reasonably close to Alicante airport.

Apart from that, Ibiza and Majorca too pricey, Menorca too windy. I had one night in a marina near Cagliari but it was a long way from anywhere.

Good luck.

 

[Richard10002]

Why do you, (The OP ), feel the need to spend some time on the hard, if you don't want to anti foul?

 

[jonic]

We wintered once in Gib and once in The Real Club Nautico in Palma Mallorca. Gib is ok but The Real Club was fantastic. Swimming pool, lovely restaurant and atmosphere but it comes at a price! Palma is like a mini Barcelona and probably one of our favourite places.

In our experience email or telephone was rarely successful.

Cartagener looked good although we only stayed a week or two.

 

[Wife of Lofticus]

Thanks for replies so far have sent some enquiries to some of the suggestions. If e-mail and telephone don't work I guess that would limit you to where you are at point of stopping for the winter, or when you lose 'your nerve' that anywhere further on or back may have a berth?
Interesting comments about checking electricity and water included/metered separately thanks.
As to spending time on the hard, i believe it gives the boat chance to 'dry' out, service seacocks, check/change anodes, stern gland, clean/polish topsides. Also lofticus was wondering if it made it cheaper?
Committing to a marina that we not have seen yet is a bit weird but it really helps hearing others recommendations and the reasons behind them.

 

[fliti]

We spent our first winter in Seville, partly at Sunsails-cheap but not conveniently located-and Club Nautico, which was an amazing berth in the heart of a wonderful city. Being 50 miles inland, it's in fresh water so anything acquired at sea on the hull will die and anything you pick up there will also die when you put back to sea. Good connections too

 

[Roaring Girl]

Seville is great, and if not too silted the Gelves marina is the only one I know of in Andalucia where you can liveaboard whilst on the hard. So you could winter in Seville (great fun), anchor off Gelves after teh spring floods for the Feria and Holy week, haul out for some fast work and then be off.

 

[multihullsailor6]

Besides Cartagena I would recommend Puerto de Mazarron 15M to the West, if you need a haulout it can be done there (by Travellift), Pablo who runs the yard (but does not speak any English) doesn't mind if you life aboard for a few days (I had the pleasure of 12 days there on the hard), they want to do the hull cleaning and antifouling (your paint or theirs) and thereafter any work you can do yourself. Furthermore they are a lot cheaper than the two possibilities in Cartagena.
But the western Med can happily be cruised in winter!

 

[Rosey]

Hi we met you in Corme and Camaranis with 'Ruby'. Glad to hear you are doing OK. Our Dufour is currently on the hard in Portimao, much cheaper than a 'high season' berth as we are planning to anti foul in September and do some general maintenance from the trip down. All we have met along the trip seem to say that Spainish berths are more expensive than Portugal and we have had good quotes for 6month berths from Portimao and Albufeira. Portimao has water and electricity and allow you to continue living aboard even on the hard, they say 1 week max but there are satelite dishes set up next to some and they look settled for the summer so guess they are 'flexible' provided you keep a low profile. Vilamoura are also OK about living aboard on the hard but it's very expensive both in and out of the water. We are berting in Albufeira for the winter as it's closest to our home but fairly equal for price with Portimao, Ohlao is short on facilities but is cheap if you think you may want to look at the Algarve for the winter. Lagos is nice but a little more expensive.

Word of warning on the Portuguese coast we were boarded by the navy near Lagos they are checking, life rafts, lifejackets, fire extinguishers, flares the lot, when they have a queit day and need someone to harrass.
Fair winds.

 

[SHUG]

Very few marinas will let you liveaboard on the hard. OK during antifouling or hull work but often the hard is in a secure area as boats are being worked with scaffolding and ladders and lots of equipment lying around.
You may find it difficult to arrange a berth by e-mail or telephone so turning up in person is the best bet.

 

[Rosey]

Portimao, Vilamoura and Albufeira all have been good at answering emails, we booked our lift in person on arrival in Portimao but had already emailed yard manager to say we were coming with an estimated arrival day and we were offered a lift out the next day if we had wanted it. The winter 6month berth has all been arranged on email.

Vilamoura definately has live aboards on the hard as we know folks doing it for their second summer. Portimao are clearly also not bothered hence the somewhat obvious TV dishes and they give you a gate key for access to the boatyard.

Working on your own boat isn't a problem either certainly in Portimao, pretty much the same as the UK. Did speak to a chap there who had problems when working on a boat in Spain though as it wasn't his boat (he was helping a friend), he was told only work on your own boat was tolerated.

Portimao has a travel lift so simple lift out, no backstay or sail fiddling required.

 

[ccscott49]

If you can get there, try Marina Port Vell in Barcelona. Not exactly the cheapest option, but there is a great liveaboard community there, and you're in the middle of one of the nicest cities in Spain. However, you need to email now to book a place and may need to turn up 'on spec' and see what you can get. 15m berths are easier to come by than smaller ones though.

For your size boat, check the prices!! and remember water, parking (car) and leccy is extra. Also no hard standing/crane etc. and nowhere in the vicinity where you can haul and liveaboard, apart from MAYBE Vilanova il Geltrui. Which is a fair way out of Barcelona.
Have to agree with the liveaboard community though.
Great access to UK.
The crime rate is a bit naughty in town also.

 

[chinita]

Portimao has water and electricity and allow you to continue living aboard even on the hard, they say 1 week max

I think they mean that the first week is free. Thereafter they will charge €3.00 per person per day.

 

[Ludd]

We started to live aboard in May and are currently in Nazare, Portugal cruising down the atlantic coast. We hope to be in Gibralter/ med coast of Spain bythe end of Aug/Sept.
We have started to think ahead to the winter (probably due to awful weather here, worst summer in over 10 years!) and start thinking about what we need to do about a winter marina.
We want to live aboard in the winter with a couple of holidays to the UK. We don't need to antifoul but would like to have the boat on the hard for some of the winter and still liveaboard. We would like a reasonably priced marina(who doesn't) with a good liveaboard community. Our boat is 14.5m
We are not sure what else we need to know or ask a marina or what the best way to book is. Is there any room for negotiation and is that better in e-mail or phone call or in person when you get somewhere you like ??
Looking forward to your replies and advice and hoping we have not already left it too late !![/QUOTe
MY advice is don't worry! You are cruising! You may find somewhere no one has thought of.











1

 

[jordanbasset]

Almerimar can appear souless but it has a good community spirit there and also very convenient for the supermarket, banks etc. Organised walks and quiz nights as well as weekly get togethers in a local bar if you like that, if not no pressure at all to take part. Lots of people very happy to help you sort out any boaty problem. Also has a good chandlers and you can now work on your boat on the hard. It is still cheaper than most if not all marinas in the western med. For a boat upto 12 metres it works out about 1100 euros for the 6 months of the winter. If you have electricity7 for every day you stay it still is less than 1800 euros in total. Most do not and may have electricity once or twice a week to keep the batteries topped up, brings the cost to around 1200- 1300 euros.
Denia is a lovely town but the cheapest of the three marinas quoted us 4,500 euros for the 6 months.
Cartagena again is lovely but it is a walk to the nearest supermarket (smaller than the one in Almerimar). But if you want more spanish culture it would be a good place to stay.

 

[Wife of Lofticus]

Tunisia/Morroco?

Mike, the marina manager at Nazare, has suggested we look at Tunisia, someone else threw Morroco into the pot - any thoughtsor recommendations on those two countries??
Glad to hear Ruby T arrived safely!