Overwintering in 2026

[OceanDwelling]

Hi!
I’m looking for recommendations on overwintering next year. I’ve lived on my boat since May 2023 and I’ve never left the uk despite milling around everywhere (other than the North Sea).

Anyways, I’ve decided I’m going to go mill around further afield next year to the med. But where do you go once the weather turns? Where would you recommend?

Is it possible to stay at anchor anywhere? Even if it means moving around during winter? I find marinas absolutely miserable (but that’s because you have no real choice in the uk half the year) - is that the same everywhere?

Money isn’t an issue and I am an eu citizen if that helps.

Thank you! I appreciate your time

 

[Tranona]

Being an EU citizen is a help in that you have no restrictions on movement. However if you are UK resident and your boat is registered in the UK the boat is limited to 18 months at a time as a temporary import. It then has to leave the EU although it can then re-enter for another 18 months. If you buy an EU VAT paid boat you and the boat have no limits except if you remain UK resident you cannot bring the boat into the UK without paying VAT.

As to where to go, it is possible to anchor much of the time on the western seaboard - France, Spain, Portugal but it becomes more difficult once you get into the western med, but easier in the east. However even in most of the Med boating is very seasonal and you will find it difficult to avoid using marinas in the winter. The most common approach is to start from UK in April/May and work down the coast with a view to overwintering in maybe the Algarve and then moving into the Med proper the next spring. Be aware that most of the northern edge of the Med is geared towards the holiday trade so is expensive.

You don't say what sort of boat you have or your experience, but it is worth considering what is needed to live aboard in hot climates. A typical UK boat often needs some mods and expenditure to suit the climate - another reason for buying a boat there if it is a long term aim to liveaboard. Lots to think about

 

[OceanDwelling]

Being an EU citizen is a help in that you have no restrictions on movement. However if you are UK resident and your boat is registered in the UK the boat is limited to 18 months at a time as a temporary import. It then has to leave the EU although it can then re-enter for another 18 months. If you buy an EU VAT paid boat you and the boat have no limits except if you remain UK resident you cannot bring the boat into the UK without paying VAT.

As to where to go, it is possible to anchor much of the time on the western seaboard - France, Spain, Portugal but it becomes more difficult once you get into the western med, but easier in the east. However even in most of the Med boating is very seasonal and you will find it difficult to avoid using marinas in the winter. The most common approach is to start from UK in April/May and work down the coast with a view to overwintering in maybe the Algarve and then moving into the Med proper the next spring. Be aware that most of the northern edge of the Med is geared towards the holiday trade so is expensive.

You don't say what sort of boat you have or your experience, but it is worth considering what is needed to live aboard in hot climates. A typical UK boat often needs some mods and expenditure to suit the climate - another reason for buying a boat there if it is a long term aim to liveaboard. Lots to think about

Thank you for your response!

I’m in a dufour arpege and I have sailed seasonally for about 8 years, though self-taught (and a lot of learning from others wisdom) and no qualifications or anything like that.

What kind of mods etc would you advise?

Any other things to consider re the boat itself?

 

[lektran]

We're currently on anchor in Marmaris, Turkey for our first winter in the Med. Plenty of places to anchor and the weather is decent compared to the UK. We haven't yet touched a single digit overnight low, but it looks like that will change in the next few days.

 

[Sea Change]

We spent a winter on the Algarve. There are a few options. Portimao worked for us. Big anchorage protected by breakwaters, plus an affordable marina nearby to use as a dinghy dock and a bolt hole if the weather turns. It's a really lovely place, we miss it.
The Guadiana river on the Portugal/Spain border is another possibility, but I don't think you'd see a lot of sun over the winter. People rate it very highly but it didn't do a lot for us. However you can anchor for free in perfect shelter for as long as you want.

 

[Tranona]

Thank you for your response!

I’m in a dufour arpege and I have sailed seasonally for about 8 years, though self-taught (and a lot of learning from others wisdom) and no qualifications or anything like that.

What kind of mods etc would you advise?

Any other things to consider re the boat itself?

I suggest you get some experience of sailing in the Med so that you can see what is involved and the type of boats others use for living aboard. You will find it very different from cruising around the UK. The boat you have now is good for what you do currently, but ill suited to the Med. That does not mean people don't go off cruising single handed in the boats they have in the UK, but if choosing a boat for the job will likely choose something very different. Key features are space, storage, large fuel and water tanks, fridges, ventilation, big battery banks and means of charging off grid, big cockpit with access over the stern, plenty of shade from the sun, strong anchor gear preferably with an electric windlass and good light wind sailing performance. In general the Med is a vast open sea with little wind for most of the sailing season, and unless you coast hop, lots of long open water passages under engine. Of course you don't necessarily need all these mod cons - it depends on the level of (dis)comfort you expect, your budget and your lifestyle - but life on your Arpege but be at the low end of basic.

When you start your journey south the early part down the west coast of France and across Biscay you will find the environment not too different from the UK, only getting progressively warmer and better food, but by the time you get down the Iberian coast and round the corner the heat and distances will make their presence felt and highlight the limitations of your boat. You say money is not an issue so it will pay to do some research (books, blogs, magazine articles, youtubes etc) to see what others do. Remember that once you have got round the corner things change. Up to then you might spend 50% of your time under way and of that 70%+ under sail. Those proportions flip and you are likely to spend 80-90% stationary and when under way 70%+ under motor. The boat is a means to an end and it makes sense to buy one with the features that reflect the expected usage pattern.

Hope this helps.