dougg
Well-Known Member
Boy Blue. Im hoping to perfect my anchoring tecniques.
Vilamora quoted me 130 euros a week in may inc water and elec, low season.
Vilamora quoted me 130 euros a week in may inc water and elec, low season.
Please help! Biscay or the coast?
- Thread starter Nostrodamus
- Start date
tarik
Well-Known Member
Biscay or not
We were talking about this today at the club, a couple of members who have travelled south have gone down the Channel and then round Lands End to Cork, Southern Irelend.
From there it is a more or less a straight run either down to the Spanish coast or direct to Gib.
Might give it a try in reverse when I return from Gib next year.
David
We were talking about this today at the club, a couple of members who have travelled south have gone down the Channel and then round Lands End to Cork, Southern Irelend.
From there it is a more or less a straight run either down to the Spanish coast or direct to Gib.
Might give it a try in reverse when I return from Gib next year.
David
GrahamM376
Well-Known Member
Boy Blue. Im hoping to perfect my anchoring tecniques.
Vilamora quoted me 130 euros a week in may inc water and elec, low season.
Anchoring on the Algarve isn't a problem, no need to use marinas. Med Spain is a problem though, lots of tales of police insisting boats go to marinas.
kaymak
New Member
I think it depends on what you want to do, which might depend on what you have or have not done in between.
We have sailed pretty much everywhere in North and South Brittany, and have enjoyed it immensely. It truly ranks as one of the world's greatest cruising grounds -- but so for that matter do our UK waters. So definitely take your time
But my wife is from the Mediterranean, so eventually I had to give in, and we headed out from the Hamble, southbound last August. Having sailed all the northern bits, we thought to make some quick southing, so departed direct from The Cove, St Agnes, Scilly, to La Coruna. I recommend that routing, if the weather is good and you want to go straight to La Coruna or the Rias Baixas. With a little bit of westing, it gets you out and off the continental shelf quickly -- and besides, Scilly is just plain gorgeous -- magnetic for us any time we get as far west as Falmouth.
With proper planning, a decent weather window and reasonable crew, don't be put off. We were nervous, but it was all in the anticipation, as usual. In our case in addition to myself the crew consisted of my wife, 13yo daughter and 8yo son -- plus we asked a strong friend in his late 20's to come along to lighten the load, as far as La Coruna.
Here are a few words on ports of call along the way (all pure opinion):
- La Coruna: great landfall, a town that grows on you, great place for full range of Galician food, and plenty to do for w a few days or more. We stayed in the inner marina (Darsena) and recommend it, for its location alone, as the best place for a short visit.
- Rias Baixas:
Camarinas: frankly disappointing relative to what we had been led to expect; plan to eat on the boat; beware 25-30+kt afternoon sea breeze building rapidly as you round the point and head E'ward in the approaches. World's smallest marina office (most memorable feature); should have anchored off.
Muros: more interesting, and a nice sheltered anchorage under the lee of the land north of the harbour.
Islas Cies: beautiful, definitely anchor there if conditions are suitable -- nice walks ashore.
Baiona: lovely dignified town, we stayed a couple of nights at the MRYC, very nice; the other marina looked fine, too; nice anchorage, where we also stayed, and it proved a good sheltered place for the children to enjoy watersports.
Passage south:
OK, I am going to be attacked for saying this, but Portugal is the odd man out in Europe, a distinct and "unique" country, and its Atlantic coast is rather inhospitable, with swell and/or fog in summer. We elected to move right along, as far as possible with family crew, on a family holiday:
Leixoes: pronounced "Lay-shooinsh" (feel free to correct me). Funny enough, we thought the marina here was fine (shows you that it's all about expectations). Sure, everything was dilapidated and broken, but it provided decent shelter, and the water was not as visibly filthy as we had been led to expect.
Porto: we travelled there by taxi, and it is a unique place, with a very distinct feel, interesting architecture, well worth a visit -- really almost unmissable in a sense. (Povoa de Varzim: we did not go, but others have said it may be a better place from which to visit Porto -- by new metro.)
Nazare: some like it, but we were not enchanted; most interesting thing was the extreme depths, even just outside the breakwater heads.
Cascais & Estoril: nice Portuguese seaside towns, Cascais is a great place from which to visit Lisbon by cheap pleasant train.
Fish & water temp: We noticed on arriving at Cascais that the fish had changed completely, as had the water temperature. There were "tropical" looking fish, and for the first time the water temperature was noticeably warmer than the UK south coast. (In contrast, Galicia, with less Gulf Stream benefit than the UK, had water temperatures well below those of Cornwall.) We were finally sort of "south".
Sines: pronounced "cinch"; anchored off the beach, north of the marina, did not go ashore (but looked interesting).
Note on pots: vast numbers of these, many are comically badly marked, so it was a constant game to avoid them; also nets with lines of floats -- lots of detours to get around these. You really have to go pretty far offshore to avoid the pot markers in particular. For example, there are plenty of pot markers in 40, 50, 60m -- and we even encountered some in 150-200m!
Cape St Vincent: we were in thick fog all the way down from Sines, then popped out into brilliant summer sunshine just as we passed by the Cape close inshore -- truly magical! We were suddenly well and truly "south". Ten minutes after rounding the Cape we had our fourth shark sighting of the trip, and our first big one: a truly massive hammerhead, fin out of the crystal clear blue water, lazing along abeam of us -- wow! We literally could not speak. And then, as we neared Lagos, a superpod of literally 50-100 dolphins. We have seen a lot of dolphins, but never so many at one time. It was rather exciting and beautiful.
Lagos: we have been there since late August (the boat has, that is), and we are returning there this week to leave -- bound for Cartagena. I am very happy with the choice of Lagos as a place to leave the boat over the winter. The marina is very safe and sheltered, and the town is not bad at all. Yes, the price is not cheap, but it's not that bad, either -- especially relative to the Med.
Now if someone has a recommendation for a great (and secure and sheltered) place to leave the boat for 2011-12 winter in the Western Med, that would be great. We will cruise the Balearics, and possibly Corsica and/or Sardinia this summer. I am intrigued by Ragusa -- or perhaps somewhere in southern Sardinia? -- but would be very open to other suggestions. Given that we will not be living aboard, easy flights to and from the UK are a factor (and based on painful experience, I no longer do Stansted).
fwiw, I think we might before long find that we have had enough of the Western Med, to the point where the elastic band snaps and we head either (a) straight for the Lofoten Islands or (b) eastwards.
We have sailed pretty much everywhere in North and South Brittany, and have enjoyed it immensely. It truly ranks as one of the world's greatest cruising grounds -- but so for that matter do our UK waters. So definitely take your time
But my wife is from the Mediterranean, so eventually I had to give in, and we headed out from the Hamble, southbound last August. Having sailed all the northern bits, we thought to make some quick southing, so departed direct from The Cove, St Agnes, Scilly, to La Coruna. I recommend that routing, if the weather is good and you want to go straight to La Coruna or the Rias Baixas. With a little bit of westing, it gets you out and off the continental shelf quickly -- and besides, Scilly is just plain gorgeous -- magnetic for us any time we get as far west as Falmouth.
With proper planning, a decent weather window and reasonable crew, don't be put off. We were nervous, but it was all in the anticipation, as usual. In our case in addition to myself the crew consisted of my wife, 13yo daughter and 8yo son -- plus we asked a strong friend in his late 20's to come along to lighten the load, as far as La Coruna.
Here are a few words on ports of call along the way (all pure opinion):
- La Coruna: great landfall, a town that grows on you, great place for full range of Galician food, and plenty to do for w a few days or more. We stayed in the inner marina (Darsena) and recommend it, for its location alone, as the best place for a short visit.
- Rias Baixas:
Camarinas: frankly disappointing relative to what we had been led to expect; plan to eat on the boat; beware 25-30+kt afternoon sea breeze building rapidly as you round the point and head E'ward in the approaches. World's smallest marina office (most memorable feature); should have anchored off.
Muros: more interesting, and a nice sheltered anchorage under the lee of the land north of the harbour.
Islas Cies: beautiful, definitely anchor there if conditions are suitable -- nice walks ashore.
Baiona: lovely dignified town, we stayed a couple of nights at the MRYC, very nice; the other marina looked fine, too; nice anchorage, where we also stayed, and it proved a good sheltered place for the children to enjoy watersports.
Passage south:
OK, I am going to be attacked for saying this, but Portugal is the odd man out in Europe, a distinct and "unique" country, and its Atlantic coast is rather inhospitable, with swell and/or fog in summer. We elected to move right along, as far as possible with family crew, on a family holiday:
Leixoes: pronounced "Lay-shooinsh" (feel free to correct me). Funny enough, we thought the marina here was fine (shows you that it's all about expectations). Sure, everything was dilapidated and broken, but it provided decent shelter, and the water was not as visibly filthy as we had been led to expect.
Porto: we travelled there by taxi, and it is a unique place, with a very distinct feel, interesting architecture, well worth a visit -- really almost unmissable in a sense. (Povoa de Varzim: we did not go, but others have said it may be a better place from which to visit Porto -- by new metro.)
Nazare: some like it, but we were not enchanted; most interesting thing was the extreme depths, even just outside the breakwater heads.
Cascais & Estoril: nice Portuguese seaside towns, Cascais is a great place from which to visit Lisbon by cheap pleasant train.
Fish & water temp: We noticed on arriving at Cascais that the fish had changed completely, as had the water temperature. There were "tropical" looking fish, and for the first time the water temperature was noticeably warmer than the UK south coast. (In contrast, Galicia, with less Gulf Stream benefit than the UK, had water temperatures well below those of Cornwall.) We were finally sort of "south".
Sines: pronounced "cinch"; anchored off the beach, north of the marina, did not go ashore (but looked interesting).
Note on pots: vast numbers of these, many are comically badly marked, so it was a constant game to avoid them; also nets with lines of floats -- lots of detours to get around these. You really have to go pretty far offshore to avoid the pot markers in particular. For example, there are plenty of pot markers in 40, 50, 60m -- and we even encountered some in 150-200m!
Cape St Vincent: we were in thick fog all the way down from Sines, then popped out into brilliant summer sunshine just as we passed by the Cape close inshore -- truly magical! We were suddenly well and truly "south". Ten minutes after rounding the Cape we had our fourth shark sighting of the trip, and our first big one: a truly massive hammerhead, fin out of the crystal clear blue water, lazing along abeam of us -- wow! We literally could not speak. And then, as we neared Lagos, a superpod of literally 50-100 dolphins. We have seen a lot of dolphins, but never so many at one time. It was rather exciting and beautiful.
Lagos: we have been there since late August (the boat has, that is), and we are returning there this week to leave -- bound for Cartagena. I am very happy with the choice of Lagos as a place to leave the boat over the winter. The marina is very safe and sheltered, and the town is not bad at all. Yes, the price is not cheap, but it's not that bad, either -- especially relative to the Med.
Now if someone has a recommendation for a great (and secure and sheltered) place to leave the boat for 2011-12 winter in the Western Med, that would be great. We will cruise the Balearics, and possibly Corsica and/or Sardinia this summer. I am intrigued by Ragusa -- or perhaps somewhere in southern Sardinia? -- but would be very open to other suggestions. Given that we will not be living aboard, easy flights to and from the UK are a factor (and based on painful experience, I no longer do Stansted).
fwiw, I think we might before long find that we have had enough of the Western Med, to the point where the elastic band snaps and we head either (a) straight for the Lofoten Islands or (b) eastwards.
jordanbasset
Well-Known Member
I think if we were doing it again I would spend much longer in Brittany and overwinter in the Algarve. There are so many safe anchorages on the Algarve you do not need to use marinas, if you do want walk ashore comfort in the winter the prices are not unreasonable and weather will be as good as other places in the western med.
Like the previous poster I am not a fan of the west coast of Portugal there were limited anchoring opportunities (were a couple) and we ended up in Marinas most of the time. However I did like Camarinas and when we were there it was calm However, in contrast, we anchored off Muros for 3 nights and the wind was so strong that we could not launch the dinghy. Most ran to Portosin Marina for shelter, as we did eventually. It just goes to show it does depend on the weather when you are actually there and where the wind is coming from.
The following year it will not take long to get to the med and onwards.
Like the previous poster I am not a fan of the west coast of Portugal there were limited anchoring opportunities (were a couple) and we ended up in Marinas most of the time. However I did like Camarinas and when we were there it was calm However, in contrast, we anchored off Muros for 3 nights and the wind was so strong that we could not launch the dinghy. Most ran to Portosin Marina for shelter, as we did eventually. It just goes to show it does depend on the weather when you are actually there and where the wind is coming from.
The following year it will not take long to get to the med and onwards.
Roaring Girl
Well-Known Member
Absolutely agree it depends on your eagerness to get south, which begins at Cap St Vincent, or possibly Lisbon. We went straight across and missed all the wonderful sights, and in some ways wish we had coat hopped and waited another winter for the warm. (Much less frightening to the less commited crew for a start.)
Camarinas is a great spot to wait for the weather to abate for Finisterre. We ended up spending 2 weeks there is dreadful weather, well sheltered at anchor and rather bored except for the planes fishing water from teh ria to put on dreadful forest fires.
If you are looking at getting a far as Sardinia etc for the winter than look at Cagliari as a good place to stop and to do the inevitable work on the boat in the spring.
Camarinas is a great spot to wait for the weather to abate for Finisterre. We ended up spending 2 weeks there is dreadful weather, well sheltered at anchor and rather bored except for the planes fishing water from teh ria to put on dreadful forest fires.
If you are looking at getting a far as Sardinia etc for the winter than look at Cagliari as a good place to stop and to do the inevitable work on the boat in the spring.
youen
Well-Known Member
Biscay
If you have a lot of time and you can leave early in the season you must cruise along the French coast and then along the north coast of spain which is beautiful and not crowded with a lot of harbour or anchorage.
If you have a lot of time and you can leave early in the season you must cruise along the French coast and then along the north coast of spain which is beautiful and not crowded with a lot of harbour or anchorage.
jimbaerselman
Well-Known Member
Oooh, definitely the coasts! Spend three months just working around to Bayona!
For lots of detail on just the north coast of Spain, see http://www.jimbaerselman.f2s.com/n spain cruising.htm . OK, it's a long time since I last edited it, so some places now have better facilities (Bilbao, Zumaya, Gijon). But the coasts from Cherbourg to Bilbao are great, and good value, cruising areas.
For lots of detail on just the north coast of Spain, see http://www.jimbaerselman.f2s.com/n spain cruising.htm . OK, it's a long time since I last edited it, so some places now have better facilities (Bilbao, Zumaya, Gijon). But the coasts from Cherbourg to Bilbao are great, and good value, cruising areas.
SHUG
Well-Known Member
An Interesting thing.
All the ports on the French Atlantic coast down to La Rochelle are about the same distance from La Coruna (about 340miles). So... you can meander down the coast (and islands) until you get nice conditions and then go to Spain.
All the ports on the French Atlantic coast down to La Rochelle are about the same distance from La Coruna (about 340miles). So... you can meander down the coast (and islands) until you get nice conditions and then go to Spain.
CornishSailor
Well-Known Member
Routes & charts
Hello
We left the UK last year destined ultimately for the Med. Like you, we have the luxury of no time scale, so are following many recommendations like those on this thread and are taking our time. We have spent the first season cruising Brittany (plus the SW of the UK and a bit of Normandy) and have thoroughly enjoyed it. (Details on our website)
We too have deliberated on the Biscay crossing, which we plan to do this coming season, most likely crossing from La Rochelle to Bilbao. We have the charts and pilot guides, and also purchased Michael Briant's (of this forum) 'Gentle Sailing Route to the Mediterranean' http://www.michaelbriant.com/gentle_route_to_med.htm which seems an excellent additional source of the information and worth buying (no connection or commercial interest )
We have cruising guides and Imray charts covering the SW coast of the UK to Brittany - not sure what the postage costs would be or what a fair forum-spirited price would be. PM or email if interested (email address on website), though we are currently on the hard at Arzal, but do try to check emails once a day.
Cheers and fair winds
Ann (& Andy)
P.S. I've added your website to my favourites and will follow your travels with interest. It's always good to read of fellow liveaboards' adventures!
Hello
We left the UK last year destined ultimately for the Med. Like you, we have the luxury of no time scale, so are following many recommendations like those on this thread and are taking our time. We have spent the first season cruising Brittany (plus the SW of the UK and a bit of Normandy) and have thoroughly enjoyed it. (Details on our website)
We too have deliberated on the Biscay crossing, which we plan to do this coming season, most likely crossing from La Rochelle to Bilbao. We have the charts and pilot guides, and also purchased Michael Briant's (of this forum) 'Gentle Sailing Route to the Mediterranean' http://www.michaelbriant.com/gentle_route_to_med.htm which seems an excellent additional source of the information and worth buying (no connection or commercial interest
)We have cruising guides and Imray charts covering the SW coast of the UK to Brittany - not sure what the postage costs would be or what a fair forum-spirited price would be. PM or email if interested (email address on website), though we are currently on the hard at Arzal, but do try to check emails once a day.
Cheers and fair winds
Ann (& Andy)
P.S. I've added your website to my favourites and will follow your travels with interest. It's always good to read of fellow liveaboards' adventures!
johnbev
Member
biscay
we did it last year and because it was a delivery trip stayed well out off the continental shelf,a must though to see are the spanish ria`s,we did mouros and alas only briefly. portugese coast is long and hard and watch out for the lobby pots!! bon voyage
we did it last year and because it was a delivery trip stayed well out off the continental shelf,a must though to see are the spanish ria`s,we did mouros and alas only briefly. portugese coast is long and hard and watch out for the lobby pots!! bon voyage
Ional
Well-Known Member
Keep Iberia on the left!
We did it two summers ago. 6 weeks to Royan. We know, and love the French coast. Then an overnight 3 miles offshore, on a beautiful night, to Hondarrabia, first port in Spain.
Then 2 months to slowly cruise the north and west coasts of Spain. Agree with all previous posters, Isle de Cies my favourite spot! Portugese coast took time, to avoid nasty swell, and fog. Liked Porto, by train from Povoa. Disliked Nazare, especially packs of feral dogs....... Overwintered opposite Lisbon in a brilliant boatyard Tagus yacht centre. Very cheap compared with anywhere else!
Last year spent 5 months circumnavigating Spain........Liked the Algarve, but no where as pretty as SW France and the Spanish rias. Extremely expensive marinas, nowhere to anchor except in Ibiza with dragging power boats in every cove, either no wind or a gale and HOT hot Hot! Overwintering Port st Louis and this year we are coming back through the Midi, we have a lifting keel. The W Med was an experience.....but we look forward to doing some sailing once back in the Atlantic!!
We did it two summers ago. 6 weeks to Royan. We know, and love the French coast. Then an overnight 3 miles offshore, on a beautiful night, to Hondarrabia, first port in Spain.
Then 2 months to slowly cruise the north and west coasts of Spain. Agree with all previous posters, Isle de Cies my favourite spot! Portugese coast took time, to avoid nasty swell, and fog. Liked Porto, by train from Povoa. Disliked Nazare, especially packs of feral dogs....... Overwintered opposite Lisbon in a brilliant boatyard Tagus yacht centre. Very cheap compared with anywhere else!
Last year spent 5 months circumnavigating Spain........Liked the Algarve, but no where as pretty as SW France and the Spanish rias. Extremely expensive marinas, nowhere to anchor except in Ibiza with dragging power boats in every cove, either no wind or a gale and HOT hot Hot! Overwintering Port st Louis and this year we are coming back through the Midi, we have a lifting keel. The W Med was an experience.....but we look forward to doing some sailing once back in the Atlantic!!
dougg
Well-Known Member
We just arrived at coruna having motored for 48 hours from camaret no wind no waves 1 meter ish swells all a bit boring really!
Sy-Revolution
Well-Known Member
Glad you made it safe 'n' sound!
C.
C.
mdrifter
Well-Known Member
French coast for me
In agreement with others: French coast not to be missed. We spent our 2nd season exploring after previous year's delivery to Rochefort. 3rd season we sat in St Denis and took off towards Royan (Arcachon might be best left out - we came across a Sadler crew still traumatised some time later...) but forecast stayed good so we crept down outside the Landes firing range (beware straying exocets!) and put into Getaria after which we strolled along the Northern spanish coast which now has, I believe much better facilities; Luarca had steel buoys requiring a line ashore - may still be there? Rias unmissable - we were told you wont spend enough time there and we didn't - not that we rushed down Portugal but apart from Porto, Lisbon & Nazare we wouldn't rush back. Guidiana also unmissable as is good pasage through to Gib. After that we turned left and eventually fled the Med via Canal du Midi. Now in Baltic - spoiled for choice of anchorages...
In agreement with others: French coast not to be missed. We spent our 2nd season exploring after previous year's delivery to Rochefort. 3rd season we sat in St Denis and took off towards Royan (Arcachon might be best left out - we came across a Sadler crew still traumatised some time later...) but forecast stayed good so we crept down outside the Landes firing range (beware straying exocets!) and put into Getaria after which we strolled along the Northern spanish coast which now has, I believe much better facilities; Luarca had steel buoys requiring a line ashore - may still be there? Rias unmissable - we were told you wont spend enough time there and we didn't - not that we rushed down Portugal but apart from Porto, Lisbon & Nazare we wouldn't rush back. Guidiana also unmissable as is good pasage through to Gib. After that we turned left and eventually fled the Med via Canal du Midi. Now in Baltic - spoiled for choice of anchorages...
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