Re-fitting abroad (Help)

[dazautomatics]

Hi, could you help? I’m getting a bit stressed

We are running out of time getting ready for our ideal safe leaving time of 1st week in august. Starting our 2-year slow cruse to NZ via the med for next summer. We were planning to spend the winter months in the Canaries.

I have limited knowledge of the Canneries and wondered if this is a good place to get materials to build some extra lockers, fit water tanks, manufacture a cool box and fit compressor fridge unit, overhaul our Yanmar and work on the mast ect.

I have started prioritising jobs i.e. wind jenny, solar panels, wind steering, life raft and other safety things. But due to some commitments only having a month left to do these, finish re-wiring and get the water system up and running (30 gallon).

Would you hang on in the UK to complete the work were the materials are close at hand and have access to power tools or get the boat into a relatively safe condition and get across “THE BISCAY” before the weather does a nasty???

PS. We have a 31ft low volume boat so we are limited on what we can take with us

Any advice would be very much appreciated

Darren.

 

[Wansworth]

I would stay where you are and fix things properly.Its possible to daysail down to Lisbon so picking a weather window it possible tomleave later and see something of France and Spain whilst testing everything before too far from home...imho

 

[Sea Devil]

Gibraltar is a good place to refit - tax free - VAT free - not quite as good as it sounds but much cheaper than the UK.

By the time you get there you will have a better idea of what you really need.

No boat is ever 100% ready - always something needing attention and if you wait for that thing to be finally fixed you will never leave...

Michael

 

[Blueboatman]

Bit confused by what you are saying-you are intending to go to NZ over a 2year period but via the Med..and you want to overwinter in the Canaries.
Are you turning left or right at Gibralter then?
The Spanish fishing industry in the Canaries means that in Lanzarote at least,excellent supplies of stainless steel and machineshops ,resin,plywood etc are
available at fair cost,marina prices are cheaper and there are good supermarkets,weather and cheap flights to the UK .Not sure of the vat situation now-the canaries were exempt. Will be relatively busier in the Autumn as boats arrive from the North. By late September the wave heights increase dramatically even south of the Algarve,
It is quite an uphill slog back to the Med from the Canaries if that was your intent.
Hope that helps a bit. By the way have you thought of wintering slowly southwards through the French canals?

 

[dazautomatics]

We are heading west, eventually.

We are just popping into the Med for the summer as we are having a hectict time closing a business, fixing up and selling our house and re-fiting the boat. All since march 9th!!! Didn't fancy our first atlantic crossing to finish of the year

We have thought about the canals but we have 5'8" draft.

The canaries sounds good, maybe call into gib to get any other expensive gear we need after the summer.

Thanks

Darren

 

[Blueboatman]

You are welcome. As a matter of fact my own(single) Atlantic crossing plan paused for a brilliant winter on the Algarve-with work too!- and then the following summer I sailed my boat in gentle June weather down to the Canaries where I left it perfectly securely and inexpensively in a marina until the Autumn. All in all it was a lot less stressful because the itinerary was a bit 'elastic' ! Hope it all pans out just fine for you .

 

[TigaWave]

I wouldn't get stressed about leaving later, we weren't ready until November, as we only bought the boat in the beginning of October! still had a great trip, just had to sit out some rough weather in some nice little harbours. But there were plenty of other boats doing the same thing, so we weren't alone.

My experience is that the Canaries are a great place to get work done and bits sorted, as others have said after the short hop sails down there you'll have some new ideas about how you want things long term.

I wouldn't worry too much about leaving late. I really enjoyed staying in the Canaries until mid January before crossing, really great times with lots of live aboards doing the same thing. Many start from Gomera after sorting boats out in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria.

Have a good trip, and if you're leaving that early (Aug/Sept) have a couple of weeks in the Rias in NW Spain.

 

[dazautomatics]

Thanks for the posts

Will have a good think about time, at the end of the day we won't be leaving on time if the boat is not safe but we both think working on the boat in a more relaxed enviroment will be easyer and less bodging !!!

Plus a few weeks / month on the way down will be good, need a break.

Cheers

Darren