Single-handed Amsterdam -> Lymington -> Portugal. How to do it and where to stop?

[SonicArmin]

Hello fellow sailors, as soon as COVID-19 limitations allow me to do so, I plan to pick up my recently acquired Contessa 32 in The Netherlands and sail her over to Lymington for some improvements at Jeremy Rogers. Once those are done I plan to sail her more or less non-stop to Portugal, and leave her there until next spring, when I plan to continue sailing towards the Eastern Med, perhaps with yet another winter storage on the way.

Unfortunately I still have to work for a living (..), so I can not do the whole route in one go. I will need to leave the boat in the UK after the refit until September or October, and then sail her down to Portugal. Here are a few questions for you experienced UK sailors:

1. Amsterdam->Lymington: How would you plan that trip? Where is it optimal to cross the channel, is it better to cross right away and sail along the UK south coast or stay on the Dutch/Belgian/French side and the cross right from opposite the Isle of Wight? Something in-between?

2. Storing in the UK: I checked the marinas in/near Lymington - insane prices (7,000 GBP per year for a 32 ft boat!?!), true I need it only for 2-3 months max, but short term during the high season is not going to be much cheaper. Since I only need to store her until I come back, perhaps there are cheaper (but safe) options? Any recommendations, say within a day or two of sailing from Lymington?

3. Finally, once I get to Portugal I'll leave her there for 6 months, when the early season in the Med starts. Does anybody have a good tip for storage there? The marinas cost half of what they cost on the UK south coast, but still, I don't really need a marina.

Many questions, start typing away!

Thanks for looking at this anyway.

 

[Deleted member 478]

Non-stop? Why? There are so many wonderful places to visit between Cherbourg and the Algarve - even if you take a few years to do it. Except for Biscay, you can do the rest with short hops i.e. day sailing, which makes single-handing the entire trip a doddle.

 

[V1701]

I'd plan to depart the UK much earlier in the year than Sept/Oct as well. In fact why not enjoy some sailing along the UK south coast after the work has been finished, overwinter in UK somewhere like Milford Haven & head south from there in the Spring?

 

[Old Harry]

Well Ijmuiden > Lymington could well be head winds all the way., so allow plenty of time.
The wind dir will dictate your plans & you cant sail through the Continental wind farms, so yet again another consideration to allow for
good luck with the trip

 

[doug748]

Never done the trip so no idea there.

However, if you can squeeze in enough time to get to Falmouth or Plymouth at phase 2, you would be in a better spot for clearing away towards Spain plus a good marina berth would be under £600 per month high season.

Congratulations on your new boat. BTW.

.

 

[johnalison]

I can only answer for the first section. I would suggest being very flexible about your plans. You might be able to leave via Ijmuiden, but I have only occasionally been able to do this in late July/August, and been forced to come out at the Roompot, or even Flushing in a bad year. Stops on the way will depend on the progress you are making but there are plenty, each about 15m apart. From the Dover Straights, it would be easier to follow the south Coast, with Eastbourne/Brighton available for a break. It is further to go via, say, Fecamp, but there are attractions on that side and there is no reason not to take it if the weather makes it easier. Navigation is pretty trouble-free in the region, other than the wind-farms mentioned, and the banks off Belgium which can kick up nasty seas.

 

[Sharky34]

Hello fellow sailors, as soon as COVID-19 limitations allow me to do so, I plan to pick up my recently acquired Contessa 32 in The Netherlands and sail her over to Lymington for some improvements at Jeremy Rogers. Once those are done I plan to sail her more or less non-stop to Portugal, and leave her there until next spring, when I plan to continue sailing towards the Eastern Med, perhaps with yet another winter storage on the way.

Unfortunately I still have to work for a living (..), so I can not do the whole route in one go. I will need to leave the boat in the UK after the refit until September or October, and then sail her down to Portugal. Here are a few questions for you experienced UK sailors:

1. Amsterdam->Lymington: How would you plan that trip? Where is it optimal to cross the channel, is it better to cross right away and sail along the UK south coast or stay on the Dutch/Belgian/French side and the cross right from opposite the Isle of Wight? Something in-between?

2. Storing in the UK: I checked the marinas in/near Lymington - insane prices (7,000 GBP per year for a 32 ft boat!?!), true I need it only for 2-3 months max, but short term during the high season is not going to be much cheaper. Since I only need to store her until I come back, perhaps there are cheaper (but safe) options? Any recommendations, say within a day or two of sailing from Lymington?

3. Finally, once I get to Portugal I'll leave her there for 6 months, when the early season in the Med starts. Does anybody have a good tip for storage there? The marinas cost half of what they cost on the UK south coast, but still, I don't really need a marina.

Many questions, start typing away!

Thanks for looking at this anyway.

Lymington - Falmouth - Brest - La Coruna - Porto - Sines.

 

[Ningaloo]

I have done most of this trip myself, but not in one go or singlehanded.
I would stick to the Continental coast to Boulogne then cross to Eastbourne and on to the Solent.
Nowhere is cheap in the Solent mid season so I would head further west (or across the channel) for your next layup.
I cannot recommend crossing Biscay in the autumn. Either get going earlier or overwinter in Atlantic France (Rochefort?).
If you do get across Biscay I like the look of Viveiro on the north Spanish coast but have not wintered there. I spent two winters at Povoa just north of Porto which is reasonably priced and has (or used to have pre cv19) good flight connections.
But like others, this sounds an ordeal. It took me two years (sailing 4 months each summer) to get to Porto.
I am probably heading that way again next year and now I have done it once would cover ground quicker (and this will now be enforced due to Brexit limitations on time within Schengen), but there are many great places to explore along he way.

 

[westhinder]

I can only answer for the first section. I would suggest being very flexible about your plans. You might be able to leave via Ijmuiden, but I have only occasionally been able to do this in late July/August, and been forced to come out at the Roompot, or even Flushing in a bad year. Stops on the way will depend on the progress you are making but there are plenty, each about 15m apart. From the Dover Straights, it would be easier to follow the south Coast, with Eastbourne/Brighton available for a break. It is further to go via, say, Fecamp, but there are attractions on that side and there is no reason not to take it if the weather makes it easier. Navigation is pretty trouble-free in the region, other than the wind-farms mentioned, and the banks off Belgium which can kick up nasty seas.

Johnalison is right.
I would add that the really bad bit of the Flemish Banks (off the Belgian coast) is at the Belgian-French border and off Dunkerque (North France). You are well advised to take the coastal route inside the banks. Then cross the Dover Straights either at Cap Gris Nez to Dover, or from Boulogne to Eastbourne and continue along the U.K. South coast
I would also avoid crossing Biscay from mid-September

 

[GHA]

For 3 if the winds are fair there's a lot to be said for cracking on and getting round St Vincent - Bruce's yard in Faro is a good a place to store as any though could well be getting full for the winter that time of year. Pluses are easy access to the airport and the weather is just so much nicer round st V. Could be a tough trip in Oct, boat should be up for it but you could get a bashing.

 

[RJJ]

Hello fellow sailors, as soon as COVID-19 limitations allow me to do so, I plan to pick up my recently acquired Contessa 32 in The Netherlands and sail her over to Lymington for some improvements at Jeremy Rogers. Once those are done I plan to sail her more or less non-stop to Portugal, and leave her there until next spring, when I plan to continue sailing towards the Eastern Med, perhaps with yet another winter storage on the way.

Unfortunately I still have to work for a living (..), so I can not do the whole route in one go. I will need to leave the boat in the UK after the refit until September or October, and then sail her down to Portugal. Here are a few questions for you experienced UK sailors:

1. Amsterdam->Lymington: How would you plan that trip? Where is it optimal to cross the channel, is it better to cross right away and sail along the UK south coast or stay on the Dutch/Belgian/French side and the cross right from opposite the Isle of Wight? Something in-between?

2. Storing in the UK: I checked the marinas in/near Lymington - insane prices (7,000 GBP per year for a 32 ft boat!?!), true I need it only for 2-3 months max, but short term during the high season is not going to be much cheaper. Since I only need to store her until I come back, perhaps there are cheaper (but safe) options? Any recommendations, say within a day or two of sailing from Lymington?

3. Finally, once I get to Portugal I'll leave her there for 6 months, when the early season in the Med starts. Does anybody have a good tip for storage there? The marinas cost half of what they cost on the UK south coast, but still, I don't really need a marina.

Many questions, start typing away!

Thanks for looking at this anyway.

Leg 1, I did the same last March. The canal from Amsterdam to ijmiuden was easy but I would strongly recommend a helper unless you are really good at locks. The only sadness was we bunkered at the Shell station in Amsterdam which is designed for barges ; there was lots of wash and the guy was a bit bloody-minded telling us to go to an unsuitable spot on his pontoon and we dinged the gelcoat having been in physical ownership of the boat for just 12 hours. Reminder - moor where you want not where the guy tells you!

Planning seemed to me to be heavily weather dependent; you can hug the continental coast, cross the middle, or head towards Essex.

We did the former based on light wind motorsailing for 8 hours and forecast of southerly F4, which is what turned up.

Advantage of our route was it's easy to navigate the complex shipping arrangements of Europoort and Maastricht. The HM was very slick and if you give them 15 minutes warning per the pilot book will coax you through; I felt it easier to pass near the harbour where there's only two directions and a HM in charge than to contend with the ship roundabout 12m or so offshore.

Then there are sandbanks to contend with but they are clearly marked and mostly no issue of draft for a Contessa. I could imagine the sea state being ugly among them in certain conditions.

Coast hugging gives you several options to overnight along the subsequent part of the coast if you need a rest, particularly as you will be short handed. No reason I could see not to anchor, weather depending ... Ships do it.

Across Dover, we turned right from about 5 miles before Calais on the new west-going tide. I found this a good strategy as you could see but not interfere with the cross-Channel traffic; we had room to avoid a couple of bigger ships in the TSS. It was then easy to cross the ferries' "lane" just after the west-bound ships and benefit from the strongest tide to shoot you clear of Dover, around Dungeness and Beachy Head. Sailing past Calais would have given the strongest hours of tide pushing SW towards Boulogne, a southerly component that is unlikely to help with your Solent destination.

Fog is a regular occurrence. Our brand new radar wasn't working. If fog had been forecast I wouldn't have gone given shipping and wind farms; notwithstanding the inconvenience. We were very lucky to have such a pleasant sail in March.

 

[michael_w]

Generally speaking, it is easier to make your westing on the English side of the channel than the French. The tide is not quite as fierce and the the harbours have all-tide access. make your departure from Start Point and head for the north end of Chenal du Four. Time your arrival correctly, provided you do this, the Chenal has no terrors, it's buoyed for ships.

Wait at Camaret for a decent forecast for the Biscay crossing. if out of time, Marina Moulin Blanc in Brest is a useful place to leave a boat with good transport facilities.

Cross Biscay direct to La Coruna or Camarinas. Enjoy the Rias of Galicia. Ignore all the bollox about having to head 200 miles out into the Atlantic before heading south. That advice was good for Nelson, who had seriously unweatherly ships and no forecast.

I've done this trip several times.

 

[dansaskip]

As others have suggested make your westing along the English coast before heading south across Biscay. Plymouth or Falmouth would both be good jumping off points.
Personally I would not wait until Sept/Oct to cross Biscay, I would suggest that this is too late in the season. Most sources would suggest no later than August. I myself crossed mid August from North Wales via the Scilies to Ribadeo, northern Spain.
Once in Spain you can hop down the coast of Spain and Portugal day sailing and there are plenty of interesting places to stop and visit.

 

[Stemar]

There probably isn't anywhere to park a boat in Lymington that will leave you with both kidneys but, if you're just looking to leave the boat somewhere not too far away, there are places in Portsmouth Harbour - Quay Lane may have a half tide berth on soft mud that would be fine for a fin, Gosport Boat Yard, a bit dearer probably, but have a water taxi, Wicor Marine, with pontoons, but no connection to the land. I reckon that even if you had to pay for a year, they'd be cheaper than a couple of months in a Solent marina.

 

[jimi]

If you get the right wind, Ijmuiden to Harwich is relatively easy and less than 24 hours. Westerly on the nose would be bad! Harwich to Ramsgate is also a doable leg but make sure you’ve got tide in hand art ramsgate as it runs hard there. Ramsgate to Brighton and Brighton to Solent. Ramsgate to Solent is hard work in westerlies as well

 

[Sea Devil]

Hello fellow sailors, as soon as COVID-19 limitations allow me to do so, I plan to pick up my recently acquired Contessa 32 in The Netherlands and sail her over to Lymington for some improvements at Jeremy Rogers. Once those are done I plan to sail her more or less non-stop to Portugal, and leave her there until next spring, when I plan to continue sailing towards the Eastern Med, perhaps with yet another winter storage on the way.

Unfortunately I still have to work for a living (..), so I can not do the whole route in one go. I will need to leave the boat in the UK after the refit until September or October, and then sail her down to Portugal. Here are a few questions for you experienced UK sailors:

1. Amsterdam->Lymington: How would you plan that trip? Where is it optimal to cross the channel, is it better to cross right away and sail along the UK south coast or stay on the Dutch/Belgian/French side and the cross right from opposite the Isle of Wight? Something in-between?

2. Storing in the UK: I checked the marinas in/near Lymington - insane prices (7,000 GBP per year for a 32 ft boat!?!), true I need it only for 2-3 months max, but short term during the high season is not going to be much cheaper. Since I only need to store her until I come back, perhaps there are cheaper (but safe) options? Any recommendations, say within a day or two of sailing from Lymington?

3. Finally, once I get to Portugal I'll leave her there for 6 months, when the early season in the Med starts. Does anybody have a good tip for storage there? The marinas cost half of what they cost on the UK south coast, but still, I don't really need a marina.

Many questions, start typing away!

Thanks for looking at this anyway.

1) I have done the the trips a few times and think going along the Dutch Belge French coast is easiest.
2) French north coast marinas are far less than UK... Cherbourg is 11 hours from Lymington
3) I have just published a video about sailing route UK to Gib...

 

[johnalison]

If it hasn't already been mentioned, putting up a single-handed pennant will make things much easier in the Netherlands and possibly Belgium. I don't know if the French have cottoned on to it yet, but the Dutch will go out of their way to help at the locks.

 

[neil1967]

Did a similar trip last year in May, albeit not single handed. Day sailed from the Oosterschelde to Dover (stopped at Breskens and Dunkerque), 3 hours pitstop at Dover to pick up crew and then a 50 hour passage direct to Falmouth. Left the yacht on a mooring in Helford passage for a couple of weeks and then a non-stop passage of 120 hours to Cascais (Lisbon). Weather was kind so we more or less took a straight line from Falmouth to Finisterre and then down the Portuguese coast (which was the toughest part).

 

[trelo]

Can't comment on the first stage. I'd also suggest Plymouth or Falmouth as a departure point. From there you should also be able to accurately hit the right tides at Ushant if passing close in. If you're single handing be aware there's a pretty constant stream of traffic just outside the line between Finisterre and Ushant, so you may find an "inside route" slightly to the east of that is easier.

Landfall wise once you're past Finisterre there's no real penalty to pulling in somewhere for a break presuming you're not too far offshore. Once south of Vigo the all weather ports you can take refuge in become more spread out. For overwintering the bigger ports will probably be easier and none are too pricey (A Coruña before Fisterra, Vigo, maybe Porto/Leixoes and onwards). The Rias are all fantastic cruising, personally I prefer the Rias Baixas but that's just personal taste.

Timing wise be aware of insurance, as some policies limit cover for out of season crossings. Also, if heading further south the Portuguese trades are your friend, which argues for earlier. If single handing, and given the propensity for downwind, a decent real wind autopilot and solo friendly kite set up would be on my list, but only after at least AIS as plenty of fishing activity. Given your likely speed you may have to make a departure decision without a reliable forecast to get you all the way to Spain.

 

[[3889]]

1) I have done the the trips a few times and think going along the Dutch Belge French coast is easiest.
2) French north coast marinas are far less than UK... Cherbourg is 11 hours from Lymington
3) I have just published a video about sailing route UK to Gib...

Agreed. If you want to save 75% against UK S coast marinas lay up in France. Cherbourg and Roscoff marinas are served my UK ferries.
September crossing the bay is a risky business. Waiting until December is more likely to provide a better weather window if you cannot cross earlier .