Taking speedboat to Spain

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B4NXA

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I have a 19ft Rinker speedboat and we have rented a villa in the costa Brava in Spain for a couple of weeks this summer. There is a great little harbour close by at Cala Canyelles so I was thinking of taking the boat with us via the ferry to Satandair. I have a PB L2 and have applied for ICC. Has anyone done anything similar? Any advice would be greatly received.
 
B4NXA said:
I have a 19ft Rinker speedboat and we have rented a villa in the costa Brava in Spain for a couple of weeks this summer. There is a great little harbour close by at Cala Canyelles so I was thinking of taking the boat with us via the ferry to Satandair. I have a PB L2 and have applied for ICC. Has anyone done anything similar? Any advice would be greatly received.
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I would imagine the ferry crossing will be very expensive and the drive towing a boat mundane. Probably not worth it for the little use you'll get.
 
We have taken various boats to the South of France but these were for boat holidays so boats used everyday and therefore very worth it.
I know the Santander crossing can be very expensive compared to the channel crossings.
Have your documents in order and understand the legalities of towing.
Make sure your trailer bearings and brakes are good and carry spare bearings and the equipment to change them if necessary.
There are stories of boats, caravans and motorhomes being targeted by 'motorway bandits' in spain but don't know how real the risk is compared to anywhere else. We have never had trouble elsewhere in Europe.
If you are taking it only to use the odd day whilst you are there though then I'd agree with post no 2!
 
We went to the same villa last year, and to be honest the ferry is cheaper than the flights and car hire we had last year. We previously had a caravan and took it to southern France several times so not too worried about towing and trailer has just been serviced with new brakes and bearings. If we are taking it that far I would definitely use it every day, just interested if anyone had any good or bad experiences of the area. Cheers
 
Forget Santander,
We have done the drive to the Costa Brava dozens of times and previously towing a boat. Its a 2 day drive right down the middle with a stopover in Orleans.
Interested where you are mooring the boat. We know the area very well being based in Empuriabrava. Suggest one day having a poodle around the canals of Empuriabrava. Our favourite Cala is Cala Culip just around the corner of the Cap de Creus lighthouse.
Great cruising area but it does chop up so be careful in a 19ft boat.
Have fun
David
 
if you go make sure you have some where safe and secure for your trailer ,for a tip i take one of my wheels off and keep it in the villa ,ps if you own a boat ,a holiday is not a holiday without your boat,my opinion
 
I towed a boat down to our place in Spain just a few weeks ago. We did the Poole Cherbourg crossing, stopped en route for a couple of nights, checked on google earth that the hotel car parks were suitable for a boat and trailer, locked the trailer when stopped, and all went smoothly.
No other issues to report, now just waiting for the right weather to use it.

The Spanish are very keen on seeing paperwork, make sure you take your insurance documents, and, if you haven't already done so, get the boat onto the SSR.
 
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We are going to Cala Canyelles, which is a lovely little harbour just down the coast from Tossa de Mar. Emporiabrava looks lovely but possibly a bit far in a 19ft boat in the day, maybe next year. We are going with friends and 5 kids from 7-14 so will probably not venture too far from the coast and have a play with some inflatables, go snorkelling etc.
 
I agree with your last quote. We went to the same place last year and I spent 2 weeks wishing I had brought the boat and looking for somewhere to rent one (with no luck)!
 
B4NXA said:
We are going to Cala Canyelles, which is a lovely little harbour just down the coast from Tossa de Mar. Empuriabrava looks lovely but possibly a bit far in a 19ft boat in the day, maybe next year.
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Ah! there is another Cala Canyelles near us. I wondered where you had found a harbour.
Ours is this one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rXcSqADxMM
 
DavidJ said:
Ah! there is another Cala Canyelles near us. I wondered where you had found a harbour.
Ours is this one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rXcSqADxMM
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We had an apartment overlooking this bay and the OP must mean here. It is a beautiful spot and will meet his needs perfectly. It also has a lovely walk into nearby Roses which ends at the marina.
If I were towing a boat I would drive down from St. Malo. It is motorway for all but a dual carriageway at the start. Going to Santander is dull and then there is a drive across the top of Spain which is also dull apart from the Rioja district.
There is boat hire in Ampuriabrava and Roses http://www.boatsmediterrani.com/.
The roads in Canyelles Petites are narrow and steep so not easy for a trailer - check this aspect out with the villa owner. Good luck.
 
B4NXA said:
Thanks will look into the SSR - is that mandatory?
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Yes, but no big deal. Done on line and £25.

You should read the material on the RYA site about taking your boat abroad. Two sections, one specific to Spain and the other on towing boats in Europe. Make sure you have all the paperwork required, although if you are lacking the original VAT invoice, no real problem but do have your bill of sale to prove that you bought the boat in UK.
 
Tranona said:
Yes, but no big deal. Done on line and £25.

You should read the material on the RYA site about taking your boat abroad. Two sections, one specific to Spain and the other on towing boats in Europe. Make sure you have all the paperwork required, although if you are lacking the original VAT invoice, no real problem but do have your bill of sale to prove that you bought the boat in UK.
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Agree with Tranona. Yes the marina or harbour would expect you to have a number. Although the SSR means nothing, they think it does...so job done.
I'm sure you have checked your insurance range but ask your insurance company for a Spanish translation. It's quite a standard thing to ask for and should cost you nothing.
 
We have done both
Drive through France and via Santander with and without trailers - several times.
We prefer to go via Santander but it is a bit more expensive.
The Pont Aven which does most of the Santander crossings is almost like a cruise liner - well almost!!
So you can sit back and enjoy the crossing.
It is then about 6 hours to the Med across Spain.
We are based in Sant Carles
There are advantages and disadvantages wherever you go.
We took our Princess up to Costa Brava last summer and it was too busy for us.
Everywhere will be busy but in Sant Carles, we have a huge lagoon (7 miles long by 1.5 miles wide) where you can at least find a quiet spot.
And the marina, where you could base yourself, has a great resort feeling - swimming pool for the kids and nice club bar/restaurant for the adults.
The town of Sant Carles nearby is a very Spanish holiday resort.
Here is the marina promotional video but the latter half is more about the locality.
Maybe you will find it interesting.



As I say Sant Carles is about 6 hours from Santander - when towing a big trailer.
 
Thanks. I have booked the villa for this year same place we went last year and it was fantastic, but Sant Charles looks really nice so might check it out for future trips.
I have a 14 yr old daughter with learning difficulties so the overnight ferry is much easier than a very long drive. I booked the ferry a while ago speculatively as it was only £50 deposit so got it at a reasonable price. We are going with some friends so no doubt a couple of beers on the ferry to start the holiday (plenty of time to come around before having to drive at the other side) and a six hour drive I can cope with.
 
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