The ideal base

[Sybarite]

With cold days approaching I was wondering where the ideal base would be. Somewhere where the weather permitted a lot more (comfortable) sailing around the year, and yet somewhere where you are not completely cut-off from modernity and cultural considerations.

I am not talking about an around the world trip visiting the South Sea islands but a base somewhere.

The first consderation would be in the EU and then somewhere else. Say New Zealand? Next consideration : living on shore or on board.

What do you think?

John.

<hr width=100% size=1><P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by Sybarite on 18/10/2004 18:39 (server time).</FONT></P>

 

[boatmike]

Dunno. Ask me in 5 years time! Intend to take boat down to the med next year but you need to be somewhere like Cyprus to get good winter weather. Thought Canaries might be good at one time but I would get bored s***less there all year round. NZ is OK but it's not much better weather than here in the UK really and I like the sunshine.... Can't somehow reconcile a summer in the med with winters in the UK. Perhaps Caribbean in the winter and summer in UK? Like you though I would just like to move somewhere where it's OK all year round and there is somewhere to cruise to.... Cyprus is top of my list at present.... When you find paradise let me know!

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[MrG]

Not that I have any experience of either living aboard or abroad, but the Eastern end of the Med has always attracted me, Croatia,Turkey, Greece.
We would probably live aboard until we found a town or village that would suit, as SWMBO likes a garden.
The area has the attraction of a different country but not too far away.

Come to think of it, its raised some very good questions for me personally, we don't have kids,so why not do it?

<hr width=100% size=1><font color=blue>Regards Mark

 

[longjohnsilver]

I've literally just returned from Bristol airport dropping off my best mate and his wife who are as I type in the air returning to Crete, or Agios Nicolaos (sp?). They are wintering there and seem to love the place. Looked on Windguru last nite, temp 24C, almost no wind and hardly any cloud!

Sounds good to me!

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[Ships_Cat]

<<<Say New Zealand>>>

I have to say, even though I live there, that NZ's climate is not all it is cracked up to be. Certainly warmer in winter in most populated places here than winter in Paris (Paris is warmer than most of NZ in the summer but generally colder in winter, I would say, than southern NZ cities) but NZ is certainly no South Pacific warm paradise as some seem to claim or think.

Is too cold for me to sail anywhere in NZ in the winter so I don't. Too cold for me to swim in summer too so I don't.

While I have only passed through UK to and froing to Europe or Ireland, that, plus the comments of many whose views I implicitly trust, the winter weather in southern UK is much grottier and more dismal than North Island cities in NZ.

John

<hr width=100% size=1>I am the cat but I am only 6.

 

[Twister_Ken]

Oz

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.writeforweb.com/twister1>Let's Twist Again

 

[Sea Devil]

The Caribbean is wonderful - summer or winter - summer you have to go south (of Grenada now!!!) To Trinidad -great company - good place to be to refit - then There is Venezuala and the ABC islands - and then the San Blas islands are lovely.

In the winter all the islands up to Cuba and the Dominican Republic - Luperon is full of good company and Samana full of big whales... Not to mention a bit of culture in Miami and Washington DC - art galleries and museum unsupassed all from an anchorage on the Potomac....

Of course you need to move with the seasons to avoid hurricanes but there are such lovely places to move to... Other than the south pacific which is the most beautiful on earth the Carribbean and USA has it all - I think...

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[boatmike]

Yes its not bad Crete. Not too far from Cyprus either....

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[boatmike]

Just thought.. If you find the ideal place don't tell anyone or it will be like the Costa del Sol in a month........

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[Sybarite]

Re: Oz

Right.... for care free holidays and relaxation :

Box Jelly is found off the shores of Northern Australia; this marine animal has a boxy bell head the size of a basket ball and three metre tentacles that can kill a man in a couple of minutes, though there are recent reports of much smaller Box jellies that are just as deadly. It has 3 million stinging cells every centimtre of its tentacles!

Blue-Ringed Octopus [aka Blue Ring Octopus], information:
The only dangerous octopus in the world cruises the waters of Australia. The bite may not be noticed immediately, but pain followed by severe breathing difficulties, nausea and paralysis will clarify matters soon enough. Death is rare but not unknown.

Great White, the species portrayed in the film 'Jaws', this is the biggest shark in the sea that doesn't eat plankton, growing up to thirty feet and dining mostly on seals. Dangerous mainly because one mistaken bite is enough to kill.

Australia hosts nine of the world's top ten deadly snakes.

Australia - the popularity of tourism and recreation in the northern areas of Western Australia, the Northern Territories and Queensland along with large Estuarine crocodiles [aka saltwater or salties] living there - in both fresh and saltwater - means that some attacks are inevitable. Eleven people have been killed by salties in north Australia since 1982. Once the prey is bitten and firmly held the croc rolls its body over and over - the Death Spin/Roll. On land this is fairly slow but in the water it's more like the speed of a tumble dryer. The result is that the prey becomes totally disoriented. If the part held by the reptile is a limb there is a good chance of dislocation or complete severance. The rolling continues until the prey is dead by drowning or blood loss. The death roll is effective and works on quite large animals.

Great.

John



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[Twister_Ken]

Re: Oz

Sense of proportion cobber - 11 people killed by salties in last how many goddam years. 7242 people killed on French roads 2002.

<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.writeforweb.com/twister1>Let's Twist Again</A>

 

[boatless]

Re: Oz

<Great White, the species portrayed in the film 'Jaws', this is the biggest shark in the sea that doesn't eat plankton, growing up to thirty feet and dining mostly on seals. Dangerous mainly because one mistaken bite is enough to kill.>

Get these in the Med too. Haven't told my kids that yet though.

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.zoo.co.uk/~z9015043/medsaf1.html>Shark attacks</A>

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[boatmike]

Re: Oz

What about the Crocodile wrestling grannies then. They frighten me!

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