What’s the Med like in the winter?

[lovezoo]

This is a question for you med boating types.

Its another rainy day here in Wales and unless things get dramatically better over the next 6 weeks or so, I won’t have got that much time on my boat this year. So I’ve been toying with the idea of taking my (19 foot) boat down to the Costa del Sol at the end of the ‘summer’ to squeeze some more use out of it. Now I know that the winter down there is pretty warm, but what are the sea conditions like? How much use do you get out of your boats over the winter months? I’d be thinking of taking the boat down and keeping it there the whole winter, until around April.

Anyone got any thoughts?

 

[Nautorius]

Suncaost is your man for the costa del sol/dorado, and DavidJ for the costa blanca.

From my memories you get quite high winds and swells over the winter months that would make a 19ft boat challenging!

Cheers

Paul /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[lovezoo]

Yes, thats the thing. I don't want to tow the boat all that way just to find the sea too rough to make it worth going out. I'm not planning to cruise to Morocco or anything, it just needs to be flat enough to spend the afternoon on the boat and generally have a bit of fun a few times a month.

 

[thechevychase]

Most of the time you will be able to get out. Afternoons are sometimes a bit iffy due to wind.

 

[explores]

Well do,nt drink so much in the mornings

 

[DougH]

In Mallorco the season starts about begining of May until end of November with July & August being manic.

Around the resorts not all the shops & resturants are open at either end of the season but you will not be affected as the large crowds have gone.

December to April winds are prevelent in the afternoon sometimes heavy but still better than a British summer.
One thing I notice is the number of boats that are not taken out of the water during the winter period. Must be a reason for it.

Go to the Med and really enjoy the boat and leave the stress behind.

 

[jfm]

Good plan. Antibes, new year's day

 

[DougH]

A good place to look for infomation is:

www.39north.com

Click CHARTER
Click THE CLIMATE

Very accurate.

 

[MapisM]

[ QUOTE ]
One thing I notice is the number of boats that are not taken out of the water during the winter period. Must be a reason for it.

[/ QUOTE ]Quite right, but I guess there isn't see any "strong" reason, probably it's just because most owners are busy working (or skying, etc.) in wintertime.
There are actually many great days to enjoy, surely more than awful ones - though of course rough sea in winter can be worse than the equivalent in summer.
I'd just recommend to avoid places where in wintertime you can hardly see anyone around (i.e. Porto Rotondo and the likes in Sardinia). Dunno about Costa del Sol though. Does it remain reasonably "alive" in wintertime?

 

[MaltaBob]

You won't be turning up here, but winter can be superb! As all Med dwellers know it can be a bit nasty, and never assume anything!
We do have some brilliant winter days, having our boat in the marina does allow us to just go on that ' special ' day. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif
Why don't you try it ? No one can guarantee your weather, but who knows you might have a ball, certianly better than the UK. /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif

 

[lovezoo]

Without a doubt the weather there is a lot better than the UK. I've been over there (without a boat) on and off in the winter and it has been shorts and T-shirt a lot of the time, but I haven't seen many boats out though.

The place I'm going to is Nerja, on the coast about an hour north from Malaga. Pretty much everything stays open over the winter and there is a fairly sizeable ex-pat population there escaping our northern climate.

As both the beer and petrol is cheaper, it seems like a better option than leaving the boat unused over here. I really want to hear what other people's experiences have been and from the replies so far it seems pretty promising.

 

[glenndraper]

we are in the med 20 miles from Gib quite near to Estapona - we stay for 10 days every mth throughout the year - for the last 4 yrs- we have got sunburn on new years day and been blown over in feb. Overall its about 100% better than England at any time of the year. England has become a nanny state where your every move is monitored and interfered with. On top of that its freezing,damp,and dark for 3/4 of the year. Eating out requires missing a mortgage payment and if you walk alone at night in most towns you have a death wish.... need I go on- NO CONTEST

 

[mjkinch1]

We spent jan/feb/mar off and on in Mallorca, and on the whole it was OK...
This was January, when we got out for the day, well wrapped up of course

We have also had to take refuge from the storms in a hotel in June for a night the weather was so bad...but on the whole I prefer the Med to the UK weather for Winter

 

[Sneds]

And the beer and fillet steak is cheaper! /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[lovezoo]

Thanks for the replies. The fact that the beer and steak is cheaper swings it for me (and the fact that it doesn't rain every single day of the year) so I think I will give it a try. I'll let you know how I get on.

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

[ QUOTE ]
One thing I notice is the number of boats that are not taken out of the water during the winter period. Must be a reason for it.


[/ QUOTE ]

Thats because there's little hardstanding to put them on in the Med and boats do suffer for it. Grp hulls do need to spend a few weeks out of the water every year or 2 for the moisture content to reduce otherwise you can get the early onset of osmotic blistering

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

Med weather definitely gets more changeable during the winter. Whilst you can get mild fine weather you can also get wind and rain. We've seen snow in Majorca in February and howling gales at Easter and don't believe the locals when they say it's never happened before. Basically you've got a better chance of fine weather than the UK but you could be unlucky. However, the summer generally extends longer; we've had fabulous weather at Oct half term during the last 3 years so you should be OK until end Oct or early Nov
But IMHO, you don't want to be trailing a boat all that way in the winter without checking the weather forecast first

 

[Renegade_Master]

dont you hold back now Glenn :~)

 

[glenndraper]

DONT WORRY CLIVE - I had only just got started then Jill called me down for dinner!!!!!
Looking forward to coming out on Tue - away from this wet, miserable, bomb threatened land we used to call "HOME"
Lets just hope we can dodge the armed police at the airports - I'm sure their real purpose is to try to keep peeps from getting out of the country.!!!! /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[glenndraper]

by the way clive HOWS THE HEAD THIS MORNING!!!!!!!!!!
shushhhhhhhh /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif