Where do you all go in the winter?

[FullCircle]

We are trying to work out what we do in the winter when we become liveaboard. Our anticipated area for kick off is the Med, Greece/Turkey but who knows after? Our issue is that our finances mean that we will have to rent our house out to pay for the living on the boat, which is great in Summer, but maybe not so in winter. Also, we can't afford endless trips back to UK either.
So, for those cruising on a bit of a budget, what do you do in winter? Do you lay up in a yard and liveaboard, or lay up and rent a cheap apartment for the winter? Fly home and plonk yourselves on the kids?
How many stay afloat?

This will make the difference to us of working for an extra 3 or 4 years to stoke funds, or having to return to work occasionally on contract to do a top up. Neither is palatable unless we have to!

 

[capnsensible]

We are about to start our 18th winter aboard. Get a heater. :encouragement:

 

[FullCircle]

We are about to start our 18th winter aboard. Get a heater. :encouragement:

But do you move to a winter deal marina, stay on the hook, or tie up to the town quay?

 

[SamanthaTabs]

I think you'll be surprised at how many stay aboard all year round, there are countless reasonably priced marinas to spend the winter months in.

Marina di Ragusa, Licata and marina di Riposto in Sicily are more than affordable.
Cartagena offers good rates and it's always a vibrant, active town.
Algarve? Pick Lagos over Portimao due to easy town access and a liveaboard community.
Gibraltar for me has to be Marina Bay.
Look at Rocella Ionica as they are trying to attract winter liveaboards.

I'm sure you'll get tons of answers but these are just my limited experiences.

Adding to Cap'n Sensibles comment of a heater, depending on where you are get a dehumifier too.

Wishing you happy planning :encouragement:

 

[Wansworth]

Another problem of Living abroard is having to go to a doctor for check ups which normally entail a yearly visit etc

 

[FullCircle]

Another problem of Living abroard is having to go to a doctor for check ups which normally entail a yearly visit etc

I have always used the GP as a service when necessary, are you going for checkups to meet travel insurance requirements or just progress on existing conditions? Why can't you use local services for checkups?

 

[TQA]

What do I do in the winter, go sailing of course.

Endless summer out here.

 

[FullCircle]

What do I do in the winter, go sailing of course.

Endless summer out here.

What about hurricane season?

 

[sailorgirl]

Spend it at anchor in Prickly Bay, Grenada? Great social life, mini bus outings to the shops and more

 

[Wansworth]

I have always used the GP as a service when necessary, are you going for checkups to meet travel insurance requirements or just progress on existing conditions? Why can't you use local services for checkups?

.....Say you have an on going ailment that needs some type of control by the hospital etc.Here in Spain a mates wife had a big problem just going from one region to another..

 

[tcm]

We are trying to work out what we do in the winter when we become liveaboard. Our anticipated area for kick off is the Med, Greece/Turkey but who knows after? Our issue is that our finances mean that we will have to rent our house out to pay for the living on the boat, which is great in Summer, but maybe not so in winter. Also, we can't afford endless trips back to UK either.
So, for those cruising on a bit of a budget, what do you do in winter? Do you lay up in a yard and liveaboard, or lay up and rent a cheap apartment for the winter? Fly home and plonk yourselves on the kids?
How many stay afloat?

This will make the difference to us of working for an extra 3 or 4 years to stoke funds, or having to return to work occasionally on contract to do a top up. Neither is palatable unless we have to!

As always, money is a big factor. If you can afford it, many liveaboards put the boat ashore out of reach of hurricanes (Grenada, Trinidad. Tobago or anywhere in europe) and go back to the house for a few months.

OR if you can't afford to flit back, then stay on the boat. In Europe, there are storms and few super-protected anchorages but there are river moorings e.g. Guardiana. In Carib, staying on the hook in Grenada is ok. Lots of marinas do cheap winter deals and you'll get lots of advice from other boaties in and around wherever you are.

 

[Carmel2]

Ask yourself what you want out of the winter. If you want to attend the opening of an envelope. and can't wait for the fat controller to start the net of a morning, then you have a varied choice. If you like a nice town and a few liveaboards you also have options. Frankly it's down to what you want out of it......most options are covered.

 

[phantomlady]

Canaries are a great winter destination....Las Palmas marina is cheap, sociable and convenient...once the ARC boats have departed. Morocco is also good (in our opinion). Caribbean if you can afford it and fancy crossing an ocean...done it many times. Or good old Portugal...living in the boatyard if you are feeling the pinch or afloat on a winter contract. Best winter climate in Western Europe in our opinion..and very cheap to live!

 

[Ludd]

Canaries are a great winter destination....Las Palmas marina is cheap, sociable and convenient...once the ARC boats have departed. Morocco is also good (in our opinion). Caribbean if you can afford it and fancy crossing an ocean...done it many times. Or good old Portugal...living in the boatyard if you are feeling the pinch or afloat on a winter contract. Best winter climate in Western Europe in our opinion..and very cheap to live!

Winter for me i.e. non-sailing time, on the Algarve is very short, and anchorages abound. Then there is Gelves on the Guadalqivir, tends to be cold ,though. You can use marinas to give yourselves a treat for the odd week.
Just make sure you carry good ground tackle, the biggest you can handle.

 

[blampied]

Heading for Cartagena Spain.

 

[Tintin]

My plan involves also getting motorhome and heading off to the alps for the winter to ski.

 

[TQA]

What about hurricane season?

Still go sailing just not so far north, Martinique is my limit early and late hurricane season and Beqia is the limit for mid August to the end of September.

Anchorages are quiet as there are fewer charter boats around. Last time I was in the Tobago Cays it was August and there were 3 boats overnight.

Mind you I know where the hurricane holes are, the diesel tank is always near full and Trinidad is a day and a half away.

 

[Koeketiene]

As always, money is a big factor. If you can afford it, many liveaboards put the boat ashore out of reach of hurricanes (Grenada, Trinidad. Tobago or anywhere in europe) and go back to the house for a few months.

This is our - revised - plan too.

As a matter of interest: would you consider it safe to lay up ashore in Martinique, or is that too far north?

 

[charles_reed]

A few hardy souls winter all the year round - NornaBiron is one and noelex another - on the hook.
Some live on their boat at a marina or good port quay (Skyros springs to mind) with electric fan heaters.
Many take their boat out of the water and rent a winter apartment ashore.
Most (I'm not just talking about Brits but about Germans, French, Italians, Romanians and Bulgarians)_ go home to their home country (as I do) leaving their boat on the hard or in a safe mooring.

All the alternatives in order of overall cost. I find that living aboard during the summer and paying the boat storage dues costs me about 45-50% of running a house and living in the UK. I've also found Greek medics as good as UK ones (better than many UK hospitals in deprived areas) though the quality of facilities is far lower.

So you Lynn and James are about to find you're better off than at any other time of your life - providing you're in the E Med. The rest, in the immortal words of Bill Cooper "Was put there by the good God to see if you deserve the E Med..."

 

[FullCircle]

All encouraging so far. We will be med based maybe near to French canals in the south first year.