Will have to do IT

[applepip]

We could have purchased in the Med.(that is our ultimate goal) but we are purchasing in the U.K. mainly because a lot of the places I have spent my Holidays I dreamt off sailing into. This means at some point we shall have to cross Biscay as I read elsewhere in this forum, it is now my biggest worry.
The canals are a no go because of our draught.
Tentative enquiries into hiring delivery crew is too expensive.

1 Could we get together with other boats going the same way?
2 Are there crew who would "get there hours in"?
3 Do I have to empty the boat to take it by road (should be buying a motor home)?
4 Do we stay nright out and do our first Ocean crossing?
5 Do we coast hop? What papers do we need for France as I think I have heard the french are sticklers for procedure (the boat will meet all safety requirements)?

If the gent who reccomended me to go on this forum could get in touch, you took your VHF at the Black Bull and you have your boat on Windermere, we had to rush off, but would have liked to chat.

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[temptress]

HI,

the RYA have a very good booklet called something like 'Planning a froiegn criuse' it lets you know what paperwork you need for most European destinations.

Which way across Biscay? In the summer the trip around the inside is very nice but there is still some sailing to do and the French/Spanish border can be a bit tricky cause of Firing ranges and strange regulations.

I usually go to Cameret (Near brest) load up with watrer/food and head straight for Spain or Portugal. Reverse for going the other way. Also I like to get about 5 to 6 miles East (inside) of the Ushant/Finst shipping lane and just follow the line as it seems to be conforting to know soneone else is out here also. I'm sure there are many people on this forum that have their own opinions and have very good reasons for NOT doing what I do but that what i do each time. One of the beuatys of sailing is there are as many right and best ways to do something as their are worng ways to do it.

Biscay in the summer with a well planned passage can be a pleasant and good introduction into passage making.

Just go for it.......



<hr width=100% size=1>Temptress of Down
Southsea Marina
Hants
UK

 

[Steve Clayton]

Check out Rally Portugal as a possible way of doing most of the passage in company. Easy enough to find using Google.


Steve

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[snowleopard]

biscay isn't always nasty, we motored most of the way in a flat calm!

there are crew about looking for sea miles (god bless the RYA!) who can be found through various websites - plenty of threads on that subject on these forums.

rallies can be expensive where there are few boats & lots of ports involved. rally portugal is the only one i know of that crosses biscay but you're then committed to an organised coast hop all down the spanish & portuguese coasts. finding other boats for an informal net would be difficult as the starting times and places vary widely. when leaving from plymouth in august we met just one other boat going our way, a week later than us.

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[DistantDrum]

We are setting sail from Ipswich on the 4th July. Our plan is to cost hope as we want to visit a number of places on the way down (the journey being as important as getting there). We only have one time objective and that is to get to Cadiz by 1st October. When are you leaving?

Peter

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[AndrewB]

Applepip, how much sailing experience do you have? I'm beginning to understand why you are so nervous about all this.

Going with a rally doesn't make that much difference, once out there you are essentially on your own and must make your own decisions. Nowadays the trickiest part of Biscay is rounding the corner of NW France (Chanel du Four, Raz de Sein). With reliable three-day forecasts you can sit in Cameret (Brest) and wait for a 'window' to avoid bad weather for the actual crossing. There are always others waiting there as well to share advice with.

I would avoid coasthopping as it leaves you with a mighty headbash against the prevailing NW'ers along the north coast of Spain.

If a delivery skipper is too expensive, then ask around your club, there's no shortage of experienced people who will have done this already and who would be willing to help out by crewing. Ask here, when your dates are firm. (But NEVER take a pierhead jump - someone whose experience and reputation can't be vouched for).

Even so, I'm concerned about your level of experience. There are always British yachts for sale in Corunna, left there by people who shared your dream but who found the first taste of reality rather different. Another possibility is to offer to crew on a crossing for someone else first, to give you a feel for what it is like.


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[ChrisE]

Andrew's thoughts mirrored my own. I'd agree with all of the things said about the improved weather forecasts but you could still be around a couple of hundred miles from a serious port of call if anything goes awry.

We did Biscay first on with sailing school trip that gave us the confidence that we could do it for ourselves. In the event we motored a fair bit of it, in the same month others that I know set off from Falmouth with a good five day forecast and were rolled off Cape Finnistaire in an unexpected blow. An unusual event, but then that's how Biscay gets its reputation.

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[tony_brighton]

See you out there - were coast hopping to Camaret/Lorient then across to La Corunna at the end of May.

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[MedMan]

You need only one night at sea from the UK to Gibraltar - the rest can be done day-sailing if that is your wish. We did a few more nights at sea by choice, but that is not essential.

Day-sail in easy hops to Royan at the mouth of the Gironde and then wait for good weather for your one and only night passage to the north coast of Spain. You can then day-sail once more all the way to Gib. True, some of the passages will be long days, but it can all be done in daylight.

You can find details of our trip from Brighton to the Med on my web site - link below.

<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.yachtretreat.com>http://www.yachtretreat.com</A>

 

[Talbot]

If you have no other planning documents, the Admiralty "Ocean Passages of the World" should be a must. This will tell you the right time to go through Biscay. There is supposed to be a new edition out this summer!

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[samuel]

Distant Drum & Tony-Brighton --Will look out for you " Daydream Believer"
Leaving Bradwell 1st May Desination somewhere just outside Med 1st Oct
Reading some of these threads make it sound like a motorway
Our plan, ( Wife & myself) is to hop to La Rochelle in 6 weeks then collect Son & friend & drop wife . Wife & girls drive to Santander. Macho mob sail it
By going to La Rochelle the insurance Co will cover the trip to Santander if only 2 of us but they would not cover a full crossing just 2 up. Have you checked the policies ( Life included)?
Don't fancy stopping at Bordeaux have been told entry can be dodgy in strong onshore winds. Plus you have to get past the firing range
Anyway. However we do it depends on whether we have a " domestic" in the first week & go home--- "20 weeks with the wife in a 31 ft boat" That's more frightening than the bay of Biscay

<hr width=100% size=1>Justisla