Yacht Transport Through France

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Alenka

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I have come to the conclusion that a 43 ft yacht drawing 2 m is just too big to take through the Canal Du Midi. Just wondering about the alternative of having her hauled out at Bordeuax and taken by road. As anyone any expeience of this and what the expense might be?

Thanks
 
Quite possible, although you might do better going from La Rochelle. There is regular traffic from that area to the Med as most of the big boat factories are in that area. Google will find you transport companies. In my experience you have to get as many quotes as you can, because prices vary depending on how busy a particular company is at the time. Obviously avoid busy times like spring if possible.

BTW surprised you ever considered Canal du Midi. Well known the max draft is 1.4m
 
Alenka said:
I have come to the conclusion that a 43 ft yacht drawing 2 m is just too big to take through the Canal Du Midi. Just wondering about the alternative of having her hauled out at Bordeuax and taken by road. As anyone any expeience of this and what the expense might be?

Thanks
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Contact them for a quote: (they are probably the best known).

http://www.augizeau.fr/

See if there is the possibility of doing a return trip where they have delivered a boat in the other direction.
 
Alenka said:
I have come to the conclusion that a 43 ft yacht drawing 2 m is just too big to take through the Canal Du Midi. Just wondering about the alternative of having her hauled out at Bordeuax and taken by road. As anyone any expeience of this and what the expense might be?

Thanks
Click to expand...

I looked into this last year when moving my Beneteau 323 from North Wales to Southern Spain. It is an option but it really depends on how deep your pockets are. In the end the most cost effective way I could find was to use a delivery skipper from UK to northern Portugal and then I spent the summer cruising down the Portugese coast, Algarve and finally into the med. It was wonderful.

I used a company called PYD and accompanied the boat as crew, I have dayskipper and thought I needed a more experienced skippe for Biscay.They were not the cheapest but felt the service and support through the passage was well worth it.
 
Alenka said:
I have come to the conclusion that a 43 ft yacht drawing 2 m is just too big to take through the Canal Du Midi. Just wondering about the alternative of having her hauled out at Bordeuax and taken by road. As anyone any expeience of this and what the expense might be?

Thanks
Click to expand...

I would also recommend sailing her across Biscay and down to Gibraltar. A yacht of that size will be expensive to move by truck.

This is a common route for us and we could help you by providing a fully crewed delivery or crew to help you on an assisted passage. Depending on your level of experience you could benefit by one of our yacht Master Instructor Skippers providing you with tuition whilst on route?

All the best,

Pete
 
What is the problem of sailing all the way ?

You have done the hard bit by the time you reach La Rochelle area, I can't think how much it will cost by road. For a yacht that size you are into the realms of Police escorts and telephone engineers etc.

Sail it round probably just as quick in the long run and much cheaper and more enjoyable.
 
I was involved in one of those a few years ago, a Beneteau 36 centre cockpit.

Pain in the arris. Delivered yacht to Cherbourg, booked transport had been re assigned. Boat spent several days waiting for next lorry. Finally flew down to Nice to meet boat at re arranged time, yacht didnt turn for another 2 days, owner not impressed at having to pay for hotel.

Boat covered in debris from trees, bits of rigging missing.

Got lifted in at one marina, had to motor to another to get mast stepped.

Could have sailed it there quicker! As mentioned, good advice I think.
 
Alenka said:
I have come to the conclusion that a 43 ft yacht drawing 2 m is just too big to take through the Canal Du Midi. Just wondering about the alternative of having her hauled out at Bordeuax and taken by road. As anyone any expeience of this and what the expense might be?

Thanks
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I agree boats belong on the water and not lorries, and the Biscay trip is good fun.

But, to my regret and because of a work commitment I had my 40 fter brought back from st carles, just south of barcelona, to Southampton a couple of months ago.

4.2k + vat. All good. Coast to coast transport.

There is a thread about it on the mobo forum entitled "my project sealine" with pics of the load onto the lorry etc, probably about p3 by now.

Pal brought a small sunseeker with 1/2 your draft via the canal and did a lot of damage when he hit a citroen. He talked me out of bringing mine back that way. 2m no chance in my only partially informed opinion.
 
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Thanks for all the comments. It seems there is a big endorsement for sailing all the way around. In truth I was probably too focused on the final destination and not the spirit of the adventure. Plus I didn't really want to give the boat (or me) a pounding in Biscay.

Better buy the pilot guide and busy myself looking for gems along the way.

Cheers everyone.

Ps Approached four road transport companies for estimates and not a single reply so far!
 
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Are you my wife!!!

Ahhh. Would you believe I am in the process of buying the boat! Having looked for this model down in the Med for the last two years I have come to the conclusion I had to widen the search. Perfect boat, she's just not in the perfect place!!
 
Alenka said:
Ahhh. Would you believe I am in the process of buying the boat! Having looked for this model down in the Med for the last two years I have come to the conclusion I had to widen the search. Perfect boat, she's just not in the perfect place!!
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If you are not bothered by the trip down there, then there is a lot to be said for road transport from the UK. You should be able to get to somewhere like Sant Carles in Spain for under £6k. big advantage is there is no wear and tear and within a week your boat will be sitting happily in the water where you want it. You do miss out on the trip down there, but costwise there won't be much in it because unless you are in delivery trip mode, which will take 2-3 weeks you will take more than 2 months and use a lot of fuel, marina costs, eating etc.
 
Alenka, you seem apprehensive about Biscay, the weather in the Med can be just as ferocious but with little warning.
You can always coast hop and shelter if any adverse weather is forecast, plenty to see and discover from Brittany to Gibraltar.
 
SAPurdie said:
So, you have found the right boat... and it's already in the med, saving all that tiresome crossing of biscay.

I suggest you hire a large van and move all your other possessions nearer to the boat :0)
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Think you might have missed something. The OP wants his boat in the Med, but was unable to find one there so is buying one elsewhere and wants to move it there!
 
Alenka said:
In truth I was probably too focused on the final destination and not the spirit of the adventure. Plus I didn't really want to give the boat (or me) a pounding in Biscay.

Better buy the pilot guide and busy myself looking for gems along the way.
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It's a great trip. See http://jimbsail.info/tidal-europe/s-tidal-europe for a summary of the delights which await - and where the ports safe to enter in any weather are. Consider finding out even more at the Cruising Association's Biscay Day 20 Jan
 
Yacht transport experiences

We used a German company called Sleepy Yacht Transport for taking our Oceanis 411 from Med. To Finland. Sad to say, but the company scratched our boat and neglected to repair it decently. I put some pictures at http://www.elisanet.fi/oceanis411. It might be a good idea to look at those and the story before choosing the company.
 
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