A Summer in the Med?

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by atoll

better get your airconditioning sorted as well! during the summer 35-40c is not uncommon!

weather antibes - france - weatheronline

you also might want to fit a bimini over your cockpit,and look at making a sun cover to fit over the boom for marina and at anchor

Yikes! Maybe I should try again to talk her into Brittany or the Bay of Biscay? I could live without AC, but I don't think I would want to subject her to it. I would need to get the generator properly sorted as well!

One more problem with berthing I didn't mention -- I am 54 feet on deck, and probably over 60 feet LOA with my davits, 16 foot beam. I have the impression that most French marinas will not accomodate a boat of this size.

[simonmd]

Aircon is not needed if you are at anchor, its been about 35deg here in Majorca and the sea breezes keep you cool for the most part. However, once in the shade of the land at a marina, yes, a freestanding unit would be usefull.

Shade is an absolute MUST. Don't even think about going without a good bimini.

[atoll]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

Thanks for all the great hints.

One thing some people seemed to have missed is that I have a fabulous mooring in the Hamble which I will lose if I leave the boat in the Med over the winter. So one fundamental problem is that I have to get the boat down there (1800 miles) and back (another 1800, but this time upwind) in one year. I am not sure I have time for this; I will be working my plan for the year.

Buying into someone else's boat is an interesting idea -- I will contemplate that a little. Partly defeats the purpose of using my own boat in new places, but to avoid 3600 miles of repositioning, it might really be worth considering.

I really don't mind paying 1200 or even 1500 euros a month if that would get me a berth on the Cote d' Azur. I didn't think berths were even available in the summer -- I thought you had to buy into them. I will look into that further.

I see that Port Napoleon has a very good deal on, not only marina berthing, but hardstanding. It might make sense, since I will not go down as frequently as I am able to be in the UK, to leave the boat on the hard when I'm not using her. It's 140 miles to Nice from there, as far as I can tell, so maybe a feasible place as a home berth. Just sail over to St. Tropez to start a lazy cruise up the coast en famille.

Originally Posted by Dockhead

Yikes! Maybe I should try again to talk her into Brittany or the Bay of Biscay? I could live without AC, but I don't think I would want to subject her to it. I would need to get the generator properly sorted as well!

One more problem with berthing I didn't mention -- I am 54 feet on deck, and probably over 60 feet LOA with my davits, 16 foot beam. I have the impression that most French marinas will not accomodate a boat of this size.

in the bigger marinas you should have no problem re size and availability for transient berths,just the cost is horrendous on a daily rate!

[goboatingnow]

Dockhead, unfortunately you will have to choose, the round trip is too long IMHO.

Marina berths are available but you need to be there in early January to pick up the summer berths. if the money doesn't phase you then its a simple matter of beating the bushes.

You definitely don't need AC.

Given your wife has agreed, Id say let the Hamble one go , you can always get another berth somewhere in southampton waters.


Aggh, I just saw the size of your boat, nearly 20 metres, Thats into mega money. Yes there are plenty of marinas on the Cote D'azure that can handle that but spaces are thin, Though funnily its the 12-15m thats really difficult to find.

Is say about 2K a month.

Big bugger of a boat.

dave
Dave

[simonmd]

Here's a thought, relocate the boat to the Med' as Dave said but dont berth it in S France. Spend the summer at anchor with the odd marina visit to stock up etc and then winter it in Spain where it'll be alot cheaper. That way, you're only about a couple of days from your summer crusing grounds, not a few weeks.

[Dockhead]

Well, getting the boat down there and back is 4 weeks of sailing if not more. That's just repositioning the boat. Plus whatever time I spend cruising. I just can't take that much time off next year -- have to earn a living. So it's either (a) scrub it; (b) hire delivery crews; or (c) give up my Hamble mooring.

Nah, I think I'll scrub it. Surely I can lure her to Brittany for a couple of weeks at least. False alarm. Thanks anyway for all the helpful and interesting advice.

[tartansail]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

Well, getting the boat down there and back is 4 weeks of sailing if not more. That's just repositioning the boat. Plus whatever time I spend cruising. I just can't take that much time off next year -- have to earn a living. So it's either (a) scrub it; (b) hire delivery crews; or (c) give up my Hamble mooring.

Nah, I think I'll scrub it. Surely I can lure her to Brittany for a couple of weeks at least. False alarm. Thanks anyway for all the helpful and interesting advice.

Is a fourth alternative buying a smaller, less expensive but still fun to sail boat and putting it on your mooring? I assume SWMBO would prefer to sail on your big boat so you could take that to the Med and not have to rush back, but still be able to get your sailing in on home waters. (I love spending other people's money.)

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by tartansail

Is a fourth alternative buying a smaller, less expensive but still fun to sail boat and putting it on your mooring? I assume SWMBO would prefer to sail on your big boat so you could take that to the Med and not have to rush back, but still be able to get your sailing in on home waters. (I love spending other people's money.)

Alas, the mooring is specific to the boat. And since the waiting list for moorings on the Hamble for boats under 50' is something like 20 years, I would be lynched if I even wondered aloud about doing something like that.

The only way that people ever get a mooring there is one of only two cases: (a) somebody retires and moves his boat to the med, or sets off on a circumnavigation; or (b) someone dies.

[atoll]

could allways get a camper van and tow a hobie cat behind.........her friends need never know as you stroll around antibes and cannes.................

[Chuteman]

One Word = CHARTER

When You add up time, energy, wear & tear on your boat, Expenses and the variables of sailing back & forth

It provides 100% flexibility especially IF for some rare & remote reason the Med idea "changes".

[Chuteman]

Originally Posted by Chuteman

One Word = CHARTER

When You add up time, energy, wear & tear on your boat, Expenses and the variables of sailing back & forth

It provides 100% flexibility especially IF for some rare & remote reason the Med idea "changes".

Too late to edit original comment.......

When I say Charter - that could mean a Cat, Monohull or best bet = Beach Rental i.e.; Hobie Cat or Sunfish.....depends on the need, crew or conditions

Don't Forget the absolutely true saying about the winds in the Med = NONE, Little or Too Much. Summer in Southern France ....the first two are most prominent.

Leave your boat home & stroll the beach enjoying the "sights"

[Pete7]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

Nah, I think I'll scrub it. Surely I can lure her to Brittany for a couple of weeks at least. False alarm. Thanks anyway for all the helpful and interesting advice.

La Baule is were the well to do Parisians like to spend their weekends. It is quite posh and one's MemSaab will enjoy it.

Marinas all over the place, though don't try entering the river at Le Pouliguen. I had kittens driving the rib across the beach in 1m of water with kiddies building sand castles 10 feet away. Pornichet for you which is a lovely new marina with restaurants over looking the yachts.

The climate is just that bit warmer and the winds a little more gentle compared to the the Channel during the summer.

Some excellent info on the MOA website about various ports and harbours.

Pete

[Roaring Girl]

Had you considered shipping the boat south? You can get a truck straight down - and there are always enquiries on here or YBW with people giving experience about good companies. That way you arrive at (say Port St Louis), get the mast put back in, have a good few weeks sailing and then ship her home again for your frostbite time. Depending on length, availability etc, this may even be cheaper (given your Hamble mooring) than storage in the S of France.

Dave gives a load of very sensible advice. I'd add that the weather really settles in June, and can still be pretty cold in April, and by the end September your wife will want to be gone. If you must have a marina berth then Baie des Anges will be an interesting bet (tho I hate the architecture) or on the Golfe de Str Tropez. If she's up for anchoring a lot, then I think the SoF can be extremely cheap and accessible as there are myriad excellent anchorages and mistral hideyholes. We had one of cheapest ever summers there.

If you can cope without a marina berth then the saving would pay for the shipping and you can continue to get sea time all year round.

[Joefloki]

How things are different !!!!!!!!

We have spent the last 4 years in the MED, in one year almost 7 months.
We had temperatures of up to 40 degr. Celsius over months in the boat.

My wife instisted: Either your transfer the boat to a cooler region or I will not come anymore with you.

So I have transfered the boat this June by truck to the North of Germany.
It is comfortable cool there, however a lot of rain also, which is uncomfortable. It is a decision between pest and cholera, but at the end we prefer the cooler weather.

The climate change in the world is evitable, the MED is too hot for us.

We have meanwhile met more people who left the MED again than those sailing to it.