Locations for falling a dry for longer periods in Southern Spain or Portugal (Atlanti

[Franziska]

Hi,

back in the old days some ships did work by wisely choosing a spot where they could fall a dry for a longer period between spring tides.

I am wondering if there are spots somewhere, for example in an estuary, on the Atlantic side of Southern Spain or Portugal to do this.

Background is, before we head away from Europe in 2021, we would like to do some work on our cat but prefer not to be in an expensive marina or harbour.
Still that area needs to be well sheltered.

Alternativly where are well sheltered free anchorages down there (we might do the underwater part of works in a dry harbour than after all)?

At the moment this is a vague thought only. Just looking if someone has knowledge if and where that might be possible.

Thanks Franziska

[conachair]

There will be a good few spots on the algarve but do some really good research first, they get a bit annoyed and might want some money if you plunk your 2 hulls on top of someone's oyster beds. Spring range about 3m max.

[atoll]

friends have done this on cullantra island,portimao,alvor with catamarans and bilge keelers.
in portimao they were able to use the concrete slip at the fishing boat yard,up the river.
there are also probably places close to faro that would suit a cat for drying out.

[Franziska]

Hey thanks for the ideas.

Conachair can you elaborate on the precise locationy you had in mind when posting?

Thanks!

[conachair]

Originally Posted by Franziska

Hey thanks for the ideas.

Conachair can you elaborate on the precise locationy you had in mind when posting?

Thanks!

Same as atoll really, alvor maybe a little cramped but Faro lagoon is huge, be a good idea to ask around first. Like round the seafront bars at Olhao market, some tour boat guys and maybe someone from the environmental side might be around to offer advice on an OK spot. Some very limited chandlery supplies in olhao,nearest big ones in Lagos or Ayamonte in Spain , both easy on a train.

[barnakiel]

It is difficult to do proper boat preparation at anchor. Most jobs require access to electricity, water, shops, services and facilities.

You will be much happier at some sort of a dock or a jetty, with water and power access.

You will be even more happy allocating more money and doing a great previsualisation of the required projects and THEN spending an extra week or four in the dockyard.

It took us about 30 days to get our boat ready for our voyage post-purchase. Also our periodic boatyard stunts tend to be about 3 weeks long. Our boat is a 26' mono, grp.

If you cannot or do not want to spend so much time on dry before you set off, you can take advantage of any sheltered spot in the Spanish Rias - between Finisterre and Vigo. And then there are the lagoons and rivers on the Algarve coast. No problem working there but there should be no need to work if you get properly prepared beforehand.

If you timeline calls for 2012 then you do not need to plan anything now in 2018. You know time flies like an arrow and things change in a heartbeat. Better allocate extra time in 2012 spring and then concentrate 110% of your attention and dedication on a short and extremely productive period. You know you only need to get a handfull of things right. But these are THE things. The rudder to stay with the boat, the mast, the ballast, the rain-proofness, the engine (only if you have one).

If you look at what kills the dream from becoming, it is always the same things:

- waiting too long (cancer, heart attack, divorce, money),
- the rudder goes swimming,
- the mast falls overboard,
- the ballast parts with the hull,
- the engine stops (only if you have one, though).

Up the Gudalquivir you will find the place called Gelves. You can lay up on dry and work thru the winter. If you do not mind the cold and rain. The bonus is you will be able to pick oranges right from your foredeck. Just ask Jose to park your boat bow to the orchard.

As Atoll says Portimao is similar just not so far inland (Gelves is 50 miles up the river, 5 miles from Sevilla).

Coming down from Sevilla you can anchor off Sanlucar and watch the horse race run on the beach there. Bet some. The black horse always wins. ;-)

Good luck with your project and I hope to see you here in Canary Islands one day!

Cheers,
b.

[Franziska]

Hey guys. Great advice!

We are fixing and preparing already a lot and the boat is in a much better shape then it was when I bought her.
Still before casting off for the long term which is the plan for 2021, we want to put few more extra months of work into it.
We can do it than because my BF will go into retirement.
Both of us are very hands on an we can do a lot of stuff ourselves when we have time to do it.
Agree that being close to supplies is important. As for the rest it's a question of money. We prefer to spent what we have on the boat and equipment rather than feeding it to boatyard or marinas.

Regarding cruising, I rarely use marinas as I hate the camping site atmosphere and rarely need their facilities.

So yes, if it's really necessary we will go into a boatyard for some short time, but not for months on end if it can be avoided.

Thanks again for all the info. We know until 2021 a lot of things can happen, but unfortunately that's really the earliest date we can leave.

Fingers crossed we are still able to do it than.

[Franziska]

One more to both of you.

If we get to pick, regarding costs of living and chandler stuff. What's the cheaper location, Spain or Portugal?
Is either of the countries less hassle regarding red tape?

I know there is also the 180day tax m issue in Spain. Does it suffice to move from Spain to Portugal to fix that?

We will probably be full-time onboard by than. Boat crew and owner are European citizens.

[catabebert]

To my own experience Alvor was definitly (in 2011) the best place to do so . Culatra is no longer "the" idea due to the Portugese administration that "ckeared" the liveaboard boaters there ( in 2016) .
Alvor is really a sleltered place , anchoring free and the Lagos marina in the vicinity if you need the slipway of the shipyard on the right fefore the bridge .

Plenty of shopping in Portimao by bus (cheap and short distance ) , train for Lagos downto Faro etc...very quiet and friendly in the winter season .


Just happy if you like it

[Franziska]

Hey cata. Thanks. By the way gorgeous boat you have. What type is it?

[hellosailor]

"fall a dry"
Never heard that phrase, but I think we call that "careening" in the US and UK.

[Franziska]

Picked that phrase up in the UK. Maybe it's an old fashioned phrase?

[conachair]

Originally Posted by Franziska

One more to both of you.

If we get to pick, regarding costs of living and chandler stuff. What's the cheaper location, Spain or Portugal?
Is either of the countries less hassle regarding red tape?

I know there is also the 180day tax m issue in Spain. Does it suffice to move from Spain to Portugal to fix that?

We will probably be full-time onboard by than. Boat crew and owner are European citizens.

Portugal not that cheap for shiny chandlery type kit, cost of living very low - you can eat and drink really well and healthily with fresh market stuff and great side street cafes for Menu Do Dia. Good back street stainless fabricators around, Olhao good for that (big fishing fleet there), probably Portimao as well. English widely spoken.

They don't get too bothered with 180 day rules either , people stay for years.
Much of refit kit can be got from local shops & fishing boat chandlers, bigger stuff might be worth an over night sail to Gibraltar and maybe top up with fuel. Or there's a freight service with a van once a week from the UK, people get ebay or mail order kit delivered to their yard in the UK then pick it up down here, you'd need someone with a car though. Or get it in Brest before crossing Biscay.

[conachair]

Originally Posted by catabebert

Culatra is no longer "the" idea due to the Portugese administration that "ckeared" the liveaboard boaters there ( in 2016) .

That was actually just the one small lagoon, still hugely popular out there. Cos it's just lovely!
Word is there's about a hundred boats out there at the moment, but that's just August.

The smart boats anchor upwind

[Franziska]

Hey Conachair thanks for that info, good thing we believe in workboat finish and equipment.
Local stainless is fine.

The other thing we will probably need to source down there is epoxy and biax or WR, doesn't need to be West or anything like that. Main property it needs to stick well.

Still its very early days for us and to to detailed to worry about it yet.