Planning a New Lifestyle !

[chris brown]

Can anybody help ? We have so many questions too many to post, but we are planning our retirement and selling up and buying a boat and have decided that "liveaboard" in the Med would suit us, not that we are experienced sea going types I left the Merchant Navy (ex navigation officer) over 30 years ago. We just need to contact people who are doing this lifestyle whether to go for it or not, the pitfalls and positives,what qualifications we need if any etc, where to winter and how much especially with all the euro zone problems.
Any feedback would be really helpful.

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, Chris Brown.

[athene]

A useful place to start (and probably the most up to date guide to harbours and marinas in much of the Med) is the World Cruising Wiki (Mediterranean - a Cruising Guide on the World Cruising and Sailing Wiki). We've never wintered aboard in the Med but lots of people do. You'll probably get lots of responses from cruisers with their favourite wintering spots and I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of them are in Turkey.

[Buena Vista]

Originally Posted by chris brown

Can anybody help ? We have so many questions too many to post, but we are planning our retirement and selling up and buying a boat and have decided that "liveaboard" in the Med would suit us, not that we are experienced sea going types I left the Merchant Navy (ex navigation officer) over 30 years ago. We just need to contact people who are doing this lifestyle whether to go for it or not, the pitfalls and positives,what qualifications we need if any etc, where to winter and how much especially with all the euro zone problems.

Originally Posted by chris brown

Any feedback would be really helpful.

Hi Chris, welcome. You start with a nice big topic. This is our first year in the Med, but like Athlene, we are no true livaboards, we will return home at winter. Here are a few answers in no particular order.

1. Qualifications? ICC or RYA Day Skipper or Coastal Skipper. There is another thread running right no on this.
2. Positives? Great lifestyle, so much to see, move around freely (there appears very little formality here), since we have been here (April) weather has been fantastic, totally relaxing, sea is generally flat and good weather reports so you can shelter when it is not.
3. Pitfalls? Haven't found too many yet but we are still in the Western Med, going East next year. I guess the only ones I can think of are; very crowded July/August and in this area, French/Itallian Rivieras, expensive, avoid if on a tight budget.
4. Where to winter? Others here can give a better account of that than me but based on our own research; South of Spain if in the west, Greece or Turkey if in the east.
5. Eurzone problems? Is there a Eurozone problem? We haven't found any manifestation of it, the unrest seems to be in the big cities and we avoid them anyway.

I suggest you start with a plan, e.g.

• Work out your budget. Everything that follows depends on that.
• What interests you? History, art galleries, architecture, sitting on the beach etc. This will help narrow down where to go.
• Will you be a cruising couple or have lots of visitors? This will help decide the size of boat you need.
• Will you stay in marinas a lot or at anchor? This decides how self sufficient you need to be and therefore what equipment you need.
• Don't like to put a negative in here but how long do you plan to livaboard in the Med? For a few seasons, forever? What is your back up plan if something goes wrong like getting sick?
• Most importantly, make sure "The Admiral" shares your dream 100% and is in agreement with the plans, otherwise that dream may be short lived!!

Cheers
Brownie

[goboatingnow]

Just be careful unless you are a EU citizen that you don't fall foul of tax/visa or immigration rules. Also check the status of your health insurance. If you are a eU citizen get your E111 sorted out for health insurance. ( but there is a limit to how long it lasts )

The French and Italian Cote d, azure is not as expensive as you think. There is good e excellent food ingredients available , very cheap and comphrensive public transport. It's just the marinas are expensive.

As to Eurozone issues, what issues, that's all high finance nonsense. You won't find any evidence of anything like that on the shores of the med ( way too good food and wine to bother rioting)

Dave