In the MED with a 40 foot Cat...

[weavis]

Originally Posted by Ostinato

I have to ask - why winter in the Canary Islands

er....... coz its nice.

[gstent]

Hi we are taking delivery of a Lagoon 450 in a couple of weeks in Marseille and want to cruise down to Cartegena to leave the boat over winter. Can you recommend a passage plan based more around anchorages than marina's? We will be very conservative as we will be getting to know the boat - thanks for any suggestions.

[Snowgoose35]

gstent
I'm in Cartagena now - I've not been up the coast too far but there are not that many good anchorages on the Spanish coast down this way - depending wind we've use Moraira, Cap de l'horta (huerta) Torravieja and the Mar Menor - certainly the first two are good except from the south and the last two for any direction - above Denia there are a few but in the prevailing easterlies this time of year not much. Perhaps Marseille to Port Roses in one hop and then see what the wind does down to Barcelona and beyond. If you get some west then you'll be alright to anchor. If its east then get down south of Denia as soon as you can ...

[gstent]

fantastic help thank you. Can you recommend Cartagena? I'm wondering what the general location is like for land based trips etc Are you planning to stay there for the winter?

[monte]

Cartagena is great. There's a bit of info on the coast between Cartagena and France on our blog
http://sephinacat.blogspot.com/2013/...in-france.html

[Two Drifters]

Originally Posted by gstent

Hi we are taking delivery of a Lagoon 450 in a couple of weeks in Marseille and want to cruise down to Cartegena to leave the boat over winter. Can you recommend a passage plan based more around anchorages than marina's? We will be very conservative as we will be getting to know the boat - thanks for any suggestions.

Not that many sadly, we did that route from Marsaille as far as Denia and then crossed to Ibiza.

Your options in the Gulf of Lyon to anchor are zero, there are harbours all the way round if you do not have the weather to cross straight over.

As you leave Marsaille you have Les Iles which is worth a visit and you can anchor there.

Then you are looking at Cadaques in Spain just south of Perpignon. That is a must see as it is one of the few remaining Spanish sea towns that is fairly authentic. The whole are is protected and thus has not got the hundreds of horrible concrete hotels that scare this coast line.

Visit Barcelona and Valencia - Valencia is a nice city.

If you are feeling brave then drop down to Menora, Mallorca and Ibiza wwhere you will find lots of anchorages. Espalmador was a particular favorite for us as was Andrax.

Then Denia and Javea are worth a look in, at which point someone else will have to help as we have not been further south

[Snowgoose35]

Cartagena is fantastic - a wonderful Spanish town, the marina is right in the middle so you can walk everywhere, every shop you could need for both food and boat supplies (its a naval town so we found 3 places to fix hydraulics for example) , not too many tourists and a festival pretty much every week.

We spent last winter there and liked it so much we're spending a few months here again

[Jeannius]

Originally Posted by Two Drifters

Then Denia and Javea are worth a look in, at which point someone else will have to help as we have not been further south

gstent... Immediately south of Denia and Javea is Moraira, which is the nicest of the three places. Beautiful anchorage in the bay of El Portet, Moraira, unless the wind is from the east/south east in which case head into the Marina. Actually that applies to just about everywhere on the coast. I spend a lot of time in Moraira so may see you down there.

After that, Alicante is a surprisingly nice stop around the port and old city.

[EllesBelles]

We sailed over from the Caribbean to the Med and have been here all summer on a 44 foot cat (an Antares 44i) and are loving it. Great sailing here in the Aegean. Can recommend Cleopatra in Preveza and Yacht Marine in Marmaris as places for work or wintering.

We prefer anchoring too but asides from a few places, have always been able to moor or get a berth if we needed it. We're med moored on the quay in Thira Santorini as I write

Best areas: Sardinia, Baleriacs, certain Ionian and Cyclades islands. Pontine, Aeolian and Sicily had some nice areas too

Feel free to write us via our blog if you want any more specifics

Ellen
Home - Golden Glow