Advice: cruising 3-5 years, without going around the world??

[Roddu]

Hi, my wife and I have early stage plans to pause our working life for a while (3-5 yrs) and cruise around full-time. Obviously there are many like us, but most people have the specific goal in their minds to circumnavigate the world. For us, we just want to cruise, explore, experience and enjoy. No pressure and a major crossing, unless we feel like it! We would start our journey on the North Sea and are flexible in when we leave. Exploring the northern part of Europe sounds tempting, even a crossover to Iceland could be considered.... But the Med is where we have our cruising experience...

Could anyone suggest some itineraries? Has anyone done this before and can share some of their experiences / advice?

Secondly, boat-wise: we intend to do our travels in a 40 (ish) foot catamaran, but only have the budget for the 'standard' brands (Fountaine P., Lagoon, Nautitech...). It will be kitted out with sufficient renewable energy /self-dependence and we strongly prefer anchoring over marinas. An alternative would be an aluminium centre board, Allures/Ovni type. Any comment or view on this is highly appreciated!!

Thanks, Rod

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, Rod.

[Ahquabi]

Have you considered buying a boat somewhere else in the world. You may be able to get more boat for your buck elsewhere and kickoff the cruise somewhere warmer.

[Roddu]

Hi Ahquabi, which regions were you thinking of? I do occasionally see some good offers in the Pacific islands but choice here is much more limited...
Any comments on the cat question?
Thanks, Rod

[boatman61]

Western Europe and the Med has the capability of filling that time pretty well (depending on the Brexit outcome )
If you wanted a trip to the Canaries for a winter then back via Madeira and the Azores then back to the Algarve can be another year..
If that stirs your adventurous spirits then head back down to the Canaries and on to the Cape Verdes, the Gambia and across to the W Indies before heading back across.. stay local
I would opt for an Ovni myself.. but its your wife who makes or breaks the decisions.

[Roddu]

Thanks Boatman, this is some great advice (which I passed along to the misses). Could you explain why an ovni over a cat (or why over an allures)? Thanks!

[valhalla360]

The 40' cat aspect need to be sorted (wide beam) but an option would be a loop of the Continent.

- From the North Sea work your way up the river/canal system to Frankfurt (this is the section where narrower beam really helps as you can bypass the worst of the Rhine River currents)
- Then across the Main River and down the Danube spitting you out at the Black Sea.
- From there a leisurely east to west transit of the Med.
- If you keep in narrow enough, you can go thru the French canals back north (Midi to Bay of Biscay as an option).
- If too wide circle Iberia on the outside back north.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by Roddu

Thanks Boatman, this is some great advice (which I passed along to the misses). Could you explain why an ovni over a cat (or why over an allures)? Thanks!

The Ovni over a cat of the Lagoon etc type is more a personal choice thing.. I sail and deliver cats quite happily but do not much like the noise inside in weather and seas over 2m.. also do not like the upward trend these days and the windage, lack of sensing the feel of the boat that a mono gives..
As for an Ovni.. have a thing for chined boats.. and like the layouts on the under 40ftrs I have been on.
But then its you and the missus who will be doing the live aboard wheras my needs are more basic than most.

[bobnlesley]

Originally Posted by Roddu

...3-5 yrs...cruise around full-time...we just want to cruise, explore, experience and enjoy. No pressure and a major crossing, unless we feel like it...the Med is where we have our cruising experience...

Could anyone suggest some itineraries?

Wherever you want, though if your experience is the Med - presume chartering? - then it's a big step to sail for Iceland; as for the North Sea - shoot, I sailed out of Scarborough one long weekend, I'd never go back there again!

You say 3-5 years: We met people in the Ionian who'd been cruising ten years and more and had only been as far north as Corfu and south to Cephalonia. Similarly in the Caribbean we met boats who circled between Grenada and Antigua, with the occasional side trip to St Martin if they needed any major boat parts. Or the hundreds of boats that cruise back and forth between the USA east coast and the Bahamas - they're less than 60 miles off Florida.

Each cruising ground has +/- but if you're sensible enough not to be interested in the ocean voyaging and I'd include the North Sea to the Med in that, then just decide where you fancy cruising and buy a boat that's already there. You'll need less boat if you're not making the big passages to get there, one already there's likely to be kitted with the bells and whistles that you need for that area, you'll almost certainly pay less for it than buying the same boat in the UK and if you'd prefer it, then there's every liklihood that you could find/buy a boat that's already British Registered. ALL the major cruising areas have lots for sale and it's invariably a buyers market.
Enjoy.

[chuckr]

I will first only tell you what we did. First like you we never ever had any intention of a circum nav or a crossing. Our goal was the EC of the USA and Bahamas. Well after a couple of times of that we headed to the west side of the Carib - and ended up in Colombia. After that we decided to see the east side of the Carib and went from Jamaica to Trinidad. It was nice some place along the way we decided to head to the Med and did in 2013 on a 2 handed crossing -- We have been in the Med since and wow - so much to see and do. In 2016 we did a circum nav of the Black Sea. We have wintered over in Tunisia, Turkey and now Israel. We still have more to see and do before heading back across.
I would guess you do not have the Schengen problem we have so your options are even greater.
As Boatman said the Med can offer you so much that it can take years to see it and so much history, people, food, ect -- by the way you will need to winter someplace and the best we have found yet is Israel. Now saying winter over the cat will have a bit of a disadvantage as marinas do charge a premium

[auruguay]

Originally Posted by valhalla360

The 40' cat aspect need to be sorted (wide beam) but an option would be a loop of the Continent.

- From the North Sea work your way up the river/canal system to Frankfurt (this is the section where narrower beam really helps as you can bypass the worst of the Rhine River currents)
- Then across the Main River and down the Danube spitting you out at the Black Sea.
- From there a leisurely east to west transit of the Med.
- If you keep in narrow enough, you can go thru the French canals back north (Midi to Bay of Biscay as an option).
- If too wide circle Iberia on the outside back north.

It is important to remember any restrictions about the air draft on those rivers.

I saw a blog telling one of these circumnavigations, where sailors took the mast out, to allow passing some bridges. Those guys even mounted a wooden structure on the deck to support the "deceased" mast.

But the route must be, indeed, wonderful.

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by auruguay

It is important to remember any restrictions about the air draft on those rivers.

I saw a blog telling one of these circumnavigations, where sailors took the mast out, to allow passing some bridges. Those guys even mounted a wooden structure on the deck to support the "deceased" mast.

But the route must be, indeed, wonderful.

Obviously, you have to pull the mast. We've done it on America's Great Loop and it works fine.

[mvAlegria]

Good for you and I hope your plans go well.
You are starting on the right foot by asking all the input you can get. Some of us have specific knowledge that might help, some more general info.
Here is my contribution, my wife and I spent 6+years on a boat including two full winters in the Med.
Boat wise : pick one which is comfortable to live in, you will be spending more time living in it than actually sailing, and your lady needs comforts you might not need, make sure she can make her home there.
It’s true as one post mentioned that cats are great in terms of comfort, social life (room to have people for diner), live in & also speed. The big draw back would be you will have the hardest time finding a slip in the overcrowded marinas in the Med, it will cost much more and in bad weather Cats are not the best, far from it.
Pick a boat which is simple. A/C, heating, water maker, heating generator etc are all nice to have but multiply maintenance exponentially. Chose a quality well known brand, there is a reason it is recognized and easier to sell when the time comes. Your engine is important. In the Med you will be using it much more than you expect. Don’t accept a “exotic” expensive to maintain or hard to find parts (example Volvo). Pick a diesel recognized as a work horse & used also on trucks or industrial applications; Isuzu, maybe a Peugeot since you are in Europe, etc
The Med: it’s a fabulous place to cruise, beautiful country, history at each anchorage, nice summer weather.you can indeed spend years there. Few if any boats cruise in winter, the Med is treacherous so from mid Sep to end March you are in a marina. There are great places to spend the winter in the company of cruisers from around the world and all nationalities, we spent two great winters in Barcelona, one in Antibes & in Kemer, Turkey. There are many more places.

Good luck & enjoy

[Roddu]

Thanks mvAlegria, very informative & appreciate the feedback.
Where you write it's hard to find a slib for a Cat - is this because a Cat would require more room Vs a mono?
Secondly, on the engine side: my understanding was that Volvo was the standard under marine engines.... But it seems you are saying it's better to get a non marine engine - correct?
Thanks,
Rod

[Gobetrotter]

Hi Roddu, as you plan to start your journey in the north, you would also have the option to explore the Baltic Sea. This is a fine sailing area beginning May through end of August (acc. to my wive, I would add a month on both sides).
The waters from Helsinki to Stockholm, around Estonia and Latvia are great, with interesting sight seeing possibilities ashore.
Enjoy the planning and trip, Globetrotter