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Sailboat for the med?

3K views 14 replies 12 participants last post by  celenoglu 
#1 ·
Hi everyone -

My partner and I are thinking about taking a 6 month sabbatical from work and having our *beloved 2008 *beneteau oceanis 31 shipped /delivered to the med and then spending the better part of half a year sailing / exploring / enjoying Europe before having her shipped / delivered back at which point we return to our jobs and the "real world" - we are both in our early 30's and want to take this opportunity while we're young, healthy and somewhat 'free' of responsibility. *

A couple questions that I'd love your help with....

1) Boat - is a 31 foot modern production boat *too small for this area? *We sail the Solent in the UK and English channel and are not opposed to "roughing it"
2) What modifications would you recommend? - off the top of my mind I know I've got to a) add air conditioning, b) a generator c) cockpit awning (we'll likely convert / adapt our full cockpit enclosure to a sun shade) d) other?*
3) Shipping from the UK vs. having the boat delivered. *Ideally we'd like to start in Nice in June and end in Barcelona in November. *What would be the preferred method to get the boat there and back safely and in a somewhat cost effective manner? *What's a reasonable budget for this and are there any suggestions for reputable companies? I'd personally love to sail her myself but that's a lot of time that we don't have.
4) Budget - right now we we are budgeting £1000 - £1500 per month for food, berthing fees, water, diesel, etc - this is what we've gathered from what we've read online - is it realistic or are we dreaming? *We are not bothered to spend time on the hook as we know all to well how expensive marina charges can add up. *We are not fine dinning people nor do we need to be having expensive drinks in the hottest clubs on Saturday night...*
5) Ports of call - *we'd like to see France, Italy, the Greek / Turkey islands, Cypress, Egypt, Malta, Tunisia and Spain before our trip Is over- is this too advantageous to complete over 5-6 months on a 31 foot boat? * What are the must hit destinations, vs. what can be missed?
6) Any other advice from those who may have already done this - ie If you could turn back the hands in time you'd do xxxx differently or would have planned for xxxx.

Many thx in advance everyone.*
 
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#2 ·
Probably almost anybody who responds has a better idea than I. We've sailed the Med on several two-week trips on comparable 30' boats, and have thought of extended sailing as you have.

We'd never even considered AC or a generator. We'd mostly much prefer marina berthing, a shower and eating ashore for the evening meal. But then that's just us.
 
#7 ·
1) Boat - is a 31 foot modern production boat *too small for this area?
In my view not too small.
2) What modifications would you recommend? - off the top of my mind I know I've got to a) add air conditioning, b) a generator c) cockpit awning (we'll likely convert / adapt our full cockpit enclosure to a sun shade) d) other?
I don't think you need the AC or generator. definitely need a good cockpit awning/Bimini that can be rigged easily.
3) Shipping from the UK vs. having the boat delivered. *Ideally we'd like to start in Nice in June and end in Barcelona in November. *What would be the preferred method to get the boat there and back safely and in a somewhat cost effective manner? *What's a reasonable budget for this and are there any suggestions for reputable companies? I'd personally love to sail her myself but that's a lot of time that we don't have.
I know you state that you don't have a lot of time but have you considered?
1) Cruise to the Med via the canal du midi and canal de Garonne. See my recent post.
2) Leave your yacht somewhere in the Med and come back again next year.
 
#8 ·
6 months in Greece alone would be easily done.

Get it trucked down.

Make sure you have a light air sail eg code zero or spi.

Big diesel tank.

The Med famously has too little wind or too much.

I managed without AC by using a fan on the hotter nights and a BIG wind scoop.

You might want to check on marina prices in Italy before visiting. £1500 may not go as far as you think! 100 euros a night will not be uncommon.
 
#9 ·
6 months in Greece alone would be easily done.

Get it trucked down.

Make sure you have a light air sail eg code zero or spi.

Big diesel tank.

The Med famously has too little wind or too much.

I managed without AC by using a fan on the hotter nights and a BIG wind scoop.

You might want to check on marina prices in Italy before visiting. £1500 may not go as far as you think! 100 euros a night will not be uncommon.
 
#10 ·
Hi, hope I'm on the right board here, I'm new!

I'm quite new to sailing but my BF has sailed all his life and we're planning to surprise him with a sailing holiday in the Mediterranean at the end of August for 2 weeks. I wondered if anyone has ever been sailing here, and if so where they went and what they thought? I'm not entirely sure about destination, we only have 2 weeks so I thought Eastern Mediterranean would be better as they have more islands. I am very tempted by the Greek islands as it looks as though you can see the most, but then I've heard amazing things about Croatia too - and Italy!!

If anyone has ever sailed around those areas please let me know your thoughts -thanks so much!
 
#14 ·
Hi, hope I'm on the right board here, I'm new!

I'm quite new to sailing but my BF has sailed all his life and we're planning to surprise him with a sailing holiday in the Mediterranean at the end of August for 2 weeks. I wondered if anyone has ever been sailing here, and if so where they went and what they thought? I'm not entirely sure about destination, we only have 2 weeks so I thought Eastern Mediterranean would be better as they have more islands. I am very tempted by the Greek islands as it looks as though you can see the most, but then I've heard amazing things about Croatia too - and Italy!!

If anyone has ever sailed around those areas please let me know your thoughts -thanks so much!
hi Ella
I am in the Adriatic now sailing in Croatia. My third time here. First was with a charter company, last year and this with own yacht that is kept in Croatia. i have sailed in Greece but not yet Turkey. my recommendation is Croatia. Everything is well set up with many charter companies, marinas, quiet unspoiled anchorages, busy cities. Search the net for the yacht and area you want.
I believe that Croatia has got quite expensive though.
maybe share your idea with bf before committing to a charter. There are many options.
 
#11 ·
Ella,

We just got back from a week in Turkey. Started in Mamaras and did the islands near there. It was amazing, but I wouldn't recommend going back right now since Greece and Turkey are in the middle of a dust up and it makes moving between the islands a bit of a pain. I would probably recommend going further north in the Greek islands for now, but my experience is limited in this area.
 
#13 · (Edited)
That is sort of not a sailing thing, more a paying attention to world events thing. Wherever you decide to go you might first check the State Department Travel Alert site. You can then make a better decision on going or not. Some are OK with the risk, others not. I've also heard about conflict from the news media and sailors cruising/living in those same areas say the media has blown it out of proportion. Local knowledge is also a good source of information.

Good luck, have fun and stay safe.
 
#15 ·
It is a good idea to use the channels. You can reach South of France or to Black Sea via Tuna. You can start from Istanbul, Marmara sea, Aegean and move to west.

I am a proffesional delivery captain working specially in the med area. I can deliver your boat to Mediterranean.
 
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