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First, Compare Atlantic vs Med
vs Baltic
The Atlantic cruising areas are
demanding, and call for more sailing skills than the
Mediterranean and Baltic. Tidal range and some strong
tidal streams, the risk of
severe weather throughout the year, occasional big swell,
and more frequent poor visibility create the Atlantic challenges.
Rain dilutes the fun, too. However, enjoying the
contrasts between so many civilised cultures is a great
reward on longer cruises.
In the warm and tide-less Mediterranean pilotage is
generally
very easy and the sailing season as long as you want.
With a couple of exceptions, big winds (though sometimes
extreme and unexpected in unsettled weather) rarely last for long. The
summer season is unpleasantly crowded in much of the west Med, much less
so east of Italy.
The tide-less Baltic offers wonderfully
sheltered sailing among bewildering archipelagos, with a vast choice of
quiet anchorages. The pilotage challenge is planning and tracking your
route through these islands. The sailing season, occasionally
interrupted by depressions, is short due to icy winters. There's a nice
culture contrast between the west and the east . . .
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Now, the
regions:
The Baltic
The tideless Baltic (8/10) is an extensive and very enjoyable cruising area
in fine weather, with many hundreds of islands and anchorages to explore
in largely fresh water. The
sailing season is short, 3 months, maybe 4, depending how robust you are, from the end of May to the
beginning of September. Really long days in June and July are a
tremendous bonus. Periods of fine weather
are fairly regularly interrupted by the remnants of Atlantic
depressions. There are very good facilities for yachts, but
laying up for winter should anticipate temperatures well below freezing
- and very long nights. For this reason, some prefer to visit for the summer
only, wintering further south or in Scotland.
NW Baltic. One of the major attractions of the
NW Baltic (Denmark, Sweden, the Gulf of
Bothnia and the Finnish coasts) is pilotage among the
vast archipelagos, only thinly populated, and rarely crowded.
Beware though, some quieter areas have uncharted rocks which may jar
your peace. However, the water is flat, whatever the wind, and there are large
numbers of safe, attractive and free anchorages. Cruising also extends
inland of Stockholm among the many lakes which, linked up, comprise the Gota canal. Marinas? Plenty, but mainly useful just for topping up with
victuals. The pilotage challenge is keeping track of which island
you've just passed so you don't accidentally shoot up a blind alley.
The cost of living is a little higher than UK, but berthing while
cruising, with so many free anchorages, is very much cheaper.
SE Baltic. The south eastern shorelines are completely different;
low lying, quiet, cheap, with some lovely, if crumbly, old towns to
enjoy. Cruising is mainly from marina to marina, and
you'll be sampling interesting countries recovering from the old
communist yoke.
For detailed information on harbours and
anchorages, go to
Yacht
Kissen's excellent site; a superb skipper's guide to Baltic
cruising.
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W Scotland
This stunning area (9/10), with its
thousands of miles of high, deeply indented coastline, is
probably one of the best cruising areas of Europe. North
of the Clyde it is thinly populated, with mostly small
hamlets and only a couple of small towns. There
are hundreds of sheltered anchorages to explore, mostly
surrounded by dramatic scenery. It is quite possible to spend eight
weeks alternately cruising north and south, taking
routes first inside then outside various islands, and
still be finding new anchorages rich with seabirds,
seals, shellfish for supper and, from time to time, a
soaring golden eagle. It has
one big shortcoming - it's often wet. In its way, this is a
saving grace; it keeps the crowds away. As the
midges ashore do. Trivial shortcomings are thin
beer and a scarcity of good bars - the Wee Free
influence?
Weather and Sea State.
Stretching nearly 200nm from roughly 55°N to 58°N, the
summer days are very long (and winter days
very short). Temperatures are mild for the latitude
due to Gulf stream warming (similar to the Channel), and although some southern parts are exposed to Atlantic
swells, cruising can mainly be conducted in sheltered
waters - quite good for the seasick prone. As in Ireland and the Channel, weather is
dominated by the passage of N Atlantic depressions. Some
years these are well spread out,
with lovely long pauses of brilliant weather while high pressure intervenes.
Other years, they're more frequent, and half the summer
will be overcast. The
frequency of strong winds is similar to the Channel, but rain
is more
common. Poor visibility
(other than that caused by heavy rain) is rare. In brisk
winds, beware strong gusts to the lee of high ground.
Tides and Pilotage. Pilotage skills are
necessary. Tidal streams, although weak over much
of the area, will dominate your cruise plans on certain
passages - off many of the western headlands, and along the
inside channels of several islands, such as inside Jura
or Skye. A few are notorious and should
only be attempted with great care and in ideal
conditions - for
instance, the Corryvreckan channel between Scarba and
Jura. Some coastlines are clean, but unmarked rocks are
the norm. With tidal ranges of 2 to 4 metres,
you need good charts and pre-planning. Many
passages and anchorages need
accurate pilotage. Of course, you can avoid these, but
rock dodgers who enjoy exercising their pilotage skills
will revel in them. Some interesting examples come to mind,
like entering Arisaig when the depth is marginal, running with a small tide through Cuan
sound, or trying to reach the moorings off the Lagavulin
distillery. Actually, second thoughts; leaving the distillery may be the
greater challenge . . .
Harbours and Anchorages. The area is quiet,
although the marinas (mainly in the south of the
area) are busy. Most ports are geared more to fishing vessels than sailors, and
alongside berths are rarely available. Decent bars are
pretty thin on the ground too, and often well disguised. Just as well
when so many sell thin flavoured 'shilling' beer. Visitor's moorings,
quite common, are identified in the pilot
guides for the area. A good source of information is
http://www.bluemoment.com/scotmoorings.html . But
often you'll be anchored off in your own quiet cove. More sheltered
anchorages, near villages, are crowded with private
moorings. This sometimes forces the visitor to anchor in
depths over 10m. Speaking of anchoring - weed
bottoms are common. There are good ideas for places to
visit at
http://www.roserambler.co.uk/pp3.htm .
Threats.
Commercial traffic is generally light, perhaps moderate
in the Clyde estuary. Submarines are an unusual hazard;
you must keep well clear of Trident submarines entering and exiting from Gareloch
- their attendant launches will shoo you off.
Other
subs from time to time exercise under water throughout
the area. Look out for the well publicised warnings.
Fish farms are quite common; they come and go and are usually well
marked.
Unique Attractions. Stunning scenery. Whisky
distilleries (many of which offer guided tours and tastings). Oysters
and Salmon. Many quiet places and isolated anchorages. Wild life (not the social bit - but
nature in the raw).
Snags. Too much water falling out of the sky.
Summer midges ashore.
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Ireland
When the weather is fine, this is a
delightful and beautiful cruising area, slightly less
dramatically craggy than W Scotland on the W coast (7/10
and 8/10) and rather flat on the east coast (3/10). The
deeply indented west coastline has many harbours and
anchorages with only short distances between them,
suitable for day sailing. Dolphins are common, and like
Scotland, the quieter anchorages are rich with sea
birds, seals and shellfish. However, a challenge is that
all significant west coast passages are exposed to the Atlantic,
its swell and weather.
Weather and Sea State. Weather is
dominated by the passage of Atlantic depressions. Big
Atlantic swells are common and the coast's exposure
means that crews and boats should be capable of dealing
with rough conditions. This is not a cruising area for the
seasick prone. The cruising season runs from
around mid-May to mid-September, when depressions are
less frequent. The frequency of strong winds is similar
to Scotland or the Channel, but the amount of rain and cloud
diminishes as you travel south. Dull weather
(they call it 'soft') is normal.
Gives you a strong incentive to rush to the bar. Pray
for one of those intervals of fine weather, which can
last for a week or so if you're lucky.
Tides and Pilotage. Tidal ranges
are generally between 3.5 and 4.5 metres, with a 'no
tide' zone on the east cost, south of Dublin. Tidal
streams reach up to 4kts at springs off the major
headlands and must be taken into consideration when
planning passages, especially between Ireland and
Scotland. Pilotage skills are needed to enjoy some anchorages, but much of the coastline is
easy for a competent navigator.
Harbours and Anchorages. The coast divides naturally
into three areas with different characters: SW,
NW and the East. Many harbours of the Irish Republic have
convenient visitor's moorings, often borrowed by the locals. The
Republic is also noticeably more expensive than UK (The NE corner of the
island), perhaps encouraged by groups of Americans peering into their history -
and other tourists. Catering for these visitors requires a large number of bars
of course . . .
Threats. Apart
from the occasional super-tanker in Bantry bay, there is
very little commercial traffic. A past
hazard was salmon nets, deployed in great
chicanes up to a couple
of miles long, especially
just south of the Shannon. From the end of 2006 these
were forbidden
Unique Attractions. Bars, and the
'craic' that goes with them. Friendly natives. Light
yacht traffic to the west.
Snags. Too much of that black
foamy stuff they serve in the pubs . . .
South West Ireland
Easily
the most pleasant area for cruising is the SW (from Cork to Kilrush
- 8/10).
In this friendly and sociable cruising area, only
moderately populated, it's easy to seek out 'the craic'
- you're made welcome everywhere you go. Many bars are rich
with (even richer) anecdotes and often live music. Cork and Kinsale provide good yacht
facilities, several marinas and some wonderful old
'Royal' yacht Clubs. Moderate yacht
traffic diminishes (as does population density) as you
move W around the deeply
indented SW corner. Here there are many quiet
anchorages, some requiring good pilotage skills. Bantry
bay
houses a raft or two of supertankers from time to time,
but don't avoid it or you'll miss Glengarrif, a truly
beautiful spot, and there's a useful marina at Lawrance
Cove. A two week cruise will skim the high
spots; three weeks will allow a more thorough
exploration. North West
Ireland
In the NW
(from Shannon to Rathlin Island - 7/10) the population is
much thinner, with many fewer yachts, more wild life and more remote
anchorages. These are wonderful cruising grounds for those who
like peace and quiet - and can survive a while on ship's
rations. Occasional fish farms dot the area. A one week
cruise along the coast is just enough to appreciate it, though two weeks
may be better. East Ireland
The eastern
coastline is rather flat - (3/10)
with safe sailing areas around Belfast and Dublin. Perhaps
with the exception of Strangford and Carlingford Loughs, they have less
appeal to the cruising yachtsman. This is passage making
territory, rather than a cruising ground, but it is difficult to resist
a 2 or 3 day pause near Dublin, a noisily sociable city which attracts a
lot of visitors - and internationally branded shops to cater for them.
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Channel
Challenging! This tide swept area is crowded both by commercial and
leisure traffic, subject to occasional poor visibility, and is the most
challenging cruising area we describe (9/10 for thrills and
spills, 4/10 for peace and quiet). Although less experienced crews
can coast hop along the English coast, channel crossings should only be
attempted by robust crews who know their collision regulations, have
strong stomachs, can navigate in strong tidal streams, and are able to
pilot into rock
encumbered harbours and calculate your tidal heights correctly.
The north and south coasts of the channel are sufficiently different for
the areas to be described separately. Travelling around the area will
often involve night
sailing to catch an inconvenient tide. Coasts east of the Solent
and Cherbourg (1/10) are densely populated, with so much
commercial traffic that they're not comfortable cruising grounds .
Weather and Sea State. For its latitude, the climate is mild due
to the Gulf Stream. Fine summer weather is punctuated by the passage of
Atlantic depressions bringing periods of strong wind and rain, and
sometimes poor visibility. The amount of bad weather varies quite widely
from year to year. Sometimes depressions choose to pass further north -
and sometimes they don't. Good weather windows of 48hr are easy
to predict; longer than that there's an increasing chance of change. Westerly sector winds are the most frequent. Winters see a
predominance of wind and rain, but
this doesn't seem to put off dedicated weekend sailors, who like the
less crowded sailing out of season. The western part of the channel is
exposed to Atlantic swell, and short rough seas are common when the tide
runs against the wind. Some areas, charted as 'overfalls', can have
really vicious and damaging short breaking seas.
Tidal Range - Harbour Habits. In addition to
harbours and marinas accessible at all states of the tide, the big tidal
range (anything from 4m to 11m) creates unfamiliar mooring situations,
all of which call for tidal height calculation skills. The
simplest is the twin keel yacht, which just dries out on the mud - going
ashore can be a bit grubby. More complex is a single keel yacht drying out,
leaning against a harbour wall to stay upright - great if you want to scrub the bottom.
You wish to stay afloat? Try a deep water marina with a retaining wall (a sill)
whose top is set somewhere at or below the average tide level. Deeper
keel yachts beware - it's possible to enter after spring tides, and
discover you're stuck there until the tide heights reach that level
again - a week or two later! A solution to this 'neaped yacht' problem
is a movable sill, which drops a metre or two once the tide matches the
marina level. And the most complex (and flexible) solution is an entry
lock, with a dredged waiting pontoon (dock) outside.
Commercial
Traffic. Commercial traffic of all sorts is dense all year,
and special regulations minimise collision risks. Areas designated as Traffic Separation
Schemes (TSS) can only be crossed by leisure traffic under controlled
circumstances. Several harbour authorities also have rules which
prescribe how leisure vessels should keep clear of larger ships. Do your homework before sailing in these places
- Reeds Almanac is a sound source. Fishing
craft, sometimes laying poorly marked net or pot markers, add to the
turmoil. N Channel -
The English coast from Solent to Scillies
Pilotage and Navigation. The northern coasts and
harbours are generally easy to navigate, with the relatively few
offshore dangers being well marked by buoys or beacons. Passage planning
is dominated by tidal streams, up to 3kts, which create tidal 'gates' off headlands.
With wind against tide, some of these create overfalls. One of the worst such
is off Portland Bill. Tidal ranges vary from 3.5m to 5m, and destination
planning must take this into account. In the Solent, the variation of
tidal height with time is unusual. Mistakes can lead you to join the
many others who have inadvertently parked on the Brambles bank (a large
sand bank in the middle of an expanse of otherwise apparently clear
water) for an
hour or three. Excepting the Scilly Islands, big Atlantic swells are
rarely a feature of the English coasts. The Scillies are also an
exception when it comes to pilotage; to explore them fully calls for
really canny tide calculations and some very careful rock dodging. Worth
it. Harbours and Anchorages. These are some of the most crowded and expensive cruising areas in the
world, especially in waters north of the Isle of Wight - The Solent
(2/10).
Every possible yachting facility is available here, with over 20,000
marina berths. Moorings and piles fill the banks of the creeks and
sheltered areas, leaving little room for anchoring. Visitors
can usually be accommodated, usually by rafting up alongside each other.
Travelling west beyond Poole, the coasts become
quieter, the scenery better, the costs lower, and more anchorages are
available. However, it can be a shock to be charged for lying to your
own anchor in one of the picturesque estuaries of Cornwall and Devon (6/10).
These offer a very
pleasant cruising area, busy with yachts and holidaymakers in the high season,
although the towns and villages are rather overlaid with tourist tat. For real peace and quiet,
travel out to the many little islets and anchorages of the Scilly
Islands (8/10). There's enough variety west of Poole to occupy an
explorer for two weeks, three weeks if you include the Scillies.
Unique Attractions. Serious yacht racing. Top quality (if expensive)
yacht support facilities. The beautiful rivers and creeks of the west country. Real
ale pubs (if you like it!) and convenient pub grub (£10 a head with a
drink).
Snags. Marina costs . . . dodging other yachts . .
. keeping out of the way of commercial traffic. S Channel -
The Channel Islands and French coast from Cherbourg to Ushant
Pilotage and navigation. For those who love
pilotage and navigation challenges, the southern coast of the Channel is heaven
(10/10!) For more
nervous sailors - choose neap tides. From Cherbourg,
through the Channel Islands and along the Brittany coast of France all
the way to Ushant is the most tide swept coast of
Europe. Streams of 4kts at spring tides are common, with twice that in
some areas, such as the Alderney Race. All passage planning is dominated
by tidal streams and the need to plan conservative offsets to avoid being set down
tide of your target. Or, for that
matter, being set up-tide of hazards. Hazards are many. Plateaux of
small islands and rocks routinely extend up to 5nm offshore. There are
patches of overfalls. Bad
visibility occurs about 10% of the time in summer. However, main channels into
harbours are well marked. GPS, with properly set waypoints, a route plan and a screen
indication of your position relative to that plan should enable you to
approach most ports in poor visibility. The big tidal range
does mean that what is a wide and accessible channel at high water looks
(and often is) completely different (rock encumbered) at low water.
Additionally, some entrances have rapidly changing cross tides calling
for course changes of 20 to 30 degrees to stay on track. Without GPS, or
with GPS solely being used as a position plotting aid or a waypoint tool, pilotage has to
be visual, generally needing more than 5nm visibility to find and follow
transits. Secondary entrances and passages are narrow and can be very
exciting below half tide (Chenal Isle de Batz, Portsall, W of Brehat, between
Herm and Jethou) and should only be tackled by those with plenty of
expertise in visual pilotage - forget GPS, except to check you've
entered at the right point!
Harbours and Anchorages. The islands and coast
are very
attractive (7/10), with quite a small population and many lovely
beaches - a great reward for the interesting pilotage. It's geared to
summer holidays, and away from the Channel Islands, surprisingly cheap for the UK visitor.
Cafés, restaurants and bars are easily found and generally good quality. French
holiday makers are thick on the ground for only 6 weeks of July and
August; outside this time many of the smaller harbours are very quiet
indeed. Marinas are well spaced along the coasts, designed to
cope with the quite busy transient yacht traffic, and cheap compared to
UK. So much so that many English yacht owners keep their craft in
France. Many beaches are suitable for anchoring off, sheltered by
headlands or surrounding islets. The small towns of Brittany (8/10) are
enchanting, with lovely old architecture and half timbered buildings.
They're generally at the head of long, attractive estuaries, and you should make
a point of visiting as many as possible. If you're anchoring within one
of these estuaries, you'll often need to moor with two anchors - one up
tide, and one down tide to cope with the reversing tidal stream.
Exploring the whole area, including trips ashore on the Channel Islands,
or to the old half timbered French towns, will occupy most crews for
four weeks or maybe more, with quite a bit of time spent getting up at
all sorts of strange hours in order to catch a tide. Try:
1. St Malo old town,
a massive stone fortress, rebuilt in its original style after serious
war damage. Eating here is good, if more expensive than the average. Top
of the range is 'Duchesse Anne', just inside the Porte St Vincent on the
left. Book: 02.99.40.85.33, and be prepared to pay over €40 a head. Keep
wandering left under the wall, and with luck you may find the piratical
'Bourgnefesse' (10 Rue du Puits aux Braies) where informality reigns,
with cheaper prices, a standard French cuisine, and a very entertaining
host. Is he still there?
2. Dinan, 10km inland of St Malo, up the
Rance. Beautiful old half timbered streets are a favourite filming
location for mediaeval costume dramas. Vessels with under 1.5m draft
(and, nominally, CEVNI qualified skipper) can travel quite a distance up
the Rance.
3. Tréguier is a smaller town with a lovely
cathedral square. Look out for the excellent fish restaurant in Rue
Ernest Renan - 'La Poissonerie de Trégor'. It's just above the fish shop
- very good value.
4. Morlaix has
a long approach past many islets and through a tidal channel. You'll
possibly touch mud on the way up, so use a rising tide. Lock in to the
harbour/marina in the heart of the town, dominated by a high viaduct. I
remember 'La Marie Bleue' for its fine seafood, but wine erased all
detail - also, sadly, detail of the other spots we tried while waiting for the new crew.
There was a Brasserie serving Leffe Blonde on draft somewhere too . . .
5. The Channel islands (7/10) offer a wide variety of
experiences, from anchorages in remote rocky archipelagos (the Ecrehous) to busy little
holiday town marinas; the whole experience dominated by the change of
seascape as the tide ebbs and flows. Don't miss the ready boiled fresh
lobsters from Jersey market, cheap compared any restaurant offering, and
a great take-away meal for the yacht on a sunny day. Add a bottle of
Chablis . . .
Unique Attractions. Challenging pilotage, half timbered towns,
seafood restaurants, French café life - especially those selling 'Leffe
Blonde' on draft. Snags. Those 2am
departures to catch the tide . . .
Go top
W France
W France (8/10), From Ushant to St
Nazaire, is a delightful cruising area with appreciably better
weather than the Channel . It is crowded in the French holiday
season (those wonderful sandy beaches, lovely old towns), and very busy with
smaller yachts, but there
are a wide variety of
sailing waters to explore within this 120nm stretch, and lots of
reasonably priced marinas, harbours and anchorages. Shallow draft yachts
under 10m length will have many more berthing options than 12m+ vessels
with 2m draft. There are large sheltered inlets and
estuaries, sea areas sheltered by groups of small islands, and
inland seas. Give the whole area at least four weeks. You won't travel
far, but you'll see a lot, and there will be still more to see when you
return. With time on your side it's worth going
70nm further south to La Rochelle (10/10), described by the Rough
Guide as 'The most attractive and unspoilt seaside town in France'.
We agree. Enjoy the cafés around the old port, do a wine tasting at 'Le Taste Vin', and work the superb restaurants along Rue St Jean de Perot (book
at weekends!). South of La
Rochelle is just 150nm of
boring, straight, low lying coast line (2/10) until you reach Spain.
Pass it in
one hop. Weather and
Sea State. The summer season, from the beginning of June to late
September, has significantly better weather than places further north,
with fewer depressions visiting the area and lighter winds. In good
summer weather there's an occasional 'vent solaire' a strong night-time
land breeze, to liven things up. Outside sheltered
waters, you can be exposed to the N Atlantic swells. Those occasional
summer depressions
which do pass south of the Channel can be very vigorous. In winter - say
October to April - depressions are much more frequent and bring massive
seas. Avoid these by keeping to the sheltered areas. Swell alone can
block entrance to some estuaries - such as the Gironde.
Tides. Tidal streams in the Chénal du Four run at 4kt springs,
and in the Raz de Sein 6 - 7kt. Apart from these, streams are
light and only need be planned for when entering a few estuaries - such
as the Morbihan (an exciting ride in springs!) and The Gironde. Tidal ranges throughout the area at
springs are from 4m to 6m, and will limit departure and arrival times in
several anchorages and small ports.
Harbours and Anchorages. The coast is fairly densely populated,
with several large towns, many attractive smaller towns, and lots of
holiday resorts and villages. It's a good area for enjoying French café
life within walking distance of your yacht. Cafés, bars and restaurants
are geared to the wild crush of French holidaymakers between early July
and the end of August. Yacht traffic is dense in this period.
However there are adequate marinas and anchorages to cater for the
visitor, even if quiet anchorages are hard to track down. Outside the
high season things are a lot quieter. The northern section, inside
Ushant, between the Chenal du Four and Raz de Sein, is less affected by
holidaymakers, and offers quieter high season cruising. Here, Douarnanez
is a centre for historic sail craft. Further south, several
small ports around Guilvinec have very large fishing fleets, which pour
out at dawn on autopilot and race back in the early evening. The inland sea of Morbihan, with its multitude of islands, brisk currents,
anchorages and mud banks - leads to the picturesque holiday towns of
Vannes and Auray. Concarneau is worth visiting to see
the old 'Ville Close', though this does become sadly overcrowded in the
high season. And the Îsles de Glénans are a close imitation of
the Scilly isles. Threats. Those fishing
boats - often on autopilot, the occasional vigorous summer depression which diverts south to
Biscay, occasional Atlantic swell, firework shells raining down on the
decks on 14 July, and hundreds of leisure boats
dragging their night time anchors in a high season 'vent solaire',
Unique Attractions.
Wonderful beaches, seafood restaurants, old towns and their café
culture.
Go top
North Spain
 Click
the map for a larger chart in a separate window. The next paragraphs
give a broad brush description of the area. There's much more on our
detail pages
North Spain, the coast between France and Portugal, offers
unspoilt cruising in a climate about 5°C warmer than UK with some
grand old cities to visit. The coast is moderately populated,
separated from the rest of Spain by a range of picturesque mountains
which provide a lovely backdrop to the coast line. Little English is
spoken, and apart from one or two ports much used by voyagers, few yachts visit. Several large ports which used to serve the
mineral industry dot the coast, interspersed with a large number of
small fishing ports and village harbours of great character. The
cruising grounds naturally split into two areas. The North Coast
(6/10), offers a very pleasant and interesting cruise from
east to west of about 3 weeks (with rainfall somewhat similar to UK!).
If you value light leisure traffic, you may well rate this area higher.
The delightful Rias of Galicia (8/10), is the other area. This is a drier region, deeply
indented with well sheltered rias - sunken estuaries - each a
mini-cruising ground in its own right, which will take some three or four
weeks to explore thoroughly.
Weather and Sea State. Boats and crews can be exposed at times to
severe Atlantic weather, occasionally even in the height of summer, and should be able to cope with this.
Atlantic swell, an important consideration, may prevent access
to many north coast harbours, creating dangerous breaking waves over
banks with less than 10m depth. The comfortable cruising season
on the north coast runs from early June to late
September, when the worst Biscay depressions are rare. A
longer season is feasible for a well found boat which chooses its
weather windows carefully. The sheltered Rias of Galicia are safe
for a much longer sailing season - April to October - but are
swept by periods of strong northerly easterly winds in the summer, especially in the
afternoons. These winds are half off-shore, so there's little
seaway.
Tides & Currents. Tidal range in the area is
3m at springs, 1.5m neaps. Many smaller estuaries on the north coast can
only be entered on the last of the flood tide. This may commit you to a
70nm trip to find the next accessible port. Tidal streams are otherwise
not significant. Currents are mainly wind driven, running gently to the
west, although a prolonged period of wind can change this.
Harbours and Anchorages. There are relatively few
marinas, which are mostly moderately priced, and a large number of well sheltered fishing
and commercial harbours, which rarely make any charge. When the
fishing fleets are out (a lot of the time) there's no difficulty finding
an alongside berth. But they do come home for fiesta time
(about 10 July
to 20 August) when every excuse is found to explode hundreds of air
bombs during the day and curtains of fireworks at night. And if you’re
not careful there will also be a quayside pop group hammering away ‘til
four in the morning for your personal entertainment. When the fishing
fleets are in you may find yourself mooring outside a trot of enormous
vessels and wishing you had a ladder . . . time to move to the rias . .
. which have more marinas and sheltered anchorages.
Hazards. The main hazard is the Atlantic swell. A secondary hazard is fog around Finisterre about 10%
of the time in summer. Also, look out for the large numbers of fishing
floats encircling the smaller ports - especially during the
holiday season when the amateurs are busy. And when the big fishing
boats are rushing out (or back in) you can expect a rollicking time
outside the harbour dodging the autopilot driven vessels. They'll expect you to wait until the rush is
over. Occasionally though, someone will toss you a big fish for your
patience . . . lovely. At least, I thought it was meant to be a present?
Unique Attactions.
Lively, unspoilt fishing villages; low costs; tapas bars; summer
festivals; wonderful old cities; few yachts; only Spanish tourists.
More on N Spain.
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W Portugal
A Coast of Passage. West Portugal is a coast of
passage, rather than a cruising ground, though it does have two superb
cities of great character to visit en route, Porto (10/10) and
Lisboa (8/10), others inland, and enough safe ports along the low sandy coastline
to allow day sailing when travelling south with the prevalent winds. Day
sailing in a northward direction is possible, but may need patience; see
below.
Weather and Sea State. Climate is noticeably
warmer than in Biscay. In winter, occasional depressions create some
vicious weather, but these are rare from April to October. Atlantic
swell at any time of year can prevent access to ports with exposed
sand bars. Persistent summer winds blow from the north for days
at a time from April through to October, lighter in the mornings,
reaching up to F5 or F6 in the afternoons.
Northbound Strategy. The strategy for travelling
north against the regular winds is:
1. In regular weather, depart very early in the
morning, aiming to arrive at your next port by mid day.
2. In strong
weather (if the wind persists overnight), wait for a weather window!
3. Go in early spring or late Autumn, when the
northerly winds are far less
persistent.
4. If you have a very strong crew and boat, by all
means consider a three day tack out to sea and back. But that's
voyaging. Not to my taste any more. Age.
Tides and Currents. Tidal range is less than 3m
throughout, and needs to be considered when entering some estuaries,
most of which have sand bars at the entrance. Tidal streams are only
significant in the Tagus river (for Lisboa), running at up to 3kts. A
light wind driven south-going current runs along the coast in the
summer.
Harbours and Anchorages. For detailed and up to
date information on all aspects of cruising in Portugal, please go to
David Lumby's
excellent site. Note that paperwork is old fashioned and can be a bore. To get the best of your journey along this coast,
consider the following (and thanks to David for his additions):
Viana do Castelo. If you stop here, take the
funicular or taxi (cheap) to the temple overlooking the town, go to the
platform above the dome, walk to the Pousada behind the temple past the
ruins of the Celtic round houses. Have a beer on the veranda
(outstanding views).
Porto (10/10) A must, especially if
you'd like to learn about port. It's possible to enter
the river and moor alongside on the town quay, but most people prefer to
stay in Leixoes or Povoa de Varzim. Leixoes is
sometimes rather oily, but has excellent shelter and good seafood
restaurants. Catch one of the frequent buses into
town. Povoa is a little further away, but the marina is good, and
connects to Porto with a light railway. Porto is perched on the side of the river Douro, almost a gorge,
and tumbles picturesquely down to the riverside, which is a world
heritage site. Go to a free tasting at one of the port lodges on the
other side of the river - in Gaia. Taylor's is our favourite,
very informative, though a bit of a hike up the hillside away from the
slurping masses. If you fall in love with the stuff, go spend an
afternoon at the
Solar do Vinho do Porto - who offer hundreds of ports of many
different types, bought by the glass, in very civilised surroundings.
They're
just west of the 'Crystal Palace'.
Recover among the bars and restaurants above the old quayside.
Figueiro de Foz. Take the train to the old
university town of Coimbra and visit some of the lovely old university
buildings (7/10). The train follows the river with many paddy fields
growing rice.
Lisbon (8/10) has more to offer then Porto. Being a bigger
city, it takes much longer to learn and explore. Bring the boat into Doca de
Alcantara near the city centre, or leave it in the expensive new
marina at Cascais and catch a train into town. To get the best
out of the Lisbon, bone up on it with a 'Rough Guide to Portugal' and
plan a stay of at least three nights (preferably a week - it's a fun
place).
Nazare or Peniche. From either of
these ports, if you can tear yourself away from the seafood restaurants,
consider a bus ride to the to the old walled city of Obidos (7/10),
little changed since the fourteenth century. Sadly, rather dense with
tourists like us in the daytime.
Hazards. That Atlantic swell, breaking in the
harbour mouth. Summer northerlies, when you're going north. A degree of
poverty; keep things secure.
Unique Attractions. Wonderful old cities and towns;
warm climate; seafood to die for; port and Douro valley wines.
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S Iberia (Atlantic)
 S
Iberia (Atlantic) (4/10). (Click the map for a larger chart in a
separate window). Once around Cap St Vincent, you markedly change to a
sunny climate, with about 270nm of the Algarve coastline to reach Gibraltar.
Just under the cape is the small town of Sagres, with a welcome
anchorage nearby, and an attractive coastline of cliffs and coves
leading to Lagos, a lively and attractive town.
The Algarve is well served with
often crowded marinas, many rather expensive, and has sufficient day anchorages to add
interest. But it is intensively developed for tourism. So, for us, this
was mainly a coastal cruise, a route to the Mediterranean, easily
handled with a week of day sails, though you should add days to explore
Ria Guadiana and visit Seville. Suitable wintering spots are
many, including
Lagos (a lively town with quite a few resident ex-patriates), Portimao
and the marina at Vila Real de San Antonio (first left up the Ria
Guadiana), all with easy access to the airport at Faro. The heavy
tourist overlay reduces as you travel east, and once into Andalucia development is much lighter.
Must Visit. Absolute gems are Seville(10/10)
and the Bay of
Cadiz (9/10), both worth special journeys, and satisfactory places
to winter for a live aboard, as well as the rather beautiful Ria
Guadiana (7/10) on the border between Portugal and Spain.
The Ria Guadiana offers a good side
trip, albeit you must negotiate the bar, and watch the tidal streams and currents.
Currents can be quite strong after rains (especially in winter!) sometimes carrying tree branches
and other debris. A
marina at Ayamonte (Spain) faces another at Vila Real de San Antonio (both
suitable for wintering), and for the inveterate explorer, there are further moorings, anchorages and
occasional pontoons off a number of small villages stretching up to 18
nm up river.
Seville is very hot in summer (40C common), so ideally
you'd time a visit before mid May, or in October, and spend at least
three nights to give you a full day for the old city, and
another day for shopping and café life. Or spend the whole winter there. Keep a firm grip of your
luggage; bag snatching happens. The city is best reached
by catching a day tide up the Guadaquilvir river, starting from the serviceable marina at Chipiona,
or the anchorage a little up river opposite Chipiona. From there it's about
an eight hour motor; some would say boring. At the top either fork left
for Gelves
(watch the power lines for air draft, only 2.2m depth at high water, rather
crowded; bus to Seville) or fork right through the lock (small craft
times are Mon, Wed, Fri 1000, 2100 and 2300, Tue Thur 1000, 2100, Sat,
Sun 1000 1900 2100). Sometimes you can hitch a lift through with a
coaster outside these times. Just east of the lock there's a rather
grotty pontoon/quay, a long way from town, but suitable for waiting to
jump the next hurdle, the bridge. Just beyond the bridge is the more expensive
but delightful Club Nautico (reasonable security, swimming pools,
20 min walk to city centre). Bridge opens at 2200 on Mon, Wed and
Fri, or 2000 on Sat & Sun. Call the club to make sure he does open for
you!
Within the Bay of Cadiz,
Inner Cadiz city has grand squares, slightly run-down grand old
houses, more churches that you can shake a cross at and narrow alleyways
everywhere. Seek out the tapas bars, many of which sell fried fish take-aways
(no, England didn't invent it!). Moor at Marina Puerto Americo,
a scruffy half an hour's walk from the centre. Spend a further Bay day at El
Puerto de Santa Maria, (tie up at Puerto Sherry if there's room, or
cross by ferry)
with its excellent sherry bodegas and great seafood restaurants.
Rota is also a satisfactory wintering spot.
Hazards. From Cadiz onwards your journey will be
determined by the presence (or absence) of the Levanter, a strong
easterly wind. Tarifa is the (rather tacky) windsurfing capital of Europe, which
gives a clue - 30kts is common. It's often easier to wait out a Levanter
anchored in the lee of Tarifa headland, rather than in the harbour,
where robust fenders and chafing boards will be needed. Seasonal tunny nets off Barbate and
Tarifa add excitement, and there's quite a lot of commercial traffic
through the traffic separation scheme of the Straights of Gibraltar.
Choose your tide - it runs at up to 3kts in springs, but there are good
eddies to give a helping hand.
Unique Attractions. Really warm climate; and, in
Spain; the old towns, seasonal festivals, superb seafood restaurants,
sherry with tapas
Snags. Algarve over-development and expensive
marinas; big city poverty, keep things secure; waiting for the levanter
. . .
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Gibraltar
Unique, is the word. Escape from Spain into this
rather scruffy microcosm of English life (with a Spanish accent) to
buy such rarities as Marmite and Cheddar cheese. Add VAT free
shopping and you can see why it's a popular spot for yotties and
ex-patriates from miles around. Major developments are under way.
The big harbour encloses two marinas (Queensway
quay link and Marina
Bay link) familiar with the needs of cruising sailors, and there's a good
anchorage off nearby La Linea, inside the breakwater north of the
runway, though rumours have it that you shouldn't leave your tender
untended ashore. The marinas are busy with both long term residents and those in
transit, so booking ahead is advisable (a third marina is being
re-developed). Quite a few yachts winter
here, but winters are rather wet and windy with occasional very big
harbour surges, so you do need to set up
your warps and fenders carefully. A new marina is planned for La Linea,
watch this space . . .
Things to do? Try a 'rock tour', which will include a
visit to St Michael's cave (concerts are held here) as well as a
gawp at Europe's only wild troop of 'free roaming primates', as the
official web site puts it. I think they meant the Barbary apes, perhaps
forgetting that the 28,000 humans resident around the rock are also
primates. And 'rock tour' is nothing to do with the actual concerts . .
.
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Mediterranean S Spain
From Gibraltar to Valentia (opposite
the Balearics) is about 500nm of crowded, sunny sailing along a coast
faced with some of the most over-developed beach resorts of Europe. For
us, this is strictly a coast of passage (2/10) which
(luckily) has some towns of character to ease the pain (so maybe 3/10)
and excellent seafood restaurants in those towns (hmm, maybe 4/10. Going
up)
Weather, Tide & Currents. In the rain shadow of
the Sierra Nevada, this is one of the sunniest coasts of the
Mediterranean. Summer afternoon sea breezes from the south west are
common. During the winter, periods of settled weather are warm and
pleasant and make for good sailing, but with little wind. Unsettled winter weather brings the threat of
sudden very strong winds - associated with cold fronts or thunderstorms
- making it prudent to stay within easy range of good shelter. Tides and
currents are trivial, navigation and pilotage easy.
Harbours and Anchorages. The coast has few
anchorages, but is liberally
served with marinas which fall into two categories. The
Junta marinas are local
government owned, relatively good value for money, but they have chaotic
booking systems. The
private marinas can be eye-wateringly expensive (Solent prices), and
empty berths may be privately owned and not available to visitors. All
marinas are busy in the summer, when booking ahead is often necessary.
Price may depend on your desperation and the length of the
berth available rather than the length of your boat. Sometimes you may
be refused entrance, so be prepared to anchor
off (even if the local beach is rather exposed) or move on to the next
port. Marinas within the larger
towns tend to be rather more accessible as well as better value.
Towns and Harbours Worth a Thought. All of the
ports mentioned here are popular with over-wintering live-aboards.
1. Estepona. Not far from Gibraltar, the 'old
town' area is pleasantly Spanish. A hard and yacht lift are available. The marina is
liberally supplied with late night bars and Chinese
restaurants. Opposite the marina office is Café Reinaldo, popular
with the smart Spanish locals. 300m west along the seaside is a superb, scruffy looking
seafood restaurant - La Escollera - with loos which would do credit to the Ritz.
Consider a visit to Ronda, one of the 'white towns', perched in
the hills 40km away over an impossible gorge.
2.
Puerto Banus, near Marbella, is a place to skip, unless you're rich; but by
all means poke your bows in to look at the money at anchor there.
3.
Malaga is a workaday Spanish town with an unemployment problem, a
small junta marina and
excellent fish restaurants lining the sea front of it's western suburbs. Take a no 11 bus to eat in the district of Pedragalego, or go even further to El Palo,
scruffier, but wonderful food in summer.
4. Grenada (10/10), is home to the incredible
Alhambra,. If you stop anywhere along the coast from Malaga to
Almeria, hire a car for the day (or two, and stay overnight) to visit
this wonderful relic of Spain's Islamic occupation.
5. Almeria and nearby is the hottest and driest part of this coast, the spaghetti western capital of Europe, attractive for it's very
long summer season and sunny winter. Good, popular wintering marinas are
Almerimar (a bit
isolated but popular) and the more expensive and convenient Aguadulce. Neither allow work on the boats on the
hard, but discreet work when in the water is OK.
6. Cartagena. The narrow streets of the old town,
packed around the port, are dense with bars and restaurants - a
tremendous contrast with the grubby industrial suburbs. World class
events are the Easter fiesta, International Nautical week in June and
the world music festival in July. All year, gorge yourself in the tapas
bars around the Ayuntamiento. No wonder people love this place. But
these festivals do crowd the marina, which, outside festival time, is
good value for money.
7. Alicante. We've had excellent reports from Alicante,
describing it as a very Spanish town whose seafront paseo is lined
with cafés, good people watching.
Unique Attractions. Frenetic tapas bars, Grenada's
Alhambra, summer seafood restaurants. The sunniest winter weather in the
Mediterranean
Snags. Expensive and very crowded marinas in
season. An awful lot of coastal concrete. Big city poverty and un-employment - look after your belongings.
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Balearics
 Mallorca, Minorca, Ibiza and Formentera (7/10).
These islands form a holiday playground with some beautiful spots for a
cruiser to visit, described in our detailed pages
. Do visit the anchorages around Ibiza and Formentera. Harbours and
marinas are crowded, some
very expensive, (€20 to € 70 for a 10m yacht) in season. A reasonably
thorough explore will take you 4 weeks. It's suitable for cruising in
winter during settled weather, but be very watchful for the north
quadrant Mistral or Tramontana winds; these are strong and can last for
days. In unsettled weather stay
within easy range of a safe harbour. Click for
the detailed Balearic pages
Unique Attractions. Brilliant turquoise blue
anchorages, Minorcan Gin, Mallorca old Town, Ciutadella (if you can get in!), llagosta
(that's a fishy dish . . .)
Snags. Summer crowding, marina expense, the noise
of night life in San Antonio and Ibiza town.
Corsica & Sardinia (Elba too)
 Corsica
and Sardinia, compared to the Balearics, are
lightly populated, and thinly developed. Although many of the small
towns have developed to serve the holiday trade, they still keep a
strong local character - with the exception of the Costa Smeralda. Both
islands have excellent silver sand beaches, some set in cosy coves, some
stretching for miles, many of which make good anchorages. The east
coast of both islands is rather plain, but west Corsica has some of the
most dramatic scenery in the Mediterranean and some attractive small
towns. The straits between the two islands are windswept. Dotted with
many islands, they create a splendid cruising area, crowded
with yachts and water craft during the six week peak season, but with
anchorages always to hand. It's busy
at other times, but still well worth a detour for a week or two. The
high fashion Costa Smeralda (at the centre of this lot) is a place to
gawp at the super-rich in their super yachts: enter Porto Cervo marina
in a 10m yacht by all means, but be prepared to pay several hundred
euros for the privilege of joining them for one night! Or anchor nearby
for nothing. Many marinas have much more reasonable prices, at €25 a
night or so for 10m, if you can find space. See the
Corsica & Sardinia detail
page for more . . .
Unique attractions. Large numbers of turquoise
blue anchorages, dramatic scenery
Snags. Crowded with yachts and watercraft in the
six week peak season.
Sicily & Malta
Sicily (7/10) offers unique experiences;
everything from active volcanoes to ancient sites, big or small islands,
great markets, good food and attractive old towns: all described in our
Sicily detail pages. Winds
are rather light, and the 'must see' areas of the Aeolian Islands and
Sicily east coast are very crowded in high season. Marinas are expensive
but anchoring off often satisfactory. Personal and yacht security is an
issue, especially around Palermo. Malta (now part of the EU),
Lampedusa and Pantellaria add to the variety of these cruising grounds,
with Malta an excellent (if busy) choice for wintering. Regular
flights from Palermo, Catania and Malta.
Weather and Currents. Winds are light. The sunny season is
long, April to October. Exposed anchoring is usually safe, though short
periods of swell may make your sleep uncomfortable. Winter cruising
during periods of settled weather is satisfactory, although the usual
unsettled weather threat - of fierce winds - means that it's prudent to
stay within short distance of shelter. Or have a strong crew and boat.
The only significant currents are through the straits of Messina.
Unique Attractions. Active volcanoes, great old
Roman sites, Sicilian food, and wine
Snags. Crowded in season. Security issues in the
cities.
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Greece
 Greece
(8/10) (click the chart for the big picture) - sheer variety
and guaranteed warm seas, sunny weather, mostly decent winds and some
outstanding cruise areas, which are described in our
Greek Detail
Pages . 7,000 miles of coastline - enough for anyone -
includes hundreds of islands, deeply indented bays, great
historic sites, anchorages and harbours always within reach, and
relatively few marinas. This is
very easy pilotage and navigation around a selection of some twelve or so
different cruising areas, each capable of occupying two weeks or more of
your cruising time.
Harbour Goings On. Mooring bows- or stern-to a quay is a
new skill some will have to learn. This provides good teatime entertainment in busy harbours
- much
better than television, especially if it's beer time instead of teatime. Paperwork
is sometimes a bore, but year by year this is improving. Tying up in the centre of a village
and becoming part of village life, only occasionally have to pay for the privilege,
is a uniquely Greek experience. Then next day move out to anchor in the privacy of your own tiny bay for
a swim and picnic. Away from the cities (Athens, Thessaloniki, Patras)
there's a unique sense of security - few sailors bother to lock their
boats.
Food & Drink. The cost of
living in quieter areas is pleasantly low, though dense tourist areas
may cost 30% more. Eating out is a simple but satisfying
experience, with very little attention to decor. Pay from €18 to €30 for
two for this sociable event. Greece in the past rarely did
'Gourmet', but good restaurants are beginning to appear. Wine is cheap, its quality improving yearly. 50% or more of
house wine nowadays is a very pleasant experience; the other 50% is
borne yeastily fizzing to your table by the proud vintner who gathered
his grapes last September . . . if this isn't to your taste,
select a 'Boutari' brand wine, highly reliable quality for money.
Cruise Areas. The main differences between the various Greek cruising areas
are caused by wind strength - lighter winds and more sheltered waters
attract bigger crowds. Because the differences are so marked, it's best to go to
our Greek Detail
Pages for more information. There
you'll find the various cruising areas compared, and rated from 2/10 (the NW Peloponese) to 9/10
(the Dodecanese), with just about every grade between.
Unique Advantages. Mooring up to the quayside in
the centre of an unspoilt village, with a taverna yards from your yacht.
Wonderful historic sites to visit. Low cost of living, sense of security
Snags. Old fashioned yacht paperwork bureaucracy.
Jobs rarely completed on time. Toilets that don't tolerate paper.
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Turkey
Available on Cruising Association Site
Adriatic
Available on Cruising Association Site |
