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Lagoon 500 Catamaran Sold

Lagoon Catamaran Yacht For Sale secure on pontoon Lagoon 500 CatamaranWe have a beautiful Lagoon 500 Catamaran Yacht for sale based in the Canary Islands, Spain. She has only had two owners from New and has been used for charter during the last year and a half. Before being coded for charter, the boat was used privately.

A Lagoon 500 Catamaran combines a great aesthetics look with legendary performance offering a level of comfort only found in much larger boats.

This particular Lagoon Catamaran is fully equipped for ocean cruising. Manoeuvrability is effortless; from the Flybridge, there is good visibility, and the two 80-hp Yanmar engines provide good power. The engines were replaced in 2017 and have been done at the time of recording 1500 hours. The sails, the lazy bag, and the bow net have recently been renewed. The owner says this boat is in excellent condition and ready to be used. She is kept in excellent order and used only for local charter in the Canary Islands. Viewings are available through Network Yacht Brokers.

Two Yanmar engines were replaced in 2016 at 1500 hrs.
Fuel Con. (GPH) 1 mph
Range 200
Fix Propeller
Sea Water Cooling System
2x500L Fuel Tanks
The engines are far from the living areas and perfectly insulated to be as quiet as possible.

General Equipment


Electric marble watermaker
Electrically motorized winches
Bimini awning on the flybridge
Gas Detector
Searchlights
Boarding Ladder
2 manual and 4 electric bilge pumps
6 fenders
Navigation Lights

Electricity:

220v port power input
220 V and 8,800 W generator KOHLER 739,43 hrs.
Mastervolt Inverter 12V to 220V 5,000W
Two Mastervolt battery chargers of 80 A each
Eight Batteries 12v 1350 the amo year 2016
Engine Alternator

Raymarine Electronics

GPS E120 Interfaced
Radar
Autopilot interfaced
Audio equipment
VHF
Battery control unit
Echo Sounder Raymarine
Wind Instrument Interfaced
Compass
Speed
Plotter Raymarine c120
Epirb McMurdo
Navtex
Log Raymarine

Deck equipment:

Anchor windlass and 75 m chain of 14mm
Rope 10 meters 32 mm
Davits

Safety Equipment

Life raft
Flares
Lifebuoys
12 Life Jackets
11 Fire Extinguishers

Sails:

It has a main (2020) and Genoa (2011)
Lazy bag renewed in 2019
Two Genoa Harken winches Self-tailing

Documentation:

Spanish flag with taxes paid
Currently on the 6th list
Ready for commercial use

Maintenance:

State of exceptional conservation
Replacement of two Yanmar 80 hp engines year 2016
Renovation of upholstered mattresses year 2016

Page and posts  / Network Yacht Brokers Barcelona home page. /  Commercial boats for sale 

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Doqueve Motor Boat Sold

Fun in the sun

Doqueve Motor Boat. We have a lovely Family cruising motor yacht for sale with excellent accommodation if you are looking Evening flybridge motor yacht Doqueve Motor Boat for a place in the sun. Great for weekends out in the bay or exploring the coast. Made by Doqueve, a respected Spanish boat builder, the yacht has been in Spain since purchased new. All the papers are correct, with VAT documents as required. The current owner bought the yacht in December 2019 and has gone out sailing only once since then. She has been used as an apartment in the Mediterainina for the rest of the time. The engine was last serviced in October 2019—antifouling and hull check in May 2021. The owner is selling because he wants to buy a bigger boat. Available for viewings in Port Ginesta.

Follow the link to the boat specification Motor Boat for sale.

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Stop boat smels

Dealing with a smelly boat loo (Marine Heads)

How to stop smells in my boat? It is well documented that most smell in a boat loo come from decomposing microscopic marine life. Saltwater teems with life and is used on most boats to flush a marine head. Therefore, if the saltwater is not rinsed with freshwater, like milk or fresh produce, it goes sour. You can buy all sorts of chemicals to deal with the problem. I never used any marine cleaning product. I will explain my method of avoiding a smelly loo below. Before you read that, if you suffered from a smell in the Heads compartment for some time, you might need to replace the piping. I know customers use all sorts of chemicals to eliminate a persistent smell. In the end, replacing the flexy waste pipe can be the only solution as that pipe can become degraded.

I will not get into the complex holding tank setup as the subject is worthy of another post. Let’s assume you only seek guidance on keeping a marine loo smell-free.

Keeping the Heads smelling fresh

how to stop smells in my boathow to stop smells in my boat

Most boats and yachts have a head setup similar to the image on the left showing a Jabsco manual loo. Perhaps you are lucky enough to have a quiet flush electric loo? A similar principle applies. However, the electric loo does not have a hand pump and the modern ones are flushed with fresh water, as shown in the right-hand image.

Hand-pumped seawater heads have the potential to be very unhygienic. The pump handle shaft can spread lots of bacteria and is often contaminated with water passing the housing top seal.

My method of flushing includes using the hand shower freshwater system to rinse any remains of seawater from the loo system finally. This way of cleaning the loo after use has many benefits. I also leave a bottle of baby oil in the Heads compartment giving a final squirt into the bowl before pumping this out. When the seal is worn, the liquid will get onto your hands as you use the pump. That’s not good at all! The baby oil helps to add a little life to the seal that sits below the handle.

Rinse the loo with fresh water at least once a day.

Most marine compartments have an electric bilge pump that evacuates shower water. The compartment should be fully waterproof. So rinse the loo and then rinses down the compartment with fresh water at least once a day. Most boats carry an abundance of freshwater. It is essential to keep this water flowing, so liberal shower use cannot harm. Far too often, I talk to people who believe fresh water should be rationed. If you keep a boat in a marina, freshwater will look after your investment, and you should use lots of it.

Clean your bilge

The same principle applies to the above, although a slight word of caution because some marine operators get upset if you start pumping bilge water into the marina. So for the sake of being correct, let’s assume you are in a place with no restrictions.

Using plenty of hot soapy water

Washing your bilges with lots of fresh soapy water will eliminate most bilge smells. Greasy substances can be first dissolved using plenty of hot soapy water. The choice of chemical you use rests on your conscience, but for me, a concentrated household liquid soap (the same you use for dishes) works as well as anything I found in any chandlers. You also have the advantage household soap is less expensive than a specialist marine-branded product.

Consider painting it after you have washed your bilge (I have used a steamer before). In my opinion, a boat bilge should always be dry and immaculately clean. I never found a boat with a clean bilge that had a boat odour issue. No matter how old your boat is, keeping the underfloor sections of a boat clean is always the best practice.

You are selling your boat. I have been a broker for many years. I am asked to assess the value of boats daily. It’s clear to me that a boat free from nasty smells is the one that sells first for the most.

See our post-Diesel Bug in fuel tanks  and  Water in the Bilge Mystery

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Selling Your Boat in Port Ginesta

Selling Your Boat in Port Ginesta

Sell your boat
Sell your boat in Port Ginesta

Do you have a boat for sale in Port Ginesta Marina Barcelona or anywhere in Spain? Perhaps with the Covid Pandemic, you haven’t been able to visit for some time? If you think buyers are not out in force now, you are wrong. We have lots of buyers for Motor Boats and Yachts in all price ranges.

Boats for Sale Network Yacht Brokers Barcelona

The market

Buyers are out in force and are busy looking for a boat for sale in Port Ginesta and have been through the winter months. Most buyers are Spanish and Northern Europeans. We haven’t seen the Brits on the scene for some time, possibly due to Brexit. There is considerable uncertainty surrounding the VAT status of boats and yachts imported and exported from the UK.

What is happening to the VAT

When posting this, the news is not very clear about VAT changes to boats and yachts. It would appear that the UK-registered boats will be treated the same as boats outside the EU and will not be unfairly penalised if they stay in Europe. Travel rules are clear for boats leaving the EU and coming back. For more information about changes in VAT rules, please get in touch with us in Port Ginesta. 

Flag registration

Free Valuation 

Network Yacht Brokers Barcelona offers a free boat valuation service. We also operate a no-sale no-fee Wheel Pirate ship for sale Barcelonabrokerage. Generally, yacht values have increased during the last six months. This is not the case for vessels that have not been maintained. Buyers want to see service history more than anything, so if you’re asking for the top-price boat, please ensure maintenance is up to date, and then you stand a good chance of selling.

Boats that have not seen owners for twelve months will be marked down slightly if not lifted out for service. The yard in Port Ginesta has been tranquil in recent months, no doubt, because owners cannot travel. Either the situation will remain the same, or the yard will become oversubscribed during February and March. Either way, call our office if you are considering selling or need maintenance. We will be happy to arrange this for you. 

More details and local information is available from Chiara at Network Yacht Brokers Barcelona.

 

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Solving a wet bilge on my boat

Solving a wet bilge mystery

If you have water in the bilge of your yacht and cannot find the source, my blog might help you locate your problem.

Jeanneau 43 Yacht Exhaust problemMany years ago, we took a beautiful Jeanneau 43 DS Yacht in exchange for a new Jeanneau 47 Ds. The 43 was in Palma Majorca, Spain. Part of the deal being we collected the PX and shipped it back to the base in North Wales. The deal was done, so we flew to Mallorca to collect the yacht. We sailed her back to Northern Spain, where she was collected by truck and delivered to the UK.

An irritating problem was discovered on the passage from Mallorca to the Spanish mainland. I questioned the old owner about the occasional running of the auto bilge pump during our passage to Spain. He said, “I have never been able to find out why that happens. She lets a little water into the bilge whenever I use the boat; the dealer who sold me the boat did try to fix it but said it was normal”!

A part-exchange deal on the yacht had already been done at this stage, so we accepted the 43 Ds without concerns believing we could easily find the problem. My engineers felt sure the hot water tank pressure release valve was faulty.

The nightmare began

As it happens, I decided to keep the 43DS Yacht for one season. Business was good, and she was such a beautiful sailing boat. It seemed a shame not to encourage my family to enjoy sailing a little. I decided to monitor the wet bilge to see if I could find out why it was always wet. It drove me nuts for weeks. The hot water tank was not to blame (that would be far too easy).

My excuse for not finding seacocks 43 ds jeanneauthe fault more quickly was leaving the marina. It was impossible not to motor against a strong incoming tide until fifteen minutes after leaving the berth. One might motor for half an hour on a bad day until sufficient water was under the keel, allowing the engine to be extinguished. My point is the engine was always running, so it was difficult to isolate the problem. The strange thing was that when the yacht sat for extended periods, the bilge stayed bone dry.

I decided to lift the yacht as a matter of good practice. We changed all the seacocks, deep-sea shaft seal and cutlass bearing. Disappointingly none of that made the slightest difference. When the engine ran every several minutes, we noticed a drop of water that appeared to be coming from under the engine and then ran along to the bilge pump located forward of midships.

The water ingress was annoyingly shaft seal jeanneau yachtlittle, but I had to find the cause. Another conversation with the old owner confirmed my suspicions that this problem had been around since the yacht was built. I had paperwork evidence that the flexy exhaust system had been changed under warranty. This had not resolved the issue.

Time to dig deep

We removed a section of the floor in front of the engine to expose the hull. Sure enough, when the engine was run above 2000 rpm, a small trickle of water occasionally appeared running along the inside of the hull towards the bilge. We were sure it was an exhaust issue but could not see any problems.

On the Jeanneau 43Ds, a stainless steel silencer box fits like a cassette under the engine. This exhaust Hidden silencer box 43 DS Yachtsilencer is not visible without removing even more floor sections, and what a job that was! Not convinced it was leaking, eventually, we decided to remove it to examine the underside of the engine. It’s not an easy job to get it out, but finally, out she came. Absolutely nothing to see!

Undeterred, we pressurised this sturdy-looking component only to find a pinhole in one of the stainless welds that gave up its secret. A fault from day one! We got it!!

A retrospective warranty claim

They paid for our labour to remove and refit after re-welding a conversation with Jeanneau. Problem solved.

Jeanneau 43 DS Yacht Exhaust on pontoonNow we get to the point of telling you this story. As it happens, the mystery was not confined to our yacht. I helped another dealer who was having a nightmare with a client. The same sort of problem, a tiny leak, but not when the yacht sat idle, so it was tough to diagnose the problem.

Anyone would not want to take the floor out of a yacht without concrete evidence that doing so would resolve the problem. Not everybody realises that such a significant component sits hidden under the engine compartment, concealed in a box section inside the hull stringers.

Now you all know.

If you found my blog interesting, have a look t my opinion on the Deisel bug issue causing more engine problems than any other individual engine fault in the marine industry.  

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What is the Diesel Bug and How Can You…

Microbial contamination of diesel by Rob Woodward 

Diesel bugs are the most significant cause of a diesel engine breakdown. Sure, It’s not the only cause of your engine stopping, but it’s right up there with things you don’t want to happen and can be easily avoided.
You’re very unlikely to suffer this fuel problem in your diesel car or truck because the fuel in your car passes through the system relatively quickly. Diesel bug is often found in boats’ fuel tanks with low fuel flow (not used daily).

My Background

I started sailing in 1992, and my hobby quickly became an obsession. In 1996, I moved to the coast and opened a marine engineering business in North Wales, UK. Before that, I owned a motor repair shop, having served an apprenticeship as a Deisel Mechanic looking after a fleet of trucks.
I owned several yachts over the years. I always modified the fuel system on my boats to avoid getting caught by the Deisel bug problem.

So what’s the long-term fix?

Some boat owners use a Deisel bug treatment, and I recommend adding this to your boat fuel tank as a precaution when buying a used boat or yacht. Plenty of good products exist on the Deisel bug filtermarket; it takes little research to find a good one. Diesel bug treatment is not a long-term fix, so you must know if the problem reoccurs. My suggestion will warn you about diesel bug infection and save you the inconvenience of sampling fuel during your daily engine checks for water contamination, the other major cause of boating breakdowns.

The solution is to fit a Glass Bowl Water Trap in the fuel line. It is a necessary upgrade; I wish it were an optional extra from new on all diesel-powered boats.

Once upon a time, It was common practice to fit a Glass Bowel Water Trap in engine compartments. Regulations have stopped manufacturers from doing this. My understanding is they are considered this practice to be a fire hazard. The jury is still out on that rule, especially now that modern water traps have become more fireproof. To remain legal, If you want to upgrade your boat or yacht, the water trap must be outside the engine space unless someone can tell me otherwise.
A decent engineer will find a safe place for the modification that’s legal and accessible. Probably good practice to keep the existing water trap and pre-filter system that will be most likely be housed in the engine compartment.

Canister water traps

canister water trapIf you are happy to sample a small amount of fuel from a canister-type filter, that’s your choice, but remember, every time you open the fuel system to drain down a sample, you will potentially allow air into the fuel system (and that’s not good).  The other big no-no about taking a sample is Diesel stinks; it’s like fixing your bike in your home’s kitchen. To see half a litre of fuel without disturbing it or contaminating the results within a glass bowl is so simple. This is the fastest way to ensure you have no worries about the fuel supply on your boat. A glass bowl water trap can also be the first item to look at if your engine starts to stutter. If you get water in the fuel, it will show up in seconds.

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Yacht Broker Job

My experience (Rob Woodward)

Become a Yacht Broker. It all started for me over thirty years ago, launching my 21-foot Coribee Yacht called “Banana Split” for the first time, messing about and then being horrified during recovery. It fell off the trailer! Shortly after this low point, my hobby became an obsession and a profession.

Join us to become a Yacht Broker.

I got my second Yacht, “Kuan Yin”, a 36-foot sailing ketch. Owning a bigger boat than a daysailer, I felt the scale of responsibility shift from forgivable and expected to the stuff of nightmares. Mistakes were going to be expensive! I realised quickly I needed help and knowledge. So, I set about getting every boating qualification I could. Circumstances fell into place (as once in a lifetime they do for a lucky few). I was allowed almost unrestricted access to my daily drug of boats and boating. I was finally selling everything to buy a Yacht Broker’s business. This was only the start of my Yacht Brokers’ life.

Five years of experience around boats is enough.

Lots of trades have an established path that delivers the ultimate goal. The Marine industry does not offer a set path to becoming a Yacht Broker. However, five years of working around boats and then learning to become a Yacht Broker is a standard route.

The most obvious candidates to slip into a job as a Yacht Broker will be ex-charter skippers or Super-yacht crews. Besides, understanding boats, skippers and crew will have mixed with people who bought a boat or might be considering buying one. Nothing strange about people who buy boats and yachts, but they are more likely to be engaged in an exciting conversation with a Broker who has boating experience. If you are a boat owner with sales experience, transferring your skills to become a yacht broker is easy, just so long as an established Brokerage supports you while you learn the trade.

Happy customers

Boat buyers don’t need to share all the circumstances of how they became lucky to afford such a luxury as a boat or yacht. Therefore, a Yacht Broker does not need to sell the idea of buying a boat to a client.

Boats for sale in Barcelona

A broker’s primary job involves sitting between two parties, getting to a deal and ensuring fair play between buyer and seller to the best of his ability. It’s the seller that pays the Brokers fee. However, the Broker is very aware when the old owner has gone; the Broker is left supporting the buyer.

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Selling in a more traditional sense occurs when a new boat is sold (the subject of a future blog). It is indeed subtly different from a Yacht broker’s job.

Working for yourself as a Broker

Generally, unless you are part of a more prominent organisation that supports you through tough times, Simply starting as an independent  Broker will not work. Building up a portfolio of boats that will sustain your overheads is almost impossible. If you can fund three to four years in a Great location, you might be able to build a Yacht Brokerage business. In my opinion, anyone selling a franchise operation where you don’t own a stake in that business will always be the winner, and you will be nothing more than a tool that helps the franchise grow.

Sell your boat with us.

Joining a Cooperative offers the benefits of a large organisation. All the rewards of your hard work as an individual business stay with you. Helping us all to build the brand has significant advantages in the future. Existing Network Yacht Brokers businesses have been sold to new owners wanting to enter the industry. The right to sell an existing licence to operate as a Network Yacht Broker is a fundamental principle of the Group. We also allow some selected partner companies to grow a brokerage using the Group brand as part of their business, provided they follow basic brand guidelines.

How I Became a Yacht Broker, follow this link to a video. 

Is it a young man’s game? Become a Yacht Broker

Of all the mistakes I made, becoming a Yacht Broker was not one of them. As a mature person, I have life skills that I can pass on to the next generation. My customers tend to be similar to me, although I notice they are getting younger, which is odd. When I started as a Broker, my clients were much older than me. Anyway, I will work that one out when I retire… haha.

The point is you can become a Yacht Broker at any age. Essential qualifications are a passion for boats and a love of people. Honesty will sustain your career. Getting that first break is tough. My advice is, “Never Give Up”! I have trained plenty of young Brokers, who became my friends.

February 2021, if you want info about Jobs in our Group, please get in touch with us. I note that several companies are currently advertising a Yacht Broker Job. Perhaps you are thinking of setting up a business as a Yacht Broker? Talk to me; many opportunities exist in Medditerrainain if you fancy setting up your own company.

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Boat for Sale Barcelona

We have boats for sale at Network Yacht Brokers waiting for you.

This post by Network Yacht Brokers Barcelona will bring you up to speed with last season’s events and offer a personal perspective on the current boats for sale Spanish Yacht and Boat market.

Covid restrictions during 2020.lovely sunset barcelona 55 Boats for Sale

Despite steady boat buyers, we have seen fewer international boat owners this year. Some people have been brave and relied on our walk-around detailed video before making a final buying offer. Others have ignored travel advice and found a way to get to Spain. Interesting to note that Spanish buyers have been out in force looking at boats for sale this year despite the pandemic.

Boat for sale in Barcelona.

When travel restrictions get lifted, we are in a unique geographical position. Our buyers will once again travel the globe to visit Barcelona. We sold some boats that left for America, and it is worth noting that we expect to open our first Network Yacht Brokers office in the USA very soon.

It certainly seems that where there is a boat for sale, a buyer will find it thanks to our incredible marketing system. That same system has been the focal point of considerable interest across the water. I will keep you posted as things develop.

New Network Yacht Brokers Offices.

Despite Covid, our Group has grown. In one year, we opened six new Network Yacht Brokers offices. The offices are in Dover Kent, Gosport, Portsmouth, Bristol, Cows Isle of White, and East Anglia. By pushing forward with our plans to expand our Group, we will bring you the best boats and yachts for sale from around Europe. Our appeal goes out to an international boat buyers market.

Sophisticated marketing tools sell boats.

Once upon a time, we would gather and plan three months of magazine advertising. We were always rushing to get photographs developed and sent to publishers. That was almost thirty-five years ago when “boats for sale” could be a shipwreck. We still sell old boats, and some need lots of refurbishment, but GRP has generally taken over the leisure markets.

Don’t misunderstand. Aluminium and Steel will always have a place in marine applications but are becoming even more expensive to construct and less prevalent in the marketplace.

Whatever material it’s made from, we will find a buyer If you have a “boat for sale” on our system. A boat placed on our sale system is exported automatically to multiple specialist web platforms. Buyers travel worldwide to visit our boats safely in the Knowledge that our Brokers are professional and operate from within marina locations. Our sophisticated computerised sharing system allows our brokers to reach all parts of the globe. A buyer can find it advertised within a few hours of listing a boat or yacht for sale.

It is a point to remember that no matter how sophisticated systems are, real people sell boats and can never be replaced.

Barcelona a Great City to visit

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Espanya

Weather Forecast Barcelona Best Time To Visit

Best Time to Visit Barcelona.

Compared to many other places globally, have you ever wondered why Weather Forecast Barcelona is often inaccurate? How can it be so in this day and age? So when is the best time to visit?

A straightforward answer to all weather-related questions for Barcelona is impossible; the subject is vast, and my knowledge is limited. However, I am happy to share some of my observations as a sailor living in Barcelona for several years. I hope my experience answers your basic questions on the subject.  

“Google”. “Weather Forcast Barcelona.” or “weather forecast Barcelona best time to visit.”

I can answer that general weather question if it refers to late spring or early summer. ” The Weather in Barcelona is amazing“! Any other time apart from mid-summer, when it’s hot hot hot, is excellent! The weather forecast for Barcelona and the surrounding area is incredibly complex, so change your “Google” question to  “Weather Forcast Barcelona City Centre” (or district). This will work better as It’s impossible to generalise all areas in Barcelona.

 

lovely sunset barcelona 55 Weather Forecast Barcelona

A few basics might help you understand my point.

When discussing the Weather forecast in Barcelona, we should consider this a general statement covering an area of more than 100 kilometres. Only in summer can a forecast be nearly correct for every Barcelona area.

More about weather forecasting in Barcelona.

Long summer days when weather systems follow a regular pattern in Spain are not particularly interesting. Hot summers on the beach anywhere in Catalonia can be enjoyed and predicted by everyone. Winter weather in Barcelona and surrounding areas is fascinating. To make a point in this post, let’s skip summer forecasting. 

Autumn in Barcelona.

At the end of summer, the weather transforms overnight from very settled and predictable to often violent, with a much more complex mood as the first snow falls across the Pyrenees. After the snow, winds and storms across the area are massively affected by ice-cold air descending from the mountains. That air crashes into the warm air rising from the Mediterranean Sea. The winds are called mistral and affect many parts of southern France. They play havoc with incoming weather systems even during the summer months, as the air on the top of the mountains is always chilled. Roses in Northern Spain and the coast road in France near Spain’s border often have strong wind warnings even when the weather is relatively calm a few miles away.

September 2020 saw headlines appearing announcing the onset of early snow in the Pyrenees, a sure sign of a long cold winter in Barcelona.

“Early snowfall during September 2020 across French mountain ranges.”

Storm in Barcelona Weather best time to visitSnow has fallen in the Pyrenees very early this year, causing temperatures to drop significantly, leaving a “remarkable” amount of snow forcing some roads to close.”

So, we can blame the early snow in the Pyrenees for the long cold winter in Barcelona! It might be possible to correctly track the weather events that triggered this unpredicted snowfall in September 2020. Indeed one might even look deeper and consider the weather patterns associated with El Niño and global warming.

What is El Niño?

El Niño is the name given to the warm phase of the Global Southern Temperature Oscillation associated with a warm ocean water band. Simply put, El Niño is a cycle of warm and cold sea surface temperatures (Warm water develops in the central and east-central equatorial Pacific). 

As a result of the El Niño effect, all places on Earth have varied winters every few years. All other factors, including global warming, must be dropped into the weather mixing pot, resulting in an ever-changing and complex subject exaggerated greatly by local sea temperatures.

Local conditions are affected by the sea.

Let’s look at the bigger picture again, affecting the Mediterranean Sea. We all know that the oceans are affected by the moon’s daily gravitational pull. This effect is as it passes over us, and to a lesser degree, the sun’s track relating to the moon. Before you think I have lost the plot, please stay with me. We will get back to Barcelona’s local weather in a moment! 

I am sure you know the sun and moon have little effect on tidal flows in the Mediterranean. This lack of tidal flow in the Mediterranean happens because the land is less attracted to the sun or moon. Therefore, as we do not have such a tidal water flow in the Mediterranean, temperatures remain much more contained (The water stays warmer for longer). 

When the warm Mediterranean Sea air rises towards the land, it meets Icy cold air falling from the fresh snow on the Pyranise Mountains. The energy created from this event creates localised storms, particularly over Barcelona and Spain’s lowlands.  

Global weather systems

High and low-pressure weather systems generally formed over the oceans travel the globe. As they circulate, powerful low-pressure forces bully dominant high-pressure systems. When all forces are mixed with local wind, forecasting must be very localised to be accurate at a given time.  

Barcelona is not unique, but temperatures and weather vary massively in populated local districts.  

To summarise, when considering a forecast request to “Google”. In the winter months for Barcelona, consider asking a more localised question. Remember, in Castelldefels or Sitges (south of the city centre), the weather can differ significantly from that found in Barcelona’s centre. Varied weather is one of the attractions of sailing in the area. Generally, we have excellent wind and warm days. Severe storms at sea usually happen during the winter months and are dangerous. If you plan to sail during the winter months in the Mediterranean, please look out for rapidly developing thunderstorms. Severe weather along coastal areas in Catalonia can quickly develop occasionally; forecasting is wrong.

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Liveaboard a Boat

Liveaboard a boat in a marina

I got you to question your ability to survive living on a boat in my first blog, “living on a boat“. I will add more detail to the questions I raised in all parts of the blogs later, but for now, I offer further thoughts in this blog I am calling Liveaboard.

Location Location Location

Port Ginesta Marina from droneSome say the marketing phrase “location location location” is used to death in the property world. Is it? Your business and home location are critical to success and happiness; moving is never straightforward and can prove financially crippling once you commit to a mortgage or rental contract.
Not being in the same place forever is perhaps not a consideration if you’re a Liveaboard; slip the lines, and you are off! Indeed this will be one of the factors you must consider if you’re getting out of the rat race. However, the reality is this; most people don’t move when they find a place they like. Generally, people put down roots and make a living in the local community. So your choice of location is critical in much the same way as if you were buying or renting a conventional home.

Up sticks and moves are always a pain, especially if you are a liveaboard. If you are already liveaboard specific questions about your following location will be running through your mind before you commit. Do I tell the new Marina I am a Liveaboard? Read my comments about registering as a Marina Liveaboard in my first blog Living on a Boat.

If you find a lovely Marina that ticks most of your boxes, try it for a while and learn from your mistakes.

Don’t get a horrible place in the Marina.

A challenge you will have to work on is whereabouts in a Marina will be happy.Yard Port Ginesta
A great Marina location is critical to your comfort, and you will soon learn where not to be based in a Marina. Unfortunately, a less-than-perfect location will undoubtedly be the spot the Marina will first offer you. This position will be in the exact horrible location for all new boat owners. It is true that busy Marinas only have limited space. They spend much time looking after existing tenants who regularly pay berthing accounts.

Paying on time or in advance for your berthing account is vital to the marina operator turning a blind eye if you become a liveaboard. It is undoubtedly the case; nobody wants a scruffy Tennant boat or owner who is always the last to pay his/her Marina bill in the Marina.

If you are moving to a Marina during the summer, a weather location is not your number one concern. If your choice of Marina is to stay in one that appears complete, cunning tactics must be applied to find a perfect location. A full blog will follow tactics that might help you find an excellent spot for your boat, briefly outlined below.

What has worked for me

A busy marina is hard to get into, or at least that’s what you think. Suppose I told you that I have never been refused a berth in a Marina at any time. I have cruised the Mediterranean and the UK extensively for over thirty years as a private individual, professional sailing instructor, and in the past twenty-odd years, as a yacht broker. I organised many cruises in-company, arranging berthing for over twenty visiting boats and yachts to stay in Marinas.

The golden rule is not to make it too hard for the individual offering to help, and remember, a Marina operator who wants your money will work with you from the start to find a perfect location. A little more local knowledge is needed if you arrange flotilla holidays and you want to raft twenty-odd boats, but one thing I learned. In the Marine world, flexibility and goodwill towards each other seem to be common themes that run through this fantastic industry.

Get in touch

If you want to rent a berth in Spain, email us. We will be happy to help and advise.
From our perspective, Port Gineata in Barcelona is a perfect location for us. We have sold and continue to rent many berths in our Marina. Our ideal location is far enough from Barcelona’s centre, so visiting is a treat. This location also gives us the advantage of being near Sitges Marina, one of the prettiest Marina locations in Mainland Spain on the Costa Garraf, about twenty kilometres from Port Ginesta.

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