We have been in our current marina for 3 months. It’s time to move on!
When I only lived aboard, I dreamed of living on the hook. Swinging around at anchor without a single solid surface in range of our hull. No neighbors, no dock lines, no shore power, just the boat as it’s self contained world. When we set off to go cruising, the beginning was this very dream come true! Every night we anchored in a calm and protected spot. This then continued on as we voyaged internationally. The Bahamas had a bit less of the protection but much more beautiful waters to swim in. Bermuda was beautiful and well protected. Then came the Azores.
The anchorages are very deep, about 50 feet or more of depth and a rock bottom. Not really ideal! By contrast, the marinas are really inexpensive. As you can imagine, we chose to tie up in a marina where 10 months cost us €2100. We then left the comfort of the Azores and reached mainland Portugal where we once again tied up for another 3 months. The cost was a bit higher at €270 per month, but still really reasonable given how the anchorages in this area are similar to the Azores. 13 months and €2910 later, we are finally leaving the marina life and heading back into the hook!
We plan on leaving tomorrow and sailing about 400 nautical miles to the south coast of Portugal where we will once again live on the hook!
We plan to anchor from now until December, when we will be finding a marina to leave the boat in and fly back to the United States to visit with family over Christmas. Tomorrow we begin a three month stretch at anchor!
