Sailing from Spain to the Canary Islands - Feedback needed!

[ulysse]

Hi!
I have the project to travel from France to the Canary island without taking any planes or ferry in October/november. I have no experiences about sailing but would like this opportunity to be my first one. I plan to go to the South of Spain on the Atlantic side and basically doing a boat-hitchhiking until I found a crew willing to let me join the to Spain.
My questions are the following:

• Is anyone ever done something similar and it is feasible?
• Where would be the ideal spot to seek for a crew?
• Any recommendations?

 

[BEERMAN]

I have "crewed" on deliveries and Captained bareboat charters on many mono/catamarans up and down the U.S. east coast and the Caribbean. "No experience" doesn't make it impossible but could limit opportunities. Is your plan Oct/Nov this year? if you have time consider taking a basic keel boat class to learn your way around a sailboat, learn nomenclature and basic sailing skills.

Overnight passages are very different from day charters, we work watch shifts, usually 4-6 hours depending on number of crew. My longest blue water passage was 2 weeks. My friend with no experience crewed with us on that trip, he was seasick the first 4 days, but several days after that he started to catch on and was very helpful. At the end we were exhausted and my friend said it was a one and done experience for him..LOL!

There is a CruisersForum website you can google, join and start asking questions on sites like that.

I admire that you are willing to try this, good luck/fairwinds and a follow up of your experience would be appreciated!

 

[Pauline]

Moving this to the Spain forum.