SoF Berths

[Chris H]

Can I tap into the knowledge of the sof boaters please, getting close to pulling the trigger on a boat but I’m going in blind, so to speak, as never owned anything above 19ft and that was along time ago.

Our ideal choice would be a Portofino 53 in Beaulieu, I’m aware that berths are all over the place at the min and it seems Beaulieu is expensive, I want to keep costs to a minimum for the first year until we find our way around, not interested in buying a berth as we want to move around.

What we keep thinking is......... should we get something a bit smaller, Portofino 47 and would there be a big difference in berthing costs.

Any recommendations welcome !

 

[markc]

First off the beam is more critical than the length. Then, different ports have different jump points eg. 15m - 18m - 25m, so if you are 16m on an 18m mooring it will be more expensive pro-rata. Someone with good Sunseeker knowledge will pop along soon and advise on beam with your 2 choices.

The other key factor is availibility of annual berths - like hen's teeth. Unless you have a secure berth you could be a nomad for a year. Having said that, quite a few marinas have their leases ending in the next couple of years, so buying one of those could be a good short term option. Fyi, our Port leases run until Jan 21 with an option to extend for another 10 years. Cost for our 17m x 5m mooring is approx 14,000 euros per year (inc the original lease cost)

 

[mcanderson]

Hi,

We keep our boat in Beaulieu and there is a great deal of turmoil as to what is going on with the berths this year.

If you are buying via local broker tell them a years berthing is mandatory for you.

PM me if you want more.

 

[MapisM]

Unless you have a secure berth you could be a nomad for a year.

Blimey, is that true for most SoF?
That sounds pretty far from my idea of boating for pleasure... :ambivalence:

 

[Portofino]

Porto 47 for sale in La Nap comes with a berth or easily negotiated in the deal as its in a SS berth .
IPS boat so your fuel bill will 1/2 or less than a P 53
4.3 beam and 14/15 M + lift and annual maintenance will also be about 1/2 .
Turn key package.
Weather is bit settled and islands near as well as St Trop an hour away so your cruising options or valuable boat time is not wasted at the W of Cannes
Also road link is better along with the train and parking .

 

[Bouba]

Blimey, is that true for most SoF?
That sounds pretty far from my idea of boating for pleasure... :ambivalence:

I am on my final year of my berth, unfortunately it’s in a river mouth, so even though I pay for the full year I can only use it in the summer. The river is too dangerous in the winter. So for half the year I take a winter berth wherever there is a place available in convenient port. That means when I go cruising in the winter, and stay at another port, I’m actually paying three times for that night! Once for my permanent place, a second for my winter place and third time for my visitor mooring :disgust:

 

[Chris H]

Thanks guys, don’t seem to hear much about IPS weather good or bad, just high maintenance costs, would there be a big difference in berth cost between the two ?

 

[jrudge]

Numerous debates - mostly from people who dont have them!

In summary are they complex? Yes.

If they go wrong will the bill be expensive? Probably - but so can out drives.

Can anyone repair them ? You are probably tied to Volvo for anything major

Are they unreliable? There have been almost no people on the forum who have first hand experience of problems. Does not mean they don't exist, but they are probably not as frequent as the nay sayers suggest

Are they worth it? Depends on your view. You tend to gain handling and cabin space and ( I think) fuel economy at the expense of something that can only really be fixed by Volvo and their computer and might have a big bill if it goes bang. ( by contrast a shaft drive diesel can be worked on by most marine ( or truck) engineers. If you cruise off the beaten track they might not be the best option.

Do I have them? No ! I did have out drives and had few issues. Its a boat and it will go wrong!

 

[Portofino]

You need to look at various ports prices , 18 M For aP 53and 14 M for a P 47/48
They do shaft P 47 as well, if unknown bills of a 10 y IPS are to be removed from the equation?
I highlighted the just listed IPS P47 as I know I can come with a berth for £1 K / pcm in La Nap
Boils down to a 2 cabin or 3 cabin boat .
If you have running cost anxiety the 53 will cost 1/2 as much again over a season factor in 200 L / hr for fuel
So a day trip to St Trop from Beaulieu say 4 hrs running 800 L @ €1.6 /7 and basically it's a £ grand for a day out in fuelalone .
Lerins islands about 1hr each way from B

While we are talking about P 53 , s you do realise the best engine option is the R6 MAN .
There's a Lemon of a boat powered by CAT s Sunseeker have trying to shift , if it's that one ? Ps check the service history and get a CAT guy to do a proper check . ITS had water in the exhaust issues and a few owners

 

[petem]

You need to look at various ports prices , 18 M For aP 53and 14 M for a P 47/48
They do shaft P 47 as well, if unknown bills of a 10 y IPS are to be removed from the equation?
I highlighted the just listed IPS P47 as I know I can come with a berth for £1 K / pcm in La Nap
Boils down to a 2 cabin or 3 cabin boat .
If you have running cost anxiety the 53 will cost 1/2 as much again over a season factor in 200 L / hr for fuel
So a day trip to St Trop from Beaulieu say 4 hrs running 800 L @ €1.6 /7 and basically it's a £ grand for a day out in fuelalone .

Porto, how much is a 10.5m x 3.45m rental berth in La Nap? Is it even possible to get in?

 

[Portofino]

Porto, how much is a 10.5m x 3.45m rental berth in La Nap? Is it even possible to get in?

Looking at the tariff system about €6350 .
Or buy for asking price €78 K until 2029 so 12 seasons

http://www.mooringspot.com/ads/place-mln0064-port-la-napoule-mandelieu-11-m-x-378-m

http://www.portlanapoule.fr/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Tarifs-Postes-Amodiés.pdf

 

[mcanderson]

Here is a link to Beaulieu annual berth costs https://www.portdebeaulieu.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/TARIFS-2019.pdf

However you won’t get a berth by just asking as there is a wait list. As I mentioned in my first post, get the broker to sort a berth for you for the year. They can pull strings in Beaulieu, but you will have no traction at all. Of course if you already are in Beaulieu then you know this.

Mention is cheaper, St Jean is more expensive and just about all the Côte d’Azur ports have wait lists for annual rental berths.

Porto’s planning figures are bang on. It takes us about an hour to get to the Lerins and 2 hours to St Tropez. However we often just go to Villefranche (20 mins) or St Jean (5 mins).

 

[KINGFISHER 8]

Depends which part of the South of France you choose - I bought a 30 year lease on my 12m berth which costs the equivalent of €800 a year. No tourist hordes, no traffic jams all summer, no full anchorages, sandy beaches and the Cote Vermeille to explore all the way to Spain. The berth is still worth what I paid for it 4 years ago! … :encouragement:

 

[mcanderson]

Very true, but I made the assumption of CdA.

 

[Chris H]

We’ve been delayed but heading down south from Friday for a week to watch the GP and have a few potential boats lined up to view.

 

[mcanderson]

Good luck! We’ve just arrived in Beaulieu for two weeks plus.

 

[Chris H]

So.....got a boat and bought a berth in Saint Jean Cap Ferrat, got stung a bit on the berth as we weren’t told about change of ownership and change of actions(shares) fees but I’ve been offered a good profit on the berth so can’t complain, not looking to move on anytime soon but I’m told when our lease runs out in December 21, there will be no more long term leases, they will all be on a yearly basis.

 

[mcanderson]

Chris,

this is exactly what they said at Beaulieu. However, when the leases all ran out at the end of 2018 there was no new ownership for the port in place so they gave all the leaseholders a 6 month free extension while they sorted it all out. Of course it wasn’t sorted, and it still rattling on. So the leaseholders will all get 3 years of free extensions less annual fees.

I’m not saying that St Jean will be the same, but ask Diddier what he thinks will happen. St Jean has just had a big makeover so might be a better proposition for someone to buy up and take over. The shops and restaurants of St Jean will be taking a battering with this lockdown and I just hope they survive.

 

[Chris H]

Chris,

this is exactly what they said at Beaulieu. However, when the leases all ran out at the end of 2018 there was no new ownership for the port in place so they gave all the leaseholders a 6 month free extension while they sorted it all out. Of course it wasn’t sorted, and it still rattling on. So the leaseholders will all get 3 years of free extensions less annual fees.

I’m not saying that St Jean will be the same, but ask Diddier what he thinks will happen. St Jean has just had a big makeover so might be a better proposition for someone to buy up and take over. The shops and restaurants of St Jean will be taking a battering with this lockdown and I just hope they survive.

A free three year extension would be very welcome !,
I’m told this is what will be happening with all ports once the leases are up.

 

[mcanderson]

Last time I spoke to Dider and his wife they think St Jean will be handled a bit better, as it would be hard to make it worse!

It might end up in the Riviera Ports portfolio - Riviera Ports