Anchoring in Gib no longer allowed

[Abigail]

We're in Gib for a few days and had planned to anchor north of the runway, as all pilot books suggest is possible (even the most recent). However, it's no longer allowed to anchor anywhere in Gibraltar. (That's for small yachts; there's plenty of commercial ships anchored in the bay.)

You must go into one of the marinas (currently only Queensway Quay and Marina Bay) to clear in, and, having done so must stay on a berth. Apparently if you go and anchor off, the Police come and make you move. We were told that this is a result of the marinas accepting the role of customs and immigration for visiting yachts, so that you cannot clear in and out at the waterport anymore. Talk about a major PITA!

The anchorage at La Linea is still operating, but you cannot dinghy over to Gib, and I understand that La Linea is still the dinghy theft capital of southern Europe!

Hope this helps someone.

 

[mike_bryon]

thanks for posting this even if it is a bit of a blow. we plan to arrive in gib by the end of the month and planned to anchor at the end of the runway.

do you know if there is room in the marinas? and what the cost is?

thanks again and fair winds

 

[Poignard]

Perhaps things would be better if the place was returned to Spain!

 

[DaveNTL]

Why? Would that stop the Spaniards nicking dinghies?

 

[Grehan]

This was discussed some months ago on YBW (with photographs) (if not before then)
http://www.ybw.com/forums/showflat.php?C...rue#Post1397275

Anchoring has not been allowed for well over a year - two years?.
La Linea is now popular but it is in a different country!

 

[purplerobbie]

[ QUOTE ]
do you know if there is room in the marinas? and what the cost is?

thanks again and fair winds

[/ QUOTE ]
Marina bay is £14 a day for a 12mtr boat and it looked like there was room when i was there a week ago.
Rob

 

[Abigail]

I think it has been banned since earlyish 2006, but we only found out by accident when surfing on Gib a couple of days before we got here. And it's a major pain for any non-EU boat looking for a cheap VAT holiday.

There seems to be room, but we radioed Queensway Quay as we came in and they said they had no room for a 12m yacht. When we went down there the other day there seemed plenty of room so maybe they had a rally in, or we're too scruffy, or they don't like Brit boats ... Marina Bay seems to have room, despite a couple of rallies in this week.

 

[Poignard]

Quote:

Dear Sir,

I am not aware of this matter. If it were true I would be.

Best regards

Captain C W Brand

Chief Executive / Captain of the Port, Gibraltar Port Authority, North Mole, Gibraltar
Tel: 00350 77254, Fax: 00350 51513, www.gibraltarport.com

-----Original Message-----
From: "Twisterowner"
Sent: 26 June 2007 17:59
To: ceo.gpa@gibtelecom.net
Subject: Anchorage for yachts at Gibraltar

Dear Sir

It is being reported here [UK] that yachts may no longer anchor off Gibraltar and are being forced, by the police, to enter commercial marinas.

Is this true? If so, what is the position for a yacht putting in in distress or seeking temporary shelter?

Sincerely "Twisterowner"
Unquote

 

[Abigail]

Well that's really interesting. Becuase the marinas are definitely saying this and there are no yachts there. We will investigate this as well.

 

[Abigail]

Further update from the CEO of the port. (Thanks Twisterowner, I'd not have thought of emailing him. I must say he's extremely prompt with his replies!)

I wrote explaining what I've discovered, as above, expanding a little on the previous correspondence. This is his reply

"Yachts are allowed to anchor off Gibraltar, in those areas where there is no restriction. Currently there is a restriction in place north of the runway. In the e-mail I replied to nothing was mentioned with regard to specific areas, only anchoring off Gibraltar

For example there is nothing preventing a yacht anchoring on the East Side if it so wishes, or any other area where there is no restrictions. However, should any of the crew on board, or passengers, wish to come ashore they will have to abide by the necessary clearing requirements in place on the west side of Gibraltar, normally through a marina. "

I take this to mean that you CAN anchor in specific places, eg to the east of the rock, but you can't come ashore except through a marina, unless you contact the Port and make other arrangements. Not a lot of help if you want your yacht to leave the EU but fine for storm shelter. What is also not clear is where the restricted areas are.

I have suggested that they make this clear on the port website and the official tourism website!

 

[charles_reed]

In the immortal words of

Randy Mice-Davies "well they would, wouldn't they"

 

[purplerobbie]

[ QUOTE ]
I think it has been banned since earlyish 2006, but we only found out by accident when surfing on Gib a couple of days before we got here. And it's a major pain for any non-EU boat looking for a cheap VAT holiday.

There seems to be room, but we radioed Queensway Quay as we came in and they said they had no room for a 12m yacht. When we went down there the other day there seemed plenty of room so maybe they had a rally in, or we're too scruffy, or they don't like Brit boats ... Marina Bay seems to have room, despite a couple of rallies in this week.

[/ QUOTE ]

I was told that the queensway are a bit fussy who they let in?
I dont know if there is any truth in this or what it is they dont like?
It's a bit chaeper than marina bay and i asked about moving my boat but was told they wouldnt let me in. This was only by other people in the marina.
It's floating pontoons too so it's easier to get on and off than marina bay.
Rob
.

 

[samwise]

We have made two recent (within the past month) to Gib and space was getting tight. As the season progresses it gets tighter and you must forward book to stand a chance of a spot. even then they can usually only accommodate short stays ( Two or three days maximum). We found Marina Bay very helpful, Queensway much less so. They are clearly targeting the bigger and more expensive yachts and our modest 10 metres was clearly below the salt. If you go to Queensway, the price of the beers in the quayside bars give an indication of their target customer! The confusion over anchoring has been going on for ages. For example we heard that if you were anchoring off the runway, you had to dinghy into La Linea and go through the border control everytime you wanted to go into Gib. It seems that Twisterowner may have set the ball rolling towards a resolution.

 

[trouville]

Im very glad this winter was such a dry one and ive been able to escape up the canals with an 8HP.Gib used to be such a great place to stay and then Spain was never crowded,la linea was just a dusty village with no thieft.

Perhaps its the muslim inflence in the spanich that cause them to be so lazy and steal In Belgium ive been warned not to go near to large towns city as there are mostly muslim thieves liveing in them today

Euopeans in the contry them in the towns same with ports.At least the costitution of Gibralta forbids the building of mosques so at least there wont be political egoists preaching their hatered there.Perhaps thats why its now so full=P???

 

[jerryat]

Hi Trouville, there was a damned great mosque built right by the lighthouse in Gib a few years ago surely!! At least there was when we visited Gib a few times - the last in 2003.

Have they demolished it!!

Hope you are having a great time, heading for the Baltic now aren't you?? Jerry

 

[trouville]

Well my son was in Gibralter a while ago,and he told me there had been a mosque built which IS against the fundimental parts of the constitution

Saddly the small simple people that become political are also very corupt Saudi arabia (ben laden the millionair builder still working in Europe and the USA) pay millions in corrupt bribes(brown envolopes with instructions how to hide it) and so its been in GIB would you as a gibralterian refuse a million dollers just to build a mosque??? In jeruselem the jews are also corruptüü and have alowed the muslims to build several mosques aroud the blue mosque

I hate muslims their lazy corupt cheeating the system and are dirty and agresiveè

At least aboard i can avoid them. Yes im on the way to the Baltic,sadly as last year my route may be blocked by beuracracy? tHE germans want boat driveing papers etc plus its almost winter again time to head back to the med???

Found a super cafe super shop and super free mooring with water about 50m and power 60m plus ive got a generator i paid 50 euros for so far though my solar panels and 120m electric rolles in total(2 plus 25m) have proved enough to keep my "new" compressor fridge cool enough

Life hears just sooooooooooooooooooooooooo good no idea what winters like though but must be cold??????????Limburgs not far from the ardenns

Best wishes steve and stella