Anchoring in Provence

johnb2

johnb2

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Last year I took my boat through the French rivers and canals to Port St Louis du Rhone.



This year's plan/hope is to cruise the calanques and offshore islands of Provence and the Cote d'Azur. I was hoping to spend a lot of time at anchor rather than pay marina charges so need fairly accurate pilotage info. I have the relevant Heikell guides and the Bloc Marine. I'll be buying the local French charts. Are there any other sources of pilotage info which you would recommend me to get?



I have in previous years cruised North and West Brittany using Tom Cunliffe's pilots in conjunction with Bloc Marine and SHOM charts and managed to avoid being wrecked, so I'm not a complete nerd!



The main difference in Provence seems to be unpredictable winds which can turn what looks like a pleasant overnight anchorage into a nightmare. I'm a great fan of Meteo France forecasts but are they adequate to warn me of overnight strong winds?



Any help or comments would be gratefully received.

Rather belatedly and after advice from experienced CA members I realise that my chain is probably too short for secure anchoring in the calanques. Any suggestions for a sensible minimum length? The boat is 9.3m/6t and has 20m chain plus 30m rope. Correction: 30m chain plus 20m rope.

(Posted on YBW Reader to Reader and Liveaboard)
 
Don't worry - anchoring out is easy in Provence.

In summer, most evenings are flat calm once the thermal breezes have died down, and there are thousands of anchorages.


The Mistrals are forecast several days ahead with great reliability. If you decide to anchor out in a Mistral, there are plenty of places with good protection against swell, if not wind.

You might want to beef up your ground tackle though if you want to stay at anchor during Mistrals. I have a 9.3m boat with 55m chain and 16kg main anchor, and use a kellet on occasions.
 
I would have thought that 30mtrs chain and 20mtrs rope is OK for 9mtr/6ton boat. Calanques aren't deep presumably.
Another possibly lightweight Fortress with some chain but more rope would be great as a backup if you're sitting out a Mistral. As would a long line to the land!!
 
tri39 said:
I would have thought that 30mtrs chain and 20mtrs rope is OK for 9mtr/6ton boat. Calanques aren't deep presumably.
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For nine years in Provence I used to have 35m chain and 30m rode on a 10kg Delta anchor and that definitely wasn't enough for my 9.3m 5.5ton boat in a Mistral, even in good holding like the sand of Cavalaire bay, anchoring in 3m. This year I have 16kg Delta and 55m chain and am confident now that I have the ground tackle to anchor in up to 10m, whatever the wind or the holding. It is all a compromise of how much flexibility/comfort/expense you want to undergo...
 
We cruised Provence and Cote d'Azur for two seasons and found it wonderful with many anchorages and hidey-holes. In fact, because there are so many good anchorages it can be a very cheap cruising ground so long as you buy your food somewhere rational (not St Tropez!)

Meteo France is good, and if you can get grib files that will help your comfort. There is generally good warning of mistrals. The only time we ever got caught out was a little inattention to a nasty southerly when in the Rade de Villefranche, and that blew over in about 3 hours.

You *will* need plenty of rode. We started with 60m of chain and 55lb CQR on a 13 ton, 12m boat. We upgraded to 80m of chain, and 50lb rocna, because of depth and weed encountered on this coast.

I am not going to have the rocna/cqr/spade etc debate again. We're happy. YMMV.

On the rode though, it is not at all uncommon to anchor in 15m of water. The deepest we've ever been anchored in while asleep is 25m (in Isola Giannutri, Tuscan Islands). In several useful mistral hideyholes (Port Man, Theoule) you will be anchoring in 14-17m water. Similarly in several of the calanques, although be aware many of these now have buoys, which are compulsory and not free.

You may think that tide-free waters make this less of an issue but sudden gusts can also put a big strain and twist on your anchor tackle. At the least, I would upgrade your rope to chain.

Hope this helps and have a fab cruise.
 
The OP should remember that the chain and rope/rode needed is primarily dependent on the depth, measured from the stem-head.

Yes you also need an anchor weight and chain weight that is appropriate to the boat weight and windage.

RYA now recommend 4:1 all chain, and 6:1 chain and rope, if I remember correctly.

Mike
 
I spent several days at anchor in the calanques off Cassis. It was blowing the tail end of a mistral when I came round from Les Iles on a half furled genoa, but once I was round the corner at Arnes de la Maronaise things quietened down and when I got into the calanques you wouldn't know that there was a wind blowing.
I anchored on a CQR with ten meters of chain and about twelve meters of anchorplat (22ft boat). The accepted practice was to put the anchor toward the center of the calanque and tie a stern line to a rock on the cliff (I used a grapnel) safe as houses.
 
johnb2 said:
Last year I took my boat through the French rivers and canals to Port St Louis du Rhone.



This year's plan/hope is to cruise the calanques and offshore islands of Provence and the Cote d'Azur. I was hoping to spend a lot of time at anchor rather than pay marina charges so need fairly accurate pilotage info. I have the relevant Heikell guides and the Bloc Marine. I'll be buying the local French charts. Are there any other sources of pilotage info which you would recommend me to get?



(Posted on YBW Reader to Reader and Liveaboard)
Click to expand...


Yes - I would have a french mobile to call the marinas if things get horrid - and for detailed weather info/nowcasts.

I share the amazement that another expressed regarding the accuracy of wind forecasts - there aren't the weather "systems" as in the UK and the weather can be untenable on one side of the capd'antibes for example but nice and flat on the other. In st tropez, they once didn't put up the forecast "because it was too windy to go outside" (!) and another time they managed to forecast that the the east of st trop it would be F1-2 becoming 3-4, whereas to the west of st tropez it was gonna be 5-6 become 7-8 with gusts of 9 - thus achieving a fabulous range of potentail wind in or around st trop of anything between F1 and F9.

Also, st trop is quite fun and not *too* expensive - especially in the streets just behind the main front. There's a cafe in the square Place des Lices with cheap enough lunches - the one with the fan/spray things.
 
I didn't find anchorages in such abundances as others said when there 3 years ago. many of the calanques, including the wonderful Port Miou outside Cassis, have now banned anchoring - you have to pick up a buoy and pay for the privelege. Not excessive however - about 30 euros for our 38 footer from memory.
Some nice anchorages around Ile Frioule, off Marseille though.
Also bai de Canorbierres (sp) next to St Tropez is very good, and several on the Porqueroles Is. Many of the harbours are also very nice and very reasonable - don't miss La Ciotat - very French, great restaurants etc
 
blueglass said:
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Also bai de Canorbierres (sp) next to St Tropez is very good,
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You mean Anse de Canebieres. IMO it is an absolute flytip. The water is dirty, the holding is bad (being a mixture of empty rosé bottles and toilet paper), it has peculiar and unpredictable wind patterns (as another poster alludes to), large tourist boats drive round it all day with loudspeakers announcing in ten different languages "and over there is Brigitte Bardot's house", and it is exposed to the wash of all the motorboats driving around the M25 from Pampelonne beach to St Tropez. If you think that is a good anchorage you haven't spent much time in Provence!

However, you are correct, there are some nice unspoilt anchorages in Porquerolles...
 
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Ric said:
If you think that is a good anchorage you haven't spent much time in Provence!
..
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I haven't.
just passed through there on the way to Greece in search of proper anchorages and actually spent a pleasant evening in anse baia de can of beer or whatever you want to call it. the water was clear, no strange winds and I found the holding good, didn't go ashore so can't speak for that, no trip boats either, but it was admittedly well out of season. each to his own I guess.
 
Many thanks for all the comments. I'm now in the south of France getting ready to launch.

I was able to get some extra chain from a friend who no longer needed it so now have 70m of chain and 30m or rope which I hope will be enough!
 
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