Anchoring in the med and the canaries

[junesboat]

Hi, it's our first year as live aboards sailing abroad, we made it to the Med , but the wind and swells are not quite what we expected
Is there anchorages around Ibiza where you are not charged to stay, the same question for the canaries, another couple we know have heard stories of obsessive charges and restrictions, a little knowledge and advise please , would be appreciated.

 

[Tranona]

Hi, it's our first year as live aboards sailing abroad, we made it to the Med , but the wind and swells are not quite what we expected
Is there anchorages around Ibiza where you are not charged to stay, the same question for the canaries, another couple we know have heard stories of obsessive charges and restrictions, a little knowledge and advise please , would be appreciated.

Welcome to the forum

Expect others will come in with more detailed information, but basically you have arrived at the most expensive part of the Med at the most expensive time of year coming up. So your assumption of excessive charges and restrictions is correct although you may find more opportunities for anchoring around the larger islands. The western Med is not kind to budget cruisers, although some mainland locations are more modest. As you will see from the locations of many of the posters here the eastern Med, particularly Greece and Turkey and perhaps Croatia is the place to be.

 

[capnsensible]

Regarding the Canaries, there are a few decent and free anchorages around, despite what people think. However, its often quite windy and a trip ashore in the tender can be somewhat sporting.......

 

[RobbieW]

OK, so my experience is a couple of years out of date now ! Ibiza is not easy, San Antonio used to be a safe haven but has had paid moorings installed. There are a couple of others on the W side, Benirass and Sant Miquel, also Portinatx. The wind often seems to be in the East so these were our choices.

Head over to Mallorca where there are still free anchorages - Santa Ponca, Palma Nova/Magaluf, Arenal etc - just watch the weather and move when you need to !

 

[Ludd]

OK, so my experience is a couple of years out of date now ! Ibiza is not easy, San Antonio used to be a safe haven but has had paid moorings installed. There are a couple of others on the W side, Benirass and Sant Miquel, also Portinatx. The wind often seems to be in the East so these were our choices.

Head over to Mallorca where there are still free anchorages - Santa Ponca, Palma Nova/Magaluf, Arenal etc - just watch the weather and move when you need to !

Regarding the Canaries, finding anchorages wkth decent holding is not easy, and as the man says, decent dinghh required. However marinas in ghe Canafies are the cheapest in Europe. Las Palmas, for example, if you book in for 6 months you pay for four.
That's 33% off what is a cheap rate already.
The sailing can be a bit wild and woolly, though!

 

[RichardS]

Welcome to the forum

Expect others will come in with more detailed information, but basically you have arrived at the most expensive part of the Med at the most expensive time of year coming up. So your assumption of excessive charges and restrictions is correct although you may find more opportunities for anchoring around the larger islands. The western Med is not kind to budget cruisers, although some mainland locations are more modest. As you will see from the locations of many of the posters here the eastern Med, particularly Greece and Turkey and perhaps Croatia is the place to be.

We visited Chris and Sue liveaboards a few days ago here in Croatia on Solta and they are tucked up in a little bay with lines ashore (4 to be exact) and could presumably stay there the whole summer with paying anything. They are very comfortable and tucked away from wind and swell.

We anchored out in the main part of the bay for the two nights but the wind and swell were straight into the bay, as described by the OP, so, although we didn't pay anything either, you could not anchor there long-term as a liveaboard unless you are a very heavy sleeper, which my Wife isn't. :ambivalence:

We are now somewhat further south on Korcula and sailed into one of the most sheltered bays on the island (Gradina) which we last visited about 4 years ago. Back then it was a free-anchoring heaven and perfect for a longer stay ..... but we arrived yesterday to a bay chock-full of mooring buoys and every single one already taken by charterers. And it's not even July yet. What is going on?

Anyway, we managed to tuck inside the small island which guards the west side of the bay but it is impossible to get the required distance away from the nearest mooring buoy to avoid having to pay unless you actually leave the bay. Sally asked me how much it would be and I guessed half the cost of a mooring buoy .... and that's for using our own tackle in a less that ideal part of the bay as all the "ideal" parts are buoyed.

Sure enough, when the Man came around, it was £10. I asked the cost of a buoy and that would have been £20.

OK, £10 is not bad for a really good nights sleep in still water along with 30 other boats (I counted 'em) but a liveaboard certainly wouldn't want to be forking that out every night for nothing at all.

Richard

 

[junesboat]

Thanks Richard for your input.

 

[Yngmar]

Is there anchorages around Ibiza where you are not charged to stay?

Yes, plenty! We've just left Ibiza and crossed to Mallorca today and haven't touched a mooring buoy or marina since the mainland (they're probably all full anyways, plus the prices are beyond silly). There are several large (although popular) anchorages available, and many smaller ones, both those in the pilot book and those you have to go find yourself. You have to carefully look at wind and swell forecasts of course, but that goes for anywhere. While we were there, the west side of Formentera was out of the swell, we stopped at Cala Sabina, which had lots of ferry wash and was very busy, then at the much better Cala Saona just two corners south of it. Then sailed north to Ibiza and spent a couple days at Cala Tarida, headed along the north side into Sant Miquel and last two nights before crossing at a fantastic tiny place just northwest of Punta Grossa, a perfect jumping off point for the passage to Mallorca this morning. Now anchored in a busy place near Peguera.

Posidonia is a no-no, you must stay off the grass. In Cala Tarida, the Posidonia police came once per day and would check with a sightglass and tell one one boat off. Not sure if they were fined, they raised anchor and left before I could ask. Staying off the grass is easy, as the water is so clear you can see the sandy bottom fine, and so warm you'll be hopping in anyways, so have a look at what your anchor and chain are doing. The few areas (mostly around Formentera) where anchoring is completely forbidden are clearly marked on the charts.

The only real problems are, it's quite busy (and bound to get busier in July/August) and there's a lot of bad anchoring and sheer idiocy (baboons on jetskis). Also the odd charter superyacht with onboard DJ and all night dance-party. And get used to swinging quite close to other boats. Winds have been mostly light and we've burnt more fuel than we like to, but there was some good sailing too. Plus the boat is crusty with salt and could do with a proper downpour!

 

[junesboat]

Thanks everyone for your input, much appreciated.