Anchoring off of Italian coasts

[Steve C Cronin]

Ive just received this from CA sources regarding "Anchoring" off of coasts in Italy and something puzzles me.

"
Coastal Waters Restrictions - Anchoring, Speed Limits & Swimming Areas

Italian anchoring regulations have been updated, and are summarised below. In addition, they appear to be enforced more rigorously than in the past. Regional authorities are authorised to make adjustments to them to suit local conditions. A CA member has recently been fined 344 Euros for anchoring too close to a beach south of Agripoli. The best advice we can give is always to check for the local variations with relevant local officials.

Maximum speed limit of 10 knots within 1000m of a beach/swimming area, and, always within 500 m of the coast;

Landing on a beach/ swimming area is only permitted through a marked landing corridor and at a max speed of 3 knots. Swimming is forbidden within the landing corridor.

If there is not a landing corridor then you can only approach a beach/ swimming area using oars, (no engine) ... i.e. row yourself ashore!

Anchoring is not permitted within 100m of the shore, but, where there is no beach, i.e, with cliffs or rock, there might be a locally approved relaxation to 50 m. Anchoring is not permitted within 200-500m of a beach/swimming area between 08.30am and sunset. This distance is usually subject to local regulations and is usually set between 200m (common) and 300m.
"

So, does this ** mean then that the relatively new practice of taking two lines ashore when "at anchor" in the med is made illegal unless you extend these lines to 100m each in length? Or, does it now (correctly in my view) define the "two lines ashore" as "Med mooring" and NOT "anchoring", if you see what I mean and thereby exempt it from these new regulations and thereby allowing you to "moor" much closer.

 

[multihullsailor6]

I have been told that the Guardia Costiera here in Sicily follows the rule that anchoring off a beach requires 300m distance and anchoring off rocks requires 100m distance.

I have not come across the mentioned "Med anchoring" technique here, it would be highly impractical in any way. "Med mooring" is of course common in marinas.

 

[vyv_cox]

I have not come across the mentioned "Med anchoring" technique here, it would be highly impractical in any way. "Med mooring" is of course common in marinas.

It is a highly practical technique throughout the Mediterranean. Photos and descriptions of the methods here.

 

[jimbaerselman]

Anchoring limitations

It's not just Italy. I've had a number of reports of people being asked to "move on" this year, so did some research. The result is the following paragraph which I have published on this page

Anchoring Restrictions

When approaching beaches used by many swimmers, look out for buoys marking swimming areas. If there are no buoys, the law in many countries (Spain, Italy and Greece as examples, and Portugal too, though it's not in the Med!) does not allow anchoring or manouevring under motor within 500m of swimming areas. Additionally, anchoring is not permitted in Posidonia (sea grass) reserves on grass, where buoys should be used instead. You may be asked to move if anyone reasonably complains, or if an authority believes there is any danger. Fines have been levied for infringements.

From each of the four countries listed the distance quoted came from an official. What varied in each case was the description of the type swimming area - "recognised" in one case, "designated" in another, and "swimming beach" in a third report.

Can anyone "on site" get a quote from an official in France, Croatia or Turkey to see how widespread this is? I've confirmed the Greek law, though the port police have made it clear in Messinia that they only react if there's a public complaint, and they advise complainants to lay buoys anyway

 

[Plomong]

Anchoring Restrictions

When approaching beaches used by many swimmers, look out for buoys marking swimming areas. If there are no buoys, the law in many countries (Spain, Italy and Greece as examples, and Portugal too, though it's not in the Med!) does not allow anchoring or manouevring under motor within 500m of swimming areas. Additionally, anchoring is not permitted in Posidonia (sea grass) reserves on grass, where buoys should be used instead. You may be asked to move if anyone reasonably complains, or if an authority believes there is any danger. Fines have been levied for infringements.

Jim,

That 500 m restriction would close every port from Hendaya to A Coruña !!!

Including Bilbao, Pasajes, Lekeitio, Zumaya, Getaria, Santander, Gijon, . . .

500m exceeds the width of the entrance to Pasajes by at least a margin of 2 if not more. Have just measured it: 155 m (rock) wall to (rock) wall.

Large ships entering the port of Bilbao pass just 200+ m off the beach of Erreaga. No other way.

The beach in Santander is to s'bd as you enter the outer narrows, with the sand just 150 m away at Isla Horadada.

The entrance to Hendaya / Hondarribia is a narrow river channel between breakwaters with a beach at either side -- impossible to fulfill the 500 m condition !!!

Etc, etc . . .

Plomong

 

[jimbaerselman]

Plomong, I agree. But the average port is not a place where many people go swimming; hence the caveat that this only applies where there are many swimmers. And I haven't yet found anyone who can quote me the law as to what shores or ports this applies to, and where it doesn't.

It seems that a lot of common sense is used in most places. I liked one port policeman's approach in Messinia, Greece. "If people on shore complain, we check. If they keep on complaining, we tell them to put some buoys out to mark the swimming area. If they don't, we tell them to stop complaining".

A very dumb approach was used this spring in Soller, Mallorca. The set up there is that everywhere in the anchorage is within 500m of the shore, much of which is a swimming beach, but a quarter of which is a marina. But the guardia quoted the law, and told all boats at anchor there during the day to move out or be fined - they were only allowed to anchor at night. There followed a disagreement with the local shore authority, following which boats were once again permitted to anchor, but not after (I'm told) some boats paid fines. I don't know whether buoys have been laid since.

Many Mallorcan calas (where this would obviously apply) have laid buoys in busy swimming areas.

Santander is the obvious parallel in your region.

And many thanks to all of you who have kept me up to date with these anchoring hassles!

 

[nortada]

Good way of forcing boats into local marinas.

There are suspicions that Portimao occasionally uses this technique on boats anchored off in the estuary.

 

[Steve C Cronin]

Of course, one factor to be considered is that a policeman in the UK is likely to be told "Get stuffed pal; we know what the law is and you can't prove we're doing anything wrong" Whereas, in other parts of the world, the policeman's personal interpretation is the law, regardless.

 

[duncan99210]

Whatever the exact rules are in Spain, the way it seems to work is that for rocky anchorages which require a line ashore then there are no restrictions. For other anchorages, then keep out of the buoyed areas and where no buoys are in place, then there are, for the most part, no restrictions other than common sense in keep in a reasonable distance off the beach and away from swimmers.

For information, when we arrived in Porto Colom Mallorca in June, the anchorage was still available and there was no charge being made for the buoys. By early July, the buoys cost euro 23 a night and a mooring field had been laid in the remaining anchorage area.

The coast north of Barcelona has a number of calas where you could anchor but for the most part they are filled with moorings; some available to rent on a day to day basis, others permanently allocated. This cuts down the options for cruisers in the area, although there are still plenty of places to anchor if you look for them.....

 

[Zen Zero]

I've recently had cause to study the question (run in with unpleasant coastguard chaps just south of Agrpoli!). The fact is there is no universal rule in Italy. Each maritime district makes its own rules which must be made available to mariners at their offices. The Italian Forums are full of complaints about the absurdity of needing to go ashore, find the nearest "Capitaneria di Porto" and study the rules there before anchoring or planning to anchor.

The most common rule, evidently copied from one district supervisor to another states that it is forbidden to enter an area reserved for swimming, and then reserves the entire coast to a distance of 100m (200m if there's a sandy beach with umbrellas for hire) for swimming. Swimming is generally forbidden with 100m of a designated port entrance.

Simple huh? At Agropoli, the arrogant and poorly trained young coastguards who confronted me asserted it was 300m from the coast, any coast, and didn't know about the port entrance swimming ban. Nor could they explain why there was an anchor symbol on the chart exactly under our keels.

There are a total of 5 forces in Italy - Coast Guard, Forestry Guards (who have the national park remit), State Police, Carabinieri and Local or Municipal Police - who all have their own launches and can stop you in territorial waters for suspected contraventions. They all have their own launches and all are aware that sooner or later the situation will be rationalised and cuts will be made. To justify their expenses they've increased their activity in the fining department. I've heard of skippers who've been fined for not showing a motoring cone.

Usually though foreign flag boats are immune to this kind of stuff that only Italian nationals or folk like me who've lived here a while are able to tolerate. My mistake was talking back in Italian when told, rudely to move.

As a gerneral guide, look for where other boats are anchored to understand if anchoring there is allowed or not. there is no clear rule; and be prepared to move and not argue if told to do so by someone with blue lights on their rubber boat.

 

[Chris_Robb]

I've recently had cause to study the question (run in with unpleasant coastguard chaps just south of Agrpoli!). The fact is there is no universal rule in Italy. Each maritime district makes its own rules which must be made available to mariners at their offices. The Italian Forums are full of complaints about the absurdity of needing to go ashore, find the nearest "Capitaneria di Porto" and study the rules there before anchoring or planning to anchor.

The most common rule, evidently copied from one district supervisor to another states that it is forbidden to enter an area reserved for swimming, and then reserves the entire coast to a distance of 100m (200m if there's a sandy beach with umbrellas for hire) for swimming. Swimming is generally forbidden with 100m of a designated port entrance.

Simple huh? At Agropoli, the arrogant and poorly trained young coastguards who confronted me asserted it was 300m from the coast, any coast, and didn't know about the port entrance swimming ban. Nor could they explain why there was an anchor symbol on the chart exactly under our keels.

There are a total of 5 forces in Italy - Coast Guard, Forestry Guards (who have the national park remit), State Police, Carabinieri and Local or Municipal Police - who all have their own launches and can stop you in territorial waters for suspected contraventions. They all have their own launches and all are aware that sooner or later the situation will be rationalised and cuts will be made. To justify their expenses they've increased their activity in the fining department. I've heard of skippers who've been fined for not showing a motoring cone.

Usually though foreign flag boats are immune to this kind of stuff that only Italian nationals or folk like me who've lived here a while are able to tolerate. My mistake was talking back in Italian when told, rudely to move.

As a gerneral guide, look for where other boats are anchored to understand if anchoring there is allowed or not. there is no clear rule; and be prepared to move and not argue if told to do so by someone with blue lights on their rubber boat.

We were anchored at Tonnara di Scopello, just NW of Castellamare di Golfo in Sicily with lots of local ribs and powerboats. Along comes the coastguard and moves us on but no one else. Admittedly we were the only Yacht there, but there just seemed no logic. We were very close in, but then so was everyone else!

 

[Zen Zero]

We were anchored at Tonnara di Scopello, just NW of Castellamare di Golfo in Sicily with lots of local ribs and powerboats. Along comes the coastguard and moves us on but no one else. Admittedly we were the only Yacht there, but there just seemed no logic. We were very close in, but then so was everyone else!

Yes, the same happened to us at Vietri on the Costiera Amalfitana, we just moved (it was a bit of a pain because we were having lunch in the cockpit and I had to get my hands all anchory (we don't have a windlass!) between forkfulls of pasta). This was after the run-in at Agropoli.

 

[James Marinero]

Sardinia

Signs here near Cagliari say no boats within 300m of the beach. I row in the last 100m. Corridors are clearly marked.

5 police forces? I thought it was 7 - don't forget Guardia de Finanza (very active hereabouts). I can't rememebr what the other force is though. Probably keeping an eye on the other 6...who polices the police?

 

[Ric]

Also, don't forget the Polizia Penitenziaria - they're the ones who chase you with gunboats if you sail too close to Gorgona Island.