Cost of marinas in med ?

[solent_hazard]

I was making a few quick calculations about the likely cost of spending a year in the med - after googling some marinas it looks like I will have to pay between 100 and 40 euros per night for a marina for a 12 mtr yacht - quite astonishing

Is this what everyone pays ? or are there some secrets ?

 

[Juniperskip]

We found Spanish Med marinas to be on par with Solent costs during summer of 2009 which was a bit of a surprise. More difficult was actually getting space, with most in the Balerics claiming to be full all the time. During our passage out of the Med in October many of the prices had not been reduced but at least you get space. Most costly was Sotogrande which was Euro 85 for a 44ft yacht in October when exchange rate at the ATM was parity.

I'm sure many others will have a wider knowledge across the Med but when we go next I will be budgeting at Solent costs but equally expecting to be at anchor for 40% of the time (we usually leave the boat to return to UK occasionally for business reasons thus 60% in Marinas).

 

[jordanbasset]

The figures you quoted are not unrepresentative for the western med in the summer. Having said that you can pay more or less. For example the EPPA Marinas in the South East of Spain are 29 euros a night, Almerimar was 19 euros plus 3.40 for electricity.

 

[Richard10002]

I was making a few quick calculations about the likely cost of spending a year in the med - after googling some marinas it looks like I will have to pay between 100 and 40 euros per night for a marina for a 12 mtr yacht - quite astonishing

Is this what everyone pays ? or are there some secrets ?

If you live aboard, you will very quickly learn the art of anchoring, and nipping into marinas for the very shortest of stays, (fuel & water?). A new gen anchor, suitcase generator, good tender and outboard, will soon pay for themselves in marina fee savings.

Manage things well and you will only need a berth for the winter, mid October to mid March, and there are plenty of places that do some kind of reasonable deal for the winter.... Almerimar being one which comes readily to mind.

 

[chinita]

100% agree with Richard.

Furthermore, there are some marinas which you can't even get into in the high summer for love nor money.

Many refuse water unless you have a berth, if there are no berths available - tough.

We once sailed two thirds of the way around Majorca looking for water. Finally barged our way into Alcudiamar to buy what we could.

Invest your money in good ground tackle and water containers.

 

[macd]

Richard et al are bang-on. I've paid for something like six nights in marinas over the past three summers in the Med (plus one week when I had to leave the boat to dash home at short notice). On the European side, for the most part, good anchorages are plentiful. One of the most barren area for secure anchorages is the Costa del Sol (Gib to Cabo de Gata), but as jordanbasset states*, the EPPA marinas and Almerimar are relatively affordable. By all accounts parts of mainland Italy are similarly short of anchorages.

Water has never been a problem. A plastic jerry lives almost permanently in the tender and I grab every chance to fill it. Solar panels (and lots of LEDs) make me pretty-much self-sufficient in lectrickery. Besides, I'm not a fan of all that mucking about with fenders.

* Mind you, I've just noticed it was his birthday when he posted, so his judgement could be slightly impaired. Hope it was a good one, jb, and that the head's fine today.

 

[charles_reed]

I was making a few quick calculations about the likely cost of spending a year in the med - after googling some marinas it looks like I will have to pay between 100 and 40 euros per night for a marina for a 12 mtr yacht - quite astonishing

Is this what everyone pays ? or are there some secrets ?

Marina Grande - Capri €180/night for 10m in low season, €250 in high.

You anchor and avoid marinas - unfortunately in the W and Central Med, there are very few anchorages which haven't been developed.
However the E Med is entirely different.

 

[vyv_cox]

As Charles indicates, Italy can be extremely expensive. We particularly wanted to ascend Etna and stayed at Riposto marina. We paid €50 per night, 10.6 metres, 2007 prices. When I commented I was told that was the low season price, next week it would have been €65. Further north at Milazzo we were able to anchor but others who went in paid €100 for a visitor berth, no water, no electricity. Reggio Calabria, surely the grottiest marina in the Med, cost us €45, which was inclusive of water that had little orange worms in it.

Greece is paradise after this and many people we met returning from there missed Italy out altogether. However, we did find that berths in the north, around the Gulf of Genoa, were more reasonable and occasionally free.

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

Yup, I've been located in South of France, Costa Blanca, Balearics and now, Croatia for the past 10 yrs and thats what you'll pay for an overnight stay in most marinas. In some places in the high season, you'll pay a lot more. 2 yrs ago, Botafoch marina in Ibiza was charging €375/night in July/Aug for a 15m berth. Thats if they had a free berth which they hadn't
There is a difference in annual costs though. Croatian marinas charge a lot less for an annual berths than Balearic marinas, for example, and you will find cheaper annual berthing in mainland Spain and France at places like San Carles and Port Napoleon. The trick is to find a marina with cheap annual berthing and when you go out cruising, reckon on anchoring overnight most nights. For example, the Balearics is a superb cruising area but the marinas are pricey and crowded. You could get an annual berth in San Carles and cruise to the Balearics 3 or 4 times a season which is about 100nm distance away.

 

[suebabsthenoo]

Water makers

An American we met got a kit and built his own,we have one and our water is much better than any marina water.

 

[ALPHORA]

Watermaker

Would be very interested if you have any details of the kit built watermaker

 

[IanJackson]

We spent last year cruising up and down the Spanish coast from Barcelona to Gib and the Balearics. We found prices varied hugely and some places claimed they were full (until you get there and find one for yourself!). There are marinas in the Balearics which are government run and reasonably priced; see www.portsib.es. We report the details of our experiences in an article soon to published in Yachting Monthly.

 

[duncan99210]

Main thing is to avoid the marinas and anchor. We've not got a gen set or any other electricity generating kit but manage quite well on the engine alternator for battery charging. We found water fairly easy to come by, either at minimal cost or free with fuel. Biggest problem was in Italy, finding fresh food in shops within easy reach of landing places.....

 

[jordanbasset]

We spent last year cruising up and down the Spanish coast from Barcelona to Gib and the Balearics. We found prices varied hugely and some places claimed they were full (until you get there and find one for yourself!). There are marinas in the Balearics which are government run and reasonably priced; see www.portsib.es. We report the details of our experiences in an article soon to published in Yachting Monthly.

Thanks for the info, very useful re the balearics. While we do intend to anchor most of the time an occasional marina berth will be on the cards. Do not wish to spoil your Y.M. article but what sort of rate do these Government owned marina charge in the Balearics and are they the same rate in them all. Do you have to book up, as I would think if they are reasonably priced they will get full very quickly. or is space normally available -
many thanks

 

[westernman]

Thanks for the info, very useful re the balearics. While we do intend to anchor most of the time an occasional marina berth will be on the cards. Do not wish to spoil your Y.M. article but what sort of rate do these Government owned marina charge in the Balearics and are they the same rate in them all. Do you have to book up, as I would think if they are reasonably priced they will get full very quickly. or is space normally available -
many thanks

I was in Porto Cristo, Menorca in the middle of August last year. The fancy yacht club was full.

We parked on the quay in the town center which is a Government run thing.
Plenty of spaces, and much more convenient for the town center than the fancy yacht club across the other side.

If I remember right it was about 45 Euros including all taxes per night including electricity, water, showers etc. We are 15.6m LOD, 20.3m LOS.

 

[jordanbasset]

I was in Porto Cristo, Menorca in the middle of August last year. The fancy yacht club was full.

We parked on the quay in the town center which is a Government run thing.
Plenty of spaces, and much more convenient for the town center than the fancy yacht club across the other side.

If I remember right it was about 45 Euros including all taxes per night including electricity, water, showers etc. We are 15.6m LOD, 20.3m LOS.

Many thanks for the info

 

[chinita]

Thanks for the info, very useful re the balearics. While we do intend to anchor most of the time an occasional marina berth will be on the cards. Do not wish to spoil your Y.M. article but what sort of rate do these Government owned marina charge in the Balearics and are they the same rate in them all. Do you have to book up, as I would think if they are reasonably priced they will get full very quickly. or is space normally available -
many thanks

This info is a few years old but may encourage more recent comment.

IME, They are always full but good value when you get in. Trick is to anchor nearby and go to the pontoons by dinghy. Casually enquire in a friendly way to the boats already there when they anticipate leaving as there are usually limits of just a few days - a good thing IMO.

I never came across a 'reservation' facility. You just have to wait your moment then barge into the recently vacated space and then report to the nearest harbour official. Again, IME any Spanish 'reservation' is not worth the paper it probably is not written upon.

Facilities are very limited - often just to water. After a few days you will want to get the hell out of them anyway!

 

[westernman]

This info is a few years old but may encourage more recent comment.

IME, They are always full but good value when you get in. Trick is to anchor nearby and go to the pontoons by dinghy. Casually enquire in a friendly way to the boats already there when they anticipate leaving as there are usually limits of just a few days - a good thing IMO.

I never came across a 'reservation' facility. You just have to wait your moment then barge into the recently vacated space and then report to the nearest harbour official. Again, IME any Spanish 'reservation' is not worth the paper it probably is not written upon.

Facilities are very limited - often just to water. After a few days you will want to get the hell out of them anyway!

I tied up to a mooring buoy in Pollensa bay last year. Some one appeared and asked if I had a reservation. I just said yes. They went away happy.

 

[macd]

I tied up to a mooring buoy in Pollensa bay last year. Some one appeared and asked if I had a reservation. I just said yes. They went away happy.

These are presumably some of the free moorings now dotted around the Balearics and intended to protect sea grass from anchor damage. Technically you're supposed to book on-line, but the 'guardians' seem fairly flexible away from peak season (or, it seems, when confronted by butter-wouldn't-melt assurances like Michael's.)

 

[lenseman]

These are presumably some of the free moorings now dotted around the Balearics and intended to protect sea grass from anchor damage. . . .

Bloomin' HECK! Those Sea-Horses are getting everywhere!