Do Mediterranean Boatyards and Marinas still provide full service.

[BurnitBlue]

It one of the first years we looked at what we was going to do the following winters before we even left the marina .
We have several country's to visit to see all our famailys over the few months we not cruising ,
UK and Malta for me and Holland and Denmark for my partner and with no idea what's going to happen it not going to be a easy choosing and as you know we wanted to maybe spend time in Portugal for a change , but when we found out the cost for a few months in any of the Marinas we looked at thrown that out the window ,
which left Almerimer Spain , Tunisia or back in Sicily ,
Spain seen to be having so many problem with controlling the virus where Italy even tho it was badly hit manage to do a good job , Sicily went one stage better and just shut it self off from the world and tho we had restrictions we was still able to move around unlike Spain that ended in not even being able to leave the boat.
Tunisia it easier with less restrictions but when we thought about it , Tunisia isn't the best place to be if one becomes ill .
Taken all that in consideration plus what we save in marina cost by going back to Sicily the choice was almost made for us .
Yes time has flown by and each year it goes past even faster.

I face a similar dilemma about next winter. I am a resident in Sweden and they will not enforce a punishable lockdown so I see Swedish borders being locked down again by other countries until next August 1st as per this year. I therefore MUST stay out of Sweden and stay on my boat. But where? Greece is the easy solution but by the end of March 2021 I will have used up my 90 days of third country allowance making me Persona non Grata (PNG) in the whole of EU except Sweden. Greece is a long way east so an escape via Gibraltar would mean a non-stop transit of the Med in April. Spain and Almerimar is the ONLY solution because Gibraltar is only a day away an easy non-stop passage.

 

[sailaboutvic]

@BurnitBlue
May lost internet as crossing to Corsica.
Both liveaboard Marinas in Sicily Licata and Ragusa are only a 36/40 hour sail to Tunisia , both reasonably price .
Monastir is our favour in Tunisia.

 

[Yngmar]

We're currently hauled at Ionian Marine and working on the boat (belated spring haulout). Everything seems normal except the shuttle buses to town are corona-cancelled for the summer, so it's extremely difficult/expensive to get across. Best bet is to leave your dinghy with outboard in the water and go in the morning. With the afternoon breeze picking up it's a wet ride across most days.

Oh, and you need a facemask in the chandlery. He's very funny - you hold up the barcodes and he scans them through the window, contactless card payment also through closed windowpane. Then he comes out with no mask on and tells you all about some product ? Good guy though. Stocks oxalic crystals for €2.50 for half a kilo.

Showers are open and cleaned regularly. Both tavernas on the Aktio side are open and the little grocery shop at Cleopatra provides essentials. I see people working on their boats over at Aktio Marine too. It's not that busy, couple boats being prepared for launch here and there and some long-term refits whittling away at things. Guess many just wrote off this season.

Also, it's hot! Luckily everything is going well and we should be back in the water in a few days.

 

[BurnitBlue]

We're currently hauled at Ionian Marine and working on the boat (belated spring haulout). Everything seems normal except the shuttle buses to town are corona-cancelled for the summer, so it's extremely difficult/expensive to get across. Best bet is to leave your dinghy with outboard in the water and go in the morning. With the afternoon breeze picking up it's a wet ride across most days.

Oh, and you need a facemask in the chandlery. He's very funny - you hold up the barcodes and he scans them through the window, contactless card payment also through closed windowpane. Then he comes out with no mask on and tells you all about some product ? Good guy though. Stocks oxalic crystals for €2.50 for half a kilo.

Showers are open and cleaned regularly. Both tavernas on the Aktio side are open and the little grocery shop at Cleopatra provides essentials. I see people working on their boats over at Aktio Marine too. It's not that busy, couple boats being prepared for launch here and there and some long-term refits whittling away at things. Guess many just wrote off this season.

Also, it's hot! Luckily everything is going well and we should be back in the water in a few days.

Thanks a million Yngmar. Your post answers all my questions. I will do a big shop at the supermarket at the Preveza bus terminal before I take the taxi to the boat. I can also ask the KTEL bus from Thessalonika to stop at lidl before the bus terminal then taxi from there. Well I now know what to expect which is a tremendous relief. For instance little things like having a Euro coin in my pocket for the shopping cart can make an big difference in hot weather and carrying luggage. Thanks.

 

[BurnitBlue]

@BurnitBlue
May lost internet as crossing to Corsica.
Both liveaboard Marinas in Sicily Licata and Ragusa are only a 36/40 hour sail to Tunisia , both reasonably price .
Monastir is our favour in Tunisia.

Thanks, I will bear that in mind if I fail to get to Almerimar. My hope is to do the transit all the way in what is left of this years summer. Then I can relax knowing that Gibraltar, the Canaries and the Caribbean are an easy sail downwind next year. Connect the Aries, put my feet up, read a book or watch a movie while I swan my way to paradise instead of battling the annoying Mediterranian head winds. Oh it's so good to have a plan.

 

[BurnitBlue]

The thread aimed at Greece was a bit parochial so if the moderator cannot change it to reflect the whole Mediterranean then a new thread might be more useful.

 

[Mistroma]

Thanks, I will bear that in mind if I fail to get to Almerimar. My hope is to do the transit all the way in what is left of this years summer. Then I can relax knowing that Gibraltar, the Canaries and the Caribbean are an easy sail downwind next year. Connect the Aries, put my feet up, read a book or watch a movie while I swan my way to paradise instead of battling the annoying Mediterranian head winds. Oh it's so good to have a plan.

Consider Aguadulce as well instead of Almerimar. It is a proper town with many shops, though an uphill hike to the main street. We were there for a couple of years and it ended up way cheaper than Almerimar because power was included and we also got a decent discount. Power cost was quite significant in Almerimar. It was also cheap and easy to get to Almeria and only a short journey to the airport. Fewer flights than Malaga but much easier to reach.

The only advantage Almerimar had was that the marina remained busy over winter. Aguadulce marina is very quiet even though the town isn't affected. You can always do a short hop back to Almerimar and then on to Gibraltar.

 

[Mistroma]

We're currently hauled at Ionian Marine and working on the boat (belated spring haulout). Everything seems normal except the shuttle buses to town are corona-cancelled for the summer, so it's extremely difficult/expensive to get across. Best bet is to leave your dinghy with outboard in the water and go in the morning. With the afternoon breeze picking up it's a wet ride across most days.

Oh, and you need a facemask in the chandlery. He's very funny - you hold up the barcodes and he scans them through the window, contactless card payment also through closed windowpane. Then he comes out with no mask on and tells you all about some product ? Good guy though. Stocks oxalic crystals for €2.50 for half a kilo.

Showers are open and cleaned regularly. Both tavernas on the Aktio side are open and the little grocery shop at Cleopatra provides essentials. I see people working on their boats over at Aktio Marine too. It's not that busy, couple boats being prepared for launch here and there and some long-term refits whittling away at things. Guess many just wrote off this season.

Also, it's hot! Luckily everything is going well and we should be back in the water in a few days.

Good to know all is well. I noticed last year that they also had cheap phosphoric acid as well as oxalic.

 

[Moderator]

The thread aimed at Greece was a bit parochial so if the moderator cannot change it to reflect the whole Mediterranean then a new thread might be more useful.

Merged as requested.

Rod.

 

[Seastoke]

Merged as requested.

Rod.

Rod could you send me a pm so i can ask you a question.