Good and bad places to over winter

Nostrodamus

Nostrodamus

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I am hopefully starting this thread as a guide for others on places to over winter and your thoughts on them.

When we were looking at various places it was sometimes difficult to find good information.

If you can add places you have stayed over winter and the good. bad point to each it may help others.

Thanks.
 
La Rochelle.. France.
Beautiful city and we found plenty to do there.
The winters can be cold but the cost was reasonable (389 euros month including water and electricity for a 13.5m boat).
We stayed in the Basin de Chaulitiers (i think) which is almost in the centre under a swing bridge and locked in.
There is the airport 10 mins bus ride away with cheap easy jet flights to Stansted.
No gates on the marina but there was no problems with security or property going missing.
The downside is that the place is full of French people. Initially they can seem unwelcoming but make an effort and they looked after us really well.
The marina in Minimes has haul out facilities (4 cranes to cope with most boats) and half price haul out costs up to end March. Numerous boat shops and businesses to get you any part or do repairs. Anti foul in France is very expensive.
Would give it 8/10 and recommend it.
 
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Jolly Harbour in Antigua. When it rains, you have to get out of the swimming pool and move your drink under shelter. Tedious.

Hope this helps :cool:
 
La Linea.. Spain.
Right next to Gibraltar.
It has pontoons which is one advantage as the weather in winter can be wet and very windy.
The initial cost looks good but don't forget to factor in IVA at 18% and another tax at 5%. Then add water and electricity which is metered.
There is 24 hours security there and gates to the pontoons. Having said that various bits went missing occasionally but the local police arrested a boat owner who had been stealing from other boats all along the coast.
La Linea is the poor cousin to Gib which is 5 minutes walk but the shops are cheap and good and the natives are very friendly and helpful.
There is a boat yard which can cope with most boats but you can not stay aboard overnight. It is good but also expensive to haul out.
There are not boaty shops in La Linea but most stuff can be got from Gib.
There is plenty to do (mainly in Gib) and a good ex pat community with a decent social scene over the winter of 2012/2013 but not too much organised.
The big advantage is the airport 5 minutes walk away with regular cheap flights to the UK.
Of course in Gib it is more English than England with Morrison's and a new Waitrose there. They also speak English which helps.
Over all probably 6/10
 
Nostrodamus said:
Must admit. Everyone who I have spoken to who wintered in Lagos, Spain really enjoyed it. It is probably not one of the cheapest but appears to be one of the best.
Click to expand...
Er, Portugal.
Las Palmas Gran Canaria. Not as social as Lagos but a lot cheaper.
Rubicon, Lanzarote is good too, plus a swimming pool for marina berthers, and it's warm enough.
 
Awrite, being less flippant...

We spent 2 winters in Puerto Calero, Lanzarotte. Probably the nicest, friendliest marina I have ever been to. 40% discount for long stay, free wifi, food, booze (and at the time cigs) cheap. Did some sailing stuff for a local school, did skip/hostess (wife) on a motorboat, wife also ran start boat for local yacht races. Clifftop walk to Carmen, loadsa touristy bars but great for footie fans. Watched local club play too.

Beaches (nsfw!!!!) anchorages, lovely day sailing to Lobos, Graciosa and Fuertaventura.

Often bit too windy. Generally mild though.

Will definitely go back one day. Cracker.
 
Our favourite's probably been Yat Marine in Marmaris, but to an extent, 'who' is there is just as important as 'what' is there: We were in Ostia for a couple of weeks at the end of March 2006 and met quite a few of that year's over-wintering crowd, they'd clearly had a great winter, the place was bouncing; yet another boat we know overwintered there the following year and they were one of only three occupied boats there for 2006/07. Out of fashion/no longer flavour of the month perhaps? I think the marina's management changed during 2006, so maybe that did it?
 
Rota in Spain. Nice and close to town. Good cultural facilities, supermarkets etc. Bad, some nasty rolling in certain sea conditions.
Vilamoura,Portugal.Quieter than the summer mayhem!Nice walk to market at Quarteira,opportunity to go out sailing in good weather.
Puerto Calero, Lanzarote. Another vote for one of the best marinas we have ever visited.
Pomerao,Portugal. Quiet delightful setting up the river Guardiana.Need to be very self-sufficient.Probably my favourite place.
Cartagena,Colombia. Majestic city with something for everyone. Good marinas. Downside is filthy water and appalling growth on the bottom.
Panama- great sailing but beware the lightning storms
Savannah,Georgia, USA. fascinating area but can get pretty cold and the weather is 'volatile' to say the least!
Rio Dulce Guatemala. Large cruising community. Cheap. Exotic.Safe during hurricane season but watch out for the lightning.
Dartmouth, Cornwall. Wonderful small community during the winter months,everything within walking distance including library, arts centre,supermarkets.
 
We loved Rota on our visit there and would have over wintered. Beautiful town but it was a state run marina and they were not offering discounts over winter making it very expensive. I believe that has changed again now. Very friendly locals indeed and the only place we have ever been to where fishing boats go slowly in the marina. The fishermen also run a cheap and excellent fish cafe... especially if you like everything deep fried...
 
It's interesting that the majority of Med replies are from the E end.

Having wandered around the inland Sea, I suspect not many people get to the far end (or they're so satisfied as to not be glued to websites).

There are a number of factors, the importance of which will vary from people to people).

1. COST. N Africa and the E Mediterranean tend to be the least expensive, though S France can (if you haggle) be remarkably economical. Food prices are highly variable, Med Spain expensive. Italy is/was the most expensive - but recent yacht wealth taxes may have reduced the pressure on moorings.
2. FELLOW LIVEABOARDS. Lively liveaboard communities, in many places, but Crete and the Eastern Med seem to have more established and continuing communities.
3. SUPPORT SERVICES. France is quite easily the best for riggers, shipwrights, sailmakers etc. Greece is quite good, Spain & N Africa worst. France is one of the only places where I'd leave my boat to be worked on, far better than the UK.

On the whole for most intending liveaboards I'd suggest heading out of the W & C Med. Apart from anything else the sailing in the E is less mediocre than in the rest of the Sea.
 
It may be that people are heading towards the Eastern Med and take a tried and trusted route along the way where others have over wintered.
This is the point of this thread. To give people ideas and a choice.
Liveaboards tend to look to costs and most people will say stay away from Med Spain and France as they are expensive so a lot go voa the Balaric's anchoring over summer before moving on.
The more over wintering places we can get on here with approx costs the better for others looking to do the same thing.
Community over winter is important and people like to go where others are so they have someone to talk to and something to do over winter.
We have been where there was no other liveaboards and places where there was things organised.. enjoyed both but for different reasons.
 
Our first winter was spent tied up in Preveza (yes, that dreary, miserable place ;-)), on the town side in the unfinished marina. We were with three other liveaboard boats and had a great time. The Port Police wouldn't take any money from us, despite us trying to pay several times, and we had water and electricity for the duration. The town is lively throughout the year and access to the UK is via a bus to Athens (about 5 hours away). We loved it and would recommend it for overwintering, but don't leave your boat unattended there.

The second winter we carried on sailing around Meganisi and Lefkada, with the occasional stop on a pontoon to fill up with water and charge the batteries.

The last three winters we've spent anchored in the 'lagoon' at Spinalonga, Crete. There is a lively ex-pat community ashore, a small town with adequate day to day facilities and plenty of buses to the next town (Agios Nikolaos). We anchor in 4-5 metres and the holding is excellent. There are normally a couple of big storms each winter which mean that we get a disturbed night's sleep but that's no different from the marina around the corner.
 
Nice idea, Nostro.

If those who wish to put these posts as "comments" to the relevant pages of www.jimbsail.info , they'll be listed by cruising area. I can then edit them into "detail pages" in slow time. For an example, see jimbsail.info|elba

"Those who wish to" because I always ask permission before publishing other people's stuff, and it would take ages to track loads of PMs
 
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On the Algarve, perhaps the best marina for wintering is Lagos (little England) but, it's at the western end with the worst of the Algarve winter weather and furthest from the airport. Going east - Portimao, the marina is more exposed and I wouldn't want to leave a boat unattended in the north basin. Albufeira, very safe but quiet as a graveyard in winter. For hauling out and living aboard while working, - Faro, Nave Pegos (Bruce's boatyard) with good facilities and social life and, very close to the airport and town. Olhao Boatyard is another alternative. Moorings are sometimes available to rent off Faro so, a cheap alternative and safer than anchoring if wanting to leave the boat.
 
The last three winters we've spent anchored in the 'lagoon' at Spinalonga, Crete
Click to expand...

Looks amazing on google earth.

Are you talking about the lagoon between the Island of Spinalonga and Elounda?
 
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