Gouvia marina - gardiennage and other support

[MedMilo]

We're planning on taking our Squadron 65 from its current Amalfi base to Corfu next June, with a view to exploring that part of the world for a couple of summers. We're doing a quick three day reccy this October half term (next week) and I plan to meet the marina team and also meet Williams and Caterpillar. I generally like to have someone on hand to keep an eye on lines, shorepower, wash down and prep prior to our arrival etc - so the normal gardiennage stuff. I wondered whether anyone on here could recommend an English speaking local firm or individual?

Any other feedback on Gouvia also very welcome!

 

[Danfarry]

I’m actually here in Gouvia now. Only arrived last night. The bay we went to today, the water was 25.8 degrees Celsius which was lovely. Had a great lunch at a place called the Whitehouse. A guy called Gerald Durrell used to live there, never heard of him but a British film crew were filming there! The marina is Greek, lots of bars and restaurants but doesn’t look quite finished. Everyone seems very friendly but the facilities are quite basic.

 

[Tranona]

I’m actually here in Gouvia now. Only arrived last night. The bay we went to today, the water was 25.8 degrees Celsius which was lovely. Had a great lunch at a place called the Whitehouse. A guy called Gerald Durrell used to live there, never heard of him but a British film crew were filming there! The marina is Greek, lots of bars and restaurants but doesn’t look quite finished. Everyone seems very friendly but the facilities are quite basic.

There seems to be a big hole in your education! The Durrell family is pretty famous - particularly if you have been watching sunday night TV for the last 3 or 4 years!. apart from that Gerald was a world renowned conservationist with a big facility in Jersey. But you may of course know that and this is just tongue in cheek!

Anyway Gouvia is far from basic although it is (like most of that part of Greece) more sailboat orientated. That is because although the Ionian is a great area to cruise it lacks the sort of places that are suitable for MOBOs (virtually no marinas, limited quay space and small anchorages) compared with further west.

It is a few years since I kept my boat there so can't offer any recommendations but the skills are there for both domestic type work and boat/engine maintenance.

 

[MedMilo]

Anyway Gouvia is far from basic although it is (like most of that part of Greece) more sailboat orientated. That is because although the Ionian is a great area to cruise it lacks the sort of places that are suitable for MOBOs (virtually no marinas, limited quay space and small anchorages) compared with further west.

It is a few years since I kept my boat there so can't offer any recommendations but the skills are there for both domestic type work and boat/engine maintenance.

Okay that's good to know - we're pretty independent once out cruising and don't go into marinas all that often but just need a safe base for the boat when we're in the UK and for someone trustworthy to keep an eye on her etc.

 

[MedMilo]

I’m actually here in Gouvia now. Only arrived last night. The bay we went to today, the water was 25.8 degrees Celsius which was lovely. Had a great lunch at a place called the Whitehouse. A guy called Gerald Durrell used to live there, never heard of him but a British film crew were filming there! The marina is Greek, lots of bars and restaurants but doesn’t look quite finished. Everyone seems very friendly but the facilities are quite basic.

Thanks for this, am looking forward to seeing it for myself next week! Gerald Durrell was quite a character (as was his whole family) and, amongst many other things, wrote a great book called 'My family and other animals' about their time there immediately pre the second world war - and back then moving to Corfu was a pretty brave move for a young English family!

 

[NoIllusion]

Have you considered being based at Lefkada which is roughly 70 miles S/SE of Corfu?. Large marina there which can adequately cope with your boat. Lift/engineers etc. Lefkada Town offers everything. Instant access to great cruising grounds. Preveza airport is a 20 minute taxi ride.

 

[Tranona]

Okay that's good to know - we're pretty independent once out cruising and don't go into marinas all that often but just need a safe base for the boat when we're in the UK and for someone trustworthy to keep an eye on her etc.

There are a lot of good things going for Gouvia and Corfu in general. Access by air is excellent between April and October and the marina is 15 minutes taxi. Having said it is more sailboat orientated there are also many superyachts that use it. There is a large resident ex pat population year round and there are many other attractions on the island. In the 10 years we kept our boat there we hired a car at least one visit a year and still have not seen everything.

Levkas is a viable alternative, but smaller and access from UK not so good. However arguably more choice in local cruising as you are midway in the Ionian rather than at one end. Like Corfu it is a working town with life all year round. The marina is owned by the same people and prices and services much the same.

 

[MedMilo]

There are a lot of good things going for Gouvia and Corfu in general. Access by air is excellent between April and October and the marina is 15 minutes taxi. Having said it is more sailboat orientated there are also many superyachts that use it. There is a large resident ex pat population year round and there are many other attractions on the island. In the 10 years we kept our boat there we hired a car at least one visit a year and still have not seen everything.

Levkas is a viable alternative, but smaller and access from UK not so good. However arguably more choice in local cruising as you are midway in the Ionian rather than at one end. Like Corfu it is a working town with life all year round. The marina is owned by the same people and prices and services much the same.

That's really helpful, I've only heard good things about Corfu and think that the choice of airline carriers from the UK probably make it a more obvious choice than Levkas, as you say. And the distances don't seem huge, so cruising down from Corfu to Levkas and the multiple islands to the south east of there would be fine for the type of cruising we do (ie typically two or three weeks at a time)