Greetings from Gibraltar. Read if your coming this way!

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DiverTitch

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Gib has always been a good stop over for liveaboards and blue water sailors but things are changing. Firstly no more anchoring by the runway, you now have to go to Spain, only 500m north with great shelter ( better than Gib) but big problem with tenders being nicked. Do not ever leave your tender, even with a lock etc. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gifSecondly Queensquay marina has very little space, in fact the last two boats that have asked have been told no more visitors. Check before you come. Fuel is now around 48p a litre down to 38p for more than 2500. Water is not available from fuel stations at all, or marina's unless you bookin for a day. A Frence trans atlantic crosser asked marina bay for two hour ashore for water and food, he was told "We'r full go to Spain" Its not so friendly now so check before you come!
Shepards as a marina is no more and the shop can not be called duty free as all the prices are way above UK. Try Roses on the Spainish side.
Water Maker for sale on ebay item number 150180885508
 
The no anchoring bit by the runway has been in place for a while. Queensway turned its face against any craft under about 15 m long ago, they are targeting the upmarket mariners and don't really want liveaboards. Had an (expensive) drink in one of their bars last summer and you can see who they are aiming to attract.
Marina Bay were extremely helpful when we were there ( in summer) and apologetic about the lack of space or the inability to offer anything longer than a couple of weeks stay. The loss of Sheppards had put a lot of pressure on them.
Fuel has gone up, but I guess Gib is not immune to the world oil price situation. Agree about duty free, but if you shop carefully among the high street shops there are bargains to be had. Prices at the airport duty free, we found, were considerably higher than those in the town shops.
Marina Bay appreciate a call in advance, turning up on spec may not get you anywhere. If you can't find a berth , try Ceuta, the Spanish enclave in Morocco across the Strait. We found the marina there very helpful. It has been refurbished recently and fuel quality ( I understand) is much improved.
 
Heard a few people muttering about this, I am wondering if the problem that you need to get into Gib for fuel/water/repairs and there is no space? Or is it that there are now other anchorages/habours along that bit of coast so everyone gets squeezed into Gib? Or that Gib is a tourist honeypot and everyone wants to visit?
 
Have recently come back up to France having spent the last 18 months in Marina Bay. The marina is full on occasion - notably the lead-up to the Atlantic crossing season. Most of the time there are spaces, sometimes not that many but spaces nonetheless.

It seems to go along with the job: marina staff telling people "there's no space" or "all booked up". Exactly the same was true when we were at Bajadilla (Marbella), and at some UK marinas too. The guys at Marina Bay are actually quite o.k and friendly and helpful. They respond well to a modicum of politeness and courtesy. We hardly ever saw anybody turned away that turned up - when that happened there was a reason - i.e there weren't any free berths or maybe (only maybe) that the boat thought it had a 'right' to tie up and was rude or aggressive. Some boats do just enter the place at full power and cruise up and down the pontoons, obviously not having contacting the marina office in the first place (VHF 71 or phone) and not taking the slightest bit of notice of the marineros shouting and gesticulating at them.

For those that remember the Gibraltar of Sheppards and anchoring off the runway, the place has changed - there's no doubt about that - but this has been the case for some years now. This has been extensively discussed on YBW - here and here

There is no lift-out (at sensible cost) nor yard. Sheppards chandlery carries a good stock but not at discount prices; but there are some good basic maintenance firms. Queensway is targeting plastic fantastic boats (although some cruising yachts do berth there, just not that many). Marina Bay is now part of a large commercial marina-side development (building work is going on all around the marina) and is consequently run in a (fairly) business-like way.

There are alternatives. Lots of boats anchor across the border off La Linea in a large protected anchorage. The tales of dinghies being nicked are legion, but personally I've yet to meet someone that's anchored there and been robbed, so maybe it doesn't happen to everyone. There are lots of boats there, and I've noticed some of them stay quite some while, so it can't be that bad. ? Further up the coast is Sotogrande (big, well-run, has a yard and travelift, but pricey). Across the Strait are Ceuta (not been there - heard good reports) and Smir (been there - excellent facilities and friendly).
 
Hmmm... the words "Honeypot" and "Gibraltar" don't really go together well... /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

The issues are complicated by the fact that there *used* to be a customs station right next to the fuel station, but that activity is now delegated to the marinas - so you need to go to a marina to check-in. The situation which seems to have been somewhat "leveraged" by the marinas... certainly Queensway.

I was last there just over a year ago - the reception at Queensway, I would typify as "miserable"... We got a berth (we were 18m), but other boats were being turned away, as they were "full", when clearly, they weren't! They had started the building work on the apartments, and the marina water was filthy - oil and chunks of wood, and every other kind of detritus... no attempt to clear it up. There was a boom that went across the entrance at night, for "security" reasons... A french lady yottie came into the marina office when I was there - she asked for some change for some kind of machine outside (maybe the telephone, I don't recall...) It was refused her - "Where would we be if we made change for *everyone* who asked for it", the old battle-axe in the office said...

Marina bay seemed much the same as it always had been - reasonably accomodating (although we couldn't get in...). I always pick up a certain air of laissez-faire there - many of the lazy-lines are in a poor condition, or missing, but Marina bay would be my preference.
 
website probs

Yes, apologies. Having problems with the ISP. Blinking nuisance. Will be sorted out in the next 24 hours or so, this being the weekend.
Wish I had a potter's wheel clip to entertain you until normal transmission is restored.
Y'all come back, y'hear!
 
Re: website probs

Just a quick note re anchoring in La Linea. The threat to dinghies is very real and ongoing. Friends of ours had theirs stolen even though it was chained and padlocked to a pontoon at the Club Nautique with a 'nightwatchman' nearby. After shelling out for a new one four or five locals swam out in wetsuits in broad daylight, cut the painter and were on their way back to shore (and a waiting van) with the new tender and outboard when they were spotted, chased and loudly berated about their heads with oars and anything else that came to hand in the water.

Under no circumstances leave your tender unattended. There has evolved a code amongst the liveaboards to operate their own ferry system to shore and generally help each other out so you need to talk to other boats and make arrangements accordingly.

Shame really as the anchorage is superb. Well protected, good holding and all the supermarkets etc within easy walking distance. Still, I suppose you can't have everything....
 
Re: La Linea

Last June we were in Gib and posted details about all this including some correspondence with the harbour officialdom. i don't know to do the link, but here's a cut and paste from 27/6/07:

I wrote explaining what I've discovered, as above, expanding a little on the previous correspondence. This is his (the HM's) reply

"Yachts are allowed to anchor off Gibraltar, in those areas where there is no restriction. Currently there is a restriction in place north of the runway. In the e-mail I replied to nothing was mentioned with regard to specific areas, only anchoring off Gibraltar

For example there is nothing preventing a yacht anchoring on the East Side if it so wishes, or any other area where there is no restrictions. However, should any of the crew on board, or passengers, wish to come ashore they will have to abide by the necessary clearing requirements in place on the west side of Gibraltar, normally through a marina. "

I take this to mean that you CAN anchor in specific places, eg to the east of the rock, but you can't come ashore except through a marina, unless you contact the Port and make other arrangements. Not a lot of help if you want your yacht to leave the EU but fine for storm shelter. What is also not clear is where the restricted areas are.
 
Re: La Linea

Sorry negative I know, but I find Gib is a good place to miss if poss, was there 2yrs ago, (brother was keen to see it, I wanted to pass it), very unfriendly almost everywhere, brother agreed it wasn,t one of his best ideas after a couple of hours, we left next day.
 
Gibraltar

No two ways about it, Gib is not paradise or even close. Anybody expecting "England from 20 yrs ago" or "Spain that speaks English" (I've seen both of these) would be sadly misled. Parts are run-down, parts are dirty, other parts are being redeveloped; not to the highest architectural standards. Mind you, crap cheap nasty buildings have been being put up there since the late 40s. The main shopping street has bargain shops without bargains and is closed on Saturdays. Marina deficiencies are covered elsewhere in this thread. Gibraltarians have a deserved (IMHO) reputation for laziness and 'hand it to me on a plate' -edness. Legacy of all that military stuff.

However, Gib does grow on you too. I like the mix of nationalities, Orthodox Jews rubbing shoulders with Muslims, Spanish people coming in from La Linea, different folks off the cruise liners (i.e American wrinklies wandering around looking bewildered, trying to find something cute, which there ain't). Berthing in Marina Bay you see a great variety of craft of all shapes and sizes, from the monster luxurious to the teeny weeny. There's lots of movement and 'life'. Of course, out in the Bay you see lots of ships coming and going. Bianca's and The Ship by the marina are obvious attractions and well-frequented by yotties. Good place to chat to someone whose just come across the pond or the Med.
When it's not overcast and hazy because of the Levanter (50% of the time /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif) take the cable car to the top of the rock, avoid the blasted monkeys, and walk along to O'Hara's battery - that last top edge end of the rock nearest Morocco. Great view. Then wander down the various paths, back to town level. A good way to spend half a day or more. The town's museum is really fascinating (of course, it has funny opening hours to discourage visitors!). We also liked Eastern Beach (end of the runway) (on a summer saturday, bursting open with families having a whale of a time) and walking round to Calleta village on the Eastern face.

Unlike some artificial marina 'villages' this is a real place. Down to earth and unpretentious, boring, or merely tatty? After 18 months there I'm not sure, but it's not <u>that</u> bad! /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif


BTW the Grehan website's back working again /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
Heard a few people muttering about this, I am wondering if the problem that you need to get into Gib for fuel/water/repairs and there is no space? Or is it that there are now other anchorages/habours along that bit of coast so everyone gets squeezed into Gib? Or that Gib is a tourist honeypot and everyone wants to visit?

[/ QUOTE ]

Honeypot? Today thats a joke.

We lived in Gib for a period back in the late 60's when blockaded by Spain. Then indeed it was the highspot of the region. Sit down toilets, tarmac roads, and the military facilities well maintained, and good marina facilities (relative to the number of sailors back then).
On visits over past four years, sad to say we've seen it all slip downhill.
Dirty streets. Buildings needing obvious maintenance. Tat covered ex squaddie pub owners which stink of beer. Shepherds gone. Marina Bay not able to cope with the overload. Queensway still awash with floating scum (the rubbish - not the sailors).
IMHO it is a real shame.
Gib is sooooooooo well placed to be the entrance to the Med, to draw and retain trade from each sailor who gets close.
But last time we got close the night lights showed it all. La Linia awash with bright lights, close by spanish marinas with good (and clean) facilities to tempt one. They've left Gib for dead.
I hope one day it gets resurrected.
But for the sailors, I doubt it.
JOHN
 
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