known overnight anchorages between Barcelona and Valencia

[Brent]

Hello lucky people, Liveaboards that is!!

At the beginning of September the family and I will be sailing between these two cities over the fortnight. We intend to visit the columbrete Isles as well as we missed going to them last year due to bad weather. I know the coastline lacks anchorages but does anyone know of any good overnight anchorage sites. Also any tips for visiting the Columbretes?

 

[Manuel]

The whole of that coast is rolly and weather-dependant. It's not like the Islands where you can always nip round to the other side. Marinas are very full, as well. I'd suggest that you get the RCC pilot "Coastas del Azahar, Dorada and Brava" and the Spanish "La Guia del Navegante" (from Spanish chanderies) as you will have to muddle along as you go. It is worth having a mobile phone to call ahead. Many of the marinas are totally full with no hope of getting in and it is frustrating to detour 30mins to 1 hour to be turned away.

As for the Columbretes, I have not been but the RCC pilot says "don't go without Spanish chart 483A". Having recently found my C-Map cartography on the plotter showed me sailing over a harbour mole while I was motoring down the middle of the fairway, I would take that advice seriously. There is only one anchorage and that is exposed to the NE. It would be a convenient place to stop if you don't want to follow the coast but you are not going to find discos....a merciful respite, probably.

 

[Manuel]

If anchoring is what you'd like to do you could consider doing a non-stop from Barcelona to Majorca and then spend your two weeks anchoring on the islands ending up with one non-stop to Valencia. I think you would have more fun and no marina bills. That's what I would do.

 

[Brent]

Thanks for the advice. We were on Majorca for a few years and lived it there. Would have stayed longer but the marina fees were crippling, sadly. So we moved to mainland Spain as a temporary move. Grease is looking good next year.