Med France: mid season lay-up locations?

[concentrik]

Any suggestions for economical places to layup ashore or afloat in the Golf de Lyon? Where can I find out which inland waterways are accessible with mast up?

 

[lindsay]

I laid up for a year at Martigues, near Marseilles, following an accident. No problems whatsoever. Easy access to Marseilles and beyond with convenient adjacent budget hotel. Further east there is a liitle place near Hyeres, right opposite Porquerolles, called Le Gapeau. Several friends speak highly of it. Close to Toulon Hydres airport.

 

[dcr]

I laid up for a year at Martigues, near Marseilles, following an accident. No problems whatsoever. Easy access to Marseilles and beyond with convenient adjacent budget hotel. Further east there is a liitle place near Hyeres, right opposite Porquerolles, called Le Gapeau. Several friends speak highly of it. Close to Toulon Hydres airport.

Try Port Pin Roland at Saint Mandrierr near Toulon, e mail - c.canut@groupponcin.com or telephone - 00 33 4 94 61 24
Over wintered ashore there in 2013/14 and full services available.
dcr

 

[Liz_I]

Golfe de Lyon
Port Saint Louis du Rhone no out of water facility. Right in the town. Possible lack of security.
Navy Service. Purely a Port a Sec. a few places in water but very restricted staying time. Dry port there shouldn't be a problem with space during the summer. Very dusty & gritty. Reasonabley priced. Possible lack of security.
Port Napoleon. In or out of water somewhat cleaner & tidier than Navy Services, more expensive. Only offer daily, monthly or 6 months storage.

There are more facilities further West but not having used them I can not comment.

 

[BobnLesley]

Any suggestions for economical places to layup ashore or afloat in the Golf de Lyon? Where can I find out which inland waterways are accessible with mast up?

Re 'mast up' will depend on mast height; I know that you can get up the canal to Aigues Mort with just a lifting bridge and you can also go up the river at Cap D'Agde and if you're small (we had an Albin Vega) you can squeeze under the bridge and get all the way into Agde town itself. It's quite a while since we were there (about ten years!) but there was a couple of small marinas or the public canal wall at Aigues Morts, also a larger marina just inside the canal's sea entrance; all as I recall were reasonably priced at the time. On the way up river to Agde there were several cheap and cheerful boatyards and also mooring buoys in the river - a friend used both and whilst I can't remember figures, I do recall it seeming very cheap.
That same summer we left our yacht in Sausset les Pins, just west of Marseille, for a few weeks, it suffered a bit from surge, but that was more of an issue when on the boat rather than when we left it there - just haul it well off the quay with the lazy-line - don't remember prices, but must've been reasonable if we used it. As I say, all this info is ten years old, I'm sure someone else must've explored them since then, but it'll give you a starting point at least.

 

[charles_reed]

Golfe de Lyon
Port Saint Louis du Rhone no out of water facility. Right in the town. Possible lack of security.
Navy Service. Purely a Port a Sec. a few places in water but very restricted staying time. Dry port there shouldn't be a problem with space during the summer. Very dusty & gritty. Reasonabley priced. Possible lack of security.
Port Napoleon. In or out of water somewhat cleaner & tidier than Navy Services, more expensive. Only offer daily, monthly or 6 months storage.

There are more facilities further West but not having used them I can not comment.

port St Louis - you've forgotten Navy Service - ONLY out-of-water layup, and quite easily the cheapest in the area. But not particularly comfortable with sandstorms and the world's most voracious mosquitoes (and I was brought up in the Far East).

Port Argeles, Port St Cyprien, but both have expensive hard standing and no room except for their visitor berths.
Personally I've always found a place in one of the three Club pontoons in Marseille Vieux Port. Leave the boat under gardiennage with the berthingmaster and come to an unofficial arrangement. NIce folk and some of the best dining in the city.

Apologies - quick scan didn't see the comments re Navy Service - never known of any restricted time, but have to agree about facilities.

 

[Liz_I]

Hi Charles
Still skimming articles! There has always been a limit to the time one can stay against the wall at Navy. When a boat goes back in it can stay iirc for 3 days max. There is very little room. Prices have gone up but as I've not been down that way recently I can't say by how much. Anyone wanting to spend the winter there will need to book early as they are permanently full.

 

[Davegriff]

How about ashore at Chantier Alemand, Grau d'Agde? Not much in way of facilities, but cheap and friendly.