Med Winter Liveaboard Suggestions Please

[Crisby]

Hi all, after 20 years of planning/dreaming following our first foray into med sailing covid curtailment of my career gives us an opportunity to push off. In 2018 we bought our boat and spent the last 2 summers aboard in the Ionian getting used to the boat in familiar waters, but now looking to stay on board permanently and go further afield. Of course when we started our planning all those years ago Brexit wasn’t even a possibility.

So now with the 90/180 restrictions in much of the Med we’re starting to think of other options as we will be looking to spend the first few winters in the Med before hopefully heading West. In 2019 with Brexit around the corner we obtained the beige temporary residence cards which we hoped would at least give us the option of wintering in Greece, however with the requirement to now convert that to biometric it looks unlikely that we will be ab;le to without a 12 month marina contract as we laid up ashore in Preveza for the last 2 winters expecting to go back to work which hasn’t happened.

To finally get to the point, some of our non Schengen options such as Turkey also have 90/180 limits making it very difficult to spend a winter there so I am here asking for suggestions from the members of this forum who have already been there, done that. This is forward planning at the moment for a time when we can travel again!!

Many thanks

Chris

 

[Trident]

Cyprus is non Schengen and has some great spots for winter aboard.

Or you do 90 days in Greece, sail to Turkey for 90 days and then back again.

 

[Crisby]

Thanks Trident, looking to spend the whole winter, 5/6 months or so, in one place but I’ll look into visa options for Cyprus.

Chris

 

[Ningaloo]

Tunisia has a promising looking marina see Port de Plaisance Yasmine Hammamet Tunisie
Warmer in the winter and not too far to from Italy?

 

[Crisby]

Yep, definitely worth a look if we can stay for long enough

Chris

Tunisia has a promising looking marina see Port de Plaisance Yasmine Hammamet Tunisie
Warmer in the winter and not too far to from Italy?

 

[sailaboutvic]

Chris this is my own personal experience, Tunisia is a good option and it's very welcoming but not Hammanet, not only it way away from the town , you don't get much of a community , it's ok from a short time , Moniastir is where best to go , right in the town , good community each year , officials are use to dealing with cruisers boats small yard in the marina for haul out or the fishing port just a mile alone the coast for large boats and best of all you can stay and work on your boat but why live on the hard when apartments in the marina are two a penny .
We had three winters there and enjoyed every one ,
BUT you do have to book well in advance as more and more are wintering there

 

[KLBH]

Might be worth considering Marina di Ragusa in Sicily, the Commune seem happy to give residency and the marina is very competitively priced with a good live aboard community.

 

[syvictoria]

Might be worth considering Marina di Ragusa in Sicily, the Commune seem happy to give residency and the marina is very competitively priced with a good live aboard community.

Just out of curiosity (for now), approximately what is 'very competitively priced'?

 

[Crisby]

Chris this is my own personal experience, Tunisia is a good option and it's very welcoming but not Hammanet, not only it way away from the town , you don't get much of a community , it's ok from a short time , Moniastir is where best to go , right in the town , good community each year , officials are use to dealing with cruisers boats small yard in the marina for haul out or the fishing port just a mile alone the coast for large boats and best of all you can stay and work on your boat but why live on the hard when apartments in the marina are two a penny .
We had three winters there and enjoyed every one ,
BUT you do have to book well in advance as more and more are wintering there

Thanks Vic I’ll check it out, sounds like no issues with staying for the whole winter?

Chris

 

[Crisby]

Might be worth considering Marina di Ragusa in Sicily, the Commune seem happy to give residency and the marina is very competitively priced with a good live aboard community.

Always fancied a winter in Marina di Ragusa but no chance now as we would have to leave mid winter to go to somewhere non Schengen for 90 days. Thanks anyway for the suggestion.

Chris

 

[KLBH]

Just out of curiosity (for now), approximately what is 'very competitively priced'?

Around €2300 for a 50ft boat for the winter berth which runs from 1st October to 31st April.

 

[nortada]

Just outside the Med but don't forget The Gulf of Cadiz.

 

[Crisby]

Just outside the Med but don't forget The Gulf of Cadiz.

Thanks but I think that still gives me Schengen restrictions, without going down the whole residency route. Used to fly in to Faro a lot for work and always had my eyes outside looking at the boats on the way in!!

Chris

 

[Mr Cassandra]

Just out of curiosity (for now), approximately what is 'very competitively priced'?

They quoted me 15 Metre boat for 6 months €2190 inc

 

[Mr Cassandra]

I wonder ,when you add up all the British boats unable to winter in Eu ,will the prices drop ?

 

[nortada]

I wonder ,when you add up all the British boats unable to winter in Eu ,will the prices drop ?

Boats will continue to winter in the EU - Schengen applies to people not boats.

 

[Crisby]

Boats will continue to winter in the EU - Schengen applies to people not boats.

Ashore maybe but not so many afloat in marinas over the winter

Chris

 

[Graham376]

Boats will continue to winter in the EU - Schengen applies to people not boats.

Visiting boats are limited to 18 months so better to winter outside EU if possible, unless the clock can be stopped if laid up ashore out of commission?

 

[Crisby]

Visiting boats are limited to 18 months so better to winter outside EU if possible, unless the clock can be stopped if laid up ashore out of commission?

At the moment that looks to be the case re winter layup ashore and stopping the clock.

Chris

 

[sailaboutvic]

Might be worth considering Marina di Ragusa in Sicily, the Commune seem happy to give residency and the marina is very competitively priced with a good live aboard community.

Both MDR and Licata have a good community, MDR depend who you ask re price it could be a little bit different, we had two qinters in MDR and now three in Licata , licata is cheaper.
But it don't help Chris as they are both in the EU