Mediterranean France - where to stay?

[stiknstring]

Any views for moderately priced marinas in Southern France for 2013 - long term (annually at the least)? Looking for somewhere with some character and with sensible rather than St Tropez type pricing.

Grateful for suggestions

Thanks in anticipation

 

[jimbaerselman]

Start with http://jimbsail.info/mediterranean/west-med/med-france . You'll see I've added a lot of links to Grehan's site pages - since he gives lots of good links to the marinas close to the waterway entries and exits from the Med. Lots of good stuff on his site, no point in repeating all his hard work!

You'll also see I've added a forum for people to paste their experience of layup locations.

 

[chasroberts]

Unfortunately, it's not that cheap down here compared to UK and if you can find somewhere with good prices for an annual berth then the waiting list for a place is often quoted at the 10 year mark and is normally a 'dead man's berth'!

Not trying to discourage you and there is a lot to see and do down here but it can be tricky if you are expecting to turn up and find a place. Perserverence is often the best policy along with some French (the capitaines - harbour masters often will respond better to schoolboy French than English!)

Bon chance!

Chas

 

[westernman]

If you are looking for a place which is fairly cheap and has berths for yearly rent, the Port Leucate is probably one of the few places which meets both criteria.

Disadvantage is that most days it is blowing something between a gale and a hurricane from the NW.
However the Costa Brava is within easy reach with some interesting places and quite a number of nice protected bays to anchor in.

http://www.leucate-port.com/

You will find my boat in several of the pictures on the web site.

 

[stearman65]

Any views for moderately priced marinas in Southern France for 2013 - long term (annually at the least)? Looking for somewhere with some character and with sensible rather than St Tropez type pricing.

Grateful for suggestions

Thanks in anticipation

We spent New years day & the day after in St Trop', cost 7 euros per night including leccy, however, that was in 2002 in a Moody 40 CC, have things changed?
Stearman65

 

[vyv_cox]

We spent New years day & the day after in St Trop', cost 7 euros per night including leccy, however, that was in 2002 in a Moody 40 CC, have things changed?
Stearman65

Visitor berths and annual contracts are completely different. As long ago as 1995 a French yachtsman based in the south told me there were no available long term mainland berths in the Marseille area. He kept his boat in Frioul, which when we visited in about 2005 still had annual berths available. Ferry from Marseille took about 20 minutes.

 

[Wino]

Forget sensible prices in Sth France, as so many marinas have increased prices, or are about to,so it seems as if everyone is looking for somewhere cheap or cheaper. Have you though of going inland, there are (or were) places in Aigues Mortes, and if headroom no problem, there are still moorings on the canals.
But it is essential to go in person, preferably with your boat, that way the captain can see you and it, so he is not going to let a space to a boat with a menagerie on it. Forget phoning as they all say they have two/three year lists . But if you are there and there is a space and you give them.. a big smile ..you may be lucky.

 

[tudorsailor]

Have a look at Port Gruissan. Huge marina. Three chandleries and lovely village nearby. We only stayed two nights passing by. Food in the village was out of this world

TS

 

[charles_reed]

As already pointed out (unless there has been a quantum shift due to the economy) there is a world of difference between available resident berths and visitor berths. This is because all marinas are required by law to offer a set % of berths on short-term leases.
If you apply to any marina in the area you will be told you can be entered on their 3-10 year waiting list.
If you turn up and bother to speak French you can nearly always get an over-winter visitor berth.
The cheaper marinas are S of Bouche du Rhone, but some of the marinas in the Cote d'Azur Est are really cheap but invariably full.
Good luck - not impossible to find a berth at a good price but you have to hunt, in person, in French and in good humour (because you'll get a lot of chaffing).

 

[luturna]

Hi, new user here .... just buying a boat in South of France, and looking at places to over winter the boat on the hard. I have looked at loadsa sites online and Nautiland in Gruissan seems good. The only doubts I have are about the weather .... well strong winds in particular. Can anybody help me out with any info on the yard, the area, and the weather. It would be greatly appreciated. Cheers!

Jan

 

[westernman]

Hi, new user here .... just buying a boat in South of France, and looking at places to over winter the boat on the hard. I have looked at loadsa sites online and Nautiland in Gruissan seems good. The only doubts I have are about the weather .... well strong winds in particular. Can anybody help me out with any info on the yard, the area, and the weather. It would be greatly appreciated. Cheers!

Jan

Just be aware that there is no marina in the South of France which has berths available to rent on an annual contract. Waiting lists vary now between 3 and 30 years.

However, visitors berths are not a problem. In many cases you can get a 6 month visitors berth and then renew for the next 6 months or put the boat on the hard. However, this will be at least double the cost of an annual berth - but might still be cheaper than the Solent.

Good luck!

 

[luturna]

Hi Michael, thanks for the reply. As I say, not really looking for a berth as I have already located a yard ... Nautiland, at Gruissan where I can put the boat on the hard for 6 months at a reasonable cost but

"The only doubts I have are about the weather .... well strong winds in particular. Can anybody help me out with any info on the Nautiland yard, the area in general, and the weather. "

You are obviously in the know, and my charts/pilot books haven't arrived yet ... if I use the yard at Gruissan, I have to get from Le Lavandou and I only have 2-3 weeks holiday, is it do-able, I only want to do short hops, as I've been off the water for 3 years (8 years prior to that as full-time liveaboard), and want to make sure I have confidence in my new boat before going further afield. Any tips?

 

[westernman]

I don't know the Le Lavandou end of things very well. In 2-3 weeks it should be easily doable. It is only about 160 miles going around the edges. That makes 8 short hops of 20 miles or so (depending on finding places to stop). The bit west of the Rhone is not too interesting - mostly flat coastline and sandy beaches.

Round my end of the Golf de Lion, it can be very windy (Leucate is Europe's wind capital for kite surfing etc). However, the strongest winds and dominant winds come from the NW, which down this way means the sea stays flat. So you can have a comfortable sail in a F8 with just a scrap of foresail up when going S. With a little bit of luck you could do the last bit from Cap d'Agde to Gruissan in one long broad reach in flat seas in a F6 going as fast as your boat is ever likely to go.

Marseille to La Grande Motte is most likely to be a slog against the wind.

If you have a gale from the S, then stay in a marina - the sea state can be very nasty. The entrances to many marinas are down right dangerous if the wind is strong and from the SE.

2-3 weeks should be plently of time. Go when the conditions are right. Stay put when there are not. But be prepared to motor from the Rhone to La Grande Motte (the wind is unlikely to be from the right direction, and if it is, it may well make the sea unconformtably rough).

 

[luturna]

Thanks again Michael, all noted, and appreciated. I'm sure I'll be back with more questions when I wake up in a cold sweat in the early hours of the morning. Here we go again, the liveaboard life for me (from next spring). Why did I ever give it up? I'll give you a VHF shout if I get to Leucate in September. Oh yes, if the boat purchase goes through, which is due by Monday next week, documentation permitting.

Just thought of another question .... the French registered boat "red book". I am told (by the broker) that this is proof of VAT paid. Is that correct?

 

[westernman]

Thanks again Michael, all noted, and appreciated. I'm sure I'll be back with more questions when I wake up in a cold sweat in the early hours of the morning. Here we go again, the liveaboard life for me (from next spring). Why did I ever give it up? I'll give you a VHF shout if I get to Leucate in September. Oh yes, if the boat purchase goes through, which is due by Monday next week, documentation permitting.

Just thought of another question .... the French registered boat "red book". I am told (by the broker) that this is proof of VAT paid. Is that correct?

As good as (you cannot register a boat in France unless the VAT has been paid, or the boat was already registered in France. Proof by deduction).

 

[luturna]

That's great, thanks for your input. That's another box ticked. Just the deletion certificate to go and it's all systems go! Oh, apart from paying for the boat of course! Trying not to think about that ....