Overwintering advice please 2018/9 Sicily, Malta, Crete, or Cyprus?

[silver-fox]

Just thinking about where to overwinter 2018/9. I would appreciate any advice/experience/recommendations regarding locations in Sicily, Malta, Crete and Cyprus.

Key drivers for us are
- good liveaboard community
- Cheap flights to UK.
- Reasonable marina costs
- Reasonable weather

 

[sailaboutvic]

Hi
Crete you need to book up early if you want to to get in .
Most people now head for Sicily , licata or Raguse , we wintered in both but Ragusa wind hands down , both Marina had a good size live aboard community , flight thought out the winter from Catania .
Prices for winter berths are some of the best your going to find,
Malta , we winter out here in Malta the last two winters , we tend to only spend three months , cost is more then Sicily but the airport only a bus ride away and flight are very cheap back to the UK , although Sicily only 50 NM to the North , both years we seen to have had a lot better weather then this in Sicily .
Very small liveaboard Community only five this year .
Cyprus sorry can't help .
If you just arriving in the Med and heading East to Greece like many are , I would suggest try Sicily .

 

[silver-fox]

Thanks, Sailaboutvic.

Which marina did you stay in Malta? We previously left the boat over winter once at Manoel Island marina which was OK and had the benefit of some great chandlers nearby

We have been in the Med for a few years and spent a couple split between Marzememi and Sciacca in Sicily, a few more in Hammamet, Tunisia and the boat is currently in Vliho Bay in the Ionian. We are going to rejoin the boat early April and our rough-cut plan is to sail down through the Corinthian, explore the Aegean, visiting Crete and maybe Cyprus before doubling back to Corfu for a family wedding in July. From there we plan to revisit Sicily late August. We then plan to leave the boat for a couple of weeks, either in Sicily or South Italy and go overland to attend "a bit of a do" near Lake Garda before continuing our cruising

Like you we enjoy sailing until late in the season and are probably looking for a winter berth from mid-December through to the end of March. I have been to Ragusa but not overwintered there. we found most of the cheap flights (to Manchester) seemed to go from Palermo rather than Catania.

Currently, Malta and Sicily are looking favourites unless we get some hot tips for Cyprus or Crete.

 

[sailaboutvic]

We in Msida Marina , which is the cheapest now , only problem is until the MID MED race is over they don't like given berth so it have to be after OCT ,
There flights to Birmingham, London and Manchester thought out the winter months in Malta but as I said the cheapest berth are in Sicily seven months berth for 12 mts around 1400euros or there about we paid 1300 for just 3 months in Malta.
I take it Ruari looking after it for you , hope you have it on a good mooring buoy .

 

[Carmel2]

Give Crete a call, it may well be full but at least you can cross one off the list.

 

[silver-fox]

We are stern to at Vliho

Called Crete but they were out

 

[Mr Cassandra]

Hi Vic
You appear to be the most knowledgeable if staying on a 12-month contract in Sicily, Is it a good sailing area for a year or so.?

 

[sailaboutvic]

Hi Vic
You appear to be the most knowledgeable if staying on a 12-month contract in Sicily, Is it a good sailing area for a year or so.?

Sicily has a some good cruising grounds on the south coast there Malta from somewhere like Ragusa it just a 50 miles crossing , it has enough anchorages to keep you busy and no matter which way the wind blows you can find shelter within a day sail if not a few hours , Marina in Malta like any where else are expensive in the summer months fuel is much cheaper then Italy and Greece , 1.15 at the moment and almost any thing you need for the boat you find in Malta,
Pantelleria depending where you cross from can be an over nighter or a long day sail
not really much anchorages but the many harbour was free last time we was there and there a Marina if you wish to use it . Nice island to visit especially if you like walking .
Lampedusa is another interesting Island , again an over nighter from Malta , it has couple of good anchorages or use the main harbour, again a small island but worth a visit .
The south coast of Sicily its nearly all marinas , the few anchorages we used in the past been reported that the CG have moved people on or been told to use the harbour which are now marinas , I in no doubts you could find a spot for an over night stop to break the journey up like Porto Empedocle or Marsala where in the pass we had some long stays in the right condition, harbours like Licata and Sciaicca where once we could get a free berth on the wall now you will be told to use the Marina , although we have got away with some free berthing the other year, on the south east there Porto Paulo fishing harbour , not much there but you can anchor and mostly safe .
The east coast you have Siracusa good anchorages as long as you like , plenty to see great street market and if your willing to pay ten euro a day to have your rubbish taken away ( what rubbish ) you can Stay five days on the Quay for free , but your better off an anchor .
Augusta good anchorages and Catania you can anchor just out of the harbour or do as we do and find a place on the fisherman dock, Naxos where you can anchor or Taormina although I alway find it a bit sloppy there , there also mooring buoys plus a few other anchorages along that coast .
On the west coast you have the isole Egadi some good anchorages well worth a visit and if the weather gets too much a sail into Trapani , you can normally get a few free night anchoring there , we have spend as much as a week before being ask to use the Marina or leave .
Lastly there the north coast some very good anchorages like Castlammare , Cefalu, Militello, Milazzo again depend on conditions
There to port of Palermo if you look hard enough you find a free berth other wise there the Marina .
Then there the Aeolian Island , some great anchorages , lovely islands and so are the people ,
There just a few places there much more so to answer you question Bob yes there plenty to keep you busy in Sicily and within a day sail . The only down side is although marinas like Ragusa and Licata give some great mooring winter deal their summer rate are very high but I guess a yearly contract might not seen too bad .
Unlike what we read here at times , we alway found the Sicilian and Italians to be friendly maybe loud at times, and always willing to help you out .
has most of us know the Italian sailors have a bad reputation in Greece , funny enough we don't find that in Italy but then Greece do seen to bring out the worst in some people.

 

[silver-fox]

I'll second everything Vic has just said.

 

[Mr Cassandra]

Well, I thank you both then. It does appear to me that I need to get out of Greece and see more places, Vic you are a font of good knowledge and I wish you fair winds.
Nothing to add about my boat yet.

 

[jimbaerselman]

Google "anchorages sicily". That will take you to a couple of recent previous threads on YBW, also to my web site, which I've just finished updating for Sicily

I like Vic's round-up of the area above!