Places/countries you would *not* visit again

[jdc]

Sadly I didn't see that ! Our armed guard escort took us straight from the airport to the Vodacom RDC offices, thence to the hotel and then back to the airport - I quit my job a few months later, they didn't pay me enough for that

I quite liked Pointe Noire (in the other Congo, not the one f.k.a. Zaire). I lived there for 6 months or so; I had a bungalow in the town when on-shore, and didn't feel particularly unsafe. After that I went to Cabinda, which was definitely dodgy, and then Luanda, which was great. But it's all a long time ago!

Sailing I haven't really disliked anywhere; in French Guyana we had a wonderful time and made friends. I wrote the brief pilot book for the CA on French Guyana; if GHA or anyone else has more recent info I'd love a pm as I last went there 5 years ago now.

Now planning a trip to Lagos; probably won't happen and would be ill advised perhaps, but I like such day dreaming anyway (I landed at Heathrow from Lagos this morning, and had plenty of time to muse on it during the flight).

 

[TonyMS]

Regio Calabria, at the S end of the Straights of Messina. expensive, poor mooring, unfriendly, lousy ablutions, unpleasant walk to uninspiring town. And Blyth. But not a bad tally out of 100s of nice or at least ok places.

 

[ProMariner]

UAE, or pretty much anywhere in the Arabian Gulf, can't understand why anyone would choose to go there, it's just the heart of darkness. A place where they'll smile to your face, stab you in the back, and rob you, all at the same time.

 

[Concerto]

My vote goes to Douglas, IOM.

Firstly I arrived late at night and entry to the marina was about 3am. However I was given a berth that I just managed to squeeze into with the help of a friendly member of staff. There was an empty double berth close by. The berths are angled to the walkway and are difficult to enter with a stone wall about 40ft from the transom I had to round and the finger was about 20ft long with warps over the cleats.



Secondly, the marina was opened in 2000 and had these facilities. They look suitable for a prison.







Douglas a place to visit was great. My recommendation is to visit Peel and take the bus across the island. The berths and facilities are much better, even run by the same organisation.

 

[SaltyC]

My vote goes to Douglas, IOM.

Firstly I arrived late at night and entry to the marina was about 3am. However I was given a berth that I just managed to squeeze into with the help of a friendly member of staff. There was an empty double berth close by. The berths are angled to the walkway and are difficult to enter with a stone wall about 40ft from the transom I had to round and the finger was about 20ft long with warps over the cleats.

View attachment 146938

Secondly, the marina was opened in 2000 and had these facilities. They look suitable for a prison.

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Douglas as a place to visit was great. My recommendation is to visit Peel and take the bus across the island. The berths and facilities are much better, even run by the same organisation.

As much as I like the iom I have to agree with your report. The habit of placing visitors on the South Side of the marina is questionable when the more welcoming, easier access / egress berths are available is questionable

Unfortunately it happens more 'out of hours' when the commercial port staff are in control.

 

[KeelsonGraham]

Krgyzstan. Beautiful and wonderful people, but devilishly difficult to get to in a yacht.

 

[Juan Twothree]

Ramsgate isn't that bad, not sure about 'Spoons though ?

I've been in that one.

Worth visiting just for the seafront location, and what they've done with the building.

 

[RupertW]

Stoke

Outrageous - it’s improving every day

 

[RupertW]

I have loathed sailing visits to Camaret, Douarnemez, Weymouth and Torquay. I have grown to like the last two a lot.

 

[geem]

Haiti would be top of my never again list.
Colon in Panama is aptly named. Arse end of the world. Downtown looks like footage of Beirut when it was bombed except Colon never got bombed.

 

[Poignard]

I have loathed sailing visits to Camaret, Douarnemez, Weymouth and Torquay. I have grown to like the last two a lot.

My wife and I like Camaret (good walks, good restaurants) but Douarnenez wasn't good. We were berthed in the maritime museum and the sanitaires had been vandalised and at night yobs were throwing bottles off the nearby bridge.

 

[Roberto]

My wife and I like Camaret (good walks, good restaurants) but Douarnenez wasn't good. We were berthed in the maritime museum and the sanitaires had been vandalised and yobs were throwing bottles of the nearby bridge.

In France, Camaret toilets appear much like a national shame.

 

[Roberto]

There are also places one would not visit again to keep good old memories.
To me Croatia, first time I sailed there 1980, Yugoslavia with Tito, fishing quays were shared with the odd Austrian/German boat, then summers 99/00 how it had changed, can't think about it today and would probably not sail there again, or maybe during winter.
Cuba: been there early 90s during periodo especial and considered moving there, been again 99/00 and it had changed so much... never again.

 

[Resolution]

Strange that no-one has yet mentioned Scotland and killer midges yet.

 

[LONG_KEELER]

In Britain today it can come as quite a shock when you step outside the cosy world of marinas and yacht clubs when you go cruising. When visiting town centres, it's not uncommon to hear little English being spoken . The old dockside trades and communities have been surpassed by new technology, work contracted out to other countries or just the Internet. It's just all happened so quickly which makes it so difficult to deal with. As they say, travel broadens the mind.

 

[Porthandbuoy]

Lampedusa. It was a lovely place to visit back in the 90’s. Leave your boat unattended there now for a few hours and you’ll return to find the forepeak full of refugees.

 

[Frank Holden]

There are also places one would not visit again to keep good old memories.
To me Croatia, first time I sailed there 1980, Yugoslavia with Tito, fishing quays were shared with the odd Austrian/German boat, then summers 99/00 how it had changed, can't think about it today and would probably not sail there again, or maybe during winter.
Cuba: been there early 90s during periodo especial and considered moving there, been again 99/00 and it had changed so much... never again.

Likewise - I spent much of my later teenage years and early 20's in CapeTown and Durban. No wish to ever go back.

Ditto Puerto Williams - different reasons - no longer the 'last frontier.'

 

[Poignard]

Port Harcourt ?

 

[Koeketiene]

In France, Camaret toilets appear much like a national shame.

When they were installed, they were the best the Kriegsmarine had to offer. ?
And when they left, they probably took their cleaning staff with them.

 

[Lightwave395]

I quite liked Pointe Noire (in the other Congo, not the one f.k.a. Zaire). I lived there for 6 months or so; I had a bungalow in the town when on-shore, and didn't feel particularly unsafe. After that I went to Cabinda, which was definitely dodgy, and then Luanda, which was great. But it's all a long time ago!

Sailing I haven't really disliked anywhere; in French Guyana we had a wonderful time and made friends. I wrote the brief pilot book for the CA on French Guyana; if GHA or anyone else has more recent info I'd love a pm as I last went there 5 years ago now.

Now planning a trip to Lagos; probably won't happen and would be ill advised perhaps, but I like such day dreaming anyway (I landed at Heathrow from Lagos this morning, and had plenty of time to muse on it during the flight).

If you're talking Lagos Nigeria, is it still the facinating dump it was 20 years ago ?