Preveza, Lefkas - Winter Liveaboard ?

[rodsuter]

Looking at wintering 2018/9 in the Preveza - Lefkas area - anyone have experience and /or opinions that they could pass on ?

Advice would be much appreciated, I have not been to the area before.

TIA

 

[Carmel2]

Cold and wet seems come up a lot when this has been mentioned in the past...

 

[macd]

I've spent winters in both Levkas (marina) and in Preveza (on a 'pontoon' in the town harbour). Both were fine, but I enjoyed Levkas much the more: reasonable social scene, friendly, attractive town. The Preveza berth was free, probably because no-one could be bothered to collect any money. That may have changed since 2010. Levkas was far from free.

I certainly wouldn't consider wintering on the hard at the Preveza yards or in the Cleopatra yard's marina: far too dead and remote, and the latter gets quite wild in a SWerly.

It does get fairly wet and chilly, as Carmel notes.

 

[sailaboutvic]

The Prevaza town harbour is now a Marina , no longer free although you could still go on the town wall for nothing in the winter months, as Mac said forget the yards, we had two winters in Greece and they where both wet and cold , personally I wouldn't bother having another winter in Greece unless it was some where like Crete but again people I know who wintered there have said the Marina politics are non stop and at time just too much.
Out of the two places if I have to winter again it be Lefkas Marina , the town is open throughout and the always something happening in the Marina .

 

[duncan99210]

Lefkas is I think the preferred option as there seems to be a reasonable community there. The marina is also relatively small, so the liveaboard folks aren't too dispersed, leading to more interaction between people. The town is 'real', thriving and has most things available in it. However, there is no nearby airport operating through the winter, so you've got to use Athens for travel. Not impossible, just a long trip away.
Preveza marina is undergoing development work at present but only offer minimal facilities as yet. The town is buzzing but a fair walk away, so you'd need a push bike to live there really. No idea if there's a community there at all, suspect not. Again, no airport but slightly better links to Athens than Lefkas.
Gouvia marina on Corfu is also worth considering. Same sort of cost as Lefkas (both run by the same company) but it a much bigger marina. There are liveaboards there but dispersed through the larger marina there's not the community that you get in Lefkas (or perhaps it's just us?). All that said, the airport operate throughout the year, albeit via Athens during the winter. We found it reasonably priced to fly with Aegean Air to London via Athens on a straight through booking when we spent a winter there.
Weather is warmer than UK but tends to be damp. Rain arrives by the bucket load.... But then again, there'll be weeks when you're wondering where your shorts and tee shirts are before it gets damp again. Sand the winters short: good weather normally returns with the easyJet flights in mid March.
Trawl through the blog archives for more.

 

[macd]

The Prevaza town harbour is now a Marina , no longer free although you could still go on the town wall for nothing in the winter months.

I'm sure you meant this, Vic, but just to be clear for anyone else: the town wall outside the harbour, whilst commonly used by small craft in the summer, is a definite no-no in the winter months. It can get quite wild.

 

[sailaboutvic]

I'm sure you meant this, Vic, but just to be clear for anyone else: the town wall outside the harbour, whilst commonly used by small craft in the summer, is a definite no-no in the winter months. It can get quite wild.

Thanks Mac , Yes should had mentioned you will have to move when there a blow for a while , maybe on to the anchorages by the small fish men harbour,
Personally if Rod wants to winter in that area I would head for the Marina in Lefkas.

 

[rodsuter]

Thanks to everyone - seems like Lefkas is the only real option - but hell, it sure is expensive !!

 

[sailaboutvic]

Thanks to everyone - seems like Lefkas is the only real option - but hell, it sure is expensive !!

Rod there other options , depend what your looking for , on the north bays in Meganisi there a small groups that live out on their anchor thought out the winter , there also the town wall in Lefkas but it also mean you have to move around it if start to blow . Water last time we was there is now on the quay coin machine and if your luck you maybe able to use one of the charter berth on the quay for a small fee and they will be able to give you power .
Anther place the odd yacht winter is in Sivota bay .jst really depend on what your looking for and if you going to spend the whole winter on board , you could sail around till end of Dec and then just take a three months berth in the Marina , that will get you through the worst months .
Good luck

 

[AndrewB]

I'm sure you meant this, Vic, but just to be clear for anyone else: the town wall outside the harbour, whilst commonly used by small craft in the summer, is a definite no-no in the winter months. It can get quite wild.

The small marina outside Cleopatra is also closed in winter for the same reason.

 

[Mr Cassandra]

Is Trazona? in the Corinth Gulf still viable.

 

[Cariadco]

Yes, there is a small liveaboard community in Gouvia, and they all mix with the local expat gang, mostly in the Beerbucket or Stavs. Similar cost to Levkas Marina, but at least you can get daily flights to the UK from Corfu airport, via Athens.
Weather's variable, from warm sunny days, cold nights, to windy stroms blowing through. I found this winter's weather to have been pretty good.

 

[duncan99210]

Is Trazona? in the Corinth Gulf still viable.

Think you mean Trizonia. It's not really an option as there's no water in the 'marina' nor is there any other lifesupport available on the island: you'd need to make trips to the mainland for just about everything. Not at all sure if the ferry between the island and the mainland operates during the winter either, so you might need to use the tender. There should be space and the shelters good but isolated sums it up.

If you're not looking for much other than somewhere to live cheaply, then there's always the quay at Vonitsa in the Gulf of Amvraki. If you can get a place on the inner quay, it's well protected. There's water there and some electricity pylons. The town is nearby and has most of what you need but doubt there'll be much of a community. As Vic has said, there are other places where you can get by but you'll probably be the only occupied boat there.

 

[Mr Cassandra]

Think you mean Trizonia. It's not really an option as there's no water in the 'marina' nor is there any other life support available on the island: you'd need to make trips to the mainland for just about everything. Not at all sure if the ferry between the island and the mainland operates during the winter either, so you might need to use the tender. There should be space and the shelters good but isolated sums it up.

If you're not looking for much other than somewhere to live cheaply, then there's always the quay at Vonitsa in the Gulf of Amvraki. If you can get a place on the inner


















quay, it's well protected. There's water there and some electricity pylons. The town is nearby and has most of what you need but doubt there'll be much of a community. As Vic has said, there are other places where you can get by but you'll probably be the only occupied boat there.

Thanks, it must be 20+ years ago since I was there,
if I remember there was an woman that run a cafe /taverna ,the name liz comes to mind. and a few sunken boats .I think it was around 1996. obviousy it has not improved with age

 

[jordanbasset]

Lat time we we were some of the concrete pontoons were slowly rotting away and the sunken boat was still there

 

[Mikedefieslife]

Thanks to everyone - seems like Lefkas is the only real option - but hell, it sure is expensive !!

Do you like driving rain? Lefkas has around 1100mm a year (bear in mind it doesn't rain in summer). Areas of Spain like Almeria have less than 200mm annually.

Ignore the guides about the prevailing winds. I've found 80% of the time it's from the SE not the north. Gusts of up to 40-50knts are not uncommon.

As you say the marina isn't cheap. Plus your berthing fee gets you a berth only. Electricity is charged for. Water (used to be free so I'm told) is now around €12-14 per cubic metre (why don't they do something with all that rain). Showers are charged for at €0.50 per 10mins or so.

The pontoons aren't really that protected. Even boats closer in seem to end up a bit side ways in any sort of blow. Thought a mono was going to heel over completely the other day.

Saying all that, when the sun shines it's not a bad a place to be, but I don't think I'll ever come back to this marina.

 

[jimbaerselman]

Go south for better winter weather. Corfu, Levkas and Preveza have reasonable expat communities as well as live-aboards, but that's the wettest part of Greece!

Kalamata is a lively Greek city, 50,000 population, with a much better weather factor, a 3hr30min express bus service to Athens five or six times a day. and a good hinterland to explore by hire car. The marina usually has a small international live-aboard community. Big southerlies (1 to 3 per winter) create surge, which is tame-able in the western berths, but unacceptable in the eastern berths.

Pylos is a very pretty town, 4,000 population, all essential needs, with a small expat community of many nations in the area. The unfinished marina is free, excellent shelter. But you'll need to shift berth (no problem) to take on water, and it's best to be self sufficient for electricity. Unless you're a genius at persuading a local source to allow you to plug in. 4hr 30min by express bus to Athens. Go to Kalamata (1 hour bus, or a day sail) for most yacht services.

 

[rodsuter]

Thanks again to all for your inputs - plenty of food for thought - will probably try and get to the region earlier than planned and have a good look around at all the options - must also say that jimb's suggestion is interesting as well. Decisions, decisions - life is all about them

 

[rivonia]

Another nice thing about Lefkas is the that there is a great interaction with the Ex - Pat town folk. Often they have a table top sale in the marina and all mix in together. Great place for winter.