Twister_Ken
Well-Known Member
Vague memory that just west of Frejus (if you get that far) there's a mega amusement park - sort of Alton Towers although maybe quite not so big. Might come in handy if the nippers get fractious.
Sailing Cote D'Azur with children
- Thread starter crimpy999
- Start date
jfm
Well-Known Member
Hi. Nice crusing grounds - I've been based in CD'A 10 years+
You need to make some plans A, B,C. Prevailing wind is light easterly but main thing is to know whether a Mistral (=westerly) is coming, because you are firmly in 25knots-of-Mistral territory there. The nicest crusing would be to head east and get to Cap D'Antibes/Lerins in you can, but that would be very bad if there is a Mistral because in a 36 footer it would be a nightmare getting back to base at the end of the charter. So getting that far east is a bit of a longshot. But anyway, have several plans so you can choose where to go based on the presence or absence of mistral
Even if you are a bit more constrained by weather I'd recommend still getting as east as you can. Here is a shopping list of nice places to stop:
1. The anchorages on N side of Porquerolles Island. Lovely anchorage and beach. Bikes to hire
2. Either side of the little peninsula centre of this pic, but east side is nicer (baie des douaniers) https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=ba...,+Provence-Alpes-Côte+d'Azur,+France&t=h&z=14
3. Inside bay of St Trop, at sunset, though it gets rolly as the superyacht tenders whizz past
4. Get a berth in Port Grimaud, or berth for free on the fuel berth (on the diagonal corner or alongside) inside Port Grimaud after 1830 and be off at 0800, and show the kids the network of canals (a la venice) by tender. There is also a very nice beach on your left as you enter Port Grimaud
5. I'd give Frejus a miss.
If you can get east enough (unlikely)
6. between the islands off Cannes is beautiful (I could post pics and bore you to death with them) and many yacht brochures are shot here. It is busy in August but you will always get a space no matter what time you arrive. Wonderful for overnight anchoring
7. Watch a firework show 10pm off the beach at Cannes then retire to Lerins for overnight anchorage. There are many shows, dates are all googlable
Excuse my pedantry, but ref your heading the Cote D'Azur only starts at St Tropez
. It's a slight pity you are picking up the boat that far east but it should be very good nevertheless. I hope you have fun
You need to make some plans A, B,C. Prevailing wind is light easterly but main thing is to know whether a Mistral (=westerly) is coming, because you are firmly in 25knots-of-Mistral territory there. The nicest crusing would be to head east and get to Cap D'Antibes/Lerins in you can, but that would be very bad if there is a Mistral because in a 36 footer it would be a nightmare getting back to base at the end of the charter. So getting that far east is a bit of a longshot. But anyway, have several plans so you can choose where to go based on the presence or absence of mistral
Even if you are a bit more constrained by weather I'd recommend still getting as east as you can. Here is a shopping list of nice places to stop:
1. The anchorages on N side of Porquerolles Island. Lovely anchorage and beach. Bikes to hire
2. Either side of the little peninsula centre of this pic, but east side is nicer (baie des douaniers) https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=ba...,+Provence-Alpes-Côte+d'Azur,+France&t=h&z=14
3. Inside bay of St Trop, at sunset, though it gets rolly as the superyacht tenders whizz past
4. Get a berth in Port Grimaud, or berth for free on the fuel berth (on the diagonal corner or alongside) inside Port Grimaud after 1830 and be off at 0800, and show the kids the network of canals (a la venice) by tender. There is also a very nice beach on your left as you enter Port Grimaud
5. I'd give Frejus a miss.
If you can get east enough (unlikely)
6. between the islands off Cannes is beautiful (I could post pics and bore you to death with them) and many yacht brochures are shot here. It is busy in August but you will always get a space no matter what time you arrive. Wonderful for overnight anchoring
7. Watch a firework show 10pm off the beach at Cannes then retire to Lerins for overnight anchorage. There are many shows, dates are all googlable
Excuse my pedantry, but ref your heading the Cote D'Azur only starts at St Tropez
. It's a slight pity you are picking up the boat that far east but it should be very good nevertheless. I hope you have fun
Elessar
Well-Known Member
And IYHO the best weather info sources are......?
(Ps for scuttlebutters that don't know JFM, his advice is usually worth noting......)
Twister_Ken
Well-Known Member
Have a pic of Ile St Honorat (in the distance, taken from above the marina at la Figuirette), and also a pic taken from St Honarat looking north across the anchoraqge towards Ile ST Maguerite and beyond, Cannes.
Sans Bateau
Well-Known Member
We have always liked St Maxime opposite St Trop, it has a nice atmosphere and from there you can take the ferry across to St Trop itself.
Sybarite
Well-Known Member
We were stuck in Bonifacio with gusts over 80 knots.
Beachcoma
New Member
I can't really add much on the places to visit as it's all been said. But, I've been going (or should I say gone? I haven't for about 8 years) sailing with my parents since I was about 6 years old and definitely when I was 7-15 ish I did love meeting other kids my age. Even if anchored in a bay if there were other kids swimming around from other boats I'd always go over and introduce myself (is that the right expression for a 10 year old?!), kids make new friends in about 2 minutes. I hope they enjoy it, I thought they were the best holidays in the world and ultimately led to me working on boats!
jfm
Well-Known Member
Elessar there are so many good internet weahter sources these days I couldn't say which is imho best. I use www.theyr.com, which is paid for but not expensive. I've found it pretty accurate, and it gives separate charts of wind, cloud and rain (not that there is much of the 2nd and 3rd in this region)
If anchoring here with small children remember it is just about the only place on the Cote D'Azur you'll find a current. It is quite common for 1 knot or so of current to run through here
Nice pics Ken! As well as the nice daytimes anchored in turquoise water, you also get spectacular sunsets in this anchorage, over the Esterel hills.
If anchoring here with small children remember it is just about the only place on the Cote D'Azur you'll find a current. It is quite common for 1 knot or so of current to run through here
AndrewfromFal
Well-Known Member
Fireworks in Cannes are every Thursday night in August; personally I'd advise you not to anchor off if it's just the two of you and your kids, - based on the four or five years I've been going it's always a bit of a scrum (actually more than a bit of a scrum), and at least one of you will be fully occupied keeping an eye on what the boats around you are up to. - The professionals I know down there all say the same thing 'How there aren't any serious accidents / fatalities I'll never know'
Might be more enjoyable to moor up somewhere and watch from the shore......
Might be more enjoyable to moor up somewhere and watch from the shore......
Twister_Ken
Well-Known Member
Having watched from both afloat and ashore, the absolute best way to do it is to book a table in one of the beach restaurants. Two courses before the fireworks, all the lights go out, there's the display (which is always the best display you've ever seen, 20-30 minutes and syncopated with music coming over the PA system), the lights go back on and you have pudding, which takes enough time for the crowds to disperse. If you don't want to eat, you can also rent a sun/moon lounger for the evening, and have a bar handy just behind you!
Actually, I'd be a little surprised if a charter company was happy for one of its boats to be anchored off and then manoeuvring during and after a display.
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jfm
Well-Known Member
They are not every Thursday night. The dates fall on pretty much every day of the week, randomly. The 2014 timetable is here http://www.festival-pyrotechnique-cannes.com/fr/prix-du-public and there are always fireworks on Bastille day as well
Each to their own but I think you're much better watching from a boat. It is busy but there is loads and loads of room. I have been to perhaps 20 of these in 60 and 80 foot boats and have no trouble finding a good viewing spot even 30mins before the show starts. It is an exaggeration to say it is more than a scrum and that you will be fully occupied looking after the boat, unless there is some exceptional weather etc. The anchorage could easily handle 2x the number of boats that are actually anchored there. Mention by those guys of "fatalities" is just absurd and wild exaggeration
mcanderson
Well-Known Member
You might find this website helpful for some planning
http://www.guidemediterranee.com/spip.php?article382&lang=en
http://www.guidemediterranee.com/spip.php?article382&lang=en
AndrewfromFal
Well-Known Member
On the basis of some of the stupidity I've personally seen, and out of respect of 3 people whose collective professional experience on the Riviera amounts to about 80 years or so, I'd humbly beg to differ on this point.......
jfm
Well-Known Member
Happy to agree to differ
