tcm
...
ok so apart from being a s***hole, the mozzies etc, it’s quite nice really?
Sant Carles de la Rapita marina?
- Thread starter Fascadale
- Start date
njamesphoto
New member
its a long sail to anywhere nice. As for swimming in the lagoon last time we were there is was bark brown/green water, yuk! Nice people running it, a good pool and very cheap fine for all the marina bound people but it wasnt for us.
JamesFrance
Member
I wouldn't disagree with any of that.
In the past we have been based in many more interesting places, Malta, Ibiza, Port Grimaud, Palma, Isle des Embiez.
However today they would either have no space available or for us they would be unaffordable.
Wansworth
Well-known member
Come to Galicia,with climate change we will have 30 deg tomorrow and it has not rained for months,plus no nasty tiger mosquitos and the Atlantic is clean although a bit chilly.Three airports and good food and marinas built to exacting eurostandards.Besides as the Roman found out its either blowing too much or flat calm.......
rivonia
Active member
Wansworth
Well-known member
GALICIA is in the north west of Spain.............ring yer own water!
mikeinkwazi
New member
John100156
Well-known member
OK I have answered many threads about SCM before now and so has Hurricane - I have been moored there since Sep-08 and Mike arrived just before me I think although he knew of the marina long before he arrived.
To suggest that MDL Sant Carles is not a good marina to berth a boat, as someone suggested earlier is a bit of nonsense IMO, it’s an excellent marina with excellent staff and facilities. That’s why so many of us (that have not purchased a berth and so can move our boats whenever we please) have stayed there for so long! Now to deal with the facts as I see them:
WATER QUALITY
The water is not clear blue it’s a greenish colour, which is more likely a feature of its environment, no doubt due to the close proximity of mountains and the Ebre Delta. But the water is clean, likely a lot more so than many of the busier marinas in other parts of Spain. It is also teaming with fish. The water quality at the adjacent beach which is in very close proximity to the marina is a Blue Flag beach and as such water quality is regularly tested/monitored to maintain its status, which it has done for many years.
I and numerous visitors have been swimming off the back our boats regularly in the lagoon, as do hundreds of locals, I have never heard in the past 4 years of anyone having any problems whatsoever in that regard. In essence, as I have said many times before, the waters are not clear blue but are safe and clean.
MOZZIES
As for the dreaded mozzies: They are only around at dusk and dawn and can easily be managed, no worse than a lot of the marinas in Spain for 95% of the time. The areas around the marina comprise acres of mainly rice fields, growing paella rice, as such the crops are sprayed very regularly to protect the local workers and we benefit from that as MDL now has the crop sprayer fly over the areas adjacent to the marina. No problems with any contaminants, the Ebre Delta is a very strictly controlled indeed nature reserve, with many very rare and protected species of birds that breed in colonies local to this area. So they really do take great care with regard to any possible contamination of the water courses. In fact as a direct result of this policy, we did have a problem as Kid's Inheritance has mentioned a long before he arrived.
In 2009 they tested a ‘Greener’ insecticide which was utterly useless, that year it was a bl**dy nightmare, trust me, we spent a continuous 20 weeks out there! Since they changed back it has improved significantly, my son and his family and friends (6 in all) spent two weeks out there a month ago and had drinks on the back of the boat at and after dusk, most nights, they never received a bite! So don’t let the nonsense said by those that don't know the place well put you off.
FOULING
Yes, it’s the Med and the local waters are teaming with life and warm in summer, probably because water quality is so good and strictly control, that too may be the reason why there are large commercial mussel and fish farms close by in the lagoon. With the many benefits of berthing at SCM it’s really not an issue nowadays as it can be managed!
Shame that it seems someone may have moved their boat away, must have been for other reasons too I imagine. I had my boat AF’d in Feb-12 and have a lift-out booked next Thursday for its first free wash and bum scrub. I will post up the pictures before. It’s heavier than Torquay that’s for sure, but it can be easily managed.
Some comments posted on SCMCHAT Forum from someone whom I have not yet met following their visit to the marina are as follows:
....We have just spent the week in Sant Carles, to find a lovely small and totally spanish local town.
The restaurants and bars are a good experience, as long as you are prepared to try the language it is appreciated. The harbour area is very nice and local beaches good. Getting around is easy and there are plenty of super markets big and small for provisions.
The marina is its fair to say one of the best we have visited for its facilities. First impression upon walking
in the gate was how clean and tidy it is kept. The bar and restaurant is lovely with nice seating outside. The pontoons we found clean and saw the staff on a windy night checking all ropes on boats!!
It does seem that maybe three times a year we would need to be jet washed off due to growth one of these is done free.
All in all a very nice experience which has helped us make our decision... we look forward to being at scm next march!.....
So there you have it and some pictures in a recent thread:
http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?t=328911
To suggest that MDL Sant Carles is not a good marina to berth a boat, as someone suggested earlier is a bit of nonsense IMO, it’s an excellent marina with excellent staff and facilities. That’s why so many of us (that have not purchased a berth and so can move our boats whenever we please) have stayed there for so long! Now to deal with the facts as I see them:
WATER QUALITY
The water is not clear blue it’s a greenish colour, which is more likely a feature of its environment, no doubt due to the close proximity of mountains and the Ebre Delta. But the water is clean, likely a lot more so than many of the busier marinas in other parts of Spain. It is also teaming with fish. The water quality at the adjacent beach which is in very close proximity to the marina is a Blue Flag beach and as such water quality is regularly tested/monitored to maintain its status, which it has done for many years.
I and numerous visitors have been swimming off the back our boats regularly in the lagoon, as do hundreds of locals, I have never heard in the past 4 years of anyone having any problems whatsoever in that regard. In essence, as I have said many times before, the waters are not clear blue but are safe and clean.
MOZZIES
As for the dreaded mozzies: They are only around at dusk and dawn and can easily be managed, no worse than a lot of the marinas in Spain for 95% of the time. The areas around the marina comprise acres of mainly rice fields, growing paella rice, as such the crops are sprayed very regularly to protect the local workers and we benefit from that as MDL now has the crop sprayer fly over the areas adjacent to the marina. No problems with any contaminants, the Ebre Delta is a very strictly controlled indeed nature reserve, with many very rare and protected species of birds that breed in colonies local to this area. So they really do take great care with regard to any possible contamination of the water courses. In fact as a direct result of this policy, we did have a problem as Kid's Inheritance has mentioned a long before he arrived.
In 2009 they tested a ‘Greener’ insecticide which was utterly useless, that year it was a bl**dy nightmare, trust me, we spent a continuous 20 weeks out there! Since they changed back it has improved significantly, my son and his family and friends (6 in all) spent two weeks out there a month ago and had drinks on the back of the boat at and after dusk, most nights, they never received a bite! So don’t let the nonsense said by those that don't know the place well put you off.
FOULING
Yes, it’s the Med and the local waters are teaming with life and warm in summer, probably because water quality is so good and strictly control, that too may be the reason why there are large commercial mussel and fish farms close by in the lagoon. With the many benefits of berthing at SCM it’s really not an issue nowadays as it can be managed!
Shame that it seems someone may have moved their boat away, must have been for other reasons too I imagine. I had my boat AF’d in Feb-12 and have a lift-out booked next Thursday for its first free wash and bum scrub. I will post up the pictures before. It’s heavier than Torquay that’s for sure, but it can be easily managed.
Some comments posted on SCMCHAT Forum from someone whom I have not yet met following their visit to the marina are as follows:
....We have just spent the week in Sant Carles, to find a lovely small and totally spanish local town.
The restaurants and bars are a good experience, as long as you are prepared to try the language it is appreciated. The harbour area is very nice and local beaches good. Getting around is easy and there are plenty of super markets big and small for provisions.
The marina is its fair to say one of the best we have visited for its facilities. First impression upon walking
in the gate was how clean and tidy it is kept. The bar and restaurant is lovely with nice seating outside. The pontoons we found clean and saw the staff on a windy night checking all ropes on boats!!
It does seem that maybe three times a year we would need to be jet washed off due to growth one of these is done free.
All in all a very nice experience which has helped us make our decision... we look forward to being at scm next march!.....
So there you have it and some pictures in a recent thread:
http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?t=328911
jimbaerselman
New member
That's a great little map link on the thread you referenced: http://www.scmchat.com/extraweb/scmap/scmap.html
I'm looking for links like this to give detail for places which get just a brief mention on my web site, see this page for St Carles, half way down. (I hope I got the description right!).
Is that link likely to remain publicly visible? (I note the rest of the site asks for login). If so, I'd like to add that as a link from my site. Who would be the contact for permission?
I'm looking for links like this to give detail for places which get just a brief mention on my web site, see this page for St Carles, half way down. (I hope I got the description right!).
Is that link likely to remain publicly visible? (I note the rest of the site asks for login). If so, I'd like to add that as a link from my site. Who would be the contact for permission?
JamesFrance
Member
Hi Jim,
That link is to an extraweb for SCM forum and the map is still being developed by Hurricane.
Once it becomes part of the forum it would only be accessable to members, but a pm to him would be the best way to get details as he is the SCM forum admin.
That link is to an extraweb for SCM forum and the map is still being developed by Hurricane.
Once it becomes part of the forum it would only be accessable to members, but a pm to him would be the best way to get details as he is the SCM forum admin.
BobnLesley
Well-known member
Another thumbs up for Sant Carles
We were there for a month's haul-out during August and I'd record that it's the cleanest & best organised yard that we've ever come out in; the staff at both the yard and the marina proper were excptionally helpful & friendly/courteous and we absolutely loved the town: Again friendly, helpful, locals, though very Spanish, so if you're looking for fish & chips, Watney's Red Barrel and a full english breakfast to accompany your satellite viewing of Premiership football and the soap operas, then you probably won't like it. San Carles also provided the cheapest beer we've found all summer - we found three bars serving pints @ €1.20!
Regarding the mossies: we were living ashore in the yard, which is probably more susceptible to mossie attack than the marina, but in three weeks there were only two nights when we were driven below by the wee beasties; as noted earlier, they seemed to be air-spraying them - about once a week whilst we were there.
I can't comment on the fouling problem, our bottom was spotless when we left, but we'd spent some long hours scraping and painting and only stayed around for another week after launching, so it ought to have been.
It gets my vote, if we'd been looking for a winter berth this year, we'd have definitely been going back to San Carles.
We were there for a month's haul-out during August and I'd record that it's the cleanest & best organised yard that we've ever come out in; the staff at both the yard and the marina proper were excptionally helpful & friendly/courteous and we absolutely loved the town: Again friendly, helpful, locals, though very Spanish, so if you're looking for fish & chips, Watney's Red Barrel and a full english breakfast to accompany your satellite viewing of Premiership football and the soap operas, then you probably won't like it. San Carles also provided the cheapest beer we've found all summer - we found three bars serving pints @ €1.20!
Regarding the mossies: we were living ashore in the yard, which is probably more susceptible to mossie attack than the marina, but in three weeks there were only two nights when we were driven below by the wee beasties; as noted earlier, they seemed to be air-spraying them - about once a week whilst we were there.
I can't comment on the fouling problem, our bottom was spotless when we left, but we'd spent some long hours scraping and painting and only stayed around for another week after launching, so it ought to have been.
It gets my vote, if we'd been looking for a winter berth this year, we'd have definitely been going back to San Carles.
John100156
Well-known member
Are we seeing an end to the heavy fouling issues in MDL Sant Carles De La Rapita at last, I wonder!
Well, I must say that I was very pleasantly surprised yesterday when we moved my Sealine F43* over to the boatyard for her free annual lift and scrub, having been in the water since February, during the warmer more active months, I was expecting the very worse fouling.
She seemed to be handling very well and even the bow thruster was working, good signs. Perhaps a little to optimistic on that score, with the bow thruster jamming-on over to port very close to the hoist, didn't inspire confidence but that's probably electrical and I still managed to keep her under control after very quickly switching-off the isolator located below the bow cabin floor! Its working fine today, so I expect it's a faulty set of contacts in the FB control. Will investigate later. Anyway, I digress:
We applied International Micron 77 to the hull in February this year with Trilux to the shafts and props, the images below are mostly before any cleaning, directly as she was lifted out (Note to self: must fit some shaft anodes this year, also starboard rope cutter needs replacing) see for yourselves:
A few barnacles clinging around the waterline but the Micron 77 did an excellent job in this high fouling area, also the Trilux I thought did a good job given the problems we have experienced in the past out here. Didn't bother to pressure wash the hull, why risk removing any!
After a couple of hours playing in the bay SWMBO and me managed to get her back on her berth very smoothly indeed, it reminded me of when I did my Day Skipper many years ago in Gibraltar, the BT never worked then on the school boat, do you know, I probably prefer to berth without it! Still, very useful to have I suppose......
Well, I must say that I was very pleasantly surprised yesterday when we moved my Sealine F43* over to the boatyard for her free annual lift and scrub, having been in the water since February, during the warmer more active months, I was expecting the very worse fouling.
She seemed to be handling very well and even the bow thruster was working, good signs. Perhaps a little to optimistic on that score, with the bow thruster jamming-on over to port very close to the hoist, didn't inspire confidence but that's probably electrical and I still managed to keep her under control after very quickly switching-off the isolator located below the bow cabin floor! Its working fine today, so I expect it's a faulty set of contacts in the FB control. Will investigate later. Anyway, I digress:
We applied International Micron 77 to the hull in February this year with Trilux to the shafts and props, the images below are mostly before any cleaning, directly as she was lifted out (Note to self: must fit some shaft anodes this year, also starboard rope cutter needs replacing) see for yourselves:
A few barnacles clinging around the waterline but the Micron 77 did an excellent job in this high fouling area, also the Trilux I thought did a good job given the problems we have experienced in the past out here. Didn't bother to pressure wash the hull, why risk removing any!
After a couple of hours playing in the bay SWMBO and me managed to get her back on her berth very smoothly indeed, it reminded me of when I did my Day Skipper many years ago in Gibraltar, the BT never worked then on the school boat, do you know, I probably prefer to berth without it! Still, very useful to have I suppose......
Heckler
Active member
How does one get a deal like this? I spoke to the GM at SIBS on Saturday and he quoted 400o plus euros for a 12m berth.
Stu
Cardo
Active member
We're contemplating popping by next summer for a short while as my mum is from Sant Carles and it would be nice to spend some time with her. Anyone know what the berth prices are during the high season? Unfortunately the website has a painful lack of information. 
Tranona
Well-known member
Some of the berths are privately owned and some are owned by MDL. Guess the higher price is an MDL berth and some private owners may charge less.
Still low priced compared with other Western Med berths and as many have said here, better run. Pity it is so remote.
John100156
Well-known member
Tranona is quite correct with regard to berths, the privately owned are cheaper if you can find one, with the MDL berths more expensive, but compared with other marinas, given the facilities available here, they too are very competitively priced.
The staff are excellent, well led and most accommodating, or instance high winds predicted last night, I said to SWMBO earlier in the day we must remove the sun pads from the FB. Then promptly forgot. 3am a loud thump jogged my memory, by the time I had got on deck in my shorts, not a pretty sight, grabbed a torch and boat hook, a marinero appeared to assist me to recover them just as they gently floated under the bow! Thorough rinse and they seemed fine! So staff had, as you would have hoped, been put on alert and were remarkably vigilant and also willing to help.
It's fair to say it is a bit out of the way, not a SoF, Banus, Mallorca, Ibiza, Malaga for sure, but we really like the fact that it remains, all but a hectic couple of fiesta months, a sleepy little Spanish town, easy to get to with a warm and friendly helpful sort of spirit permeating the whole marina, with very good quality facilities to boot.
Lots of marinas to visit up to Barcelona and down to Valencia along the coast, the lagoon, the Ebre Delta nature reserve close by and it's only 100nm to Mallorca or Ibiza, with many boats visiting the islands so you have the added safety of going over in convoy if you like!
Horses for courses as always - if you like loud noise, overly busy cramped marinas, late nights and clubbing-it, SC is probably not for you. (Of course, I don't specifically mean you Tranona!)
The staff are excellent, well led and most accommodating, or instance high winds predicted last night, I said to SWMBO earlier in the day we must remove the sun pads from the FB. Then promptly forgot. 3am a loud thump jogged my memory, by the time I had got on deck in my shorts, not a pretty sight, grabbed a torch and boat hook, a marinero appeared to assist me to recover them just as they gently floated under the bow! Thorough rinse and they seemed fine! So staff had, as you would have hoped, been put on alert and were remarkably vigilant and also willing to help.
It's fair to say it is a bit out of the way, not a SoF, Banus, Mallorca, Ibiza, Malaga for sure, but we really like the fact that it remains, all but a hectic couple of fiesta months, a sleepy little Spanish town, easy to get to with a warm and friendly helpful sort of spirit permeating the whole marina, with very good quality facilities to boot.
Lots of marinas to visit up to Barcelona and down to Valencia along the coast, the lagoon, the Ebre Delta nature reserve close by and it's only 100nm to Mallorca or Ibiza, with many boats visiting the islands so you have the added safety of going over in convoy if you like!
Horses for courses as always - if you like loud noise, overly busy cramped marinas, late nights and clubbing-it, SC is probably not for you. (Of course, I don't specifically mean you Tranona!)
Mrs Springy
New member
We're contemplating popping by next summer for a short while as my mum is from Sant Carles and it would be nice to spend some time with her. Anyone know what the berth prices are during the high season? Unfortunately the website has a painful lack of information.
Just email the office. I made a request by email for current rates, a few weeks ago, and they replied within a matter of hours, attaching the current rate card.
JamesFrance
Member
For anyone interested in Sant Carles, there is a video of the marina available here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c70X9WEVdRI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c70X9WEVdRI
JustinC
Member
Best website for cheaper deals on moorings in Spain is www.buscoamarre.com.
We were quoted 350 euros by the port SCM for a 10m mooring, by calling the options advertised on the above site, we now have a 12m one for 220 a month.
We were quoted 350 euros by the port SCM for a 10m mooring, by calling the options advertised on the above site, we now have a 12m one for 220 a month.