Should I try the SOF this winter?

So does that mean that not all the shares have bought I bsm and thus someone can rock up on a weekly/monthly/yearly rate and have complete assurance they won't get booted out. Even if someone gives the captainaire some forward appreciation? If so I am surprised that bsm isn't packed with boaters that don't want to afford to buy a berth somewhere else.
 
Many marinas in the SoF have a mixture of "sold" berths and "rental" berths. Obviously if you have bought a berth you have the right to always park in that particular berth (up until the expiration of the "ammodiation"). If you have bought the right to berth in the marina, but without a particular berth, then they have to manage things to insure that a space is always there for you.

If you have a rental berth you have a right to park somewhere in the marina during the term of the rental, with no guarantees that you can renew.

However, a yearly contract is AFAIK always renewed if you ask. A shorter contract has a fair chance of being renewed if you are still there. I.e. you can probably stay all year if you pay for two 6 months contracts.

Yearly rentals are very hard to find and there are often very long waiting lists.

NB the sold berths are effectively leasehold. Many of these come to an end in the 2020 time frame.

However, for getting a berth, nothing beats turning up there with the boat.
 
Arrived in France this afternoon. Beaulieu sur mer said non, not even one night. Nice wouldn't respond at all and I'm now in St Laurent du Var for one night and no chance of any longer. Mmm, this is not looking good.
 
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Have you tried Baie des Anges? Next one down from SLDV. You can get a train there in the morning if you want to go and try your luck in person first - get off at Villeneuve Loubet.
 
If you're stuck, try the port public at Golfe Juan (not Camille Rayon next door).

It's not the perfect spot as Golfe Juan is quiet in the winter, and it's a bit further from the airport, but rates halve from 1 October, and they have had space in the past
 
Nope, missed out that one for some reason. I'll be phoning around in the morning. Flight home from Nice booked for Sun morning. No pressure then��
 
I'm a little surprised at some of what is written here.

- I can't think of any marinas off the top of my head that have 'dedicated visitor' berths in the SoF. Doesn't mean they don't exist of course. I just don't know them! There are people who own and rent out though although that number seems to be falling if recent activity is anything to go by.
- Yes, rental prices are significantly cheaper in the winter -- but with the exception of the bigger ones there aren't many actually available.
- All the marinas I know will do daily, monthly, seasonal or annual 'contracts' BUT daily & monthly rates have a 24-hour break clause and all others 1 - calendar month. Why most owners who rent plump to charge daily rates regardless -- they make more money.
- Knowing the 'capitainerie' and the berth allocator is worth its weight in gold ..
- In the winter many of the marinas are quiet/empty -- and their towns are the same. Antibes, Cannes, Golfe Juan and to a lesser extent La Napoule and Beaulieu being the exceptions.
- Hindsight is easy ( and Im too late!) but I would never turn up in the SoF in summer or winter on the off chance.
- I don't know BsM system at all but some of the berths are owner-allocated --- I don't know the extent of the scheme JTB is referring to -- but again I think 'someone' owns every one as it is a co-prop share scheme whether allocated or not.
- Most marinas have 12m x 4.0m or 4.2m wide., Antibes is the exception in that I believe ??

I agree with JTB , St Laurent and Marina Baie des Anges might be options and Antibes has so many berths it always has 'something' albeit not for periods you may want.

Beaulieu is 'the wrong way from the airport' in my opinion unless you own a scooter to get through Nice.

Good Luck and hope to meet up over the winter months.
 
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Jimmy are you sure it is not worth trying to fit on 10 x4 in Antibes? I know 3.96 is tight but I think there would be enough slack and it would work without any neighbour complaints. Also might be slightly over the allowed 11 m which includes the 10%, but might get away with that too. Worth a shot by asking capitainerie in person. Maybe ask for a month to begin with
 
There are dedicated visitors berths in the SOF - but may be not the bit you are looking in. AFAIK almost every marina west of the Rhone has them and you will almost certainly find something free for three months or so.

West of Marseille the majority of berths are rented out by the marina itself which is basically state run. Very few are privately owned. Sete has space available - probably even for an annual berth. Most places you will be able to just turn up and stay for a few weeks.


The riviera is a different SOF from the bit between the Rhone and the Spanish border.
 
adey said:
Nope, missed out that one for some reason. I'll be phoning around in the morning. Flight home from Nice booked for Sun morning. No pressure then��
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Cannes is worth a try! Worst way Sanremo, speak to Enza in the Capitainerie.
 
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jfm said:
Jimmy are you sure it is not worth trying to fit on 10 x4 in Antibes? I know 3.96 is tight but I think there would be enough slack and it would work without any neighbour complaints. Also might be slightly over the allowed 11 m which includes the 10%, but might get away with that too. Worth a shot by asking capitainerie in person. Maybe ask for a month to begin with
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My first-hand experience of the capitanerie at PV is that they apply the loa rules fairly strictly to renters who don't have some other card to play (ie fluency, or small cute children). If you're an owner it is a slightly different dynamic, as you know.

If you can think of a way through this for Adey then do shout, my 10x4 in PV will be available from the end of the month.
 
Last night the Captaniere said I could stay until the end of Oct but this morning changed his mind again. Trying to phone to get into San Remo now.
 
adey said:
Last night the Captaniere said I could stay until the end of Oct but this morning changed his mind again. Trying to phone to get into San Remo now.
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Sanremo is our most favourite Port the staff both in the Capitainerie and on the Pontoons are fantastic! We can't wait to get back there next season.
 
michaelchapman said:
There are dedicated visitors berths in the SOF - but may be not the bit you are looking in. AFAIK almost every marina west of the Rhone has them and you will almost certainly find something free for three months or so.

West of Marseille the majority of berths are rented out by the marina itself which is basically state run. Very few are privately owned. Sete has space available - probably even for an annual berth. Most places you will be able to just turn up and stay for a few weeks.


The riviera is a different SOF from the bit between the Rhone and the Spanish border.
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:o oops , sorry, rather like Londoners and Watford -- I sometimes forget the CdAzur isn't the South and everything ends before Toulon.
 
The capitainerie has now decided I can stay where I am until the end of the month if I pay the daily rate for a much larger berth plus a guardianage fee. The monthly rate is not available because I'm starting from the third.
I've paid until the 20th and the guardianage bloke is going to try and find something else in the meantime. Not liking France so far...
 
Bit off topic this but is the Beaulieu in this thread pronounced the Solent way (bewlee) or bow lee oo?
 
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