South of France charter suggestions

[kdf]

Hi all,
Currently looking at taking a bareboat charter in the south of France late this summer (2 adults/2 small kids). Any suggestions as to locations, charter companies, weather etc greatly appreciated.

 

[tcm]

Re: moorings, Nice.

I have seen these up close, not used them.

The compnay called Moorings now ocupy the whole of the visitors pontoon at Nice. the boats seem smartly turned out, better than sunsail, nice dinghy's with outboards and towels supplied too.

Windwise, the south of frnce is a bit crap - it's powerboat heaven in august. However, every afternoon, there's a decent onshore breeze allowing a jolly sail for at least a few hours. At night, it's almost always dead calm.

With 2 weeks and 2 small kids in august I wd go...

to menton, and stay two nights. Beaches for kids. Nice town. Try as hard as poss to get offthe bouncy visitors pontoon and into the marna cos closer to the beach.

to monaco, but BOOK by phone, ask for port hercules. It's a wife place, bit crap for kids unless spending monster ££££. The shopping mall has chandeliers. The oceanographic museum should be done at a canter, some interesting stuff. There's a little zoo somewhere. Buy cokes at menton, cos it's all a fortune here.

Find out when the Supercup is held, if you or your kids are footbally: the supercup is a match between winners of UEFA and European cup held (liek charity shield) at start of season, august. In Monaco. So, likely see man utd or real madris playe er somebody , anyway, we saw chelsea beat Real Madrid a year or so back. Stay in Fontvielle harbour just west of monaco for this and walk 150 yds to the match, all v civilised. Daytime theres a zoo. For a lunch stop, there's a decent supermarket v close to the pontons.

Go inshore along coast from monaco, but these ports a bit crappy imho, st jean cap ferrat quite tired and loads of dog-do from roting/ageing population.

Villefranche next, save a few quid and anchor out all night. Amazing natural harbour big enough for 2 cruise ships and then some. Nice town, Granmere restaurant good but pricey, lots of other options. 5 knot limit in the bay. Castle looks best from a distance.

Nice is actually a good place, but been there, or maybe there last night , so pass along please. Antibes a possible, nice town with beach. Gawp at the monster superyachts. Easy fuels from the nice ladt at the BP place, and can buy ice as everywhere else.

Alternative (or return) is Baie des anges, awful pyramid flats but a very freshwater swimming pool and restaurant at the side, all overlooking the sea. Not cheap to get in, but great and safe and shallow for kids, and for parents who lunch a bit. or a lot. Just one night here, or even a long lunchstop from 12 till 5,say, which is free.

Any prevailing winds are westish for a few days, or eastich for a few days. Antibes a good place to hide from westerlies, and other side of cap d'antibes a good place to hide from easterlies. just a mile from Antibes is la garoupe, beach and good anchorage in eastlies.

round cap d'antibes is la galice, and juan les pins, narrow beach but nice beach restairants. Can stay in la galice, with beach swim next door in the morning. Crap holding in the bay, but okay for daytime stop.

Golfe-Juan a bit of a parking lot, so straight across the bay to Isle de lerins, and blue waters and v v popular anchorage so much that ice cream boats pootle around between the 1,000+ boats at anchor during the day. Can anchor overnight here too,

Anchoring looks a bit naughty in the bay of Cannes, but no probelm at all, unless easterly. Certainkly fine holding for all day. Can't reserve at Cannes marina for small boat, but worth a stay for at least 1 nite. Have lunch on the beach, having stoked up the kids at nearby Macdonalds just behind the exhibition centre first of all. teh blue and white stripy beach restaurant in front of the grapy d'albion hotel, at west end, just to east of yellow+ stripy one, si the one to choose. Kids have beach, you watch boat all afternoon. Can wander into town to buy £££ things on rue a'antibes running 200 yds behind beach. Restock food at Cannes.

Now a decent bash all the way to St tropez the best option . la napoule, st raphael and others a bit residential, no towns nearby. Frejus somewhat concrete, but nicely laid out if you must.

Ste Maxime an absolute must for at least a night, nice pedestrianised town and beach.

Port Griamud likewise for at least a night - a water-based "village" looks 200 yrs old but actualy dates from 70's. Get the dinghy out before mooring up to explore arond the place. try hard to resist gawping at estate agencies. Many brits fail to obsrve this instruction.

St tropez won't reserve a space, but worth a trip to see monster boats and enjoy jet-set style. Sopecuklatively try, but before 1pm, and return to ste maxime if no go,. there's a ferry from ste maxime. If going to st trope, worth a little look into the old port (you can't stay in that part unless 21.5 metres long) to see how big a boat can get in here - at least 45metres.

There is good anchoring in bay of st Trop, but not in easterlies. go to far sw corner away from harbour entrances. Panic about the small local kids leaping off an old factory roof into the sea.

back to Nice. Leave enough time for a day walking up rue cassini from the port, and then left at the roundabout bit and thru the old town, roads 2 small for a car, and out into the Pace des er flowere market place. Take roller blades if the kids can do it, else foldup cheapy scooters. Macdonalds here for them, also 20+ restaurants for you in this square with at least 3,000 seats.

Sunsail go from Hyeres, i think, much further west, but it's not the same.

 

[cynthia]

If time allows, don't miss the Isles d'Hyeres.