Starting the liveaboard life

[Travelling Westerly]

Hi guys

Nearly finished my boat rebuild and starting to look at med marinas to move to. I spotted a northern Cyprus marina called Karpaz Gate which seems to have a low annual berth charge. Questions are;

Has anybody been here/ recommend it?
Is North Cyprus a nice place to sail/go ashore?
Is anybody aware of any issues when sailing around the south side then back into the north side?

Appreciate any advice and open to any other location suggestions in the med if you think Cyprus is a mistake for a first timer. I thought the Karpaz charges were quite reasonable and that was my intial attraction to Cyprus.

Thanks

 

[Ohlin Karcher]

My uncle built a holiday cottage there in the 70's, then Turkey invaded and he died last year..with his des-res full of projectile-defacating Turk squaddies..he never got to use it!
I would consider the Greek sector first..

 

[GHA]

One general thought...... a lot (most?) of 'only just set out' cruisers have fairly well set plans of being there then, somewhere else then etc. And those plans invariably fall to the wayside very quickly when they find nice places along the way and do what makes sense along the way. Another option is just to have a bit of faith that all will be well and view plans as a vague guess of what the future might hold rather than some illusion that you will control it
Many don't make it past the Algarve for a few years..
It's all nice

 

[Travelling Westerly]

Thanks for the replys.

With regards to GHA, I assumed that this would be the case for a full time liveaboard who does not work. I have a slightly diffrent set of circumstances in that I need to keep working in the UK for a few more years.
Every 3 weeks I need to return for work, work 2 weeks and then fly back out to the boat and my partner, hence the requirement for a dedicated marina. My partner will stay with the boat and she is not a sailor so needs nice marina facilities and bar to keep her out of trouble.
Once fully retired then I can see your scenario playing out for us. I guess you could see this plan/situation as a trial.

Would you sugest somewhere diffrent to start with? I would like a nice marina but at a fair price point.

Cheers

 

[GHA]

Would you sugest somewhere diffrent to start with? I would like a nice marina but at a fair price point.

The Algarve might be worth thinking about to start off with, good winter rates & lively social scene in the likes of Lagos, Albufeira marinas etc & Faro Airport never too far away. Nice day sailing most of the year. Summer marina might get a bit pricey though.

 

[Travelling Westerly]

Thanks GHA, much appreciated

 

[V1701]

In the circumstances I'd go for somewhere way closer than Cyprus while you're having to return so frequently. And how would you get the boat there anyway? France, Portugal, Spain, by the sea or up a river, take your pick. More to the point let your partner take her pick, or at least get her "on board" and involved in choosing as much as you possibly can because she's the one who'll be there all the time. Your having to fly home every three weeks from Cyprus would get tedious quickly and is more expensive than France/Portugal/Spain so what you might save in marina fees you'll only spend on the more expensive flights.

Best of luck with it all though, what an adventure you have ahead of you...

 

[Travelling Westerly]

V1701 - good points I had not really considered
I had planned on sailing her down with my poor old Dad and doing it in stages. Gib then Italy then Cyprus leaving the boat in marinas for the 2 weeks untill I returned.
Ill get my partner to look around then to see if there is anywhere else she fancies.
Cheers

 

[RupertW]

We have had our boat in the Med for nearly 10 years and had a base as we also work more than we can sail. We have had bases in Greece, Italy, Croatia, Spain and Balearics (and are now outside the Med In Lanzarote).

All the bases had to have two things in common - an EasyJet/Ryanair airport within taxi distance and great sailing with just a week off at a time. We have never wintered on board just visited the boat for maintenance.

Winter apart then I’d do Croatia every time for sailing, food and wine - preferably near Zadar or Split. Our best winter spot was Thessaloniki which remains vibrant and sometimes even sunny and warm through the Winter (but can get T shirt weather or snow within 24 hours). Palermo is another good spot which is lively all year with Aeolian or Egadi islands just a long day sail away.

 

[Travelling Westerly]

Thanks for the reply Rupert,

I understood Croatia to be very exspensive and trusting the locals was an issue. This put me off. Was this your experience?

Can you recommend any marinas to look at? Whats the score on the cruising tax?

Cheers

 

[PlanB]

The winter weather in Northern Cyprus is not that great and also with your other half being on her own on the boat some of the time I'd feel inclined to pick somewhere with a few liveaboards or an expat population.
Taking account of other valid comments here about travel etc, I'd consider the Algarve or some marinas in Spain - I lived aboard in Duquesa (between Estepona and Gib) for many years quite happily.

 

[Travelling Westerly]

Thanks for the info PlanB.

Duquesa looks quite nice. Whats the sailing like around that coast?

 

[Graham376]

Many don't make it past the Algarve for a few years.. It's all nice

A few years? We've been based there for close on 13. As you say, all very nice with all year sailing and lots of social life. Plenty of cheap flights if you're lucky with dates, Ryanair have recently been doing £9.99 to/from UK but you won't find those prices to Cyprus.

 

[nortada]

A few years? We've been based there for close on 13. As you say, all very nice with all year sailing and lots of social life. Plenty of cheap flights if you're lucky with dates, Ryanair have recently been doing £9.99 to/from UK but you won't find those prices to Cyprus.

Close on 20 years

Got to go back to the UK for a few days, easyJet in and out of Southend 25 quid - packing snow shoes but not looking very forward to it.

 

[sailaboutvic]

We too are long term liveaboard and full time at that , I agree with everyone here regarding Cyprus, Algarve is a good place there also Almerimar which is cheap and normally many liveaboard warm most of the year round with it own expats .
There also marinas on the south of Sicily like Ragusa and Licata which will do a yearly contact at a good rate or a seven months winter contact at a better rate although there is a three hour bus ride to the airport but plenty of sailing .

 

[capnsensible]

Thanks for the info PlanB.

Duquesa looks quite nice. Whats the sailing like around that coast?

Hiya. We lived aboard in Estepona up the road from La Duquesa and for around 14 years in various stints in Gib.

As well as some nice coastal cruising up and down the Costa Del Sol, there are marinas not too far away across the Straits at Ceuta (Spanish) and Smir (Morocco). Its not for everyone because its often quite windy in the Strais but summers were for me, fab.

 

[Travelling Westerly]

We too are long term liveaboard and full time at that , I agree with everyone here regarding Cyprus, Algarve is a good place there also Almerimar which is cheap and normally many liveaboard warm most of the year round with it own expats .
There also marinas on the south of Sicily like Ragusa and Licata which will do a yearly contact at a good rate or a seven months winter contact at a better rate although there is a three hour bus ride to the airport but plenty of sailing .

Well my partner has taken to the looks of Ragusa! Looks like she is booking a flight over to go check it out! Thanks for the advice

 

[PlanB]

Well my partner has taken to the looks of Ragusa! Looks like she is booking a flight over to go check it out! Thanks for the advice

Hiya. We lived aboard in Estepona up the road from La Duquesa and for around 14 years in various stints in Gib.

As well as some nice coastal cruising up and down the Costa Del Sol, there are marinas not too far away across the Straits at Ceuta (Spanish) and Smir (Morocco). Its not for everyone because its often quite windy in the Strais but summers were for me, fab.

I was just about to reply with the hope that Capt Sensible would be along shortly to answer the sailing question (I had a motor boat), when there he was!

 

[RupertW]

Thanks for the reply Rupert,

I understood Croatia to be very exspensive and trusting the locals was an issue. This put me off. Was this your experience?

Can you recommend any marinas to look at? Whats the score on the cruising tax?

Cheers

Marina prices are very expensive but anchoring free is possible in hundreds of places. It is also far more honest than most of the med - anywhere will be more honest than Greece but it beats Italy too. But all of them feel crime free compared to the UK harbours and marinas so security is non-existent in the Eastern Med and boats are left open when people go off to lunch or shopping without problems.

The sojourn tax is a rip off as it taxes every bunk on board for a 12 metre boat as if occupied but otherwise all good. We have heard people who have spent years in Algarve, Spain, Spanish and Italian islands says when they reach Croatia it’s like, “finding the mother lode” and I agree - by far the most beautiful sailing ground in the Med from what we’ve seen so far.

 

[sailaboutvic]

Agree with Rupert .


we had three season in Croatia and there no doubt it's one of the best country in the Med to sail no where as crowed as far as anchoring goes then say Greece , also agree the tax is a bit of a rip off but compare with Greece I rather pay that bit extra for short term sailing then having to mess about with the Greek tax system which even after a year people are still having problem paying.


Of course the other big different Croatia isn't all blues and white houses and. Church ,if you thinking of basing a yacht in a marina Croatia Croatia can cost more then say Greece ,Turkey is a good option too.


As posted early the Sicilian marina can give good valve for money although expensive for summer months, because they do give good wi tee contract that last seven months a yearly contract isn't bad at all,