Tavira anchorage

[Yngmar]

We're on our way east to explore a bit further while the nice weather lasts before we get a winter berth on the Algarve. Currently anchored at Culatra, I'm thinking about breaking up the trip to the Rio Guadiana with a stop at Tavira, but satellite images show lots of moorings there and not many deep spots on the chart - is there room to anchor with our 2m draft or is that a thing of the past? Most recent information I could find on the net was from 2012 or so. Thanks

 

[GHA]

Shouldn't be a problem, well over 1m at low water at the moment, I've been in a few times drawing 1.6m and had plenty water. Anchored up round no.2 / no.4 red. Be wary though, one cruising guide said anchor well out of the channel as the fishing boats use it , they don't! They fly up the south edge outside the reds so might be as well to tuck in between a couple of moored boats. Or stay in that deep hole down near the entrance.

 

[Yngmar]

Thanks! We'll give this a try then. Read that bit about the fishing boats, good to know.

 

[GHA]

After Culatra you'll be well used to little open fishing boats zipping past a few feet away day and night

 

[25931]

After Culatra you'll be well used to little open fishing boats zipping past a few feet away day and night

You can see boats anchored in various parts and not all are on a busy course. Obviously fishing boats move in and out of the harbour.

 

[GHA]

You can see boats anchored in various parts and not all are on a busy course. Obviously fishing boats move in and out of the harbour.

Nothing at all against the fishermen, they lay nets out in the anchorage day and night as well then motor around banging the hull to scare the fish into the net, least they know what they're doing.

The power boats are worse, plus the safest place is more on the route through to the NW where it's less likely anyone will drag into you.

Good to be friends with the fishermen, after a few beers they sometimes disappeared round the back of the bar and come back with a bucket full of..

 

[GrahamM376]

Nothing at all against the fishermen, they lay nets out in the anchorage day and night as well then motor around banging the hull to scare the fish into the net, least they know what they're doing.

The power boats are worse, plus the safest place is more on the route through to the NW where it's less likely anyone will drag into you.

Over the years, we've met owners of 3 boats who've been hit by fishing boats at night. One, an American visitor, had his wind vane torn off the stern. I refuse to anchor there.

 

[nortada]

I have only stopped over daylight hours. Good holding and plenty of water.

Will be interested to hear how you get on.

Have you decided where you are going to winter

 

[JFowler]

We intended to anchor in Tavera overnight on our way east, but after a quick inspection decided to go on to the Guardiana where we tied alongside the pontoon on the West Bank just above the bridge.

 

[GHA]

We intended to anchor in Tavera overnight on our way east, but after a quick inspection decided to go on to the Guardiana where we tied alongside the pontoon on the West Bank just above the bridge.

Anyone else heading there, be careful if approaching from the south, gets a bit shallow..

 

[GrahamM376]

Anyone else heading there, be careful if approaching from the south, gets a bit shallow..

Yep! We found the bank and it extends a bit further out than shown on the chart. Ran on to it about 25 - 30m SE of the end of the pontoon.

 

[Yngmar]

Well, it's been interesting. Zigzagging our way in to avoid the shallows in the entrance went well. A boat was anchored in the deep hole up the NE channel. We tried to get up the west channel, but nearly ran aground off the first ferry dock, so left it until the tide was a bit higher and meanwhile anchored north of the entrance, just east of the last mooring ball, in the drying bit of the chart (green marker on image below). Plenty of water and room to swing, but slightly disconcerting having people standing just up to their hips in the water a boatlength behind

After some more tide, we gave it another try (red = our track). The safest route is right through the moorings (orange marker) - plenty of deep water there, but beware of floating pickup lines (and people swimming ashore from/to boats). Felt our way in up to the No. 7 green marker and scoped out a few spots, but found nowhere that had swing room, was deep enough and wasn't squat in the channel, which had plenty of fishing boats passing as we looked so didn't feel right to anchor there. Went back to the original spot and spent the night there, which was fine, apart from some minor swell entering which was only a bother when we were mid-swing sideways to the entrance. Probably should've dropped a stern anchor to avoid that, but meh.

No bother from fishermen, they passed well south by the ferry route (black) as you said and we are well lit at night (deck flood + anchor light at boom level), but during daytime two of the local "Umbrella" powerboats apparently didn't understand what a boat with a black ball and a chain dangling from the bow means and passed about 2m ahead of us. I swear one must've touched the chain with his hull. Luckily his prop didn't or the day would've been somewhat more interesting.

Carefully crept out of there earlier today and now in Vila Real de Santo Antonio, munching Lidl's finest pastel de natas. We earnt them and the beers - the passage here involved heaving to for a swim to unblock the toilet, woohoo.

Who do the Tavira mooring balls belong to? Saw a couple foreign boats using some of the diamond-shaped ones near the front.

 

[GHA]

All good fun

Enjoy the river, lovely up there.

 

[jeanne]

All good fun

Enjoy the river, lovely up there.

Whatever you do, don´t go up to SanLucar de Guadiana/ Alcoutim.
Up there, the banks of the river are lined with the wrecks of yachties plans. People who came to stop for the winter ten years ago, and are still there.
By the way, the Guadiana International Music Festival is on again on Oct. 20, 21, and 22nd. Free entry, unless you count the occasional bucket being shaken, more in hope than expectation!