Tunisia For Fuel - Bizerta?

Richard10002

Richard10002

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Setting off from Malta to Ibiza 18th July and, if the wind is wrong, we may need to refuel in Tunisia.

Anyone have any info on facilities at Bizerta, (the shortest diversion from the likely route.

Also what might we need to do in terms of paperwork and checking in, even if merely for a quick fuel stop?


Many Thanks

Richard
 
I enclose a copy of a message on CA about Tabarka but the same would apply to Bizerte. You might have to go into the fishing port to get fuel. The fuel is cheap and clean._

_____
"I refuelled in Tunisia just under a week ago - we took on 250 litres.
We were sailing from Spain to Malta and continuous easterly head winds required us to refuel on the North African coast.
We entered the port of Tabarka which is on the north west coast adjacent to Algeria.
The fuel was clean and cheaper than the UK.
However to just refuel required a four hour stop as we had to clear Police, Immigration and Customs - a lengthy procedure in extremely high temperatures.
Having refuelled we had to repeat the same procedure to exit the country.
Everybody was extremely helpful, but required a 'gift' before we finally left. It helps to speak French or Arabic."
 
I don't know the answer to your question but have you considered Malta - Messina - Sardinia (East coast) - Bonifaccio - (Madalenas or Santa Theresa) - Mahon? You at least keep land to your west much of the way, that way, and have plenty of ports for refuge. Sardinia is nice, too, and Stromboli, etc., of course.
 
Last year I topped up in Bizerta - fuel cost was €0.28equiv. The fuel man comes to your boat (but wisely not down the visitors' pontoon) so it will involve, for you, going alongside (behind the Capitainerie) or using cans.

Even just getting fuel will involve visits from 4 sets of people, on arrival, but only one verbal report by you on leaving. No visa cost for EC citizens, and visits are expeditious, mine took about 50', and French is widely spoke (good thing too as their Arabic was nearly incomprehensible to my Egyptian-trained ear). Baksheesh is advisable - fags a good currency - cash involves a barter reflex.

Fuel was clean, high sulphur and appeared to have no bio content.

The yacht-club restaurant, near the showers, is probably the best European-style cooking in town - expensive by Tunisian standards but a steal by European - for one who has had to suffer Maltese cuisine it is a hypernymic experience. Their red-wine is outstanding and compares with Chateau Musar without the chewy bits.

I'd recommend staying for a few days - a visit to the old harbour and medina are worthwhile, avoid the imposition of a "facilitator". Youngsters friendly, most speak English, very flirtatious chador-wearers.

Visitors' pontoon overexciting in a NE >5.

Watch out for the through current @ 90 degrees from mooring resulting from the tidal flow from the lagoon, N on flood, S on ebb. Ignore yachie myths about no tidal streams in Med!!! Also big ones thro' Lido into Venice lagoon and wetlands behind Monfalcone.
 
Charles
Chateau Musar, vnice, not many peeps aware of it. Had a bottle given me the other day for a small job I did. 1999
Taking it with us to ireland on our hols next week
Stu
 
You will need good quality fags. They will not accept Spanish Ducados or any other dark tobacco. They also prefer Gordons or Johnnie Walker.

They do not drink it. It is recycled on the top shelf of the shop down the road.

Also, each one of your four visitors will need equal treatment. If you under baksheesh one of them - he will be back for more.

Our customs man liberally sprayed himself with my SWMBO's Chanel whilst helping himself to my chewing gum.
 
We've just done the run from Spain to Malta and back in a large motor boat.

Bizerta was one of our fuel stops on the way out.
Fuel was good.
The whole area around the marina at Bizerta is down for redevelopment. There is a old concrete quay beside the marina facing the harbour entrance. Although the pilot shows caution, it seemed deep enough and sheltered enough. I think that the offices on the quay had the name of Best Marine over them but Best Marine have gone bust. Adjacent to the old Best Marine offices is a locked shed with a large oil tank inside where a guy comes out during the day to fuel boats. Barter with him - we managed to get fuel at 50c per litre - they prefered to say 2 litres per euro.

Now to the main point - Tunisia - corruption all over the place.
We were clobbered by the police as soon as we arrived to pay 200 euros to "their chief" for our papers. That was just the start of it though - everyone wanted a "present" and they werent shy of asking either.

IMO Bizerte isnt a very attractive place - if you want to use Tunisia try Sidi Bou Said which is just riound the headland to the east. It is the old port for Carthage and a much nicer place - with fuel as well. Entrance a bit tricky - the pilot is accurate though.

For us, the way to go int Tunisia is to use an agent - if you are coming from Malta you will understand. I have the name of an agent if you like but he was unofficial and you have to decide what or how to pay him.

PM me if you want more info
 
Thanks for all the thoughts.

Sounds like Tunisia could be a bit of an expensive ballsache, and any money saved on fuel will be taken up with baksheesh.

I'm just batting ideas around at the moment, but the extra distance to call into either NW Sicily, or even Sardinia, may be worth it.

Of Course.... if the wind is OK, we may not need fuel at all.... I'm just conscious that the prevailing is against us.

Lemain, (David) - We have about 2 weeks to get to Lagos, so it's going to be a bit of a dash. I'd love to do the trip via the East of Sicily, and The Aeolians, but the extra distance would be too much.
 
On our return, we called in at Carloforte in Sardinia.

Now thats a REALLY nice place.

Funny, the pilots dont seem to rate south western Sardinia but I recon it was one of the best stops we had. I'm a bit of a stickler for getting a passage plan properly documented before leaving and I did all that at Carloforte before we were due to leave filling in our ETD for a departure of 14:30. Then we went for a quick lunch before departure. We were so comfortable and lundh was just slipping down in the sunshine that we decided that a delay for a few minutes wouldnt harm - we finally left at 17:00!!!

A really welcoming place and especially after the emotional trauma of Tunisia.

The pilots seem to suggest that Tunisia is much better than SW Sardinia - just goes to show that you cant trust everything you read.
 
Richard
I refueled in Tabarca last summer on the way from Almerimar to Yasmine Hammamet. As said previously, the fuel berth is in the fishing dock.
The Tunisians are very hot on formalities so you won't get away with a 'splash and dash' anywhere in Tunisia.
Sadly they are also keen on the 'baksheesh' in certain ports, Tabarca included. It cost me two bottles of whisky and a litre of Bacardi plus 10 Euros to complete all of the formalities!!
I've been in Yasmine Hammamet now since June 08 and am aware that the port commandant (Tunisian by birth and ex US Navy) has managed to 'retrain' the local police, customs and all of the other uniforms so that 'gifts' are not solicitied there.
The fuel dock is in the entrance to the marina opposite the capitanerie.
Up to you but you will get a smoother passage through the formalities in Yasmine than in most other ports.
Fair winds
Colin
 
Richard, the prevailing is against you as you say. That makes the 'long tack' via Bonifacio attractive from a sailing point of view. You haven't got a large engine in the M44 and you don't want a F4 on the nose all the way, especially at the same latitude as the Straits! I have heard (first hand) many horror stories of folks going home against the prevailing (usually the Portuguese Trades) and ended up with engine failure after running at 80% for several days.

Limited time, and Med to UK is not good. Have done it twice. I would suggest that you allow plenty of padding to wait for the weather, run slow, and comfortably. You will be motoring much of the way, I suspect.
 
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