W. Med – Places to leave a boat during Summer and Winter 08/09

[Alyssa]

Currently planning our 2008 season. Will be leaving Lagos end April/beginning May and heading into the Med. Very flexible and open minded at present, but thinking of some combination of Med Spain / Balearics / France / Corsica / Sardinia / W. Italy.

To a large extent the more detailed plans will be driven by the following needs:-

1. Need to leave the boat mid July – end August (in or out of the water) while we return to the UK (France/Balearics/Sardinia??)

2.Need to locate somewhere to leave her over winter, in or out of the water (we are not living aboard) (Sardinia/Corsica/W.Italy??)

Would appreciate any recommendations on suitable (or unsuitable!) places to leave the boat for the above. The usual ideal criteria of safe, secure, sheltered, access to airports, not too expensive, etc etc apply!

Also any recommendations on “must see” / “should avoid” cruising areas also very much appreciated.

(NB: Have already searched the forum and obtained some ideas on the above, but thought a more general question might throw up some additional ideas.)

Thanks in advance.

 

[Mrnotming]

Malta is good for hauling out at Manoel Island.All the other marinas are subject to scend, except way up Msida creek Marina which is reserved for locals and these sheltered berths only become available when other boat owners haulout.France, Martigues dry port is good in the Gulf of Fos, near Marseilles, nice staff, not as many mosquitoes as on the Port Napoleon side.good service , will relaunch with a few days notice.Porto Turistico di Roma on the coast at Lido di Ostia, Lazio has become a tad expensive, but many cheaper yards are to be found in the Fiumare Grande and the Fiumicino.(Some more expensive ones too!)
No sea gets beyond the second lifting bridge in the Fiumicino.Basic fishing port, no thievery, great people.Bay of Roses, Empuriabrava is in a canal system,good shelter, many boat movements daily, great if you are away, a bit of a pain and churning water most of the day in high season.Roses, across the bay has visitor places along the outer mole, can be exposed to some wind.Most of the French marinas have spaces, such as Argeles sur Mer and Bacares,Gruissan Plage and many others.Good luck with your cruises!

 

[cladwalk]

we came by Lagos in 2006 and ended up in Port Vell, Barcelona.......a brilliant place.....step off your boat and you are in Barcelona
the office are very helpful.......if you pay 10% deposit for the following winter's berth they allow you to stay in the summer months at winter rates
whats more you are only 30mins away from the airport
we will have had 2 years there when we leave in august
clive

 

[Borden]

We laid up winter 2006/07 in Portimao not far from where you are in Lagos. Now in Almerimar for winter 2007/08 very comfortable and reasonably priced. Our trip took us via Cadiz, Ceuta (Spanish enclave in NE Moroco), Marina Smir (Moroco), Gibraltar then coast hopping to Almerimar. Not a long distance travelled but very interesting.
Cheers Colin

 

[LadyJessie]

[ QUOTE ]
Also any recommendations on “must see” / “should avoid” cruising areas also very much appreciated.

[/ QUOTE ]If you searched this Forum, you would know that there are a lot of knowledgable people here and not always a lot of consensus on the topic of your question. That is the essence of cruising, is it not; you try to find the cruising environment that you like. That is not always what someone else likes.

These are my very own personal views of some of the cruising areas of the western Med:

Minimise your time in Gibraltar. It is good for cheap diesel but for the rest it is very tacky.

Avoid the Spanish east coast and especially the Costa Brava section. I think this is one of the few things that most cruisers agree on; avoid it at all cost. It is horrible. It is a blot on the Med landscape and not at all representative of the beauty of the rest of the Med.

The Balearics are beautiful, but crowded in season and with a tricky wind pattern. Best visited in spring and autumn. Lots of nice anchorages.

Corsica, Sardinia and Sicily are a must. Tricky wind patterns so check weather forecasts daily. Avoid north eastern Sardinia in July-August as it is full of superyachts and very expensive. Don't miss the Egadi islands off the north west coast of Sicily, stunning and great food.

You have to visit Malta and experience the only complete Renaissance city in the world. Beautiful! The harbour approach control procedures are also interesting; they treat a 12 meter yacht and a supertanker the same way. Good challenge but great fun.

The French south-east coast (the Riviera in English) has a reputation of being crowded and expensive in season, but that is only if you want a marina berth. It has lots of sheltered anchorages for free and I can recommend it for a great cruise any time of the year. One of the many beautiful cruising areas of the world. Take the dingy ashore in the evening and dine on the best food in the world. Next morning, pick up fresh croissants from the local baker.

Italian west coast is very difficult. The available anchorages are stunningly beautiful, but they are few and very crowded in season. Again, visit out of season.

Please understand that it is impossible to describe such a wast cruising area as the western Med in a few paragraphs in a blog. You have to do your homework and read up on it. Hopefully though, this thread can give you some pointers. Then you are very welcome back with your next questions!

 

[vyv_cox]

Lady Jessie's summary is accurate in my experience. July and August will be crowded everywhere but there are often places to berth provided you arrive early afternoon.

I would add the Aeolian Islands off north-east Sicily as a must. Walking up the volcano at Vulcano was the high point of last year's cruise.

 

[Alyssa]

Many thanks to all for the excellent suggestions and advice.

We are now starting to crystallise our thoughts and will no doubt be back with some more specific questions in due course.
Cheers,
Dave

 

[richardwatson]

Would second porto Touristico di Roma - very sheltered from the Mistrale, and cheaper than many of the other Italian Marinas. Could also say the same for Nettuno, further down the coast.
In the south west of Sardinia, the marinas at Portoscuso and Carloforte are also worth considering, but have no haulout facilities from what I recall . Cheap flights to Cagliari.
Bastia, on the east coast of Corsica, is also very sheltered (it has to be) and had some good long term rates when we were there a couple of years ago. Its an interesting old town and great for provisioning.