wanting advice on winter anchorages in the Med

[junesboat]

We are living aboard our boat at the moment in England, but we are planning to retire early and sail to the med. Because we wish to keep costs down we intend to lay at anchor as much as possible. Can anyone advise us of free anchorages,during the winter season which will be relatively safe and comfortable? We know the winds can be horrendous in winter, but we are hoping there may be some places some of you can suggest ? :eagerness::eagerness:

 

[shogun]

Good luck with that. We did that in 2004 and we are still pottering around the coast of Spain. How far into the Med do you think you will get? Its a lot bigger than it looks on a chart. Have you an idea where you might be say, next winter (2016/17). Maybe we can help.
Regards

 

[macd]

It's certainly do-able, but not the choice of many. A few people who live year-round on the hook visit the forum regularly and I'm sure will respond.

As shogun wrote, it would help if you could give some idea of your likely/preferred whereabouts. Greece is particularly blessed with secure anchorages, although they exist far and wide. And, yes, 'The Med' is a very big place. It can also get chilly, and wet, in the winter months: you might want to take local climate into account when choosing where to drop your winter hook.

Since cost seems to be the main motivation, you should also be aware that many town quays in Greece are cheap or even free. Some even have leccy and water. But don't feel compelled to dash here: there's too much to enjoy along the way.

 

[jimbaerselman]

But don't feel compelled to dash here: there's too much to enjoy along the way.

+1
I spent 2 years exploring Biscay, fascinated by the cultural differences between W France, through Basque country, to N Spain. Compared with UK, this is good value cruising.

However, Med. Yes, there are lots of Med areas with plenty of anchorages. Usually, these are also areas popular with charter operations - which shut down from October to March. Unfortunately, a lot of the shore facilities around the anchorages also shut down during the winter. And during winter, boredom can set in unless you're close to some form of civilisation. And being close to civilisation often also means it's difficult to find anchoring spaces - they've been filled by mooring fields. But the further east you go, the more cheap quaysides you'll find - Greece, Turkey.

I suggest you first read up a summary - try http://www.jimbsail.info/mediterranean. Then rummage into the detail. All the following "value for money" spots are briefly covered on the same web site:

Cartagena (marina); Mallorca - Colom (mooring field); NE Sardinia - many anchorages; Elba - anchorages off Porto Ferraio; Rome - quayside berths along the canal and river leading to the city; E Sicily - anchoring off Syracuse.

Greece, numerous free anchorages and cheap or free quays: E of Levkas (many!); W Peloponnese ports (Kiparrissia, Pylos); E Peloponnese (Astros? Porto Heli, Poros), Gulf of Corinth (Trizonia); Evia channel, near Khalkis (anchorage, quaysides).

And lots more in Turkey.

That should take up a few years of your time!

 

[NornaBiron]

We are living aboard our boat at the moment in England, but we are planning to retire early and sail to the med. Because we wish to keep costs down we intend to lay at anchor as much as possible. Can anyone advise us of free anchorages,during the winter season which will be relatively safe and comfortable? We know the winds can be horrendous in winter, but we are hoping there may be some places some of you can suggest ? :eagerness::eagerness:

We stay out of marinas as much as we can, only going in if we have to leave the boat to go to the UK.

We have spent seven winters in Greece, mainly at anchor but also tied to some town quays. There are many safe anchorages here, but the key to safety is making sure that we have access to weather reports so that we can plan and move if necessary (you need good ground gear too).

We usually plan by looking at Google Earth for likely spots and then researching to ensure their safety, access to water and provisioning, and a bit of company.

Good anchorages/quaysides that we have used over winter include Preveza, Meganisi, Vliho Bay on Lefkada, Spinalongha Bay on Crete, Panomittis and Pethi on Symi, Kos town, Pali on Nisyros, Kalymnos town, Lakki bay on Leros, Ermioni on Syros and Rinia near Mykonos.

Not all of them have everything that we need/want but a bit of forward planning and access to the internet mean that we stay out of marinas quite comfortably. It does get cold and wet at times so we are grateful for our Refleks heater,.

 

[ribrage]

In the western med there are a few places where winter anchoring is possible - mar menor there's an unfinished marina that we anchored in for several months that had good shelter.

San Carles de Rapita lagoon is another place where winter anchoring is possible, on the Spanish mainland anchorages are pretty poor even in summer , few have more than 270 degree shelter son it's inevitable you will need a marina.

Western med I'd make a provision in your budget for a winter deal in a marina that's pretty cheap - almerimar or Cartagena for instance six months for us at 15 meters was around €400 a month all inc.

eastern med has greater diversity of choice but winters are colder

 

[junesboat]

Hi, to be honest it will all be new to us, and we are in particular rush to get anywhere in particular , pottering sounds great. its me not my Husband who is anxious about winter on the hook. Boredom will not be a problem, there are plenty of hobbies aboard we both have, and we are hoping to be self sufficient, we have the water maker, and hope to be fully loaded with provisions so the winter months will be mainly covered food wise. of course I realize there will be times we need to get back ashore, and that will be ok. What I really want is some advise on anchorages which will give us some amount of shelter. I know the Med is a large area, but ideas for Spain or Greece would be welcome for a start. all ideas and suggestions would be gratefully received.

Thank to all

 

[junesboat]

Just like to thank everyone, really looking forward to next year, and am so grateful for every ones help on here.:encouragement:

 

[macd]

June: you'd be well advised to at least borrow pilot books for the areas you might pass through. As well as whetting your appetite they'll give a good idea of potential places to winter on the hook.

On much of your route completely all-weather/all directions anchorages are quite rare, the more so with civilization nearby.

Off the top of my head I'd offer the River Guadiana (Spanish-Portuguese border, S end) and possibly a couple of places further west on the Algarve (Faro, Alvor). The Guadiana is popular for wintering (in fact so popular that some arrive, drop the hook and never leave); the other two I've visited but you'd need others to tell you what they're like in the deep, dark months.

In Med Spain, Costa Blanca, there's the Mar Menor (mentioned above, I think).

S of France: there are possibilities near the coastal ends of the canals in the general area of the Rhone delta.

There's excellent shelter to be had in a few places in the Balearics, although I know no-one who's wintered there. Mahon (Minorca) was once a possibility, but I've seen mention of new regulations which may make it iffy. No doubt others can advise. There are a few other Balearic anchorages with all-round shelter: many are fairly obvious from charts.

Italy: not a lot I can think of. Possibly Elba; possibly one or two places on Sicily; and do I have a recollection of someone wintering on the hook near Venice? There are many anchorages on Sardinia/Corsica, but most are open to one direction or another. Bonifacio has perfect shelter, but the one spot it was possible to moor was full of hulks and broken mooring lines when I was there in October. Besides, the cliffs tower so high you wouldn't see the sun 'til about noon

Greece: take your pick, as suggested. Turkey also has possibilities, although long-stay visa issues put many off. It may be that these will be relaxed as the contry's tourism takes a beating, and particularly if the proposed visa easing with the EU takes place (although a Brexit would probably put paid to that).

This is a very long way from being exhaustive: we all seem to miss more places than we visit. As said, try to bone up from pilot books. If that raises queries about anywhere specific, you can always ask for more info here. If nothing else, these fleeting thoughts might spur others to add their three penn'orth.

Enjoy your planning.

 

[charles_reed]

We stay out of marinas as much as we can, only going in if we have to leave the boat to go to the UK.

We have spent seven winters in Greece, mainly at anchor but also tied to some town quays. There are many safe anchorages here, but the key to safety is making sure that we have access to weather reports so that we can plan and move if necessary (you need good ground gear too).
We usually plan by looking at Google Earth for likely spots and then researching to ensure their safety, access to water and provisioning, and a bit of company.

Good anchorages/quaysides that we have used over winter include Preveza, Meganisi, Vliho Bay on Lefkada, Spinalongha Bay on Crete, Panomittis and Pethi on Symi, Kos town, Pali on Nisyros, Kalymnos town, Lakki bay on Leros, Ermioni on Syros and Rinia near Mykonos.

Not all of them have everything that we need/want but a bit of forward planning and access to the internet mean that we stay out of marinas quite comfortably. It does get cold and wet at times so we are grateful for our Refleks heater,.

The same list as mine, but never overwintering (October to February).

Also the inlet on the N of Diaporos 40N13.48 23E46.78
The bay 40N26.06 23E59.88 off Athos
Kontias and Moudros on Limnos
Kardamyla on N Chios
Poros
Linaria, Skyros

I would suggest that whilst its totally feasible to anchor, you might want to be in a small, safe port - I'd recommend Linaria, definitely inexpensive, extraordinarily protected and with as many facilities as such a tiny island can offer.
A considerably more expensive and conventional marinas are Kalamata, ot Messolonghi

The centre of safe winter anchorage is the Aegean, the farther W you go the lower the number and safety levels.

 

[Monique]

There is also Marina di Ragusa in southern Sicily. Possibly the lowest fees in the Med with a great liveaboard community. We doubt you would enjoy the 73 knot gust we experienced some weeks back. Even less so if you are at anchor.

GL and fair winds.

 

[Trident]

We know people who lived all winter in the Mar Menor - its an inland sea linked to the Med by a short canal (like 300 metres long short) and once inside you are in 3-5m depth with several islands to move around to shelter from the wind. But don't under estimate the isolation in places like this - there is absolutely nothing to do as its a holiday resort area and closed down from September to May - hobbies aboard are one thing but cabin fever sets in pretty quickly.
We also know people who live year round in San Antoni bay in Ibiza - its safe in all weathers though rolly in a SW'ly and you're right in the centre of town - of course much is closed there in winter too but still plenty of restaurants and super markets etc and on the warm days the beach is right there.
On the other hand we pay just £200 a month for our 10.5m cat in Cartagena marina (Yacht Port Cartagena) - get to walk straight in to a beautiful Spanish town with Roman ruins, great shops and restaurants, and lovely scenery, parks etc - and can have hot showers in the marina every day, pretty good wifi, and no diesel bills etc running heating (you will need it some times in the Med) and hot water and no 3G bill for internet. So against what it would cost in the Mar Menor (which was also our original plan) to keep warm, heat water and use the internet we reckon Cartagena costs us maybe £150 a month and we have the freedom to walk off the boat, meet people , learn the language more easily and not go mad living in 25 square metres on wet windy days when a dinghy ride ashore would be impossible .

 

[chinita]

Good advice Trident. We did the same and came to the same conclusion.

 

[sailaboutvic]

We love to be on the hook has much as possible , keeping away from Marina for at less eight to nine months of the year , but even for us there comes a time when we need a rest from Constantly looking at the weather .
So a break in an Marina is a nice change , not only so we have the luxury off stepping off the boat with out getting into a dinghy first , but a great way to meet lots of new people , share info for the following season and get the boat ready for the next stage of the Journey.
It's also a good opportunely for our love one to get a break for us which we all need from time to time , after living 24/7 in a shoe box for months on end .
Marina politics can at times be a pain but easily avoided .
There nothing stopping you from a sail now and then , although I found that once in most don't leave too April / May the following year .
So all in all its money well spend to keep everyone happy .
Hopefully with some luck and a break in the weather a sail to get our sea legs back some time next week .

 

[syneraida]

Good luck with that. We did that in 2004 and we are still pottering around the coast of Spain. How far into the Med do you think you will get? Its a lot bigger than it looks on a chart. Have you an idea where you might be say, next winter (2016/17). Maybe we can help.
Regards

The Med. is not that big!!! it just depends how much sailing you want to do in one go, we sailed UK to Monfalcone (Italy) in a month without much issue. That said we didn't see much and missed a lot, I would suggest that 3-6 months around the summer should easily get you anywhere in the med with plenty of opportunities to stop and have a look around.

As regards anchorage in the winter. I can only give advice about the northern Adriatic, but would suggest that if you are up here you book into a marina for the winter, it's pretty cold and wet and the wind can blow pretty hard. Of course if you have good ground tackle anchoring is doable, but I would recommend doing it a bit further south where its a bit warmer.

If you're up north and at anchor you'll almost certainly need heating from dec-feb. We get free electric in the marina which I recon equates to about €100 just for heating (more if you had to use diesel at anchor for heating). It costs us €500/month (for a 55ft boat) including water and electric so after you take off the electric costs you end up at only €400/month. Of course the summer is more expensive, but you can easily anchor for the rest of the year.

Good luck and enjoy the sailing and sights the Med has to offer.

 

[Garry & June 'Friendship']

This is our first year as liveaboards having left Falmouth in May last year....the best bit of advice that we received when planning for the day to go was....DONT RUSH...we are presently in the Algarve and I expect many would consider that taking only a year to get here was pretty quick. There are some great places on the way down. We very rarely used marinas and when reaching the Spanish Rias virtually never went in them at all. Going down the Portuguese coast was a little different as places to stop are a little short but the marinas are mostly very cheap. Cascais which we loved and spent a lovely time at anchor there is a great stop. (not for wintering). There are a couple of places here which would be viable winter anchorages...Alvor which is another superb spot and somewhere which doesn't completely come to a stop over winter and the Guadiana river another option... remember also the weather here over winter is probably as good if not better than anywhere else. Going any further for a first season would mean missing so much in my opinion.

 

[junesboat]

Just want to thank all of you for all your advise , I really appreciate your time and experience. Excited about next year , and will soak up any and all information passed on.

cheers Everyone