Wintering in the South of France

chasroberts

chasroberts

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Anybody out there got any infomation they can let me hqve on a suitable place to leave our Southerly 105 Noosa for a few months this winter whilst we go off and try and earn next years budget?

We have finally thrown off the shackles and are currently in Paris on the way down through the canals. (Yes. I know. We are leaving it late, but couldn't get away before this owing to work/other commitments)

We are hoping to be through the canals in the next four weeks and would ideally like to winter somewhere near the end of the system or just into the Med. Any thoughts on suitable locations would be greatly appreciated. Requirements are primarily security, helpful attentive staff and of course, cost is always a factor.

Many thanks

Chas and Julie Roberts
S105 Noosa

<hr width=100% size=1>Semper in excretum sum. Sole profundum variat!
 
We came through the canals in 2001 I think it was and when we got down as far as Avignon we were asked by another owner how far we were going. We said we wanted to over winter on the coast like yourselves. He just said " Have you got a berth booked?"
He had been down, by car, looking for a berth on the coast and could only find one at Gruissan (spelling is prob wrong) and that was against the wall and crap.
Dont wish to dampen your enthusisum but maybe if you hope on the TGV and go down to see if you can get a berth.
If you are going to work at home then maybe you dont need to be so far south - how about Valence. Avignon does not operate in winter now I am told. Great pity cos it was one hell of a social life!!!
Best of luck.



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Have a look at Port Camargue, good livaboard social life, lots of brits (if you like that sort of thing ). Or go around the corner to Aigues Mort which is very pretty and you have the choice of approaching from down the river with your mast down or up the river having come out of the system and turned right for a few miles up the Golf De Lion. You can stay in the town for not much cost, I don't know how much these days, or tie up at the side of the river. It should be quiet from tripper boats over the winter. You will have flamingos on your deck but they are tame.

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Also just to say although both Arles and Avignon are just a tad off the direct route they are really worth the time of a visit...

For some reason in winter all french ports/marinas really welcome livaboards or people wanting to winter their boats.

Would be amazed if you had any problem finding somewhere close to the exit at either Port St Louis, or Sete or Port la Nouvelle

<hr width=100% size=1>http://www.michaelbriant.com/sailing
 
We came through the canals at this time last year and came out of the Rhone at the end of October.Your closest option is to go to Port Napoleon which is about 45 mins from Port St Louis.

This is a huge establishment which is reasonably priced and well run.They have hard standing for over 2000 boats and will not be full.The staff all speak English and are lovely and will organise most things for you including taxis to the airports of Marseille Nimes or Montpelier.You have good choice.It is much more secure than Port St Louis and we were very comfortable with the 6 months our boat spent there.The only downside is that it is in the middle of nowhere on the edge of the Camargue.

Just for your general info we have had a great summer in the Med but have now returned the boat to the UK mainly because of the difficulty of organising berths in Spain and France.

Good luck and let me know if you need anything more.

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Hi Chas!

I agree generally with the suggestions of other posters, but would add a small word of warning re Sete. We spent a week or two here, the first couple of days (very unusual for us!) in the marina there. It's reasonably well protected, but is outside the fishing boat area/port and is therefore noisy and constantly rocked by wash as the fleet roars in and out at all hours. We and others seem to spend a lot of time stuffing fenders back into place, and it's somewhere I wouldn't consider leaving my boat while nipping back to the UK for example. We did lower our mast here though, done with great skill by a couple of blokes from the marina, manually hauling on a block and tackle set-up dangling from a static 'crane' jib! Terrifying initially, but amazingly straightforward, quick and cheap.

The inner berths weren't as bad, but these were, of course, all taken up with local boats when we were there. We cleared out after a day or two and went into the commercial port, where we lay alongside the quay wall. Still a bit bumpy at times, but the fenders stayed put and those fishing boats that came in were handled superbly and with great consideration for our (comparatively) tiny size. It was free too and handier to the main drag. Again, not the place to leave the boat though but well worth a visit if you're in the
area.

Cheers

Jerry



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Check out Martiques ,across the bay from port st louis, and down a canal from port de Bouc.
about half the cost of Napoleon and you are in a proper and pretty town
with restaurants etc and railway in walking distance -airport is a short taxi
ride

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west of Toulons awful mistral mosquitoes tramentain.And very full, Better perhaps would be Ipswich Hull or perhaps southend -on-sea more fun less costly and all the natives more or less can be understood---foods a bit naff though--otherwise twice daily antifouling free tide to move saves the diesel, and unlike the south of France theres always enough wind enough.

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I can understand them in france but not that estuary english,you are right about the mistral on this area but martiques is about as sheltered as it gets-and no mossies they all live on the other side around napoleon.

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yes martiques is "shelterd" but when the mistral blows it cold loud and not really "med like" at least in port st louis the habour walls were so high you were shelterd, now in the new port(full) its not quite so depending where you are. also that regions got the chemi industary as all the polution goes off shore---- past the ports first! In Martiques (apart from soggy chips in the port)In a two week stay--just to admire the mistral --we had a wonderful time visiting the region by car,windows closed. when the mistral stopped the sea dident so we did, then without the wind we had green mist turning the boat orange then orange mist turning the boat green!!!!and sometimes it really stank ukk
In summer there are mosquitoes by the million and each bite!! ouch But its nice there

<hr width=100% size=1>liveaboard
 
We could not get berth in Aigues=Mortes, Port Camargue, or Port grau Royal(?), Narbonne or Port La Nouvelle. We have got a place now at Gallician just NE of Aigues Morte on the Canal du Rhone a Sete. Its not ideal for leaving boat - bows on/stern to mooring but without chain or anything to hold off are using 2 anchors. However, there are some other helpful Brits living there and the staff who run the place all seem helpful and willing to handle any problems that may arise. Its very cheap too . The village is a very quiet out of the way place on the Western edge of Camargue with no public transport - but 30 min cycle to nearest big place which has everything including bus to Nimes. We got taxi to Montpellier for 60euros. Probably still some space there. Obviously we should have booked ahead for all the more obvious [places!

Planning Corsica and beyond next summer - any suggestions for affordable available spots for wintering next year? Croatia? Italy?

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