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Old 11-08-2011, 14:54   #1
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Best Marina in Med - Price, Services, Safety ?

We will take delivery of a Beneteau Sense 43 next year in Antibes and then keep the boat in the Med for the years ahead. Currently researching options of where to keep her and would appreciate inputs from your experience. Will lay up the boat in a stand for winter season. Price to service always a consideration (value). So far thinking Malta or Turkey. Relatively easy access to airports an important factor.
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Old 21-08-2011, 06:24   #2
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Re: Best Marina in Med - Price, Services, Safety ?

Sorry your first answer was from some scumbag spam advertiser. I'm afraid I can't help with your question but wanted to welcome you to the forum and re assure you that you should actualy get some helpfull repies!
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Old 22-08-2011, 14:00   #3
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I would take a look at Castelsardo in N Sardinia. http://www.tripsailor.com/pois/63335...sardinia-italy
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Old 17-11-2011, 10:16   #4
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Re: Best Marina in Med - Price, Services, Safety ?

There is no "BEST" for everybody, as everybody has different preferences.

We have been deeply disappointed of Marinas that were highly recommended and happy at places that were discribed as "non go there".
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Old 01-01-2012, 16:17   #5
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Re: Best Marina in Med - Price, Services, Safety ?

Cartagena near Murcia airport is lovely with the nicest staff I have met to date.
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Old 02-01-2012, 00:20   #6
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Re: Best Marina in Med - Price, Services, Safety ?

Why not take it a country per year and really explore the Med?
France the first year, maybe Spain the next, and then work your way back eastward via the Balearics.... a country at a time......
We stayed (and enjoyed berthing) at Palma de Majorca and Kemer in Turkey.
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Old 02-01-2012, 03:21   #7
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Re: Best Marina in Med - Price, Services, Safety ?

Hi - it really depends on what your plans are. There are some marinas which are great if you're going to live aboard all winter but have other drawbacks compared to if you want to haul out and be away for several months.

Other factors are your preferred sailing area - you may think it's a long way from say the Balearics to Gourvia just to shave a bit off your winter storage bill. And as someone else said, it's not one time decision. So far, Roaring Girl has wintered in Cadiz, the Camargue, Toulon, Rome and Malta. This is connected to your winter plans - e.g. if you want a weekend cottage in Rome for a few months!

Thirdly, of course, is your budget. Is cheapness more important than e.g. convenience for nearby airports, and do those airports need to be intercontinental?

Finally - will you want to work on your boat? Are you allowed to? Can you live aboard on the hard? Is there a local ecology of workers and chandleries?

You say you're taking delivery in Antibes. We loved sailing the South of France but reckon to spend a lot of time at anchor, or spend a lot of money. (Do not provision your boat at Antibes but put a limited amount of stuff aboard, sail east to Nice and provision there.) If you will be hauling out for the winter, investigate Port Napoleon or Navy Service at Port St Louis west of there, as the cheapest options locally. If you are going to live aboard, you might if very lucky get a space at Nice or Marseilles from November to March, or look at Toulon, or again go to Port St Louis. If budget is no problem and you will be aboard a lot, then Nice, Antibes, or Cannes or St Jean Ferrat.

Alternatively explore Corsica or Sardinia. The best all weather anchorage we know of in the western Med is Portoferraio in Elba and you could winter on the hook there which would be the cheapest option of all. There are loads in liveaboards in Spain, particularly Barcelona, Cartagena and further south.

Do look at our blog (link below) if you want to know more of the places we've explored.
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Old 09-01-2012, 00:57   #8
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Re: Best Marina in Med - Price, Services, Safety ?

IMHO there is no "best" Marina at all, as everbody has other preferences.

We have liked marinas which others did not and the other way round. Therefore we have learned to consider recommendations by others always with some caution.
And even there is no sailing area the best, eg. we did not like Greece, others did.
So what, this is the beautiful thing in life that everbody likes something different.

( What a horror life would be, if everybody would like the same type of women - the mankind would not exist. )
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Old 09-01-2012, 04:41   #9
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Re: Best Marina in Med - Price, Services, Safety ?

Having spent several years berthed in the Med, Firstly you need to set a budget as this is a serious factor. Are you going to have a "home " marina, hence you'll want long term costings, Have you a preference for a particular country. Theres no "best" marina, some people like marinas that I wouldnt touch etc.

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Old 10-01-2012, 09:42   #10
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Re: Best Marina in Med - Price, Services, Safety ?

Hi !
On the french website Sail The World (Yes, despite its name, it is french and written in french, with an automatic translation system) you will find a scoring (or an evaluation) of hundreds of marinas in the Med. You will find the 5 "best one" per each country, selected by the members of the association... Some of them have an AAA rank (yes ! this ranking system was in service before the economical crisis !).... I am only a member of the association as I am from CF/
The link is : Bateaux autour du monde - Sail The World - L'Univers de la grande croisière en voilier - STW
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Old 10-01-2012, 11:05   #11
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Re: Best Marina in Med - Price, Services, Safety ?

Quote:
Originally Posted by swagman View Post
Why not take it a country per year and really explore the Med?
France the first year, maybe Spain the next, and then work your way back eastward via the Balearics.... a country at a time......
We stayed (and enjoyed berthing) at Palma de Majorca and Kemer in Turkey.
Cheers
John
This is how I would love to do it, but how can you do this without running foul of the EU boat importing regulations? I was hoping to spend the northern hemisphere summer in the Med, then put the boat on the hard somewhere, fly home for the Australian summer and return to the Med for the Med summer, if possible for 5 or 6 summers. Is this possible?
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Old 11-01-2012, 03:33   #12
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Re: Best Marina in Med - Price, Services, Safety ?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Eleebana View Post
This is how I would love to do it, but how can you do this without running foul of the EU boat importing regulations? I was hoping to spend the northern hemisphere summer in the Med, then put the boat on the hard somewhere, fly home for the Australian summer and return to the Med for the Med summer, if possible for 5 or 6 summers. Is this possible?
Sounds like a great plan and yes, I believe you can do it. There are plenty of non EU people who seem to leave either non EU registered boats without issues, but you'll need to carefully pick your countries and your 'authorities'.

A lot of authorities are pretty relaxed, and we've had touring pals who've never had the registration questioned as they slowly meandered from one EU country to another, but thats a risk they were happy to carry..............others prefer not.

We've also had Aussie and Kiwi pals who left their boats EU winter months in Turkey and Croatia, and we did link up once with some Aussies who found a spot in S.Italy where once the boat was stored ashore - somehow got the local authorities to halt their clock (if you know what I mean) - and restart when it was relaunched a season later.

We effectively left the Med in 2007 so our experiences are dated, but apart from Croatia about to join the EU, not much else has changed since then.

There are still plenty of other countries including Morocco, Tunisia, N Cyprus, Turkey, Montenegro, Israel etc where safe storage afloat or ashore is possible outside the EU.

Hopefully someone who is cruising the region today can also come back with current comment.

Good luck.

JOHN
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Old 11-01-2012, 04:04   #13
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Re: Best Marina in Med - Price, Services, Safety ?

Thanks for all the contributions - I'm a newbie on this blog and while it took a little time to get the responses going, I do appreciate them all. Yes, it's true that there's no such thing as best.

So, more info. What we plan to do is sail from Antibes to Malta via Italian Islands over 3 weeks this summer and then leave the boat on the hard in Malta. Of the Maltese marinas ... anyone with experience here? (since we've still to choose and book). I'm still working now, but retire in May 2013 so then part two is to sail to Turkey where we can keep the boat for up to 5 years without worrying about the 18 month rule in the Med. (we'll be sailing as an Australian registered vessel - 'WILD & WOOLLY' ... watch out for us Again, any specific marina thoughts around Marmaris to Bodrum welcome. Again, we'll look to take the boat out and head off for some winter fun elsewhere.
Great information 'space' ... glad we found it. Martin
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Old 11-01-2012, 10:39   #14
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Re: Best Marina in Med - Price, Services, Safety ?

Have you followed the various threads on new Turkish visa requirements? I strongly advise you look into that!

But why on earth are you rushing it like that to Malta, there is SO MUCH to explore between Antibes and Malta?

And another point, do you also hold Australian passports? In that case there is a big seperate issue hanging over your plans called a Schengen Visa.
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Old 11-01-2012, 11:29   #15
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Re: Best Marina in Med - Price, Services, Safety ?

Rushing? who me? ... working more like - only have 4 weeks off and 2 seasons to get to Turkey within the 18 month rule in the Med. Anyway, I like sailing long legs, I would even consider non stop, but I must consider wifey, so 5 are considered ... More importantly our plan is to get to the 'right hand side' and later come back slowly ... that's when we'll cruise and enjoy ...
Thanks for the heads up on the visa issues ... good point, but no issue for another 18 months or so ... also, we can stay as follows: Generally, Australian tourists planning to spend less than a total of 90 days (within a six month period) in the 'Schengen area' do not require visas for countries which are parties to the Schengen Convention.
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