Italy, France, Spain med coast. Why bother?

[Toys_with_time]

Originally Posted by Dave22q

A lot of posts but none either confirm or deny that marinas in the Med. are very expensive. I would be interested in some facts.

After 6 seasons in the Med I can say yes some of them are incredibly expensive but you need to shop around. The highest we have been quoted was 300 euros per night in Palma (we didn't take it) and we found another marina there for 87. We have mainly anchored and just used marinas when very bad weather is forecast and there is no suitable anchorage within reasonable distance or want to hire a car and explore inland. We almost never book ahead (winter berthing excepted) and always try and haggle on the price and never berth until we have agreed a price. If we don't like the price we move on. There are many municipal marinas that are cheaper (we stayed in central Venice for 7 days for 60 euros a night) and cats are generally charged either 50% more or on a sq.m. basis. Looking back through our log seems range was mainly between 40 and 80 Euros per night.
Overall marinas have not been a major cost factor relative to our overall costs and the cost of marinas compares very well to the cost of a hotel and you are usually in the centre of town.
If you want much lower berthing costs then head to Greece where a night on a town quay will generally cost less than 10 euros per night.
TwT

[hoppy]

Originally Posted by Toys_with_time

If you want much lower berthing costs then head to Greece where a night on a town quay will generally cost less than 10 euros per night.
TwT

If they even collect any money at all

[reed1v]

Originally Posted by Russ

Reedv1
Did you really mean $10 a foot. I have never paid even $5 a foot for a transient slip in FL or anywhere on East Cost of USA. Or did you mean east coast of ????? Russ

Well you are lucky. Try NYC, Boston, Annapolis, and other major boating centers. A good marina with security runs $10 per foot. Obviously, just like the Med, lesser ports have lower prices. You get what you pay for. Night rates are very high. Lower day rates if you stay a week, lower still if for a month, etc. Its $3.5 per foot loa, at the marina down the street up here in midcoast Maine. $5 at the marina in town. Of course no slips are available. Rates go way up the further you get to Beantown.

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by reed1v

Well you are lucky. Try NYC, Boston, Annapolis, and other major boating centers. A good marina with security runs $10 per foot. Obviously, just like the Med, lesser ports have lower prices. You get what you pay for. Night rates are very high. Lower day rates if you stay a week, lower still if for a month, etc. Its $3.5 per foot loa, at the marina down the street up here in midcoast Maine. $5 at the marina in town. Of course no slips are available. Rates go way up the further you get to Beantown.

The best places are absolutely free, you just have to get out and find them, and..... I'm not telling.

[Skipper-Ingo]

I got my boat in VInaros, that is 120 nm south of Barcelona, mainland Spain. I cruised along the Spanish and French coast and went to the Balearics Islands a lot. I have circumvented Ibiza, for instance 15 times, Mallorca 4 times.
So I think I know what I am talking about.
Here are some prices:
French and Spanish coast, harbor fees for our 14,5 m sailing yacht (Dynamique Express 44) were between 35,- and 80,- € / night.
But the Balearics, - yes - the are very expensive!!!!!!!
During the high season they would have charged us between 190,- and 275,- € / night. But during all these cruises from the mainland to and around Ibiza (15 times) we stayed in a marina JUST ONCE. Besides, we only go in a marina there to get some water.
On Ibiza you do not need a harbor at all for staying overnight. You can do, what we call "cala hopping", that's sailing from one bay (anchorage) to the other. If you sail for one ore two hours you get to the next beautiful anchorage. So if you feel at home in picturesque anchorages, you will love Ibiza up to the max.
Same goes for Mallorca and Menorca.
Saludos
Ingo

[LLCoolDave]

Originally Posted by reed1v

Well you are lucky. Try NYC, Boston, Annapolis, and other major boating centers. A good marina with security runs $10 per foot. Obviously, just like the Med, lesser ports have lower prices. You get what you pay for. Night rates are very high. Lower day rates if you stay a week, lower still if for a month, etc. Its $3.5 per foot loa, at the marina down the street up here in midcoast Maine. $5 at the marina in town. Of course no slips are available. Rates go way up the further you get to Beantown.

We are talking about nightly/transient slips here. I was just in Key West and it was $4 per foot (ouch). At $10 per foot it would be $400 per night for a 40 ft. boat. Nobody is charging that.

[FSMike]

Originally Posted by reed1v

just like the US east coast. About the same prices for transient stays. Usually $10 per foot overall per day. However you can anchor in the designated anchoring spots for about $25 per night -----

I've been up and down the US east coast many times from New York to Key West.
I've never seen $10 per foot for transient dockage, and I've never paid to anchor anywhere.

[Mithril Bham]

As stated some love the Med, some hate it. I love it but it's expensive. You get what you pay for. If money is a big concern then cruise the Adriatic. Much better seafood and lots of anchorages in the islands.

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by reed1v

Well you are lucky. Try NYC, Boston, Annapolis, and other major boating centers. A good marina with security runs $10 per foot. Obviously, just like the Med, lesser ports have lower prices. You get what you pay for. Night rates are very high. Lower day rates if you stay a week, lower still if for a month, etc. Its $3.5 per foot loa, at the marina down the street up here in midcoast Maine. $5 at the marina in town. Of course no slips are available. Rates go way up the further you get to Beantown.

No, not even in NYC or Boston or Miami have I ever seen $10/ft per night. Most expensive one I found was $8/ft in NYC. Most places $4-$5 occasionally $6.

[paulclan]

For France we buy the Bloc Marine publication "mon liver de bord" which lists marina charges and has good chart lets and info.
In Italy "paginas Jaune" is similar.Chandlers stock these heavy items,
Anchoring is being discouraged off the French mainland coast and islands to protect the posidonia sea grass.
We usually pay €40 or less per night for an 11 metre (36') sailboat.


Sent from my iPad using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[meirriba]

Originally Posted by FlyTheCoop

We are changing crew mid August in Menorca. Best rate I could get was 260 euros/night for a 13m cat at Marina Mahon. Ouch! Some marinas had no vacancy at all.

Last time in Mahon there were floating wooden pontoons with water & electricity in the middle of the bay.
Reasonable prices and transfer (free) to the town.
Are the pontoons still there? Were you moored in the marina on the town shore?

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by Russ

Reedv1
Did you really mean $10 a foot. I have never paid even $5 a foot for a transient slip in FL or anywhere on East Cost of USA. Or did you mean east coast of ????? Russ

Right in Manhattan it can reach those ranges if you do the daily rate in the prime marinas but as a general rule, even $5/ft on the east coast would be wildly expensive.

In Spain right now (couple hours drive south of Barcelona) and long term slip, is about the same as east coast or Great Lakes.

[Prairie Chicken]

Getting back to Hoppy's original question, & for me as well, are there many anchorages along Spain & France's south coast? Can you do much anchoring or are you pretty much restricted to marinas? If there are reasonable anchorages, are they a long ways apart, or terribly crowded?

[Skipper-Ingo]

Hi Prarie Chicken and everybody.
Yes, - there are lots of nice anchorages along the French and Spanish Mediterranean coast. And they are not far apart. A few will be crowded during July and August (the Spanish regularly take their vacation then). But I bet you will even find a slot then.
As I mentioned before: Ibiza is a "must go", and Formentera has long beaches where you got lotsa room.
The good thing about sailing around one of the Balearic Islands is, you can easily avoid a lee shore, in case of bad weather. Sail a few hours, and you find a protected bay or coastline or you even are at the other side of the Island.
Sailing the Balearics is extremely safe.
Aaaahhhhhmmmm. Don't go there, if you are offended at the sight of nude sweet tittis!

[Kenomac]

Torre Vieja Harbor has a free anchorage and a beautiful boardwalk.