Magic words to use in Italy

[Quijote]

Hi folks,
I'm looking for an expert on cruising Italy. Last year in Zihuatanejo, we met a circumnavigator who had spent a lot of time in Italy and he wanted me to know that there was a phrase you should use when approaching a new marina - something like "porto comunari". The result of this magic phrase was to get you reduced slip fees and sometimes a slip when otherwise nothing would be available. He explained that there is a law designed to provide access to boating facilities for the common man - not the mega-rich and by claiming "porto comunari" (or whatever it is), you would be entitled to "working-man" prices. He discovered this after some time in Italy and passed it on to me as a crucial piece of information. (He didn't seem totally to be a "working man" as he was cruising in a Swan.)
I however was in cocktail mode and have managed to forget the magic words.
So I request that you Italy experts find out what it is for me. We might be able to save money for a lot of us.
We are going to Italy next year and are looking for anything that allows us to stay longer, the dollar being what it is.
Thanks,
Richard Black
S.V. Saeta
Sailing Flamenco

[GordMay]

A "Porto Comunali" would be a municipal marina.
Porto = port
Comunali = council, community ...

[Quijote]

Thanks Gord,
The problem is that I don't remember if those are the exact words he used so translating my poor recollection doesn't exactly answer the question. I've had this question up for a few days on this and the SSCA boards and nobody has anything solid to say about it, so I'm wondering if my circumnavigator friend was really correct. Perhaps he thought he had a magic phrase and was really just saying "Hi".
Anyway, I'm hoping that in the next few days I can either get the correct phrase or forget about it and spend my time day trading to try to raise enough to pay for Italian Marinas.
Thanks,
Richard Black
S.V. Saeta
Sailing Flamenco

[VieuxMalin]

For the record, it is written Porto Comunale

Comunali is the plural of comunale, and yes, there are few Porti Comunali (noticed the plural?) which are not under any lucrative organization, but they are getting fewer and fewer, since they are finally realizing that boating can be a source of money.

As a matter of fact, many marinas are rising from the plans of architects. Nevertheless, they are built for big yachts and definitely non-working class gear. There is a rule in EU that (if I remeber well) a 10% of the available moorings in a marina has to be dedicated to transit vessels. However, this is quite seldom applied.

Italian seas are quite beautiful, folks, but try and dock your vessel at harbour only for a limited time. Bays and gulfs are quite better and more relaxing.

[Quijote]

Ah-hah,
I knew somebody would know about it.
Thanks,

Sailing Flamenco

Richard

[Pat Humbert-Dro]

I can tell one thing: if you sail close to Napoli, dont forget to use your snorkling-or other mask!
Now, THE magic word: last year we used all kind of "magic words", to ask for a place in the marinas. Nobody answered, never! But we got our dinghy motor stolen! Yeah!

[Captain Pam]

Hi Sailing Flamencos:

I just returned from a cruise along the Ligurian and Tuscan coasts on my trawler. ( I am a sailor but last time I "sailed" in the Med we only had sailing weather about 20% of the time). Anyway, the slips for transients are usually in the Porto Turistico parts of the harbors. I was very happy with how friendly and helpful the oregimatores (sp?) were but the cost is rising by the day due to the dollar to Euro exchange. I paid anywhere from $20US to $42US per day for my boat. That usually included water and electricity as well.
I love Italy and will return again as soon as I can refill the cruising kitty.

Meanwhile my boat is for sale. It is on the hard in Livorno, in case you know of anyone who would love to enjoy Tuscany, Italy by boat.

Buon fortuna! Ciao

[VieuxMalin]

Originally Posted by Captain Pam

I was very happy with how friendly and helpful the oregimatores (sp?) were but the cost is rising by the day due to the dollar to Euro exchange.

Buon fortuna! Ciao

Perhaps you wanted to refer to the "ormeggiatore (singular), ormeggiatori (plural)" ?

I am happy you enjoyed your time in Italy.
Nevertheless, I have to say that in my country courtesy and fairness is more an exception rather than routine.
The country is wonderful, nothing to say (come an visit Sardinia, for example), but always bear in mind that sometimes gets hard to obtain a fair treatment.

Next time I will come to this Earth, I want to be english , an english coming to Italy for vacation (with lots of money and magic words in his bag). That's all folks

[Thistle]

We have cruised around Italy a lot over the last 6 years and it keeps getting more crowded and expensive. The last season was indeed the LAST season! Marinas are nearly all full, always, and incredibly expensive. Last summer we paid from $65 to $140 for our 41'. Real happy to get to France and down to about $35-40. The Italians really can not buy new boats now, because they can not find mooring for them. Forget the 10% transito rule (the French pretty much do that). On the west coast of Italy, stay out in the islands, on the east coast, well, go to Croatia, on the foot, go fast! VBR, Ed, Thistle

[VieuxMalin]

Originally Posted by Thistle

We have cruised around Italy a lot over the last 6 years and it keeps getting more crowded and expensive. The last season was indeed the LAST season! Marinas are nearly all full, always, and incredibly expensive. Last summer we paid from $65 to $140 for our 41'. Real happy to get to France and down to about $35-40. The Italians really can not buy new boats now, because they can not find mooring for them. Forget the 10% transito rule (the French pretty much do that). On the west coast of Italy, stay out in the islands, on the east coast, well, go to Croatia, on the foot, go fast! VBR, Ed, Thistle

What can I say. You are damn right, mate. And with the death in my heart I'll admit that my country is not made for cruisers . But that's also the reason why I am made my plan to sail away...

[Chiroeurope]

Barca in Transi is the phrase you are looking for as it will let you use a mooring in some harbors for up to 72 hours for free (24 hours tends to be the norm though). Prego (thank you/your welcome), very important word use it often and properly and it will do you well. Amici, Anyone who you don't know well using this word with you a lot is a crook and looking to get something from you or use you for something to their advantage. Normally in Italian singular is either a ending of -o or -a and plural is "o" becomes "i" and "a" becomes "e". There are some words in Italian and local dialects that have no singular or no plural, such is life. Than you have the fun of the letter c but we won't go that way as it get's a bit nuts.

Michael

[Jim Thomsen]

Hello VieuxMalin, Thistle, Captain Pam and everyone else,

We will be in Italy during the busiest season.... Right now we are in Mallorca and trying to decide if we should go up along the coast of France or across to Sardinia. And then what? Sardinia, east or west coast? Or both? The southern coast of Italy? Of course Sicily. Our only deadline is to be in Tunisia by September (USA boat/18 month EU rule). Our current plan is to leave the boat in Sibari over the winter.

We would love to hear any suggestions.
Thanks, Jim

[VieuxMalin]

Originally Posted by Jim Thomsen

Hello VieuxMalin, Thistle, Captain Pam and everyone else,

We will be in Italy during the busiest season.... Right now we are in Mallorca and trying to decide if we should go up along the coast of France or across to Sardinia. And then what? Sardinia, east or west coast? Or both? The southern coast of Italy? Of course Sicily. Our only deadline is to be in Tunisia by September (USA boat/18 month EU rule). Our current plan is to leave the boat in Sibari over the winter.

We would love to hear any suggestions.
Thanks, Jim

Hi Jim!
Nice to hear you're maybe heading to Sardinia. Well, I have to tell you a couple of things:

Sardinia is a wonderful place in terms of land and sea. Beware that in the NE coast of the island can get REALLY crowdy during August. Kind of a bloody highway plenty of iron machines flying by your sailing vessel with tons of near misses.
That's the reason why I generally move to south sardinia and the EAST cost if the island which is simply gorgeous. For example, plan to go to Santa Maria Navarrese with those two beautiful, tiny islands in front of the harbour.
Please let me know wether and when you are coming over, I will be happy to help you by any means.
For your info, I will be sailing to Tunisia at the very beginning of august. Too bad you're going there on september. It would be great to sail together.
Let me know.
My email is corsaire.mbm@gmail.com

Hope to hear from you soon!
Ciao
[IMG]chrome://qtl/content/help.png[/IMG][IMG]chrome://qtl/content/close.png[/IMG][IMG]chrome://qtl/content/copy.png[/IMG]Sardegna

[donradcliffe]

Be aware that Sardinia is still trying to collect exorbitant fees from boats over 14 meters. The fees are down from 2006, but few boats were paying the old fees. See Noonsite: Controversial Sardinia Regional Yacht Tax Reduced For 2008

[VieuxMalin]

As far as I know, it has been declared that such fee is not right according by law. Two points in question anyway:

1) Mr Berlusconi is owner, of course, of huge yachts. Therefore, he will not allow the government of sardinia to reset such tax. This being said, I feel ashamed of having that dwarf as P.M.

2) Jim's boat is a 40 footer, so in any case no problem with taxes anways