Overwintering in Sardinia or Sicily

[Searanger50]

Hi,
We are looking for a cheap but nice marina to overwinter this year (2015) and are currently in Golfo Di Aranci (nr Olbia) on the NE coast of Sardinia. We are considering either Cagliari or Marina Ragusa in Sicily.
Has anyone stayed in these marinas recently and would you recommend them to over winter?

Kevin & Sandy
SY Tiger Bay

[mgabor]

hi,
same here, curently we are thinking on Sibari Marina (South Italy), they are cheap - you'll find price list on their website -, but havent decided yet.
i'm looking for any recommendations as well

[beneteau-500]

marina Ragusa every time but you could try the River Treve @ Fumincino

[jckb]

You'll find a reasonable number of options listed on this Sicily page.

Forget Riposto or Porta Rosa unless you have deep pockets. Anchoring in Syracuse is an excellently cheap option if you're living on board. Ragusa vs Licata? Licata is the livelier town, but you're likely to pick up some fouling over winter. Ragusa had a reasonable live-aboard community last year, but the town goes rather quiet.

JimB

[Searanger50]

Thanks for the info everyone. We finally settled on Ragussa. We are now in Sciacca and should be in Ragussa for the end of the month. Maybe we'll see some of you there.
Kevin & Sandy,
SY Tiger Bay

[jcbureau]

Hi Searanger50 (Kevin)

I am new on this forum, so Hi to everyone. I am J.Christophe (or JC) and i sail an old 50 foot aluminium boat in the Med.

Since I will leave the boat at the Marina de Ragusa for the winter, if you have any recommandation after your stay there, please do not hesitate.

I need to change the rigging (and perhaps the entire mast). Do you think that Ragusa is a decent place to do so ?

Thanks a lot
JC

[SoundOfSilence]

Is the old fishing quay beside the gas station in Olbia still "free"? I stayed there for a few days a couple of years ago together with a lot of other sailboats and nobody said anything. I think some of them had stayed there for quite some time.

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, JC.

[TheThunderbird]

Competent people fly around to change a mast
Choose the best and have the marina only for the crane
Only good rigger in Sicily is in catania, FRANCO CATANIA YARD

[jcbureau]

Thank you TheThunderbird

I could not locate Franco Catania Yard. I saw as Francesco Catania Yard in some kind of directory, could it be it ?

All the private messages I got suggest that I stay away from Southern Sicily for serious repair, though. Nobody seems to be happy with the work done in Ragusa; some are a bit more optimistic about Licata...

Note that in Sicily, I had a good experience in Trapani, it was minor work but the boatyard (boat service trapani srl) was serious and competent. The yard was very well maintained and well equiped; and they were working on all sorts of ships from wooden sailboats to luxury yachts and were apparently doing a good job. I may sail around and go there...

Thanks again for the tip.

[boatman61]

Not crazy about the Cagliari area.. however I did enjoy Alghero.. a lovely town and people with several marina's to chose from and they tout you from ribs as you enter.
We stopped at the one under the fort.. 28euro/night in season for 4 nights so reckon you could work a good deal for over wintering.
Also.. the public dock is free so you could tie up there for a few days while checking the various options.. no electric tho'..

[TheThunderbird]

Originally Posted by jcbureau

Thank you TheThunderbird

I could not locate Franco Catania Yard. I saw as Francesco Catania Yard in some kind of directory, could it be it ?

All the private messages I got suggest that I stay away from Southern Sicily for serious repair, though. Nobody seems to be happy with the work done in Ragusa; some are a bit more optimistic about Licata...

Note that in Sicily, I had a good experience in Trapani, it was minor work but the boatyard (boat service trapani srl) was serious and competent. The yard was very well maintained and well equiped; and they were working on all sorts of ships from wooden sailboats to luxury yachts and were apparently doing a good job. I may sail around and go there...

Thanks again for the tip.

Try CF nautica

You may find good mechanicians/electricians

No one really for electronics/hydraulics

Forget rigging

Mazara, Trapani, Catania are best. But costs in catania are as high as the top in italy.

[jcbureau]

Originally Posted by boatman61

Not crazy about the Cagliari area.. however I did enjoy Alghero.. a lovely town and people with several marina's to chose from and they tout you from ribs as you enter.
We stopped at the one under the fort.. 28euro/night in season for 4 nights so reckon you could work a good deal for over wintering.
Also.. the public dock is free so you could tie up there for a few days while checking the various options.. no electric tho'..

Alghero is beautiful. But my experience of wintering in Cagliari was good. Excellent protection in particular in marinas near the San Elmo mole. Very nice people (even taxis drivers are super honest, it is like you are not in Italy...). Competent shipchandlers, who can order anything and it gets there on time. Good metal work (Andrea is an inox virtuoso). Very accessible by plane with low cost companies from everywhere in Europe. Nice old town with excellent food, cheap restaurants. Close to very pleasant locations such as San Antiocho and San Pietro.

In Cagliari, marina San Elmo is nice and well maintained but if you find it too expensive, there is the more accessible Marina Del Sole 50 yards from it (OK, it looks a bit decayed but the people there are nice and helpful and many people live on their boat there). The only problems I see with Cagliari: 1/ hauling the boat out and in is very expensive (everywhere in Sardinia and Sicily). And you get a lot of foul on your hull/propeller in a very short time (when I say foul, it is closer to mussels, oysters and weird sea cucumbers).

If you just want to leave the boat idle for a few months, you may want to consider Porto Teulada. There is no life there, expecially in the winter, but it is well protected, surveillance is good (as far as I can say, I went there often but never left the boat) and it is very cheap. Again, very nice people, like everywhere in Southern Sardinia. Marinas in Carloforte are also an option, if you want to stay on the boat, it is a very attaching town.

JC

[twohapence]

I'd recommend Nautica Pinna in the Port Fluvial at Bosa Marina, Sardinia. They have a 60 tonne travel lift and are highly accommodating. It's a boat yard rather than a Marina so facilities are basic and you need to avoid leaving your shoes on when you get onto the boat so you don't track grit and paint dust everywhere.

Their standard of workmanship is high if you need anything done. The river is sheltered from all wind directions.

There are local shops a short walk away, plenty of restaurants. It's quieter than Alghero, cheaper too. They have security lights and cameras and the owner lives in the yard.