Israel for the winter

[meirriba]

Originally Posted by Barbaria

Sounds like a good place to winter. How are does the Israelis react to cruisers doing weektrips to Beirut or Tyr and back? Last time I was there 20 years ago it was a hassle to do a border crossing.

You can't cross to Lebanon from Israel (or Syria). Both are considered to be at war with Israel.
You may cross to Jordan and/or Egypt.

[mako]

How are the options to anchor out full time and just dinghy to shore?

[meirriba]

Originally Posted by makobuilders

How are the options to anchor out full time and just dinghy to shore?

None...
Only on very nice weather for short time.
No bays or protected coves.
Only bay in Israel is near Haifa, taken by huge commercial port.

[Sojourner]

This thread has made us reconsider our next winter plans, thanks! Politics put aside as we should on this forum, Israel is one fascinating place and it seems a touch warmer than wintering in Cyprus or Greece. And 600 USD for a month is not giving me hives, not after living in Italy so maybe for the coldest months at least, like Jan and Feb, we'll truck it over and say hi

[meirriba]

Both Herzlia and TA marinas have full assortment of services in their boatyards.
TA marina is smaller and more difficult to find place in (also more difficult to enter in bad weather).
TA marina have excellent location - easy access to all tourist services.
Herzlia is out of town, but has good transport services to Herzlia or TA. In the marina you may find restaurants, bar, supermarket, shopping mall.
Although Israeli weather permits sailing on most winter days, there are no many places where you may sail to (daysailing is excellent)
There is Akko (Acre) with small and crowded harbour and marinas in Ashdod, Ashqelon and Haifa (Haifa is usually crowded).
BUT - a lot of interesting land sights to be visited by hired car or public transport. All within short reach. The furthest being Eilat on the Red Sea - 5 hours drive or one hour flight.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by chuckr

Jordan is no issue. But at times going to other places we simply will not try. Tensions come and go and I WILL GET INTO POLITICS ON THIS FORUNM - Like a lot of places we have been to we needed to make sure we could cross borders. We did not attempt to go to Macedonia from Greece or vice versa.

It would require some research on your part and ask the questions to the parties involved. We do plan to sail to Egypt and have made no bones about it.

When you leave will you be getting the stamped loose leaf of arrival/departure or is it your actual passport that was stamped.

[Tudorsailor]

Can I ask about visiting Israel in the summer and possibly leaving the yacht somewhere unattended for a few weeks?

Are visitors berths available at all/some of the marinas?

Where might I leave 14.9m yacht for 6 weeks july/August?

Thanks

[meirriba]

Originally Posted by Tudorsailor

Can I ask about visiting Israel in the summer and possibly leaving the yacht somewhere unattended for a few weeks?

Are visitors berths available at all/some of the marinas?

Where might I leave 14.9m yacht for 6 weeks july/August?

Thanks

Possible.
Most convenient will be Herzlia, near Tel-Aviv and all travel facilities.
Otherwise, Ashdod marina will have berths and also Ashqelon which is further south and less convenient for traveling around.

[chuckr]

Originally Posted by boatman61

When you leave will you be getting the stamped loose leaf of arrival/departure or is it your actual passport that was stamped.

When our first 90 days expired we went in for a renewal and asked for 4 months - we got 5 but with a visa that they glued into our passports. We had a lot of discussions regarding Egypt and Morocco and the immigration said we have friendly relations with both and we travel to both. Sure hope they are right -

We are finishing up our time in the Med so we really did not worry about what we could or could not do or go to. We really have no plans to sail to Lebanon or Syria or Libya or Iraq or Pakistan or Iran or Saudi Arabia (we are not married so no need to even try) or Sudan or Yemen - None are high on our must see list (would love to go to Saudi but alas two strikes)

Not as much of an issue as one has been lead to believe -

[chuckr]

Originally Posted by Tudorsailor

Can I ask about visiting Israel in the summer and possibly leaving the yacht somewhere unattended for a few weeks?

Are visitors berths available at all/some of the marinas?

Where might I leave 14.9m yacht for 6 weeks july/August?

Thanks

The folks here are very accommodating and easy to work with. Herzliya, Tel Aviv, Ashdod and Ashqelon might be viable for you as Haifa but it is way out of town but we did meet one German couple who left their boat there and traveled inland.

[meirriba]

Originally Posted by chuckr

The folks here are very accommodating and easy to work with. Herzliya, Tel Aviv, Ashdod and Ashqelon might be viable for you as Haifa but it is way out of town but we did meet one German couple who left their boat there and traveled inland.

You may check Tel Aviv marina. Chances to find a berth there for more than a day or two are slim.
If you succeed it will be excelent location.
Haifa (Shavit aka Hakishon) marina is also rather crowded and far from the town and from travel facilities.

On travel/sailing to Egypt - no problem. You may easily come from Israel. I did it twice with Israeli passports, one boat under USA flag and the other Israeli flag. Lot of paperwork but not any political issues.
Impossible to sail to Lebanon or Syria though...

[DanielI]

Old thread, I know, but I was wondering about the comments on traveling to Jordan. Are you all referring to overland, or cruising? I assume that one could sail through the Suez and up the Gulf of Aqaba, but I wouldn’t have thought it recommended security wise.

[meirriba]

Originally Posted by DanielI

Old thread, I know, but I was wondering about the comments on traveling to Jordan. Are you all referring to overland, or cruising? I assume that one could sail through the Suez and up the Gulf of Aqaba, but I wouldn’t have thought it recommended security wise.

While it is possible to sail around Sinai peninsula (passing Suez canal), it is long way, expensive and with high bureaucracy quotient.
If you do not plan to continue eastward to the Indian ocean, I would say it is not advisable.
Much easier to cross to Jordan overland and come back while the boat is moored in Herzlia.

[Fr Mo]

Originally Posted by Barbaria

Israel is for sure on my list. It would be nice to see the actual price pr.feet.
Does Israel have a cruising fee or other fees made out to punish sailors?

To enter and to stay in Israel is 100%, positively absolutely free for 90 days. There might be a fee to extend the stay to 180 days.

You do have to pay marina fees, though, which, in retrospect, are cheaper than London, Amsterdam, and other Euro capitals we stayed at.

For those concerned, I would say that marina fees in Europe in general are significantly lower than what you get in places like Fort Lauderdale, Miami, or Maine in the summer.

Also, if you are smart and call around, you get better prices at yacht clubs than at commercial marinas. So for example in Venice we paid 1/5th or 1/6th at the yacht club for 3 months vs. the marinas most people stay at. In Barcelona, 1/2. And so on.

[Fr Mo]

Originally Posted by DanielI

Old thread, I know, but I was wondering about the comments on traveling to Jordan. Are you all referring to overland, or cruising? I assume that one could sail through the Suez and up the Gulf of Aqaba, but I wouldn’t have thought it recommended security wise.

We could have gone into Jordan. There is border crossing to go to the Nabatean capital of Petra right in Eilat, which we reached on our rented car from Tel Aviv.

But the Jordanians really milk you with visa and entry fees and we decided we still had plenty of stuff, including other Nabatean towns, to see in the Israeli side, so we skipped the Jordanian fees.