Costs when You Can't Drop Anchor ?

[pablothesailor]

Hi everyone, am new here and hope you can share some of your experience with me.....myself and a mate plan to sail from Gibraltar to Tenerife and then on to the Caribean in November 2011, the boat will be 40ft, I wanted to know how often you are able to drop anchor? When you cant drop anchor how much does it cost per day to Moor up? I went on line to check, it seemed in Key West it would cost $100 per night?? Is Key West a bit on its own in this price range?? Seems very expensive to me! Also, how many days in the month would you expect to have to take shelter in a marina? We hope to Island hop and to see as much as possible, our budget is not one that would be able to pay huge mooring fees! We hope to drop anchor most of the time, Is there a web page that has all daily or weekly mooring fees on it? many thanks, best, Pablo

[s/v Moondancer]

Over the last 3 years we have spent 300 days per year at anchor on the US eastern seaboard and in the Caribbean. Marinas are only used when we need easy land access for work projects etc.

Some islands, Bonaire and Grand Cayman have no anchoring rules to protect the reef but the mooring balls are free in the Caymans and $10/day in Bonaire.

If we can't anchor we usually just keep moving.

At the moment are in a lovely marina in Mexico because we had 2 small grandkids on board last week and the marina has a pool, it costs $25/day for a 55 ft boat.

[atoll]

expect to pay between 30-70 euros per night for a 40 ft yacht in the algarve and canary islands.
marina bay in gibraltar is one of the cheapest in the western med at about 25 euros a night but space is limited so best to book in advance.

anchorages are few and far between in the area gib-tenarife,also most are protected from the north but if the wind comes round s-sw as it can do in nov-dec need to get out fast.

popular free anchorages are alvor,guadalrivier in the algrve.
arracife in fuertaventura pueto naos,playa blanca lanzarote,puero la luz n of marina gran canaria. to name a few of the few.

morrocco now has quite a few marinas,agadir,casablanca but 30-40 euros a night,
otherwise tangiers,safi, essouira,can go in and stay for free but will have to tie up to the sardine fleet and move when fishing vessels need to leave.

unfortunately with over 2000 yachts transiting this area every year,the days of budget sailors are over and check book sailors are the norm....................

friends last year in mallorca paid 170 euros a night at the municipal marina in palma with virtually no facilities!!!!!!!!!!
you have been warned,there is no free lunch these days...............

[pablothesailor]

Originally Posted by atoll

expect to pay between 30-70 euros per night for a 40 ft yacht in the algarve and canary islands.
marina bay in gibraltar is one of the cheapest in the western med at about 25 euros a night but space is limited so best to book in advance.

anchorages are few and far between in the area gib-tenarife,also most are protected from the north but if the wind comes round s-sw as it can do in nov-dec need to get out fast.

popular free anchorages are alvor,guadalrivier in the algrve.
arracife in fuertaventura pueto naos,playa blanca lanzarote,puero la luz n of marina gran canaria. to name a few of the few.

morrocco now has quite a few marinas,agadir,casablanca but 30-40 euros a night,
otherwise tangiers,safi, essouira,can go in and stay for free but will have to tie up to the sardine fleet and move when fishing vessels need to leave.

unfortunately with over 2000 yachts transiting this area every year,the days of budget sailors are over and check book sailors are the norm....................

friends last year in mallorca paid 170 euros a night at the municipal marina in palma with virtually no facilities!!!!!!!!!!
you have been warned,there is no free lunch these days...............

Thanks for taking the time to reply......Is it fair to say that the best place to drop anchor is the caribean?? I live on the Costa Del Sol in Spain and never see boats at anchor but have seen this in the caribean.......have the days gone where u jump on your boat and sail away for 2 years on a low budget! I am supprised nobody has come up with an international discounted Mooring rate where you can buy vouchers at a set daily rate to be used for moorings around the world as you travel....

[atoll]

cape verdes mindalo,chagaramus trinidad,charloteville man of war bay tobago,carracou, prickly bay grenada etc are all free but soon with cruising permits you will be paying for them as well..............though still plenty of safe/free anchorages in the carib and cape verdes.

as for the voucher system jimmy cornell and imray,don street etc have done that in the form of a crusing guide.
buy the guides,will save you money,if you are on a budget,photocopy them.....................................

[simonmd]

Hi and welcome from another Costa Del Resident. The only good free anchorage I know of in this part of the world is in Algeciras Bay, next to the new marina in La Linea, next to Gibraltar.

The rest of the CDS doesn't really have any good shelter, when there is an Easterly wind blowing, the swell can be quite uncomfortable. However, when there is a Westerly wind, it's not uncommon to see various boats anchored off the coasts.

[pablothesailor]

Originally Posted by simonmd

Hi and welcome from another Costa Del Resident. The only good free anchorage I know of in this part of the world is in Algeciras Bay, next to the new marina in La Linea, next to Gibraltar.

The rest of the CDS doesn't really have any good shelter, when there is an Easterly wind blowing, the swell can be quite uncomfortable. However, when there is a Westerly wind, it's not uncommon to see various boats anchored off the coasts.

Thanks for that, I am looking at maybe buying a boat out of Gib if the prices are right....shame you cant anchor more around the Coast and the Med, it makes things much more expensive.......looks like the Caribean is a much better and cost effective way to go......I wonder what a monthly 40 ft berth in GIB costs?

[atoll]

would not reccomend the anchorage off la linea/algecirus,unless you are permernantly on the boat,and only there in settled weather for a short period,especially in nov-dec.,apart from that you will get hasseled by uk customs and spanish guardia civil 2-4 times aday.

marina bay for a 40ft yacht is about£450 a month,but there is a very long waiting list for all the marinas in gib.

best bet would be at the new marina in la linea,though have been reports of thefts,when i was there in october this year.

[pablothesailor]

The info everone has given me is really useful, many thanks, would it be fair to say that if we ¨toured around the Caribean ¨ we would pay moorings 50% of the time? Or would it be less? Seems some areas are more expensive but an average of $40 per night would be an average across the board? So to budget $600 per month based on 15 nites moorings in various places with the other 15 nites at Anchor? You guys have the experience so perhaps if these figures are realistic you can let me know, thanks, Pablo.

[doug86]

Originally Posted by pablothesailor

Is there a web page that has all daily or weekly mooring fees on it? many thanks, best, Pablo

For the Bahamas, Caribbean and all the US East Coast, try www.activecaptain.com for an all inclusive marina and anchorage web page. Up to date and chart based. Very easy to use, and for you to contribute too as you travel, leaving information for the next guy.

[Hud3]

Pablo,

In the eastern Caribbean, almost every island allows free anchoring for the term of your visitors' visa. You will, of course, have to pay a fee to enter the country when you clear in at Customs & Immigration. Fees for moorings vary from US$30 (in the BVI) to free (in the Spanish Virgins). Check out www.noonsite.com for country by country information.

[atoll]

in the eastern carib it is possible to spend 100% of your time on anchor,moving to hurricane holes after june if westerly winds are expected.
though youur yacht needs to be set up to do so.ie good dingy and outboard,solar/wind generator if you want to run a fridge,other wise a perfect cruising ground,antigua and st vincent were the only places charging cruising permits to anchor/be there,though other islands may have started charging in the last few years.

[motion30]

$100 IN KET WEST ? I never paid a penny

[maxingout]

We never stayed in a marina from Turkey to Trinidad. Always anchored out without a problem.

[atoll]

as dave said it is possable to anchor,and go into commercial harbours for free,but these places are few and far between,and also you would not want to leave a vessel unattended for any lenth of time,and be prepared to move should the weather change.
forward planning and a good eye on the weather and the cruising net are key factor in saving money,though most cruisers do tend to end up in marinas at the bottle necks,malta,gib,gran canaria if only to stock up and enjoy the parties with other cruisers........