Best time for cruising the Tyrrhenian Sea

[kitrob]

We are 2 couples who have done extensive chartering in NZ, Aust, Tonga and the Caribbean. we are proposing chartering a yacht out of Procida with a view to exploring the Amalfi coast, the Pontine Islands, maybe as far south as the Aeolian Islands and west to Sardinia. I know they are big distances but we like our sailing.

My concern is the timing. We are not oppossed to anchoring rather than marinaring. However, and even so, I get a distinct impression that July August are really, really busy months and that September is a preferred month for such a charter.

Can someone with knowledge of cruising these parts please advise if we would be better off is say Sept rather than June/july.

Many thanks.

[Polux]

You can be lucky on the 1st week of September but September is thunderstorm time and I never saw more ugly ones than the ones on that region. October is many times better than September even if not always.

If you had more time you could wait on the port for good weather but regarding charter with a very limited time, well on that time of the year on that zone it is pretty much unpredictable. I believe May or early June would be a better bet to avoid the worst in what regards crowding and have a more predictable weather.

[kitrob]

thanks polux. So does June have less crowds but good weather?

[Polux]

Originally Posted by kitrob

thanks polux. So does June have less crowds but good weather?

May has even less but regarding May you can get lucky or not even if I would prefer May to September. June is more reliable and not so much crowded as in the summer specially if it is on the first 15 days.

Be aware that the marinas in Italy are very expensive and that even if there are places to anchor they don't appear on the pilot book (very few). The Italians rarely stay on anchor, except if they sail in Greece LOL.

I guess that has to do with the variability of the weather systems in Italy where the weather forecasts are not accurate (due to that). As a rule you can stay on anchor but have to be prepared to sail away if the wind changes and that happens sometimes.

There are some good anchorages, not so many as in Greece. Don't miss the island of Ponza that has some of the best or cape Palinuro. On both cases if the wind change you have only to do some very few miles to find shelter again.

Also on the Island of Vulcano you will find a good anchorage and if the wind changes you will only have to move to the Island of Lipari that is close by (good anchorage too).

If you look at my blog searching on Alma's log you will find information and photos that probably will be of interest to you. Also on my facebook if you look between 2012 and 2015.

[kitrob]

Thankyou Polux.

Also, do you think we would be better off chartering out of Sardinia or Corsica which puts us out in the Med with greater opportunities for shelter, maybe. Or would consider Procida a better start point.

Kit

[NornaBiron]

Originally Posted by kitrob

Thankyou Polux.

Also, do you think we would be better off chartering out of Sardinia or Corsica which puts us out in the Med with greater opportunities for shelter, maybe. Or would consider Procida a better start point.

Kit

Bear in mind that if you charter from Corsica you will be chartering from France, there may be issues if you then decide to go to Italy and its islands.

[Polux]

Originally Posted by kitrob

Thankyou Polux.

Also, do you think we would be better off chartering out of Sardinia or Corsica which puts us out in the Med with greater opportunities for shelter, maybe. Or would consider Procida a better start point.

Kit

I don't know. You don't say how much time you will be doing charting but for what you want less than 15 days will be nothing and better it will be a full month.

Perhaps you should look at the time you have and make plans starting there.

I have sailed extensively on both Islands and they are both beautiful but quite crowded. In June it would be better. I sailed there in July/August.

Elba is also an option (beautiful too). If the time is not much it would make sense to Charter from the North Sardinia or south of Corsica since that way you would have always a marina that you could stay for free (marinas there are very expensive) on a central place , a place where you could leave the boat if the weather is bad and go exploring the interior.

I don't think you will have problems with a EC Charter boat in another EC country.

[Twhitt]

We moved our Bavaria 38 from South of France to Northern Sardinia in May, then went back first two weeks in July, and end of September begining October. Marinas were most exoensive in July, but varied from 35 to 70 Euro, most expensive Bonifacio on Corsica in July.

There are plenty of places to anchor, many in pilot book, but also used a very good app called Navily. Stayed in Maddalena main harbout end of September for about 35 euro, well worth it.

Will be back May, July and September this year