Magic Words to Use in Italy

[Jerry Cox]

Hi Thistle
The charges you mention in Italy...are they day charges...24hrs......if so that is just ridiculous.
We are sailing from the UK next spring and were hoping to cruise the west coast of Italy on our way to Greece....seems we should stock up and go straight down. ..such a shame. We certainly aint rich and that sort of money is right out of the question.
I understand that vast swathes of the former Yugoslavian coastline are being bought up by multi nationals and will be 'developed' in sympathy of course...with Johnny Dollar!..
Cruise there while you can afford it!!!!
Cheers..Jerry

[scud]

I'm writing from Italy and I'm going to try to give you an update of the situation here. Summertime is peak season for boaters both on the west side and east side of Italy. The Tirrenian sea (West Side) is one of the most expensive places where to keep a boat. It is not unusual to pay 100 Euro (160 USD) just for mooring to a buoy with no services at all.
Sardinia is a receptacle for the tycoons and show-people plenty of greens and sometime it is difficult to find a mooring even if you are willing to pay big bucks. I went there twice myself with my boat and I pointed my bow toward Corsica after 2 days.

Sicily can offer better bays and cheaper moorings as well as the Ionian Sea but I would definitely avoid all the Italian West coast. Filthy harbours (often with a difficult access way, expensive fees, et., etc)

The Eastern side is cheaper. A good marina would charge you maximum 50Euro (75/80 USD) per day but it is quite common to find marinas for 30 to 45 USD. You can also moor alongside fishing boats or in what we call 'banchina pubblica' which is a pier or a section of pier where everybody is allowed to moor. Every port must have it (but I know by experience that in Sardinia that would be sold out as well and of course it is illegally sold out). The downside of the East side (but of the West side also) is that you can't find many protected bays in case you wanted to stay on your anchor.
There is an organization which offer cheap moorings to the members or to transit boats. It's called LNI (Lega Navale Italiana) which stays for Lega Navale Italiana and they have a location in every port almost.

As for me, my favourite sailing places are Croatia and Greece. Both have natural and protected bays and harbours where you can moor freely but in Croatia you are supposed to pay an annual entry fee which for a 40-footer is about 300 Euro.

In case you had questions just let me know.

See ya on water
Scud

[Jerry Cox]

Hi Scud
Thanks for that..I will probably head straight through to Greece where I will be based. There is a marina next to my home town thats free at present..its not finished but very well protected.
Who do I contact for the Croatian permit?
Cheers..Jerry

[Quijote]

Thanks folks for replying to this thread. I've learned a lot from what you have provided. I still want to visit Italy (one of those life goals, you know). We were wondering if we could afford to winter there and drive around in a car. Has anybody tried to winter in Gaeta?
Incidentally, I finally ran into the guy who provided the original "magic words" in Horta. After all you have told me, I don't think his Porto Comunari was magic after all, but it sounded good. Given the high cost of the West Coast, anything that we can share about reasonable priced mooring would be welcome.
Thanks to all of you,
Richard

[scud]

As soon as you enter Croatia waters you have to head straight to an entry port and there are many scattered everywhere. If you are coming from south heading north the first one would be Cavtat followed by Dubrovnik (wonderful town). Don't stop even for a swim. The chances they catch you ain't big but in case the troubles would be big.

Try this Noonsite: Croatia

If you come from the south of Italy you may hit Mlijet or Lastovo islands first and they both have entry ports.

Scud

[scud]

Originally Posted by Quijote

Thanks folks for replying to this thread. I've learned a lot from what you have provided. I still want to visit Italy (one of those life goals, you know). We were wondering if we could afford to winter there and drive around in a car. Has anybody tried to winter in Gaeta?
Incidentally, I finally ran into the guy who provided the original "magic words" in Horta. After all you have told me, I don't think his Porto Comunari was magic after all, but it sounded good. Given the high cost of the West Coast, anything that we can share about reasonable priced mooring would be welcome.
Thanks to all of you,
Richard

I dunno' about Gaeta specifically but I'm member of a sailing mailinglist and I can spread the word and try to find an affordable and safe berth for your boat. Sure Gaeta being close to Rome and very close to Ponza and Ventotene islands is exactly the place where you would pay (in summertime) the 160 bucks for just a buoy, but in wintertime things may become better. In case also a dry berth would suit? I mean, take the boat out of the water for the winter? It may turn out to be cheaper.
If you are worried about temperatures, winters are reasonably mild in that area and yes you can rent a care and drive around or better, use the train (chaper) to get into the big cities and spare yourself the headache and money of parking a car or getting tickets.

Scud

[northerncat]

Magic words to use in italy

i hava moneya
sean

[tenacious]

annual cruising tax for 12 - 13m yacht is around $400 in Croatia - marinas average $50/night - most more, some less...we usually head for the fishing boats in the harbor and many times have rafter up and enjoyed meals with them - it is a little difficult sometimes to climb over them to get to town - they also leave in early am so they just move you around when they leave - my huband is Croatian, so knowing the language helps...

[Jim Thomsen]

Richard,

A number of people have told us to winter in Sibari (in the arch). We did call and make reservations for this winter and it is very cheap. But we have not been there yet.

Jim

[scud]

Originally Posted by tenacious

annual cruising tax for 12 - 13m yacht is around $400 in Croatia - marinas average $50/night - most more, some less...we usually head for the fishing boats in the harbor and many times have rafter up and enjoyed meals with them - it is a little difficult sometimes to climb over them to get to town - they also leave in early am so they just move you around when they leave - my huband is Croatian, so knowing the language helps...

In many bays you can anchor to a buoy (which is tied to a concrete block on the bottom). This in peak season is an average of 30 USD but in low season the buoys disappear BUT the concrete blocks stay on the bottom.
Water is crystal clear and with a good snorkeling gear and a wet suit you can solve your problems of anchoring easily. Vice-versa the bays are very well sheltered and anchoring would not be a problem.

Fishermen are prone to be very nasty in peak season 'cause charter boats drive them crazy, but in wintertime they never refused to allow me to moor alongside.

Scud