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Home Ports
Introduction
Our yacht is a mobile home, so fixing its location is not a critical decision. However, having a Home Port base for at least each year, possibly longer, seems sensible. For this, a balance of criteria are to be considered. These range from being central to a good cruising area that provides a balance of sailing and other activities, to ease of access from the UK are but two.
But possibly the most important factor to consider - for the first year or two of the scheme at least - will be mooring charges. Marina fees on the Mediterranean coasts of Spain, France and Italy vary considerably, although nowhere are they as high as in the UK. For example, the annual charge for a yacht such as the Dehler 41ds at Swanwick Marina on the River Hamble is an eye-watering £10,184.
The selection of Home Ports suggested for consideration (shown below) attract an annual tariff ranging from €2348 at Thonon-les-Bains on Lake Geneva to €7900 at Chiavari in Italy. So even the most expensive is still nearly one-third less expensive than the south coast of the UK, with some being exceptionally good value, especially considering their delightful location.
Choosing a Home Port somewhere between the Genoese satellite towns of Chiavari and Lavagna on the Italian Ligurian Coast to the East; and Barcelona on the Costa Brava would fit the bill.
For access from the UK, airports at Genoa, Nice, Marseille, Perpignan, Girona, Barcelona all have good connections from London. And high speed rail links available from London St Pancras International to all of those cities provides an alternative.
Or for partners who may want to use our yacht as a base for exploring the hinterlands as well as going sailing, having use of a car may be important. An alternative to renting one, is of course, driving down. From Channel ports to Toulon, for example, is 660 miles and 10-11 hours.
But there are alternatives to the Mediterranean ports of Italy, France and Spain. Southern Turkey, for example: Fethiye has a good marina and is in a beautiful, sheltered bay (image, right) with terrific sailing to plenty of other charming bays and islands close by.
Or for a radically different choice for our Home Port, we might consider inland sailing on either one of the fabulous Italian Lakes - with a base at Locarno on Lago Maggiore, straddling the Swiss-Italian border - or on the larger, Lake Geneva, at perhaps Thonon-les-Bains. Both are possible.
Gocek, on the Bay of Fethiye, Turkey
Lago Maggiore, Italy
A selection of possible Home Ports
The complete coastline from Italy to Spain, including Corsica, Sardinia and the Balearics, will all be within the cruising scope and range of any of the Suitable Yachts outlined as a possible choice for our partnership. Equally, the entire southern coastline of Turkey would also present a fabulous cruising area should we choose to locate our yacht there for a season or two.
Either of the lakes suggested as possible locations present more limited cruising, but Lake Geneva (locally known as Lac Leman) is 70km+ long from Geneva in the west to Montreux in the east, and 20km wide from Lausanne in Switzerland to the north, across to Evian-le-Bains on the French side in the south. The lake is littered with delightful small ports and anchorages as well as being close to major urban areas with lots to see and to. Lake Geneva is also closer to the UK than any of the Mediterranean ports too. Lago Maggiore in the Italian Lakes region is smaller, but interesting, set in a truly stunning landscape, and may have lots to offer.
Aside from their location, the selection of ports below have several factors in common: they are all close to a travel access hub - a local airport with connections to the UK, or good rail or autoroute links; they are pretty, and/or have hinterlands worthy of exploring; they're all large enough to have good yacht storage ashore for the winter (with servicing facilities); the towns or cities they're all close to are interesting, and have lots to see and do.
The choice is varied, especially in France, and research shows that perhaps surprisingly, locations in the South of France are generally less expensive than Italy or Spain, although the largest, single, annual cost will be the mooring of our yacht in a marina, and this iwill be a significant factor in choosing a Home Port.
The selection is representative and many other ports, notably in France and Spain, may be worthy of consideration too. Shown in the grid are annual tariffs for each port for comparison, and represent the mooring charges for 12 months afloat on a marina berth for a Dehler 41ds 'Suitable Yacht'. Charges would be similar for any of the yachts in the selection of 'possibles', as by and large, charges are calculated on either the length of the yacht or the area it would take up on the water at a marina berth.
In reality, for at least two, more likely three months in the winter, our yacht will be lifted out of the water and stored ashore. Monthly costs for this storage are always lower than staying afloat, although the cost of lift-in/lift-out need to be added. On balance, although the charge for time ashore is less than for time afloat, probably the costs of the regular maintenance and servicing when factored in will even things out, coming to approximately the same as if the yacht would be left afloat for the whole year.
The main task during the winter months is repainting the underwater surfaces with antifoul paint to deter the growth of weed and algae on the hull, and to inspect all the underwater surfaces and gear for signs of wear or damage that would need attention. But this time ashore also permits other routine jobs such as engine servicing. fixing things that have broken (it happens), or upgrading systems or electronics, for example.
