CRUISING SOUTHERN SPAIN AND THE COSTA DEL SOL
From the Straits of Gibraltar and from the end of the French
canals all the ports, marinas and places to visit.
If you are new to the Western Mediterranean or simply want to expand your
horizons, then this is an indispensable guide
and pilot book.
SPANISH MARINA
Unless otherwise stated almost all marinas in Spain operate on VHF 9
Theoretically they also monitor VHF 16 but in practice most offices do not remember to switch it on.
To use your mobile phone to talk to them from the boat at sea is perfectly normal and that’s what most ‘locals’ do.
Almost always there is a ‘waiting berth’ near the office and entrance to the marina and most also have a fuel dock alongside the waiting berth which you should only use if you intend fuelling up.
You can expect a ‘marinero’ (sailor in Spanish) to take your lines at the waiting dock and when you finally park up.
Normal practice is to secure to the ‘waiting berth’ and then walk to the office with your papers: Passports – Insurance papers – Ships Papers and credit card. (Unless you have valid third party insurance you will not be allowed to stay)
The paperwork is completed in the marina office and a copy of it handed to the Guardia Civil at the end of each working day. The Guardia Civil enter the details in their computer and track all foreign pleasure yachts whilst they are in Spanish waters.
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THERE ARE 8 CHAPTERS AND 80 PAGES OF DETAILED INFORMATION, CHARTS, PORTS AND MARINA DETAILS:
CHAPTER THREE
Facilities in Gibraltar Bay
Gibraltar Bay Page 18
Gibraltar Harbour and marina’s Page 19
Queensway Quay App in harbour Page 20
Ocean Village and Marina Bay Page 21
Alcaidesa marinas layout Page 22
Green Island boat yard Page 23
Chart to Green Island boat yard Page 24
Gibraltar airial image Page 25
CHAPTER FOUR
Gibraltar to Malaga
Gibraltar to Malaga chart Page 26
Sotogrande Page 27
Duquesa plan Page 28
Estapona harbour chart and picture Page 29
Puerto Jose Banus plan + picture Page 30/31
Marbella – chart Page 32
Fuengirola harbour plan Page 33
Benalmadena plan and image Page 34/5
Malaga plan Page 36
French Canals to Denia:
To be more precise you have come south through the canals to the River Saone and down to Lyon. Then you have entered the mighty Rhone River with its huge commercial locks and headed south with the current to near Arles where you make the decision to either hang a right and use the canals to get to Sete or carry straight on and take the very straight tree lined canal to Port St Louis.
There two main routes into the Mediterranean if you exclude the option of buying a boat already located there, which can have it’s own issues, or sticking it on the back of a lorry from the UK.
The most romantic and enjoyable, if your boat is a suitable size, is from the English Channel via the French Canals and Rivers into Port St |Louis or Sete on the Southern French Coast.
If you are heading off towards Corsica, Sardinia and the Greek Islands then you will head for Port St Louis and Port Napoleon Marina
If you are heading for the Balearic Islands and the Costa del Sol then you will head for Sète and the Port de Plaisance de Sète.
If you have your mast on deck, then both places have cranes to put the mast back up for you.
Port Napoleon probably has a more full on service for masting and de-masting and you can send your mast by road from the French Channel port you entered the canal system to Port Napoleon to await your arrival.
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