Wintering and cruising in Italy?

[maya2lucky]

I am planning to take my boat (40' freedom sloop) to med this fall.
would like to keep my boat in Italy and cruise around the med sea for next several years.

Anybody with experience of cruising in Med, please advise on Italian ports that are safe to keep boats for the winter. Is there a better or nicer destination than Italy/Sardinia as a base port to keep a sailboat long-term?

Do boats flagged in USA and visiting or staying for several years in EU countries end up paying any import tax?

Hemant

[jasonmaude]

Hi there,
Italy is a great place to spend a lot of time!

There are hundreds of Marinas that you could stay at, I won't reccomend any as your choice depends very much on where in Italy you would like to spend most of the winter time. Pick your spot then look for a good marina, berthing in winter should not be impossible, but in summer it will be, unless you take a long term lease out of a berth.

Once June hits berths are like hens teeth!
I have spent a few winters in Barcelona Spain, not Italy but the cost was lower and the winter weather is awesome. Barcelona is a tremendous city to winter in.

Insofar as tax, you will have 18 months before you are required to pay VAT on your boat, you can reset the "clock" by sailing into a non EU country, clear in, have a coffee! and come back. Just keep your receipts and you will be fine.

Enjoy!

JM

[PCP]

Italian Marinas are expensive. I can advise you about a not very expensive Sardinia marina (rare) and about the solution I had taken while there: The boat on the ground inside a shipyard surrounded by a fence at not very expensive prices (I have done there also the boat maintenance).

Regards

Paulo

[Maramu46]

Hello Maya2lucky, Stay away from Sardegnia (cost), the Ligurian coast (very expensive) Rome (cost) and Napoli (because you have Usa flag). Your best bet is the Adriatic costa, for exaple Ravenna or even try our home port in Chioggia. We have a 14mt Amel, paying 3,400€ yearly for boat slip. Yes, you have 18 months to stay, then hop over to Croazia, about 65nm day trip, do customs going in and out. You have to pay sailing duty based on boat legnth and crew members, about 400€ on your boat, but worth it. Stefano

[TQA]

You will get an informed response from this forum CLICKY i I think.

Lots of Med liveaboards visit it.

[Spyder]

Yes, don't go to Napoli/Naples! One famous travel writer described it as: "A city with a government that would do the Mafia proud."

We just returned from Capri & the Amalfi Coast which is nearby. It's drop-dead beautiful but very expensive.

Cheers

[maya2lucky]

thanks everybody for the replies. I will be looking to find a berth on annual basis for next several years while I cruise med. I am not planning to live abroad. Still have a day job.:-) but, plan to take the boat out several months each year. I will post results of my research on what it would cost to get a berth in Italian marinas - Ligurian as well as Amalfi coast. Based on one comment, I saw I might look at keeping a boat in Barcelona for an year or so.

thanks everybody.

Hemant

[PCP]

Yes you can go to Barcelona, but Barcelona is not less expensive and it is not in a central place to explore western Med.

I have been in the same position as you and I have made an extensive search and ended up in Sardinia. Sardinia is wonderful and Corsica is not worse, as Elba, and Capri.

Expensive, yes in most places, but can you get a protected marina that charges you for a 40ft 2 350€ for year near such beautiful places? Probably is less than what you are going to pay in Barcelona.

Regards

Paulo

[orthomartin]

We spent the last couple years in the med (now back to the caribbean). Italy is tough in terms of space and costs. There are some better deals on the south coast of Sicily. Turkey of course would be best. Overall Italy, France, and Croatia very expensive, Greece and Turkey much better deals.
Try contacting the boat "Destiny" (Bristol 45 owned by Kent and Carol) on the SSCA site. They are there now and for the past 3 years and they do a good job of researching. I think they are going to winter this year in Sicily.