Before our first sailing season in the Mediterranean, I had no idea thousands of people selected a marina for the winter months and lived aboard. I assumed that people sailed around the Mediterranean all winter or left their boats and flew home. Let’s explore the idea of living aboard a boat in the Mediterranean for the winter.
Some sailors live on land during the winter and only use their boats in the Mediterranean for holidays or summer. I’ve met several consultants who work during the winter and save up so they can sail during the summer months. These seasonal sailors almost always have their boats pulled out of the water, winterized, and stored on the hard over the winter season.
Living aboard a boat in the Mediterranean – And then there are the ‘liveaboards’
These people live on their boats full-time. Most liveaboards I’ve met do not have homes in their native land. They’ve taken to the sea full-time and live a somewhat nomadic life, moving slowly or quickly from one destination to another. Some travel far – perhaps worldwide and some have spent 15 years sailing in the same area.
In the Mediterranean, most liveaboards find a ‘home’ marina to live in over the winter months. The weather becomes treacherous with high winds, torrential rainfall, cold temperatures, and turbulent seas. Furthermore, all the areas that cater to sailors shut up for the winter.
Facilities and services would be lacking even if you wanted to sail around.
Side note: Sailing should be about enjoying the journey, not stressing over what you might have missed. Checklists for Sailors takes the guesswork out of boat prep and on-the-water tasks. Save countless hours and avoid unnecessary headaches with these streamlined, ready-to-use resources. Focus on the joy of sailing, not the to-do list – get your checklists here!
The entrance of Marina di Ragusa, Sicily
Taking the boat out for a sail once in a while is fine, but overall, most liveaboards in the Mediterranean dock are up for winter.
Many marinas offer a special deal from October to April. When I wrote this article, Greece and Turkey seemed to be the least expensive at around €2,500, Sicily came in at €3,200, Spain was around €5,000, and we were quoted €9,000 for Malta. These prices are for a 56’, including the full six months, but do not include water and electricity. Smaller boats pay a lot less as the cost is based on the boat’s length.
I have also met several Americans who winter in Algeria or Tunisia because the EU will not let them enjoy Europe for more than 3 – 6 months at a time.
During our stay in Rethymno Marina, Crete, I discovered that our neighbors lived aboard their boat in Egypt for the winter months! So, living aboard a boat in the Mediterranean is very common.
Whenever I talk with liveaboards, the world seems to open up more and more. My first question is, ‘Is it safe to winter in Northern Africa?’ or ‘Is it safe to winter in Egypt?’ The answers are always the same—‘yes, it’s very safe.’
Apparently, in a marina, you’re not part of the country you’re in. You’re surrounded by other Brits, Americans, Kiwis, etc., and the host country wants you there because you’re spending money to keep the local livelihoods going. It’s a win-win for everyone.
When you think of it, it’s a special situation: foreigners and locals mixing at the sea to live together for six months.
Our daughter, Sienna, with our new marina door fob and marina hat
We called Marina di Ragusa, Sicily, ‘home’ for winter and made the right choice! Read my review: Marina di Ragusa Sicily Marina Review Winter Season.
Every day, we fell more in love with the people and our surroundings. Living aboard a boat in the Mediterranean was awesome!
One liveaboard invites others to do Tai chi on the beach. Not only do other liveaboards join in, but so do the locals.
When I took our daughter to see if I could get her into a preschool, I found success. Although I couldn’t speak Italian, I sputtered out ‘Barca’ (boat) and did my six fingers for months added with an ‘Auito’ (help). I received a welcome smile, some English, and an iPhone translation app where the teacher and I discussed options.
Welcoming children into local schools from the marina is an everyday occurrence.
To describe the fantastic people we were surrounded by, we stopped by the marina office after hubby, and I dropped off my daughter on her first day. Everyone around the marina speaks perfect English, so we asked a staff member to call the preschool. We wanted to ensure our daughter was okay and that we understood everything correctly.
The staff member gave us an excellent report, and the marina office offered to be a point of contact for any issues.
Later that day, the marina rang me to request my email address. A few minutes later, I received photos that the preschool sent to the marina, and then the marina forwarded them to me. The photos were of our daughter, Sienna, having fun, smiling, and laughing.
Let me return to the world of living aboard a boat in the Mediterranean.
Generally, liveaboards keep their boats in the water for most of the winter only to have them hauled out for necessary out-of-water work. Every year, the hull needs new antifouling painted on, anodes must be changed, and the shaft, rudder, and prop areas must be checked. If you don’t already have a checklist for hauling out or other routine boat maintenance jobs, get my guide, Checklists for Sailors.
During out-of-water work, a boater might fly off to see relatives, find a hotel, or remain on the boat using a ladder to get aboard.
Getting help taking our sails off for the winter months.
Within the first couple weeks of arriving in their designated marina, liveaboards prepare their boat for the winter.
Instead of winterizing or shutting down the boat, they shut down bits of it and do various tasks to ensure the winter is as comfortable as possible. For example, most boaters remove their sails, halyards, and sheets (all the ropes). By removing your sails, you reduce the resistance to the wind you get so that the boat won’t blow around as much. You also protect the sails from the damaging UV rays.
Furthermore, the ropes usually need a good wash with fresh water to be stowed away for next season. Small ropes, called mousing lines, replace the ropes that go up the mast and through all the fittings. When the next season starts, you tie the halyard or sheet (ropes) onto the mousing lines and pull them back into place.
As far as winterizing goes, we ‘wintered’ our water maker as there was no need for it. With an excellent water supply from the jetty, we’ll fill up our tanks with a hose whenever needed.
We also tackled our most significant issues—repairing leaks, changing faulty pumps/switches, and starting our long list of to-dos.
After all the preparation tasks are taken care of, it’s time to create a weekly/bi-weekly/monthly routine to ensure the boat stays in good condition. You can get a copy of our routines in my guide, Checklists for Sailors. For example, every pump needed to run every week. That means running your air conditioning and freezer is important even if you’re not using them. Pumps cease to function if they’re not used regularly.
I unravel the knots holding the reefing lines to the boom
Furthermore, it’s imperative to run the engine. You need to do this in neutral. Also, have the engine tick forward to ensure the shaft moves. This moves the saltwater through the engine and splashes the oil around. It also moves the grease along the shaft and propulsion unit. The generator must also be turned on and loaded up (turn lots of things on) for a few minutes.
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So…we’re paying around €533/month to live in paradise.
That’s how I felt about ‘wintering’ in the Mediterranean. We had our home with us, access to excellent facilities, and much more. A beach to the east stretches as far as the eye can see. In October, it’s in the 90’s F/High 30’s C. We were spoiled for choice with a range of excellent restaurants. We had three grocery stores, a butcher, a few bakeries, and quite a few shops nearby.
Our daughter had a preschool to attend, and there was even a child drop-off indoor play gym. We were surrounded by about 50 other like-minded boaties spending the winter there, too. Furthermore, the locals were amazingly kind and eager to get to know us.
Another one of me – this time enjoying the views!
There are boats with other children too!
As we walked to and from the boat, we were always met with smiles and something to discuss. It wasn’t uncommon to have a lovely conversation with some other boaters and then get invited over for sundowners.
Additionally, announcements were made every morning at 9 a.m. about excursions from the marina. The radio net operators also discussed goods for sale or wanted items, medical issues, lost and found, and upcoming social events. Every Tuesday and Friday, the boaties met at one of two bars/restaurants for a drink and nibbles. They also had a once-a-month dinner event. Living aboard a boat in the Mediterranean worked out great for us.
Living aboard a boat in the Mediterranean – I almost feel like I did when I went to summer camp!
There is so much to do and many great new people to meet. I honestly couldn’t imagine ever returning to how I used to live. Because of this experience, I’m genuinely a nomad and love it.
If you want the full scoop about living in Marina di Ragusa, Sicily, for the winter, read my review next.
Check Out Some Other Areas In Sicily & The Mediterranian
If you’d like a good summary of our time in Sicily, read Visiting Sicily. And if you’d like a breakdown of all the places we’ve visited while sailing the Mediterranean, please read our destination overview: Sailing The Mediterranean. Otherwise, check out more posts about our time spent in Sicily.
- Malta to Sicily
- 12 Day Trips To Take In Sicily
- Marina di Ragusa Review
- Sailing To Catania
- Riposto Marina Review
- Taormina Bay
- Sailing Around Stromboli
- Salina Island
- Sicily to Corfu
- Corfu
Another marina we lived in was Charleston Harbor Marina in South Carolina – Check out Living In A Marina On A Sailboat.
I am a friend of Helen Harkola’s and she has shared your sight. what a fabulous life you’re living!
Hey Fran! Thank you for leaving a comment…Big smiles, Kim
My daughter Leanne and Husband John Lovatt from NZ who also have an Oyster Yacht, have given me your sight to read and its so amazing, to see where you sold up everything to do this. Good Luck to the 3 of you, keep up the good work and for me reading all about your travels.
Regards Marilyn Guilford NZ
Thank you for the feedback Marilyn! We can’t wait to get to your neck of the woods… Big smiles 🙂
Hi Both…. My wife and I stumbled on your blog this morning, we are you but 6 month
Sorry, iPad made me press button before finished… I was trying to say we have found your blog fascinating as we are on a similar road. We lived in Northampton and sailed boats on the east coast driving the 2.5 hours every Friday and back on Sunday for 10 years. It has been our dream to become livaboards for at leSt double that.. We have a 17 year old son who,is off to join Merchant Navy in 2016, so our GO date is 1st August 2016 when we finally set sail in our recently purchased 50 foot sailing boat with no fixed finish date…. My company is up for sale and we are adjusting everything in our lives to prepare for our new life. We are super excited that we can finnaly see the light at the end of the tunnel. So 1 more British winter to go.yippee…! I hope you keep updating your blogs as they allow us wannabes and soon-to-bees to live vicariously whilst we plod the final mile. Many thanks…Mark and Amanda F.
Hey Mark and Amanda. Great news that you have a ‘GO Date’! I found that the preliminary planning became extremely stressful but the rewards far exceeded my expectations. Just keep visualising/imagining how great your new adventure will be and that will give you energy to keep going. We’re crossing the Atlantic November 2016 – will you be in the Med before then? If so, it would be great to meet up with you. Big smiles, Kim
Hi Kim. It would be great to meet up with you guys when we finally go. We are taking our boat down to Puerto Calero in Lanzarotti, our favourite marina in the canaries, good facilities, shops and restaurants lining the marina yet it still remains a largely quite area…very nice balance, next August, so we can spend our first winter in the canaries before pushing east into the med in April 2017. (we have sailed around that area heaps). I guess you will be heading to Gran canaria if your doing the ARC so a quick stop in to say hi with a few drinks would be great. We intend to do 2 to 3 years in the med before heading over the pond then follow our nose until boredom kicks in or money runs out.
Out of interest how many youngish… We are early 40,s people doing the same thing have you met on your travels…not that age matters! But you know what we mean? I always had this idea that the majority are in late retirement, I.e. 65 plus.
We are very excited and just getting our boat ready for our last uk season, we have a Jeanneau 49i which we love and whilst we have been very tempted to upgrade to a moody 54 or a chap is selling an oyster 61 near us, we have decided to keep the cash in the bank until we know if we will like it or not, we are obviously chickens!! The difference in price is a lot of years cruising for us or a rental property generating another source of income. Are most livaboards on heavy displacement boats or is it a broader mix?
Anyway, hi to Simon and the little one!
Mark and Amanda F
Hi Mark and Amanda! It would definitely be great to meet up. As we get closer to the time we’ll have to make arrangements 🙂 Regarding the age group of people we meet. To my surprise we come across many people the same age as us (I’m 40 and Sim is getting closer to 50). Many of our friends at Marina di Ragusa are younger. I thought we’d come across a lot of retired people but it seems many of them are part-time sailors – they have parents they need to take care of or grandchildren they want to be home with. Regarding the livaboards – there is a massive mix…and I think you’ve done right by keeping the cash to extend your years of cruising! Take care and we’ll meet you soon. Big smiles
What a great article! I was wondering about winter on a boat, since we are planning to eventually live on a boat permanently in the future and there you go – you just answered a lot of my questions 🙂 We have just passed our exam for Inland Skipper, next year we are focusing on getting Yacht Skipper qualifications and eventually we are hoping to become Yacht master so we can not only sail on our own boat but take people who would like to sail with us 🙂 Your blog is so informative!!!
Thank you so much for your comments Monika! And congratulations on your qualifications 🙂 You go girl! I can’t wait to meet up with you 🙂
Kim,
Just came upon your blog while searching out live aboard living.I purchased a 23 meter Gulet in December 2013 and renovated it in Turkey , finally almost finished with renovation so it does not look as much like a Gulet. Did major repairs to the hull replacing a lot of the wood planks and added 5 feet to the back deck.I have 5 staterooms all with bathrooms w7shower. It is my husband and our 16 yearold son. we are looking to leave here for Italy actually Palermo, Sicily and I was wondering if you had any information about the area. Sounds like you have been a lot of places and have a lot of experience with live aboard. This has been our dream for a very long time so now we are doing it.Any advise or information you can give me would be much appreciated. By the way, I am American. Just found out that Italy only allows you to stay up to 6 months before you must apply for a one year residency. Do you know if the process is as tedious as the websites say that it is.
Barbi – I will get back to you in the next couple days with some answers to your questions… Exciting times for you!
hello do you take passengers? and if you do where do you sail between September 23rd and October 21?
I am a single woman of 70 years of age I love to deep dive with scuba gear.
I will find myself in Barcelona Spain on the 23rd of September with no plans until October 21st of 2016
If you are not into taking paying customers could you please let me know if you know of others who do?
I watched your video and I loved your courage and I would love to hear more of your adventures what a lovely way to raise your beautiful daughter; Hi Ho to your skipper..;
Hey Christine – yes, we take guests! Best thing to do is email me directly on Kim@SailingBritican.com
Hi Kim,
I know this is an old post but wondered if you know any way around the 90 day rule for staying in the Med without a visa for North Americans? Sailing this spring/summer/fall and would like to be there for more than three months. Might have to confine ourselves to a non-member country. Thanks!
Mora
moramargaret.com
Hey Mora…I was led to believe that you can get an extension. Have you looked into that? I was on a British Flagged boat so even though I’m American the officials didn’t really care. All they were concerned with was the flag of the boat…
Thanks for sharing.This is an inspiration to us as we are in the prep stages of buying a boat in the Med this winter. We have read about the winter storms and heavy winds. What a relief to know that there are others still enjoying the experience of a winter in the Med. Wondering what guides / pilot charts are you using? Safe travels.
Paul Mckissick
Hey Paul! We used the Imran pilot guides for the Med. They’re not perfect but they’re better than what you find in the Caribbean or America! I was shocked when we sailed state-side and couldn’t find anything remotely as good as the Imran guides. (I think they’re called Imran…I put all our pilots in storage as we’re not in the Med). We also use a few apps on our Ipad for weather and maps as a backup and for planning… Best wishes on your plans, Smiles, Kim
Came across your blog, very inspirational and informative. Really got me thinking of doing the same but have no experience on a sail boat but spent over 20 years at sea in all weathers as part of my previous job.
The dream is to purchase a Gulet and island hop around Turkey and Grease during the summer and moor up in a good marina during the winter period as we won’t have a onshore home to retreat to.
My question is, as a newbie, do I purchase a big boat right away for the extra space or start small and progressively upsize. Ive looked at plenty of websites showing gulets for sale and you really can get a lot for your money and some of the larger boats are going cheaper than the smaller boats.
Logic says to take advantage of the lower prices and get the biggest we can afford but Im also aware of the mooring fees related to the size of the boat, maintenance fees etc, my real question I guess is, as an inexperience sailer does a few extra meters make all the difference in handling and with only my wife and myself handling the boat, will size actually mater and make that much of a difference.
Regards, Ray.
Ray…very good question. There’s often a reason why bigger boats cost less…they’re super difficult to sell. Once someone has a big boat they realize that the effort and cost to keep it going is overwhelming. I have dear friends that purchased a large Gulet and it’s turned into a nightmare. They can’t run the boat with two people…they can’t keep it up and now, after a year, they can’t sell it. It’s important to take advice from lots of different people but I always say that bigger is not always better. I have a guide coming out about how to find RIGHT boat for you…that might be a good one for you to read. Smiles, Kim
Where are you most recent updates ?
I wrote them into the blog post…so I updated the original to the one you read 😉
Congratulations on your amazing adventure So inspirational factual and real .. We (Pete & Desi) leaving from our home town Australia are about to pick up our Helia 44 catamaran in La Rochelle France from there we will be making our own adventure through the Mediterranean..and looking forward to making new friends and learning as we go ..I will certainly be following your leads Thank you for your blog I feel I have made a new friend already
Cheers Desi
That’s great news Desi! Enjoy the journey 😉 Kim
Hello Kim and Simon,
I love your blog. I can almost feel the swells from my desk. Right!
The boat broker we have worked with says the Caribbean is great if you like palm trees. She thinks the Med is better. I am inclined to see it all.
Why have you decided to stay in Caribbean rather than the Med? It seems you have been in and about the Caribbean for some time subject to a stint enjoying the barnacle infestation in Carolina.
Do you intend to stay in the Caribbean or move to another location. If so, where do you intend to go and why?
I have been trying to talk my wife into living aboard but no luck so far. She doesn’t want to leave her dog. How do boaters handle live aboard dogs and their excretions? I told her the dog could live in the guest house (dinghy) but she wasn’t amused.
Congratulations on the charter license!
Tell Sienna there is still a lot of snow on our mountains. It last snowed yesterday!
Curt
This is wonderful. My family is considering moving to Italy and in a house boat. I have some questions. Is there any way you could email me?
Hey Wendy, my email is Kim@SailingBritican.com – I’m around two weeks backlogged with emails so it might take me a while to write you back but if you list your questions I’ll do my best to answer them as soon as I can. Smiles, Kim
Thanks for the great blog! I am looking for the cheapest live aboard for a week out of Crete in early June. -there will be two couple. All we need is a basic (safe) sail boat and with two cabins and a skipper. Any ideas to find the best rate?
Hey Amy! Crete is one of my favorite spots. I think we have around 13 articles all about Crete on the website… Crete, however, is not a major sailing destination. The holding is not that great and the marinas are a mess. I’m not sure what charter companies operate from there. Your best bet is to do a Google search and see what you can find 🙂 Smiles, Kim
Loved reading this , very informative. Leaving England soon for Spain and deciding between land or boat. The minimal costs involved and the freedom is swaying me to the sea
Single bloke (50) thinking of motoring through France and living in the Med for…..!?. some time!. Kids grown up and I’m quite happy plodding along by myself. The idea of the marina life is quite exciting…..
I’ve got a Benneteau Oceanis 323 which may be a little smaller than I’d like but would like to hear your views of what life is like…. Guess I need to see some more of your films !
All the best
Aidan
Great reading Kim
Hi Kim,
What a great blog – thank you!
I’m considering buying (and living aboard) a sub-40′ boat in the Ionian before Christmas but for the life of me, I can’t find out much from either the RYA, British or Greek govts about what will happen to liveaboards after Jan 1, 2021. I’m assuming that I will need to get residence in Greece (UK Citizen) to get around the 90 days in 180 Schengen situation but I’d be really interested in anything you are picking up locally regarding this as the Greek government haven’t said which way they’re going to jump yet and therefore buying a yacht mightbecome a rather large white elephant!!
Keep well and lovely to hear your positive news on all things liveaboard 😀
Hi all! I am thinking about buying a boat in Spain to live on permanently. Does anyone know the rules in Spain about it? Do I register just like with an apartment at the City hall so I will have an addresse?
Hey Jewel. I’ve never had a boat in Spain…perhaps you can ask a FB or other cruiser group in the Mediterranean? K.
Hi,
there are many who have a boat for which VAT has not been paid in any EU country because of which they can stay in EU-waters ,ax 18 months after which they have to stay clear of EU-waters for min. 6 months.
Therefore, can you please suggest marinas or mooring places (both for winter) outside of EU too.
Many thx
Hey Erdol – we haven’t been in the EU or near the EU for years so I can’t offer any suggestions. There’s a FB Group called Mediterranian Cruisers – perhaps they could help? Kind regards, Kim