Berths in the Meditteranean

With the consistent inclement weather in the UK, many owners of ‘live aboard craft are looking further afield for ‘cruising waters and the superb weather and long season that the Mediterranean offers might provide the answer. With budget airlines now flying from the UK to many of these Mediterranean ‘hot spots’ we asked the experts what problems owners can encounter. Inwards Marine, with offices in Monaco, are experts in this field and are an obvious choice to advise on where to find your dream location in the sun. FRANCE In 1956, Yachting was almost unknown as a leisure activity in the South of France. In that same year, the appearance of Brigitte Bardot in “And God Created Woman” suddenly spread the glamour of St Tropez worldwide. Until then the nautical industries in the area were mainly fishing and shipping and most of the marinas we know today had not even been planned. The Côte d’Azur, this now famous holiday destination, was still very under-developed and in fact throughout history most of the locals lived behind the W coastline, many on “perched” villages in the hills. Napoleon, after his escape from Elba in 1815, chose to land in Golfe Juan in the Bay of Cannes primarily because he had little chance of attracting any attention! Since then artists, poets and celebrities have brought the beauty of the Côte d’Azur to the world’s attention. It was in the 1970s that the coastline saw its greatest transformation. Throughout that decade, France authorised the construction of several marinas to cope with the expansion of boating. The government and local authorities were encouraging the development of tourism infrastructure all along the coast with the intention that the South of France would become one of the leading boating and tourist destinations in the world. In order that the taxpayer was not burdened with the substantial costs of these new Marina developments, the government sold 50- year concessions to private companies in exchange for the construction of marinas.

To raise finance these private limited companies issued shares, which in many cases were purchased by local individuals. In addition these shareholders were often granted the right to use a berth for the duration of the concession. In nearly all developments the concession was for 50 years and as in most European countries, the coastline ultimately belongs to the Government. In some cases, berths were sold as a concession or a ‘right to use’ to both investors and boat owners known in French as “amodiations”. An “amodiation” is an old word from the French legal glossary. It is more commonly used in agriculture when a landowner allows someone to exploit a field in exchange for some compensation or part of the produce. It is also found in French mining where again the government is always the owner. Very often this ‘right of use’ cannot be sold by a beneficiary to a third party, nor can it be used to endorse a mortgage. The rules and obligations between the private limited marina companies, the berth users and the French government, more often than not represented by the local mayor, vary considerably in each Marina and can at times be very complex. However, the terms of the concession between the French government and the private limited marina company always come first. Now, more than 30 years on, pleasure boating has grown considerably. Not only has the sheer number of craft that cruise the Côte d’Azur risen considerably but also their size is ever increasing. In 2007, according to the “Ministry of the Sea” (nowadays attached to the Ministry of the Environment) there is a shortage of 50,000 berths in France! Also according to a study carried out in 2006, even if all the existing new Marina projects were authorized in France, they would only provide half of the berths to satisfy the demand. However, following fears of sea pollution on the Côte d’Azur in the early eighties, a law was voted in 1981 to protect the coastline which almost completely prohibited any new marina constructions. This high scarcity is clearly a limiting factor to the development of boating in the region and a source of concern for any boat owner. It is virtually impossible for new-comers to rent a berth on an annual basis.

 There can be as much as a 10-year waiting list in most marinas and normally the larger the yacht the longer the wait! Virtually the only way to secure a berth is to purchase the remaining concession and / or lease. Although the time remaining on the concessions keeps reducing, the sheer shortage of available berths dictates that the prices keep increasing. For instance, in 1971, the buyer of a 23m x 6m berth in Antibes would have paid 40,000 FRF (£4,000) for a 50 year ‘right to use’. Nowadays, the same berth with 12 years left on the concession is probably worth EUR 500,000. In addition, this relatively short lease ensures that berths are only sold to actual ‘end-users’ and not to investors for a ‘buy to let’. Nowadays, to enjoy cruising in the South of France the most cost effective solution for an ideal ‘home berth’ is to follow the example of their Italian neighbours. They, like everyone else, want to enjoy the hotspots of the Cote d’Azur. Italy is a country where new marinas are encouraged and you can purchase a berth at a much more reasonable price together with an exceptionally long lease, sometimes up to 50 years.

Since many yachts are ‘on the move’ during the summer, it is still possible to rent a berth on the Côte d’Azur in season for a few nights – but to find a permanent berth in the South of France is truly a challenge! ITALY In Italy, there are thousands of missing berths and the main reason is because the regions and local government don’t coordinate and the bureaucratic and political parties are too slow to take decisions to approve Marina projects. In Italy there are many boats of different sizes but the main problem is where they can be moored because the berths are few, especially if we compare them to other European countries. The summer will start the ”battle to catch a berth”. During the last Genova International Boat Show, UCINA, the Italian marine industry association, revealed that there are less than 130,000 berths in Italy, located in 105 Marinas, while there are 400,000 yachts registered in Italy. Only 1% of the total berths are able to moor boats over 24 meters 11% of the total berths are available for yachts from 12 to 18 meters. Italy has 7,300 km of coast and there is only one Marina every 73.1 km. This compares to every 7.2km in France, 24.9km in England and the average of the other European countries is just 6.5 km. In the United States, there is a marina every 1.7 kilometers. On the Liguria coast, the number of berths available is almost 20% of the total number of moorings in Italy and today, they are able to moor another 500 yachts from 10 meters up to 90 meters in the new Marina Genova Aeroporto, opened in August 2007 and the only Marina in Italy to be able to moor yachts up to 130 meters.

Marina Genova Aeroporto, in competition with the traditional Marinas of the French Riviera (always full and commanding sky high prices), has the great advantage of being just 5 minutes by car from the airport. Genova International Airport has direct flights from London, Paris, Zurich, Munich and most Italian Airports. The “White Glove services” have attracted the attention of many yachts from 40 to 80 meters. The presence of the Club house with the SPA wellness centre and a small hotel with 14 suites facing the sea are the principal features of the Marina that is well integrated with the city of Genoa. In the next few months, a purpose built Sports Club with swimming pool, 2 tennis courts and first class restaurant will open. Another service that only Marina Genova Aeroporto provides is the elegant HOSPITALITY DESK; furnished by Armani, offering personalised and punctual service to yacht owners, guests and crew. They are able to satisfy many different requirements: organising catering or parties onboard, travel reservations, hotel or restaurant bookings, theatre tickets, car/limousine rental, fresh flower arrangements, ice cold champagne and much more! In the marina, there is the largest fuelling station in the Mediterranean located with a 140m quay where duty free and aviation fuel are available. Genoa is just 20nm from Portofino, 75 from Monaco, 90 from Corsica, 115 from the Island of Elba and only 200 from Porto Cervo in Sardinia. A perfect place for easy access to the magnificent Italian and French Rivieras. Over 70% of the berths were sold within the first 18 months. The owners are truly international from every part of the world including Russia, Australia and the USA.

The berths are sold with an unheard of 43 years lease and this is another very advantageous aspect compared to other Marinas on the French Riviera where the longest lease is 19 years and the average lease is just 12 years. Marina Genova Aeroporto is not only an excellent place as a “Home Port” but also the capital appreciation on the moorings will be significant. It is hard to imagine what the prices will be in ten years time when Genova has the benefit of a 35 year lease still remaining and most of the other marinas on the French Riviera have only 3 or 6 years left.