Laghi di Sibari
To download this document as
an RTF file, Click here
Pilot: Italian
Waters Pilot by Rod Heikell - 5th Edition published by Imray Laurie Norie &
Wilson.
We visited Laghi di Sibari by
train from
Situation:
The marina development at
Laghi di Sibari is in a rural location 6 km from the town of
The Public
Visiting yachts are all
berthed in the Public Marina, which occupies the northwest lake, close to the
entrance from the canal. In adverse
conditions the gates across the entrance are closed. Of the jetties shown on the plan on page 347
of the pilot, only those on the west side of the basin (marked ‘visitors’ on
the plan) have been built. They are
wooden cat-walks supported on wooden posts.
The berths are what we describe as ‘box-berths’ with outer poles to moor
to rather than laid moorings. For
members wishing to lay-up afloat they provide very secure moorings in waters
totally protected from the sea and partially sheltered from the wind by both
buildings and trees.
Water and electricity are
provided at every berth. There is a
toilet block near the south-west corner of the basin, which houses the most
splendid facilities that we have encountered since we began sailing 25 years
ago. The block is spacious and
well-maintained and, in addition to toilets and showers, contains two
token-operated washing machines and large sinks for hand-washing clothes.
The Yard:
The yard is incorrectly
positioned on the plan in the pilot: it
runs south from the small basin on the edge of which the 50-ton hoist is
correctly shown. It covers a huge area,
one quarter of which is asphalted and the remainder is rolled, crushed
stone. It can house some 300 boats and
is both clean and tidy. There are
engineers’ and shipwrights’ workshops on site.
Water and electricity points are provided throughout the site. There are no restrictions on working on one’s
own boat nor on living aboard whilst on the hard. Steel cradles are available for most sizes of
yacht though most motorboats and a few yachts were shored up with wooden props.
Supplies:
There is a supermarket and a
number of shops and bars in the long block between the Public Marina and the
Yard. Unfortunately, most of these,
including the supermarket, close out of season.
However, the owner of the chandlery apparently lives locally and, being
on the end of a mobile phone, will open on demand throughout the winter. There is a cash machine on site.
To compensate for the lack of
shops on site the marina provides a free mini-bus service into Sibari twice a week
on Tuesdays and Fridays. The bus leaves
around 1000 and returns when everyone has finished. Sibari is only a small town but the couple we
spoke to told us that most things can be found there and it does have a large
Conad supermarket.
Life in Laghi di
Sibari:
The couple we spoke to told
us that there was a good live-aboard community (25-30) last October but by the
end of November it was down to 6. There
is a room provided for meetings that contains tables and chairs and,
apparently, a television. The marina
office will send or receive faxes for a fee and they will also permit use of
their computer (or their phone socket if you have a laptop) for access to the
Internet. Duilo Valente intends to buy a
new computer for the office and put the old one in the Meeting Room for use
(presumably metered) by yachtsmen. He is
so keen to increase numbers that I feel sure that he would be open to any
further suggestions to improve life for live-aboards.
A few yachtsmen stay on board
for the whole of the winter, but most lay up and travel home. Apparently January this year was wet, windy
and cold but October and November last year were pleasantly warm as it was when
we visited in early April.
Sibari is well served by
trains and buses. It is possible to travel
by train to
Prices:
Costs for over wintering are
based upon a contract for the ‘Invernale’ that covers the 7-month period from 1st
October until the 30th April. This contract covers time spent either afloat
or on the hard. For those wishing to lay
up ashore there are additional charges for lifting, lowering, pressure washing
and for provision of a cradle and/or shoring up. The price list (unchanged since 1999) also
gives a monthly rate but it is considerably higher pro rata than the
‘Invernale’. When I noted this, Maria
was quick to say that if I wanted to leave my boat for less than 7 months she
would calculate the fee pro rata at the ‘Invernale’ rate. Sample prices are given below in lire
including IVA @ 20%:
Length Invernale Lift,
10 1,330,800 742,800
11 1,552,800 742,800
12 1,753,200 985,200
Accounts can be settled by
Credit/Debit card. There is no need to
book in advance.
The Entrance:
The biggest problem with
Laghi di Sibari is the entrance. They
had 2.2 metres the week before we arrived but high winds over the weekend had
reduced that to 1.5 metres. The dredger
was working whilst we were there to restore the channel. The marina company has obtained a Government
grant to do the dredging this year and hopes to get on top of it, perhaps even
dredging a straight channel out to sea. However,
there must be countless billions of tons of sand in the area at the mercy of
the winds and waves so the problem will always be there. Members thinking of over wintering in this
delightful spot would be well advised to contact Duilo Valente for an update
before heading up into the