"Port de Porquerolles, this is sailing yacht 'Mistral', we are ten nautical miles from the harbour entrance. Do you have a free berth for two days?" Instead of the usual enquiry about the boat's length and draught, the marinero first asks for the boat's age. If the boat is too old, there is no space. Over and out.
This is roughly how skippers could imagine a radio call to a French Mediterranean harbour, if you read the article in the online magazine. A humiliating experience, similar to when you were a teenager at the entrance to your favourite club. Only with the signs reversed and a possibly exhausted crew or even damage on board. That not only sounds arrogant, but also highly unseamanly. Hard to believe, but true?
To find out, we contacted the largest harbour associations in the Mediterranean and asked them for their opinion. The unanimous answer: No, the age of a yacht does not play a role in the allocation of guest and seasonal berths. As long as the boat is insured and adequately maintained, no skipper has to worry about being turned away - especially not for day moorings. "However, there are the first insurance companies in Turkey that generally no longer insure boats over a certain age," reports Yeliz Pınar from Seturmarinas. The possible good condition of a yacht plays no role in this. If this trend spreads in the Mediterranean, it could lead to problems in the future. The impeccable, well-maintained condition of a ship will then become all the more important in order to convince the harbours.
The situation is different for the comparatively cheap winter berths on land. Here, more and more marinas are already taking the right to refuse a berth if the boat is too old, dilapidated or used as a main residence. If the owner loses interest in their boat or even dies, the marina is usually not only left with the boat, but also the subsequent costs such as storage or disposal. Quite a few owners deliberately sell their scrap boats in order to avoid the sometimes high disposal costs. This is a steadily growing problem, not only in the Mediterranean, but in all waters worldwide.
