Elba is still one of the most popular Italian destinations for German sailors, as the charter bases on the mainland near Piombino are also good for travelling by car, especially from southern Germany. The island and its neighbours, such as Capraia, are ideal for a relaxed week's cruise or can be extended to include a detour to Corsica for longer trips. The island's main town, Portoferraio, is one of the most beautiful destinations, offering a great old town and a beautiful town harbour. However, the harbour is often overcrowded in the summer months when owners and charter crews swarm in from the nearby mainland. The alternative is to anchor in the very spacious bay of Portoferraio.
It is very busy, as this is where the ferry lines from the mainland arrive to bring tourists and many supplies to the island. The immediate vicinity of the very large terminal had therefore been closed to yachts for some time, and access was also regulated. But now the whole thing has been reorganised in late summer, probably also because more and more owners were using the bay for long-term anchoring and leaving their boats alone, as the DSV announced in a press release.
A new zoning of the entire bay has now been published by the authorities, which gives yachts significantly less space than before.
Yachts may only sail in the blue zone A under motor, the red access corridor Zona C may only be sailed under sail if the engine is also running and a cone is set accordingly. Sailing without a motor is permitted in the green zones to the left and right. The yellow area now marks a new anchorage zone and is divided into sub-zones. These are assigned to ships by the harbour administration after registration. Private pleasure craft may not moor there. They will be directed to the edge of the large bay for anchoring. On top of this, it has been decreed that one person must always remain on board who can move the boat if necessary. This is of course very annoying when a crew comes to Portoferraio to go ashore.
However, the bay is also known to get a lot of swell from ferry traffic and is not necessarily the quietest place for the night, especially for smaller yachts. Anyone calling at the harbour in the summer season should therefore try to reserve a berth in the town harbour, which is often possible in Italy; in some cases, the fleet operators even help with this and take care of it for the customer. It is worth asking at the base.
