The types of boats to rent in Marseille
Depending on your budget and your plans for sailing in Marseille, there are various types of boats available:
- Monohull sailboat charter: a monohull sailboat will give you a more sporty experience and allow you to reach secret coves only accessible by sea. For adventure and thrill seekers, a monohull sailboat is for you.
- Catamaran charter: if you are looking for a relaxing cruise and want space and comfort on your trip, we highly recommend a catamaran charter, which will offer you greater stability.
- Motor yacht charter: more accessible and cheaper, this option is ideal for a day charter.
Services offered for your yacht charter in Marseille
Here are the different services we offer for renting a boat in Marseille:
- bareboat yacht charter: this option allows you to rent a boat for a fixed period, generally by the day, week or month. You are then free to sail as you please and discover the wonders of the region in complete autonomy.
- Yacht charter with skipper: If you have little or no sailing experience or you simply want to spend a relaxing vacation, Filovent offers you the option of renting your boat with a professional skipper. The skipper will know the sailing area and will show you some of the most beautiful places in the region.
- Additional services: Many rental companies offer a wide range of additional services that you can book, such as fishing and diving equipment. You can also call on a crew if you wish, especially if you rent a large boat, which usually includes a captain, a cook and a hostess. The crew will take care of you and make sure you have an unforgettable cruise!
What is the price of a sailboat charter in Marseille?
Here is a table showing the average prices for yacht charters in Marseille for one week. These prices are a rough dead reckoning and may vary depending on the season, the model and the age of the boat. Please note that they do not include extras such as the use of a skipper or hostess, insurance, port and anchorage fees, cleaning, etc
| Type of boat | High season July and August | Mid-season May, June and September | Low season April and October |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monohull (2 cabins) | 2,000 USD | 1,400 USD | 1,200 USD |
| Boat with one hull (3 cabins) | 2,100 USD | 1,600 USD | 1,200 USD |
| Monohull (4 cabins) | 3,600 USD | 2,200 USD | 1,400 USD |
| Catamaran (between 30 and 40 feet) | 2,200 USD | 1,800 USD | 1,500 USD |
| Catamaran (between 40 and 50 feet) | 4,500 USD | 3,800 USD | 3,400 USD |
Where to sail from Marseille?
- The Calanques National Park: From Marseille to Cassis, the Calanques of the Bouches-du-Rhône offer a grandiose spectacle. This impressive geological formation takes the form of a valley that stretches twenty kilometers long and four kilometers wide. In the calanques, you can swim at the side of your boat in transparent waters at the foot of limestone cliffs formed 80 million years ago. In addition, the rocky walls of the calanques are an excellent playground for sports enthusiasts and thrill seekers.
- The Frioul Islands: The Frioul Islands are made up of four islands: Pomègues to the south, Ratonneau to the north, the islet of If to the east of the two main islands and the islet Tiboulen to the west of Ratonneau.
- The Riou archipelago: This is the only uninhabited archipelago on the French mainland coastline. It is a protected site, famous for its flora and fauna, with more than 320 plant species on the island, 18 of which are protected. You can also enjoy birdwatching here. The site is home to more than 200 species of birds such as the herring gull, the Cory's shearwater (a rarer species that only breeds on the island of Riou and in Ibiza) and various species of falcon. But that's not all,the Riou archipelago is also renowned for its underwater scenery, making it an exceptional diving site. The"Tombants des Moyades" spot, located at the northern point of Riou Island, has the reputation of offering some of the most beautiful dives in Marseille. The"Impériaux de Terre" site is an ideal spot for beginners and there are many discoveries to be made: moray eels, groupers... Although you cannot berth on the island, you can easily anchor your boat there.
- Cassis: The town of Cassis is overlooked by an ancient castle dating back several centuries and is renowned for its pebble beaches and coves with steep limestone cliffs. In Cassis, you can discover a small fishing port adorned with pastel-colored buildings where you can watch the fish auction every morning. This will be an opportunity to sit in street cafes and restaurants, where you can taste Cassis wine. For a 40-foot boat with one hull, a night in the port of Cassis will cost USD81, double that for a catamaran.
- La Ciotat: In 2019, the bay of La Ciotat joined the Club of the Most Beautiful Bays in the World. Why not take advantage of this perfect opportunity to visit it during your sailboat charter in Marseille? A night in its port will cost you USD40 for a 40-foot monohull, double that for a catamaran.
- Île Verte - opposite La Ciotat: Île Verte is a small uninhabited island located 500 meters in the open sea from La Ciotat. The only wooded island in the Bouches-du-Rhône, it takes its name from its vegetation, which is mainly Aleppo pines. A 2 km footpath goes around the island, passing by the Seynerolles cove, Plageolle and Fort Saint-Pierre at the top of the island at an altitude of 49 meters. A unique point of view over the coastline! You can only have an anchored boat in front of this island if your sailboat is less than 24 meters long.
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When to sail in Marseille?
During your yacht charter in the Mediterranean, particularly in summer, you will mostly have easy sailing conditions with winds that rarely exceed force 4 (30 km/h / 15 knots). In the afternoon, you may regularly encounter a thermal breeze, which you know all too well if you sail regularly: a wind created by the temperature difference between the sea and the land when it is hot. The latter blows from the sea towards the land in the afternoon and subsides at the end of the evening. Ideal for sailing.
Here is an average of the temperatures recorded in recent years in Marseille:
| Temperatures | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | June | July | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air min (°C) | 8° | 7° | 10° | 13° | 16° | 20° | 23° | 20° | 20° | 16° | 12° | 9° |
| Air max (°C) | 11° | 12° | 15° | 17°CAir max (°C)11°C12°C | 20°C | 25° | 28° | 29° | 25° | 21° | 16° | 13° |
| Sea water (°C) | 15° | 14° | 15° | 17° | 21°C | 24° | 25° | 26° | 24° | 22° | 20° | 18° |
Our advice for a successful yacht charter in Marseille:
- Become familiar with local regulations: Before embarking on your sailboat charter, make sure you are familiar with the regulations in force in the region in terms of navigation zones, anchorages or protected areas. For example, since 2021, for boats 24 meters and over, anchorage is prohibited wherever the depth is less than 30 meters. Large yachts can therefore only anchor in the open sea. For boats over 45 meters, mandatory anchorage zones have been created in the open sea off Cassis, La Ciotat and Saint-Cyr-sur-Mer. Finally, for all other boats, anchorage is concentrated in sandy areas and authorized and prohibited zones have been created at 5 sites in Marseille and 3 sites in Cassis.
- Documents and formalities: If you are the skipper of the boat, make sure you have a boat license to present. In addition, we strongly advise you to take out damage waiver insurance even if you hire a skipper: in the event of damage to the boat, you are directly responsible, and damage waiver protects you from any involuntary damage.
- What are the departure bases for sailing in Marseille? There are many ports in Marseille: the two main ones that interest us here are the Vieux-Port, the most popular, and the port of Corbières. The lively marina of the Vieux-Port is also its historical and cultural center, it is one of the symbols of Marseille, its construction dates back to Antiquity. At the port, you will have access to the following facilities: electricity, water, toilets, showers, cash machine and a city carrefour open from Monday to Sunday from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Good to know
| Number of boats available | 659 |
|---|---|
| Types of service | Skipper, Hostess, Sailor, Chef (meals not included), Engineer, Mechanic, Masseuse |
| Average price per week | $36,926 |
| Minimum weekly price | $557 |
| Maximum price per week | $995,138 |