Italy
bareboat charter.

## Why sail Italy

Italy gives you volcanic islands, walled harbours, and food worth planning the day around. The coastline is long enough that no two weeks look the same: the Amalfi cliffs and Capri in the south-west, the Aeolians off Sicily, Sardinia's granite north coast, the lagoon approaches to Venice. Each region has its own wind pattern, its own paperwork, and its own idea of what dinner should cost.

We currently base one yacht in Campania, which puts the Amalfi Coast, Capri, Ischia, Procida and the Pontine islands inside an easy week. It's the part of Italy where you can anchor under a 300m cliff at lunchtime and tie up in a working fishing port by evening. Worth saying plainly: in July and August it's busy, marinas fill by 15:00, and prices step up. June and September are the sweeter weeks.

## Sailing areas and harbours

From a Campania base — typically Salerno, Castellammare di Stabia, or Procida depending on the boat — the natural cruising ground is the **Gulf of Naples**, the **Amalfi Coast**, and the **Pontine archipelago** further north-west.

- **Capri**: famous, deservedly. Anchor off Marina Piccola or pick up a buoy at the Faraglioni in settled weather. Marina Grande is small and expensive; book ahead or skip it. - **Amalfi & Positano**: deep water close in, limited swinging room, mooring fields run by local operators. Positano is exposed to southerlies — leave if it turns. - **Ischia and Procida**: quieter than Capri, better for a slow day. Procida's Marina Corricella is one of the prettier harbours in the Tyrrhenian. - **Pontine islands (Ponza, Palmarola, Ventotene)**: 40–50nm north-west, worth a 10-day charter. Palmarola at anchor is the best night of most trips. - **Salerno and the Cilento coast**: south of Amalfi, far fewer boats, good if you want to actually sail rather than queue for moorings.

## Season and winds

The charter season runs **late April to late October**, with the reliable weather window from mid-May to early October. July and August are hot (30–34°C), crowded, and often light-wind — pleasant for swimming, less so for sailing.

The Tyrrhenian is a thermal-driven sea in summer. Mornings are often glassy; a sea breeze fills in from the west or north-west by late morning, builds to 10–18 knots in the afternoon, and dies at sunset. You plan passages around that: leave early if you're going upwind, sail the afternoon if you're going north or east.

The weather to watch for is the **libeccio** (south-westerly) and the **scirocco** (southerly, warm, often hazy). Both can push 25–30 knots and make the Amalfi anchorages untenable — you head for the north side of Capri or into Salerno. Autumn brings the first proper lows from late September; check the forecast every morning from then on.

## Charter types available

From our Campania base you can book:

- **Bareboat** — you sail it yourself. Requires a recognised licence (see FAQ) and a sailing CV the broker will actually read. Typical boats are 40–50ft monohulls. - **Skippered** — we put a local captain aboard. Worth it for first-timers in this area; the Amalfi mooring scene rewards someone who's done it before. - **Crewed (skipper + host/cook)** — for groups who want the holiday without the logistics. More common on catamarans. - **Cabin charter** — a berth at a time, shared boat, fixed itinerary. We run these occasionally in shoulder season; ask on WhatsApp for current dates.

With one yacht in the area, availability is the constraint. Book early for July/August; June and September usually open up 6–8 weeks out.

## Realistic costs

All figures are weekly, in EUR, boat only — fuel, food, marina fees, and end-cleaning are extra.

- **Bareboat monohull 40–46ft**: roughly €4,500–9,000 depending on age and week. Top week (early August) sits at the high end. - **Skippered**: add €1,200–1,600 for the captain's week, plus their food aboard. - **Catamaran 42–48ft**: meaningfully more — Price on request for current boats. - **Marina fees on the Amalfi coast**: €80–250 a night for a 45ft boat in peak season. Anchoring is free where permitted; buoy fields €40–120. - **Fuel**: budget €200–400 for a week of mixed sailing and motoring. - **APA / provisioning for crewed boats**: Price on request — depends on group and preferences.

We quote the actual boat and week on WhatsApp rather than publish a price grid that goes stale.

## A sample week from Campania

This is a realistic 7-night loop, not a brochure route. Distances are short; the point is to slow down.

- **Day 1 (Sat)**: Board after 17:00, provision, sleep on board at the base. - **Day 2**: Short hop to **Procida**. Anchor off Chiaiolella, walk into Corricella for dinner. - **Day 3**: **Ischia** — Sant'Angelo on the south side if the wind allows, Forio if not. Thermal springs ashore. - **Day 4**: Cross to **Capri** (15–20nm). Lunch at the Faraglioni, evening on a buoy off Marina Piccola. - **Day 5**: **Positano** or **Praiano** for lunch on a mooring, then push east to **Amalfi** town for the night. - **Day 6**: **Li Galli islands** at anchor, then back towards the base via **Nerano** (Cala di Mitigliano) for a swim stop. - **Day 7**: Final night in a quiet bay south of Sorrento, dinner aboard. - **Day 8 (Sat)**: Return by 09:00 for handover.

Right for first charterers, couples, and families. Less right for serious distance sailors — for that, look at Sardinia or a one-way Corsica route.

## Practical arrival

Fly into **Naples (NAP)** for any Campania base — 30–60 minutes by taxi or pre-booked transfer to Salerno, Castellammare, or the Procida ferry. **Rome Fiumicino (FCO)** is a fallback with a 3-hour train-plus-transfer connection.

Bring your **licence, ICC or equivalent, passport, and a one-page sailing CV** — Italian charter companies check them properly. Non-EU skippers sometimes need a VHF certificate; we'll tell you in advance.

Cash is useful for small marinas and beach restaurants; cards work everywhere else. Mobile coverage is good across the cruising ground except in the lee of high cliffs. For anything specific to your dates — boat availability, exact base, current marina prices — message us on WhatsApp.

Bareboat means you skipper. You'll need a recognised licence (ICC + VHF, RYA Day Skipper or ASA 104+) and a confident hand aboard — if no one on the crew is qualified, take the same yacht skippered and our captain drives.

We brief you on the local navigation: the channels and headlands that funnel the wind, where to anchor versus take a mooring, provisioning ports, and the best first-timer route versus the longer run for experienced crews.