Italy

Five seas wash over 5,000 miles of Italy's coastline: the Ligurian, Tyrrhenian, Mediterranean, Ionian and Adriatic seas.

Ligurian Sea (Ligurian Riviera) stretches from the borders of France to Genoa.

Tyrrhenian Sea stretches to the south from the Elba Island to Sicily. The Tyrrhenian coast is almost 2/3 of the western coast of Italy. Mountainous shores, gentle clear sea, views of Vesuvius and Stromboli. On the shores of the Tyrrhenian Sea are located the main cities of Italy: Rome, Naples, Salerno. There are many picturesque islands in the Tyrrhenian Sea, including the magnificent Sardinia, famous for its healing sands Ischia.

Ionian Sea washes the foot of the "Italian boot". Sicily Island is also located in the Ionian Sea. Rich in legends, the history of these places attracts many tourists here. This is one of the most interesting islands of the Mediterranean Sea, which has preserved its pristine beauty. Amazing sandy beaches, bizarre rocks in countless coves and bays, majestic mountains, drowning in green olive groves and citrus gardens valleys and the highest active volcano in Europe - Etna. There are marinas in all the port cities of Sicily.

Adriatic Sea washes Italian coastline from the north-east. It is the longest coast of Italy.  For yachtsmen, its northern part is primarily of interest, it is Venice.

Yacht charter in Italy • Main yacht charter bases

Ligurian Sea - Genoa

Tyrrhenian Sea - Scarlino, Punta Ala, Rome, Salerno

Sicily - Palermo, Santa Agata, Portorosa, Catania, Syracuse, Marsala, Trapani

Sardinia - Porto Cervo, Olbia, Cagliari, Alghero

Adriatic Sea - Venice, Trieste

Requirements for the skipper of a charter yacht in Italy

To charter a yacht in Italy it is necessary for at least one crew member to have a skipper's license recognized by the Italian authorities - RYA, IYT, national certificate, etc. In general, Italians are very loyal to the type of skipper's license and recognize even club documents. I am not aware of any cases when radio operator's license is required when chartering a yacht in Italy. In general, the requirements for a skipper's license when chartering a yacht are determined by the charter company.

Weather and winds in Italy

The weather in Italy differs in different geographical regions: on the Ligurian Sea, where Italy is bordered by France; in the Tyrrhenian Sea (including Sardinia); in the Ionian Sea between Sicily and the coast of Greece; and in the Adriatic Sea. Each of these regions has its own particular climate and prevailing winds.

In the north is Tramontana, a strong westerly to northerly wind that comes down from the Alps and can reach gale force at the beginning and end of the season. In summer, Scirocco can blow in from the Sahara, bringing wet weather and covering the entire southern part of the country in red dust.

Libeccio is a southwesterly wind that mainly affects Sardinia and the Tuscan coast.

In the Northern Adriatic, beware of Bora, which can reach a strength of 12 Beaufort in winter near Trieste.

Finally, Maestrale often blows from the north-west on the west coast of Sardinia, and even sometimes reaches the Ligurian and Tuscan coasts.

Summer temperatures can sometimes reach 40 degrees Celsius or more, especially in the south, where 30-35 degrees is common. The temperature of the sea water around the coast is usually sufficient for swimming from end of May to October.