10 Mar 2023

LATEST NEWS AND RULES ABOUT BUOY CAMPS FOR SUPERYACHTS IN CORSICA AND SARDINIA

Yacht Itineraries

Sardinia and Corsica are so central in the Med that each yacht captain will be cruising these areas at least once in his/her lifetime, and definitely several times during each summer if the boat will be cruising in the Med. One of the most popular topics of conversation between yacht captains cruising both islands and yacht agents is about anchorage's regulations.

Buoy camps and related regulations are often a consequence to the existence of a marine protected area, and definitely an answer when marine traffic gets intense during certain periods. The purpose of a buoy camp is to protect those bays and their natural environment by avoiding a systemic non-regulated anchorage. Sardinia and Corsica are famous for the beauty of their Marine Protected Areas and Natural Parks, and other beautiful and famous bays where anchoring has been regulated by a buoy field system for a long time.

Many of you are surely familiar with at least one of the names that will be mentioned in this article, but at least two of them will be a brand new reality in summer 2023.

We are happy to provide you with all relevant information, from basic ones to latest updates, and to give you the tools to build your own itinerary in Corsica and Sardinia with much less question marks in your head.

What is a buoy camp?

A buoy camp is a system of moorings normally built with buoys linked to a chain reaching the bottom of the sea where a system of blocks or another system keeps the system safely fixed to the seabed. Buoy camps were introduced as a simple solution to make mooring operations easier and safer for yachts by hooking the boat to the buoy instead of dropping the anchor; the purpose is often the protection of the seabed rich in marine areas where the use of the anchor can ruin the vegetation. Technically, a buoy camp is like a proper port, where boats need to behave in the same way, keeping a speed limit, being guided by the harbor master, and avoiding to swim and dive.

What are the consequences of wild anchoring procedures?

The impact of anchoring has caused the regression of endangered species such as Posidonia oceanica, which have a crucial ecological role as suppliers of ecosystem services and in offering shelter and food to other marine species. Marine reserves and Natural Parks were created to conserve habitats and biodiversity and help to increase the resilience of marine ecosystems against pollution, climate change, overuse of resources and marine pests.

Below you will find listed all the main marine reserves present in Corsica and Sardinia:

Natural Reserve of Scandola (Girolata), Corsica
Natural Reserve of Santa Manza, Corsica
Maddalena Marine Park, Sardinia
Area Marina Protetta Tavolara - Punta Coda Cavallo, Sardinia
Area Marina Protetta Capo Carbonara, Sardinia
Area Marina Protetta Penisola del Sinis - Isola di Mal di Ventre, Sardinia
Area Marina Protetta Capo Caccia - Isola Piana, Sardinia
Area Marina Protetta Isola dell'Asinara, Sardinia

Not all the above-mentioned marine protected areas have a buoy field, so not always being in marine parks, means having a buoy camp available.

Where are buoy camps for superyachts in Corsica?

You will find buoy camps for superyachts in Corsica in:

Girolata 42°21'00.0"N 8°36'36.0"E, up to 30m max 3m draft

Santa Manza, 41° 24' 59'' N 9° 13' 47'' E, up to 60m

Santa Giulia 41°31'48" N 9°16'38"E , up to 20m

What are the main regulations for buoy camp in Corsica?

When in a buoy camp in Corsica main things to keep in mind are related to:

Use of Jet Skis: usage is allowed only during the daylight and within 2 NM from the coast.
Speed limits in all the area of the reserve is 5 knots, and for every watercraft there is a limit to sail or anchor within 300 mts from the shore line.
No diving or swimming
No anchoring

If there are no buoys, where is a superyacht allowed to anchor in Corsica?

France has introduced new anchorage regulations enforced in March 2021:

yachts over 24m (80ft) cannot anchor where sea depth is less than 30 mts if areas containing protected Posidonia seagrass beds. Posidonia is normally found in 30m to 40m (98ft-131ft) of water.
yachts smaller than 45 meters are not required to seek authorisations or declare anchoring intentions. They can anchor for up to 72 hours, renewable. They must maintain an appropriate watch.
yachts over 45 meters are required to declare where are intended to anchor to the Cross radio station on VHF Ch 16
all yachts exceeding 80 meters are required to seek anchoring authorisation by calling the CROSS by VHF.

These authorisations are provided for 24 hour periods, renewable.
Using the free DONIA app to locate Posidonia-friendly mooring, anchoring on sandy areas or opting for buoys are all strongly recommended by French officials.

Where are the buoy camps for superyachts in Sardinia?

Sardinia has several buoy camps for Superyachts, few of them quite famous. Buoy camps will actually increase in summer 2023, please see here a list of them:

Cala Spalmatore 41°14'52.0"N 9°25'42.5"E in Maddalena’s Marine Park - CAPACITY: 18 buoys with LOA up to 75m, draft from 5 to 9m

Porto Massimo 41°15'29.4"N 9°25'38.9"E - CAPACITY: 2 buoys up to LOA 50m

Cala Capra 41°10'08.6"N 9°25'18.4"E - CAPACITY: 2 buoys up to 80 m

Cannigione 41° 6' 23.245" N, 9° 26' 29.911 E - CAPACITY:: 34 buoys with LOA up to 35m with a draft from 2,50 up to 6m.

Pevero bay 41°06'55.5"N 9°32'40.6"E - CAPACITY: up to 150m

Cala di Volpe Bay 41°04'29.7"N 9°32'26.6"E - CAPACITY: up to 150m

Golfo di Marinella* 41°00'23.0"N 9°33'13"E, 14 - CAPACITY: up to 55 m

Golfo Aranci* 40°59'50.4"N 9°37'12.8"E 17 - CAPACITY: up to 90m (see map below)

*NEW BUOY CAMPS FROM JUNE 2023

Some other buoy camps to host yachts smaller than 30 mts are located around the island:

Area Marina Protetta Penisola del Sinis - Isola di Mal di Ventre - CAPACITY: 98 buoys up to 24m

Area Marina Protetta Isola dell'Asinara - CAPACITY: 64 buoys up to 24 m

What are the main regulations in these buoy camps?

All buoy camps in Sardinia present similar restrictions and work exaclty like a port:

- Speed limit at 5 knots
- No swimming no diving
- No anchoring

Buoy reservation, how to proceed?

Summer in Corsica and Sardinia get really crowded. The areas of Cala di Volpe and Pevero bays, but also Cala Spalmatore in Maddalena’s island, get smashed and we definitely recommend booking in advance. The sooner the better of course and our agents at Nautica Assistance, very familiar with all the areas, will help you go through the booking procedure.

Where there are no buoy camps, where is a superyacht allowed to anchor in Sardinia?

One of the common questions is about distance to keep from the existing mooring when sailing or anchoring: it is recommended to keep 200 mts of distance from the floating buoys as to guarantee safely the distance with the yacht moored on the buoy while swinging with the wind. A very strict rule, applied all over the coast and not just in marine reserves, is about how to reach the shore while running a watercraft. A watercraft with engine on and propeller running, can sail to a distance minor of 300 mts only when approaching a proper dock or launching corridors/channels which need to be well marked by floating buoys.
Apart from the mooring camps, which work like a normal private marina, there are several private buoys often managed by smaller companies which occasionally allow mooring in their buoys. Some of those are positioned in great locations along the coast, like in Romazzino bay, in Cala di Volpe or in Capriccioli. Please do not hesitate to contact us in order to put you in touch with these local companies and enjoy a privileged position.

Conclusions:

Buoy systems are vital for the environment protection, not only preventing the destruction of the seabed, saving poseidonia from being eradicated and endemic species from being removed from their ecosystem, but also offering regulated services to a sometimes, too crowded stretch of water.
We recommend checking directly with your yacht agent for availability, rules and regulations and services which might change according to each buoy camp.
For more information about rules and regulations, click on the Discovery Sardinia menu on our website, according to the area you wish to visit.