Post by chuckr on Jul 10, 2019 10:33:20 GMT
We left May 31 from Ashkelon Israel and have been moving almost ever since so now with a break I have time and perspective on wintering in Israel. First the issue always seems to be it is really far away. Now that is relative. It is about a 30 hours sail from Cyprus and Cyprus is a short jump from Turkey or Crete. I would prefer Turkey for better winds.
Second there are multiple options. There are 5 possible destinations. 1st is Haifa in the north. Haifa port is huge and the marina is stuck in the back and not much around. It also a long way from anywhere else in Israel and you really need a car to get around or patience for the bus.
2nd is Herzliya. It is huge marina with a very vibrant sailing community and modern marina. We were accepted on our arrival and made friends quickly as everyone on the dock and in the office were more than helpful in anything everything we wanted to do and made sure to include us in whatever was going on. It is centrally located and easy to get around. A large grocery is a 5 minute walk off the boat inside a small mall that is behind the docks. There is bus service to almost anywhere you want to go as well as a quick bus to the train that goes most of Israel. It took us 2 hours from the time we stepped off SoulMates to be in Jerusalem. A bus to Tel Aviv was 40 minutes or less. The repair yard is one the best we have ever been to.
3rd is Tel Aviv marina. It is small but centrally located. However the groceries and everything else is a bit of a ways off. It also did not seem to have a vibrant sailing community. We saw a few boats come in in a bit of a se winds and it was interesting. There is a yard that some folks from Herzliya take their boat to for work and seems very good.
4th is Ashdod that we sailed to on a group sail/race. It is an older marina and a bit outside the city. But he rates are somewhat less than Herzliya and Tel Aviv 5th is Ashkelon that we sailed to before leaving. It again is a bit older but very nice with a lot around it on the docks. It was a bit disorganized but the day we got there we met the new harbor master who started his new jot that day and impressed us with a guy who is going to take charge and make it a really nice marina. The problem as I see it is is that it is really far south and getting to anywhere will take some time.
Now for cost. We found it was really not much different than other places we have wintered over except for electricity. We paid less as we only used our heater at night for a few weeks and not all day and night trying to stay warm. It was very comfortable all winter and people there as well as us sailed all winter long. We were surprised about the number of people who sailed every day. If you are a racer - I am not - there is very robust racing community and be prepared to be pushed to the limits to win - these guys are really good sailors.
We of course stayed in Herzliya and if you want a liveaboard community there is really not one but saying that we were invited to we can't remember how many boats for drinks and talk, food, ect. The people really are truly friendly and treat each and every person as family.
Now for visa issues. You get 90 days on arrival. No issue. We left a few weeks after arrival for a visit to the USA and when we came back in there again was no issue. Of course we are full time liveaboards so 90 days just does not do it. We went to immigration in Herzliya and after a couple of questions we got a visa until May 31. No big deal.
The boat also needs a visa. It gets 90 days and then you need to go to Haifa and get some paperwork done and they give you a list of what the boat needs to have on board - we had almost everything - and they will do an inspection. They understand that as boats coming in really capable of sailing the Med or the world and it is a quick inspections. They will require a Israeli number that they will give you but a piece of metal or plastic board with the number on it and put on the bow railing with wire ties works well as it does for a lot of the locals.
The workmanship for boat repairs as we wrote earlier is beyond anything we have seen anywhere. The problem is getting a few things like big parts. It is best to bring them with you as with a lot of the EU the VAT is high. We need a life raft inspection and put that off for someplace else like Gib or Spain.
Finally the weather. It was incredible. We wish we had spent at least 3-4 of our 6 winters in the Med. It was warm, great community, food is wonderful from the cheese to the smoked beef and turkey to great pork ribs and pork chops and bacon, to the fresh veggies all winter long and very plentiful. Cost of food is just a bit higher than Turkey use to be but now about the same and way less than anyplace in the EU. Tel Aviv airport is about an hour away via bus and train and easy to get to.
NOW the big SECURITY - hey we have been to over 70 countries and felt safer in Israel than anyplace we have been. Unfortunatly the 24hours news cycle blows ever thing out of proportion. We traveled all over Israel and that includes the entire West Bank and Ramallah where we walked all over the locals folks knew we were Americans. In addition the people were beyond nice in helping us find our way around from directions on the Golan Heights where we drove to the bus system in Tel Aviv. It also helps to have a phone with directions that have bus ect on it and made it even easier.
Not sure what else I can say but if you want o stay in the cold wet central Med or Turkey you have really missed out on an winter experience that you will not soon forget. As for getting out we chose a difficult that we will would not recommend to anyone and will write about later - Egypt. But to leave it is an easy sail back to Cyprus and then to Turkey or Rhodes or points north. If we go back to Israel we leave via Greece.
Please let us know how we can help if you need more info on wintering in Israel.