Castellammare

From CruisersWiki

Castellammare, Sicily, Italy

Castellammare (or, to give it its full name, Castellammare del Golfo) is a small town and harbour lying at the head of the gulf of the same name, around 18 miles SSE of Capo San Vito and 36 W of Palermo in Sicily. Its harbour, known as Cala Marina, is dominated by the Saracen/Norman castle which gives the town its name. The town and harbour make an interesting diversion for smaller yachts cruising along the N coast of the island.

Charts

British Admiralty

2122 - Bizerte to Capo San Marco

Italian

916

Weather

The prevailing wind on the north coast of Sicily during the summer is a NW seabreeze, which rarely gets up much above force 4-5. While infrequent, gales are not unknown during the spring and early summer and send a heavy swell down onto the north coast. In such conditions, Capo San Vito is a fearsome place to round, especially to windward. In winter, the gregale is a strong NE wind that can affect the whole of the island and blow for several days.

Sources for weather forecasts: • There is a continuous (computerised voice) weather forecast on VHF 68 - first in Italian and then followed with an English translation • The same forecast is given in Italian and English on VHF coastal stations following a notification on channel 16 • Navtex weather forecasts are broadcast from stations at Roma, Cagliari (Sardinia) and Augusta (Sicily)

Passages

Popular passages/routes, timing, etc.

Islands

None.

Communication

Also see World Cruiser's Nets.

Navigation

If approaching from N or W, the tall lighthouse on Capo San Vito is visible from several miles off. The low headland on which it stands should be given a clearance of at least a mile, especially if approaching from the direction of Trapani - there are shoals extending ¾ mile N of the cape. In strong winds a very confused sea is raised around the cape, which could be dangerous to a small yacht. The harbour of Castellammare lies at the SW corner of the gulf, protected from N by a long breakwater. The mountain which looms behind it, Monte Inice, is a prominent landmark if approaching from E.

Berthing

The harbour of Cala Marina lies between the town’s ancient castle to the south and the long breakwater extending at right angles to the shoreline. Work is in progress to extend the N breakwater and construct a new short breakwater out from the castle to improve the shelter from E/NE winds (update needed). At present, the harbour is protected from all winds except E/NE and strong winds from that direction would make it very uncomfortable. Within the currently enclosed area are a total of 11 pontoons providing berths for over 600 vessels. Maximum length 12 metres. Depths at the pontoons range from 2.0 metres near the shore to 5.0 metres at the outer end. Laid moorings on all pontoons.

Note: The pontoons are all run by separate enterprises and berthing here is only available from 1 March to 30 October.

Club Nautico offered good service and facilities (WiFi in the little cabin) toilet, Elec. and Water (non-potable) €50 in Oct 2016 for 13M good shelter and protection from the swell. Tel: +39 092432511, www.clubnauticodelgolfo.com, email: [email protected]. Oct 2016 RockoOne

Marinas & Yacht Clubs

None.

Anchorages

The nearest anchorage is at San Vito lo Capo (settled weather only).

Yacht Repairs and Services

Marine Stores

Submit addresses and contact details of marine related businesses that are of interest to cruisers.

Repairs/Yards

None.

Fuel, Water, & Electricity

Fuel station on the quay to N of the pontoons (0800 - 2000). Water and electricity on the pontoons.

Things to do Ashore

Tourism

The old town above the castle is pleasant to walk around, with narrow alleys, steep steps and bridges. The castle itself has a small fishing museum inside which can be visited. The town is also a useful base for a visit to the beautiful Doric temple of Segesta around half an hour inland by car or taxi. For beach enthusiasts, there are some excellent beaches to the east of the town, reachable by bus during the summer.

Grocery & Supply Stores

Reasonable provisions shops in the town.

Eateries=

Restaurants in the town square. Pizza restaurant near the pontoons.

Internet/WiFi=

No.

Laundry

Motorbike & Car Rentals

Garbage Disposal

Bins close to the pontoons.

Transportation

• Buses to Palermo

Friends

Contact details of "Cruiser's Friends" that can be contacted for local information or assistance.

Forums

List links to discussion threads on partnering forums. (see link for requirements)

Links

• Castellammare at the Wikipedia

References & Publications

See Italy.

Comments

We welcome users' contributions to the Wiki. Please click on Comments to view other users' comments, add your own personal experiences or recommend any changes to this page following your visit.

Verified by

Date of member's last visit to Castellammare and this page's details validated:

• Data compiled from web research (please update if possible) --Athene of Lymington 15:33, 10 November 2010 (UTC)
• Oct 2016 RockoOne

This page has an outline in place but needs completing. Please contribute if you can to help it grow further. Click on Comments to suggest further content or alternatively, if you feel confident to edit this page, click on the edit tab at the top and enter your changes directly.

Contributors to this page
Names: Lighthouse, Athene of Lymington