August 2014.

For our sail from Valencia, Spain to Limassol, Cyprus, we scheduled a stop in Tunisia to take advantage of the favourable diesel (gas oil) pricing. Bizerte, being the most northerly port, would not take us too far off our most direct route.

In our Nauticat 515, Big Sky, we have sailed to various Tunisian ports in the past and on one of our land trips had driven past the almost finished marina in Bizerte; only one sailboat appeared to be docked there then. The Bizerte marina website http://www.marinabizerte.com/ looked very impressive and promising, but some negative comments on Noonsite made me cautious.

Below is the verbatim e-mail correspondence between Bizerte marina/agent including the excessive prices they wanted to charge us; draw your own conclusions.

We stopped in Kelibia instead, cleared in ourselves, customs nor port police levied any charges (on previous trips to Monastir we have paid a small amount for stamp duty etc). Harbour fees in Kelibia were 33 euro a night including power, but no water, and we did fill up with Diesel/GO at 56 euro cents a litre with customs official watching.

At the end of this report, I have also included e-mails from Hammamet and Monastir Marinas confirming pricing for these ports.

Correspondence with Bizerte Marina

Arrival & Departure Date: August 15th 2014

Boat Length: 13.89 m

Boat Width: 4.6 m

Please advise cost for 2 nights and also if the marina is now fully functional. We will need to clear in also, please advise cost for Canadian flagged monohull sailboat with 2 people on board.

Do we need an agent or can we clear in ourselves (we have experience having been to Kelibia and Monastir and other places in Tunisia)?

Is fuel available at the marina and what is the cost per litre?

Thanks for your help, and sorry we do not have a phone number.

Reply from Bizerte

Thank you for the interest regarding our Marina and you know probably that the works are still in progress and we are not opened at present but we can welcome you alongside on the central quay (without electricity and water).

I let you check conditions directly with our agent Captain Haythem DAMMAK

His contact : Mob +216 24 750 950

E-Mail: dammak.haithem26@gmail.com

Received the following e-mail from Captain Dammak

Kindly note that relative fees for your passage throw our Marina will be the following:

– Port staying for one day = 65 EUR (One calendar day from 00H00 to 24H00. Any part of one calendar day is considered as 1 full port day).

– Custom clearance in/out = 100 EUR (if clearance paper not requested 50 EUR)

– Immigration Clearance in/out = 100 EUR (if clearance paper not requested 50 EUR)

– Agency fees = 70 EUR

TO BE PAID ON ARRIVAL.

Freshwater supply = Free of charge

Watchman & mooring assistance = Free of charge

Garbage removal = Free of charge

GO supply by mini track = 0.90 EUR/Liter (Please advise requested quantity)

Any additional service can be arranged.

The legal working week is Monday to Friday. Time zone is GMT+1. Please update your ETA accordingly.

Waiting for your confirmation.

B. Regards,

Capt H. DAMMAK

Our reply to Capt. Dammak

Dear Captain Dammak,

I am writing to you to further discuss the charges you are proposing. If I do the calculation correctly, the total charges for a 1-night stay (for which you charge 2 days), would amount to 400 Euro. With proper clearing in and out and your agency fee, this makes Bizerte the most expensive harbour in all of the Med, at least by my recollection.

Common rates for Tunisia are around 35 euro a night (and that is arriving on one day and leaving the next day), and include water and power, and in a completely finished and operational marina.

Perhaps I gave you incorrect information or you calculated the cost for a much larger vessel than ours, please be so kind as to clarify.

Also, please note that diesel (gas oil) sells for 56 euro cents a litre in Kelibia, 67 cents in Hammamet and 52 cents in Monastir. Why are the charges in Bizerte so high?

I look forward to your reply,

A subsequent reply from Capt. Dammak

Dear Captain,

The best for you is to Adjust your arrival early morning and leave the same day. You have to pay 100 EUR lumpsum including agency fees to be paid on arrival. Regarding immigration and custom clearance fees, you can discuss the dues with them. According to my experience, they will not accept less than 100 EUR each. If you are able to do better congratulation.

On the other side, if you are coming only for tourism without paper, 20 EUR each it’s enough.

As you see, in all this operation despite all the work to be done will get only 35 EUR including overtime.

Regarding GO, the indicated prices are onshore prices variable according to parity EURO/DINAR. The selling of such GO is prohibited by custom regulation for the foreign flag and if it was already done certainly with the complicity of a corrupt customs officer. Legal Offshore price is 0.9 EUR/Liter.

At your disposal for further information.

Best Regards,

Capt H. DAMMAK

Rates and Information from  Monastir Marina:

Please find below the daily rate for Big Sky :

54,920 DT / high season (until 30/09/2014)

45,870 DT / low season (from 01/10/2014)

Price for gas oil is 1,170 DT/ litre

Best regards

Jalel BEN SALEM

Captain

Rates and Information from Hammamet Marina:

We have the pleasure to inform you that we have space for your sailing yacht for the period requested. Our daily rate is 75 Tnd (~ 34 euros), water and electricity are included.

We confirm availability of diesel fuel in the marina and it costs 1,5 Tnd (~ 0,67 euro) per litre.

To proceed to a reservation, we invite you to fill up the reservation form in our site “http://www.portyasmine.com.tn/en/location/inscription.asp”.

Best regards.

The capitainerie.

Report from Con Sprenger of SY Big Sky

Related content

Bizerte

Kelibia

Monastir