Posted 2009-11-19

Ashkelon is generally regarded as a stop-off between Suez and the rest of the Med. However, it is most congenial as a wintering spot particularly now with the stepped prices increases in Turkish marinas and the confusion over transit logs and agents fees.

Israel does not levy charges for visas or cruising permits though there is a NIS70 departure tax.

In good conditions, it can take as little as two to three days to reach southern Turkey or vice versa. The voyage can be broken up with stops in northern Israel such as Acre, Beirut (southbound!) and Cyprus.

The friendliness and helpfulness of the marina staff are well known and commented upon. I found that they really did “go the extra mile” to assist me, which included finding someone to come to the marina to help sort out problems I was having with a Wi-Fi connection and driving me into town to find banks and the post office. In addition, I was touched by the hospitality and generosity of the local boat owners. Through them, I crewed on a race from Ashkelon to Haifa, went on a hiking expedition to Golan, stayed on a moshava, and attended a bar mitzvah on a kibbutz.

Reasonableness of the marina fees and haulout prices of Turkey going up. Initially, I was taken aback by food prices but soon discovered that by shopping at the excellent fresh produce market in Migdal (the old part of Ashkelon) and the surrounding supermarkets, the price of a shopping basket of groceries was not a lot more than Turkey. In the Migdal area, there is an immense variety of food stores including Russian supermarkets which are non-kosher, selling products like pork, ham, and bacon as well as caviar and vodka!

Migdal is some distance from the marina but there is a No 3 bus going there every half hour which passes in front of the marina; ticket price $1,20. There are three grocery stores next to the marina which sells an adequate range of food and household products if there is not enough time to get into town. Two of them are open during Shabbat.

A common comment about Ashkelon is that there are no chandleries there. Whilst this is true, it is not a major problem as there are plenty of hardware stores in and around Migdal and the boatyard stocks an ample range of consumables needed for anti-fouling and annual maintenance. For more specialized chandlery the marina management and the yard have catalogs and delivery can usually be made in less than two working days. In addition, Israel has an efficient postal service so parts can be imported speedily with minimal hassle.

Ashkelon is a good point for visiting the rest of Israel. Jerusalem and Tel Aviv can be reached by bus, which is frequent and cheap. It is easily possible to do day trips to the great historical sites of Jerusalem. To travel further afield Ashkelon Marina has a concessionary arrangement with a car rental service for $30 per day. It is also possible to visit Petra by either driving or taking a car to Eilat and crossing into Jordan from there.

Maurice Wainwright

Posted 2009-12-11

Message:

We are in Ashkelon Marina since the middle of October 2009 and will stay there for the winter. The comment of Maurice Wainwright is true in all positions but he forgot the wonderful sandy beach directly at both sides of the marina. We recommend this marina especially because of the more than friendly staff.

The town is about 4 km away but you reach it easily by bus. We will visit Jerusalem 60 km and other interesting places and you can go in one hour by bus to Tel Aviv. Ashkelon is not possible to be compared with Herzliya but the costs are the half. I think there is not a lot of liveaboard most foreigns leave for the winter.

Eric Lauter

Captain Motoryacht “Spirit of Freedom”