LOCVOILIER · Port Corbières and Cassis
Three questions, then a skipper replies on WhatsApp.
The Mediterranean we sail every day is a fragile and precious ecosystem. Posidonia meadows, coves with crystal-clear water, dolphins off the Frioul: that is what you come to see, and that is what we want to preserve.
At LOCVOILIER, we believe you can fully enjoy a boat trip in Marseille while respecting the sea. Here are our commitments and a few simple habits our skippers share with every crew before departure.
Nothing restrictive: these are the habits of every good sailor, and they take nothing away from the pleasure of the trip.
Posidonia is a protected marine plant, unique to the Mediterranean. Its meadows shelter much of underwater life, produce oxygen and protect beaches from erosion. A badly placed anchor tears out in seconds what took centuries to grow.
Anchor on light sand, never on dark patches
A cigarette butt, a wrapper or a tissue thrown overboard takes months, even centuries, to disappear, and often ends up in the stomach of a turtle or a fish. Nothing should end up in the water, even what seems harmless.
A rubbish bag is on board: everything goes back ashore
Dolphins, turtles, groupers, sunfish… Mediterranean wildlife is rich but sensitive to noise and disturbance. Watching without approaching or chasing is the guarantee of seeing it again tomorrow.
Stay at least 100 m from marine mammals, engine at idle
Within 300 metres of the shore, speed is limited to 5 knots. A strong wake endangers swimmers and divers, and stirs up the shallows where young fish live.
5 knots maximum when approaching coves and beaches
On board, fresh water and electricity are limited. Saving them preserves a scarce resource, and also the boat’s autonomy for the whole trip.
Short showers, rinsing with seawater, lights off
Conventional sunscreens, soaps and cleaning products contain substances harmful to marine life, even in small amounts. After a swim, they are what forms the oily film on the surface.
Mineral sunscreen, biodegradable soaps
Posidonia is not seaweed but a flowering plant, found only in the Mediterranean. It forms vast underwater meadows between the surface and a depth of about forty metres. Its rhizome grows only a few centimetres a year: some meadows are several thousand years old, and an anchor can destroy in an instant what nature took centuries to build.
These meadows are essential: they produce oxygen, store carbon, serve as a nursery for many fish and calm the swell. The dead leaves washed up in winter form the banks seen on some beaches: they protect the sand from erosion and must not be removed. In France, Posidonia is a protected species.
To anchor without damaging it, spot the areas of light sand from the boat, let out enough chain and raise the anchor vertically, engine at idle. The DONIA app, presented below, shows the nature of the seabed on the map.
Our trips take place in two marine protected areas, each with its own rules. Knowing them is already sailing in an eco-friendly way.
Created in 2012, between Marseille, Cassis and La Ciotat, it protects the calanques and the Frioul and Riou islands. Speed limited to 5 knots within 300 metres of the shore, music prohibited, towed activities prohibited and seven no-take zones where all fishing is banned.
Established in 1983, it watches over the coast from L’Estaque to Carro. Its reserves at Carry-le-Rouet and Cap-Couronne, marked by yellow buoys, are closed to anchoring, fishing and scuba diving.
The details of these rules, with links to the official sources, are gathered in our boat trip FAQ. The Calanques National Park website also sets out the good practices to adopt.
It is not unusual to meet dolphins off Marseille, and groupers have returned to the protected areas. These encounters are magical, as long as the animals are left in peace.
What seems harmless can remain in the water for centuries. From fastest to slowest:
Indicative durations, varying with temperature, light and water movement. Source: PortsAdvisor. Some plastics never really disappear: they break down into microplastics.
The skipper explains the Park rules, good practices and how things work on board: marine toilets, fresh water, waste sorting.
Our skippers drop anchor on sand and use mooring buoys where they exist.
A rubbish bag is on board: everything is brought back to port and sorted, including anything found floating along the way.
On our sailboats and catamarans, we sail as soon as the wind allows: less noise, less fuel.
Sailing in an eco-friendly way takes nothing away from the pleasure of the trip: it is even what keeps the turquoise coves of the Frioul and the seabed of the Côte Bleue just as beautiful for those who come after us.
We share these habits with every crew, including renters who sail without a skipper: they are reminded at check-in, along with the protected areas on the planned route. And if you have an idea for doing better, tell us: our practices evolve season after season, thanks to feedback from our customers and skippers.
To protect the meadows at the busiest sites, eco-friendly mooring buoys have been installed: the boat ties up without dropping anchor. At Port-Miou, they are reserved for visiting yachtsmen; elsewhere, those installed by the City of Marseille give priority to divers. Yellow buoys mark out zones and are never used for mooring.
Some areas are simply closed to anchoring, in the National Park as on the Côte Bleue, to let the meadows and seabed regenerate. Our skippers know them and choose each anchorage accordingly: all you have to do is enjoy the swim.
The National Park publishes a global anchoring plan and an interactive map of the regulations at sea: the links are gathered in our FAQ. For those who charter without a skipper, it is essential reading before departure.
The Mediterranean is an almost enclosed sea: its waters take a long time to renew, and the waste that enters stays there. Plastic never really disappears: it breaks down into microplastics that fish, turtles and birds swallow, and which end up on our plates.
Much of this waste comes from land: packaging blown by the wind, cigarette butts dropped in the street, balloons released at a party. At sea, every gesture counts: a bag blown off the deck, a bottle forgotten on a beach, a cigarette butt thrown overboard. That is why we ask every crew to bring everything back ashore, and to pick up what we come across along the way when it is safe to do so.
To prepare your trip, also see our safety at sea page and the marine weather in Marseille.
The free DONIA app maps the nature of the seabed to help you anchor away from Posidonia meadows. Our skippers use it every day; if you charter a boat without a skipper, it is the essential tool for choosing your anchorage.
Before every departure, we share these good practices with the crew. Our skippers know the preserved anchorages of the Frioul, the Côte Bleue and the calanques, and take you there naturally, without taking anything away from the pleasure of the trip. A rubbish bag, a reasonable amount of fresh water and a respected seabed: that is how we want to keep sailing for a long time.
Posidonia is a protected species that grows only a few centimetres a year. By scraping the bottom, the anchor and chain tear out mats that took centuries to form. Our skippers always anchor on areas of light sand, spotted by eye and with the DONIA app.
Within 300 metres of the shore, speed is limited to 5 knots. It is a safety rule for swimmers and divers, and a protection for the shallows.
Choose a mineral sunscreen, without chemical filters or nanoparticles, and apply it at least twenty minutes before swimming. A UV T-shirt remains the most effective protection and the kindest to the sea.
The skipper slows down, holds the course and lets the animals come if they wish. We do not chase them, cut across their path or get close: that is the guarantee of a wonderful sighting without disturbing them.
It is a trip that leaves the sea as we found it: anchoring on sand, no waste in the water, reduced speed near the coast, wildlife watched from a distance and products that respect marine life. Our skippers apply these rules on every trip.
Yes. The skipper explains how they work at departure: only the toilet paper provided goes in, never wipes, sanitary towels or cigarette butts, which block the pipes and end up in the sea.
Recreational fishing is regulated, and it is completely prohibited in the no-take zones of the National Park and in the reserves of the Côte Bleue Marine Park. Ask the skipper before putting a line out.
A sailboat under sail uses no fuel, makes almost no noise and does not disturb wildlife. It is also the most beautiful way to discover the coast.
If it can be retrieved safely, we bring it on board and take it back to port. The skipper can manoeuvre to pick it up: it is a small gesture that matters.
A non-aerosol mineral sunscreen limits the impact on marine life. The best thing is still to cover up: UV T-shirt, hat and the shade of the bimini during the hottest hours.
Not everywhere. Some areas are closed to landing to protect seabirds and vegetation, and from 1 June to 30 September access to the hills depends on the fire risk. The skipper checks the day’s situation before dropping you ashore.
No, neither ashore in the calanques nor on the beaches: the fire risk is very high in summer. On board, only the boat’s plancha may be used, under the skipper’s supervision.
Tell the skipper: they alert CROSS Med by VHF or on 196 for pollution at sea, and the stranding network for a mammal or turtle in difficulty. Never touch the animal.
Full day, sunset or longer stay: our skippers show you the most beautiful anchorages in Marseille, with respect for the seabed and wildlife.
Set the right course from the start!
