Marseille marine weather: live wind, swell and AIS traffic

Before every trip, our skippers check the Marseille marine weather on this page. It brings together what you need to look at when leaving from Port Corbières, in L’Estaque: the wind measured right now, animated on the map of the harbour, its hour-by-hour forecast, the Windy map of wind and waves, and the AIS radar showing vessels under way around Marseille.

Further down, you will find our skipper’s tips: how the mistral, the easterly and the thermal breeze behave on the Côte Bleue, in the harbour and around the Frioul islands, and the list of checks to make before casting off.

The Windy map displays the European ECMWF model, one of the most reliable for the Mediterranean. Drag the timeline at the bottom to see how the wind will develop over the coming hours and days, and change layers to show gusts, waves or swell. The detail panel gives the forecasts for Port Corbières.

The MarineTraffic AIS map shows the position of vessels that broadcast an AIS signal: merchant ships, ferries, cruise liners, tugs and some pleasure boats. It helps spot a ferry getting under way or a cargo ship at anchor, but never replaces a visual lookout: many small boats do not transmit.

The Marseille coastline changes with the wind. Knowing which area is sheltered lets you choose your programme and, often, still go sailing in a fresh wind.

The Côte Bleue, from L’Estaque to Carry-le-Rouet

From Port Corbières, the Côte Bleue unfolds its calanques: Niolon, Méjean, La Redonne, Carry. Facing south, it is sheltered from the mistral, which arrives over land: the sea stays flat near the shore, even when the wind blows hard offshore. It is our favourite playground, wilder and less crowded than the calanques of Cassis.

The north harbour and L’Estaque

Between Port Corbières and the Vieux-Port, the north harbour is protected by the port’s breakwaters. You meet ferries and merchant ships there: this is where the AIS map is most useful.

The Frioul islands

Ratonneau and Pomègues, twenty minutes away by boat, offer coves that are sheltered depending on the wind: the north side in an easterly, the south side in a moderate mistral. The passage between the islands and the coast can be rough when the wind opposes the swell.

The south harbour, Les Goudes and Riou

From Pointe Rouge to Les Goudes, the coast is more exposed to the easterly and the south-easterly swell. Beyond lies the Calanques National Park, with the Riou archipelago, very exposed to the mistral.

Marseille is France’s leading port: ferries to Corsica and North Africa, cruise liners, container ships and tankers cross the harbour, as well as the Frioul shuttles and thousands of pleasure boats in summer. These ships are fast, manoeuvre little and have difficulty seeing small craft.

The AIS radar lets you know who is coming, how fast and where to. A few simple rules apply: keep clear of the access channels and harbour entrances, never cross ahead of a vessel manoeuvring, and keep a particular eye on ferries leaving at the end of the day. AIS is compulsory on merchant ships but optional on pleasure craft: a sailboat or a RIB may be absent from the map.

Reading the sea from Port Corbières

Even before opening an app, the sea gives clues. From the Port Corbières breakwater, look out to sea: plenty of white horses beyond the breakwaters signal at least force 5, a dark line advancing across the water signals an approaching gust. In a mistral, the sea can look calm in the port while the wind is blowing hard a mile offshore: trust the live measurement and the forecast gusts, not the look of the basin. Finally, watch the sky: lens-shaped clouds above the hills often signal the wind strengthening in the hours ahead. Always cross-check these observations with the day’s forecasts before deciding.

To follow a particular boat, especially during a delivery, we also use our own boat tracking, independent of AIS.