Posted by Vic on the main Tunisia page:

Update for Monastir – Tunisia.
We just spent a month here to haul out and do our antifouling.
The boatyard in the Marina was as good as it was last time we were here, hauling us out without any problems. We ended up letting them do the top side cleaning and polishing at a very fair price.
The haul out, pressure wash and three days on the hard, plus cleaning and polishing was 680 DT – that’s around 230 Euros.

One month’s Marina fees for our 12.5m yacht was 185 euros plus water, power and tax.
Checking in was straightforward, although they did ask us to remove the plywood off our water tanks to check underneath. No gift was offered this time and looking back, maybe a small gift would have saved us some work.

There are plenty of security guards around the Marina day and night and other than the odd person walking on to the boat to have his photo taken, we had no problems at all. Most are very honest people, although like anywhere else you have to take care.

The Marina is very clean; two or three times a day the staff would go around and collect any rubbish that’s in the water. It’s the only Marina that I have ever seen the cleaners removing the bins from the post and washing them out!

We weren’t once bothered by shopkeepers trying to get you into their shop and if we did enter they were polite and let us look around without any pressure to buy.

Fuel is very cheap at around 45 cents a litre, so it’s worth buying cans and filling up.
As it happened, the money we saved on fuel will cover our haul out costs!

Vic – bluewater sailor

July 2014 – Monastir Tunisia is a very attractive harbour and a nice marina facility. On entering you’re are overlooked by the very impressive Ribat, the big fort that was built during the Muslim conquest of North Africa to keep the marauding Sicilians and Byzantines at bay. The buildings surrounding the harbour – the restaurants, hotels, and apartments – are all whitewashed with bright blue trim, making the harbour look somewhat like a tiny Greek village. It’s an attractive port.

The facilities are comfortable and the office staff is helpful. Most everyone is friendly and welcoming in Monastir. That said, there is an exception. The customs office is a few doors down from the marina office, and these guys are an unfortunate relic of Tunisia’s past. There is a complete lack of professionalism as these burly officers do board your boat and do ask for “gifts.” Some say it’s just a cultural thing, and others think it harmless, but as Tunisia’s Democratic future progresses, hopefully, the “baksheesh” will be banished for good. If you want to smooth the way in the meantime, carry a small bottle of the cheapest whiskey you can imagine, and offer it to them.

For our 13 meter boat, the mooring was around $30 USD per day including electricity. The price for Diesel is 1.25 Turkish dinars, or € .54 or $.73 per litre, about 1/3 of the cost of our next European fuel fill. Go with empty tanks of you can.

The town of Monastir and the “Medina,” the walled old city with its narrow streets and lively markets, is just a short walk from the marina. Also, a very short walk away is the mausoleum of the founder of Modern Tunisia Habib Bourguiba and his family. It’s pretty impressive and along with the Ribat defines the town.

We travelled in Tunisia during Ramadan, the month-long fasting holiday for Muslims, and I would recommend against that. Many non-tourist restaurants are closed, and the scene is much quieter and less predictable than it would normally be.

Tunisia’s infrastructure needs massive improvement, and the Government is now running in fumes. It’s evident when you see the beautiful beaches and many city streets that are filled with trash and yet no trash cans can be found. This fascinating country, the only survivor of the Arab Spring, and now with a modern and progressive constitution, should see much better days ahead. I think it is well worth a visit for sailors.