Hazard spot
Gulf of Lion
The mistral drops out of the Rhône valley and reaches full force within hours. The sea turns short and high, and anchored boats drag out of the bay.
- Cause
- Strong katabatic winds
- Main season
- October to March
- Position
- 42° 36,0' N 004° 30,0' E
On the map
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How the place works
The mistral drops out of the Rhône valley and reaches full force on the water within a few hours. It often holds for three days, sometimes a week, and over the shallow gulf it builds a short, high sea that forecasts routinely underestimate. The most dangerous part is the transition from land to water: close inshore it looks calm.
What breaks there
Anchored boats drag out of the bays, and in the marinas from Port Camargue to Marseille lines part. Anyone out in a mistral collects damage to rig and cover, and returning to harbour with the wind on the beam is the real moment of risk.
What this means for your policy
Check whether your policy pays the cost when you take extra securing measures for a forecast mistral and nothing happens. That is not a given, and it is exactly the case that arises here several times a year.
Read this in fullCruising range
This spot lies in the cruising range the calculator lists under this step: EU inland waters
Calculate a premium for this cruising range
