Reading the marine forecast before renting a boat on the Côte d’Azur
Before renting, read the Météo-France coastal forecast: “Saint-Raphaël – Menton” for the Côte d’Azur, “Port-Camargue – Saint-Raphaël” for Saint-Tropez. Above force 5 (17 knots), a trip in a small boat becomes uncomfortable; a near-gale warning (force 7) or a gale warning (force 8) means staying in harbour. At sea, VHF channels 63 and 64 broadcast the forecast continuously.
Which forecast to read, and where
| Area | Météo-France coastal forecast |
|---|---|
| Saint-Tropez, Sainte-Maxime, Fréjus | Port-Camargue – Saint-Raphaël |
| From Saint-Raphaël to Menton | Saint-Raphaël – Menton |
The coastal forecast covers the sea up to 20 nautical miles offshore; it is issued three times a day and covers seven days (Météo-France marine guide). At sea, the CROSS announces it on channel 16 and then broadcasts it; channels 63 and 64 play it on a loop (DIRM Méditerranée), and Monaco Radio broadcasts it in French and English on channel 23 (Marine guide). By phone: 32 50, until 31 March 2027 (Météo-France).
The Beaufort scale and warnings
| Force | Name | Mean wind | For a rental boat |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Moderate breeze | 11 to 16 knots | Choppy sea in places: trip possible, take care in a small boat. |
| 5 | Fresh breeze | 17 to 21 knots | Uncomfortable, even risky, in a small boat. |
| 6 | Strong breeze | 22 to 27 knots | Do not set out. The Villefranche ZMEL requires boats to leave the buoys at force 6. |
| 7 | Near gale | 28 to 33 knots | Near-gale warning (BMS). |
| 8 | Gale | 34 to 40 knots | Gale warning (BMS). |
The speeds are those of the mean wind: gusts exceed it by 40 to 50%. A special weather bulletin (BMS) is issued as soon as the wind reaches or is expected to reach force 7; it is “in progress”, “imminent” (within 3 hours) or “expected” at a given time, and the CROSS broadcasts it every hour (Météo-France marine guide).
The mistral
The mistral blows from the west along the Var coast; it only reaches the Côte d’Azur when the low-pressure system lies north of the Gulf of Genoa. Mean wind of around 50 km/h, gusts of 80 to 100 km/h, over several days, sometimes more than a week, in dry, sunny weather (Météo-France). A blue sky therefore tells you nothing about the sea: the forecast is what counts. Saint-Tropez harbour describes the baie des Canoubiers as sheltered from the east, south and west, but exposed to the mistral (Saint-Tropez harbour).
The levant, the marin, the libeccio
- Levant (east): moderate to strong, humid, overcast skies and rain, especially from late autumn to spring.
- Marin (south-east): generally strong and steady, sometimes violent, especially in spring and autumn.
- Libeccio (south-west): warm and dry on the Côte d’Azur.
- Gregale (north-east): cold and dry.
Source: Météo-France, regional winds. In an easterly wind, some harbour entrances become tricky: Cannes Marina describes itself as sheltered from all winds, but with “very tricky access in a strong easterly wind” (Cannes Marina).
Summer breezes and thunderstorms
In summer, the sea breeze picks up in late morning or around midday and strengthens in the afternoon, averaging 15 to 30 km/h, sometimes up to 50 km/h; the land breeze blows mainly at night (Météo-France). A calm morning therefore does not guarantee a calm return: plan to be back before mid-afternoon if the forecast mentions a breeze.
Thunderstorms at sea, which are hard to predict, often break out in late afternoon under cumulonimbus clouds, with shifting wind gusts and squalls that cut visibility (Météo-France marine guide): at the first dark cloud building up, head back.
Deciding: go, cut short or stay
- Go: force 4 at most forecast for the whole trip, no warning in force.
- Cut short: breeze forecast in the afternoon, mistral or levant strengthening — choose an anchorage sheltered from the forecast wind, close to the harbour.
- Stay: force 5 or more for a small boat, near-gale or gale warning, thunderstorms forecast.
The rental company knows its waters: if it advises against going out, follow its advice. See also Coves and anchorages for the exposure of each stop.
Frequently asked questions
Which marine forecast for the Côte d’Azur?
The Météo-France coastal forecast “Saint-Raphaël – Menton”, and “Port-Camargue – Saint-Raphaël” for Saint-Tropez. At sea, VHF channels 63 and 64 broadcast it continuously.
At what wind strength should you not go out in a rental boat?
In a small boat, force 5 (17 knots) is already uncomfortable; at force 7, Météo-France issues a near-gale warning, and you stay in harbour.
Does the mistral blow on the Côte d’Azur?
It blows from the west along the Var coast and only reaches the Côte d’Azur when the low-pressure system is north of the Gulf of Genoa, with gusts of 80 to 100 km/h.
Official sources
- Météo-France — marine weather
- Météo-France — 2025 marine guide
- DIRM Méditerranée — broadcasting of forecasts and warnings
- Météo-France — the mistral
- Météo-France — regional winds
- Météo-France — breezes
- Météo-France — telephone forecast lines
Sources consulted on 26 September 2026. This guide helps you prepare a trip; it replaces neither the texts in force, nor the rental company’s instructions, nor the day’s weather forecast.