Hauling out in Tunisia: the ports and their lifts
Thirteen ports where a yacht can be hauled out, from north to south. For each: the published lift, whether it is a port of entry, and the source with its date.
The YK Marine team7 min read
In brief
- From north to south, thirteen ports where a yacht can be hauled out.
- Published capacities range from 20 t to 250 t; many figures are more than ten years old.
- In Tabarka, the YK Marine travel hoist lifts up to 160 t and 35 m, and you can stay aboard ashore.
In Tunisia, a yacht can be hauled out in about a dozen ports, from Tabarka in the north-west to Djerba in the south. The lifts range from a crane of a few tonnes to 250 t travel lifts in the fishing ports. This guide lists them with the published capacity and the date of each source.
This guide is published by YK Marine, the boatyard in the port of Tabarka. The figures for other ports come from public sources: cruising guides, official sites and sailors' reports. Many are old or contradict each other. Check with the port before you go.
The ports, from north to south
| Port | Published lift | Port of entry | Source and date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tabarka | 160 t travel hoist, boats from 6 to 35 m (YK Marine yard) | Yes | ykmarine.net, 2026 |
| Bizerte, Zarzouna fishing port | 100 to 110 t travel lift; a 250 t mobile hoist announced by APIP | Yes, at Bizerte marina | Noonsite 2006, ONTT 2016, APIP 2020 |
| Bizerte, business park (W Magic, Squalt) | 260 t travel lift and 250 t slipway; large build and refit yards | Yes, at Bizerte marina | Allied Yachting, undated |
| Gammarth | Crane lifts for boats of 6.6 to 20 m; a 50 t travel lift is mentioned | Yes | Official 2026 tariff; Figaro Nautisme, undated |
| Sidi Bou Saïd | 20 to 26 t travel lift depending on the source; marina refurbishment launched in 2025 | According to ONTT | Noonsite 2006 to 2010, ONTT 2016 |
| Kélibia, fishing port | 110 t to 250 t travel lift depending on the source | Yes | Noonsite 2006 and 2016, Figaro Nautisme |
| Yasmine Hammamet | 150 t travel lift, 40 t crane, 9,000 m² hard standing | Yes | ONTT 2016, port website, Cruising Association 2024 |
| Port El Kantaoui | 20 to 40 t travel lift; in 2017, no lift for large boats | Yes | ONTT 2016, Noonsite 2009, Figaro Nautisme 2017 |
| Monastir, marina | 30 to 50 t travel lift, boats up to about 15 m (50 ft) | Yes | Marina website, Noonsite 2024 |
| Monastir, fishing port | Travel lift up to 250 t, catamarans | Yes, at the marina | Marina website, Noonsite 2024 |
| Mahdia, fishing port | 250 t travel lift mentioned | Yes | Figaro Nautisme, undated |
| Sfax | 150 to 250 t gantries mentioned; the commercial port does not take yachts | Yes | Noonsite 2005, Figaro Nautisme |
| Djerba, Houmt Souk | 40 t travel lift at the fishing port, private yard; no lift at the marina | Yes | Figaro Nautisme, Sea-seek |
Older guides give other figures for the port of Tabarka. The YK Marine travel hoist lifts 160 t, for boats from 6 to 35 m.
The north: Tabarka, Bizerte, Gammarth, Sidi Bou Saïd
Tabarka is often the first Tunisian port for a yacht arriving from Sardinia. It is a port of entry: customs, police, the National Guard and the port authority (APIP) are on the same quay. At the YK Marine yard, the travel hoist lifts up to 160 t: sailing yachts, catamarans, motorboats and RIBs from 6 to 35 m. You can stay aboard ashore, day and night. Space is limited, afloat and on the hard.
In Bizerte, yachts are hauled out at the Zarzouna fishing port, about a mile from the marina. The yards in the Bizerte and Menzel Bourguiba business park focus on boatbuilding and large refits.
In Gammarth, the marina publishes its 2026 lifting tariff by length, from 6.6 to 20 m, with 50 % more for multihulls. In Sidi Bou Saïd, the lift is small and repairs on site are limited.
Cap Bon and the Sahel: Kélibia, Hammamet, El Kantaoui, Monastir
Kélibia is a fishing port with a large travel lift, used first by the fishing fleet. At Yasmine Hammamet, the marina yard is run by the Rodriguez group, with a large hard standing.
Monastir is the best-documented haul-out place in Tunisia. The marina yard suits boats up to about 15 m. Catamarans and larger boats go to the fishing port, one or two miles away, where the travel lift goes up to 250 t. According to 2024 reports, you can live aboard ashore there and do the work yourself or hire contractors.
The south: Mahdia, Sfax, Djerba
Further south, the large lifts are in the fishing ports, built first for fishing boats. Information for yachts is scarce and often old. Call the port before you sail there.
What a haul-out costs
In the fishing ports run by APIP, Tabarka included, lifting is charged per gross ton (tx) shown on the boat's papers. In Tabarka, a port quote from October 2026 gives:
- hoisting (haul-out and relaunch): 20 TND per tx, plus a 50 TND fixed fee;
- hard standing: 1 TND per tx per day;
- berthing: 1 TND per metre per day.
For a boat of 10 tx, hoisting and the fixed fee cost 250 TND, about €75. The yard's work is quoted separately. Private marinas publish their own tariffs, as Gammarth does for 2026.
What to check before you choose
- Capacity: your boat's weight, and for a catamaran, its beam between the legs of the lift.
- Staying ashore: can you stay aboard? For how long?
- The work: does the yard do the work, or only the lift?
- The quote: in writing, before work starts.
- Formalities: if you arrive from abroad, is the port a port of entry?
Sources
- Tunisian National Tourism Office, yachting catalogue, 2016.
- Noonsite, Tunisia, port pages and sailors' reports, 2005 to 2024.
- Noonsite, Monastir boatyards, July 2024.
- Marina Cap Monastir, presentation.
- Port Yasmine Hammamet, boatyard.
- Port Marina Gammarth, tariffs, 2026.
- Allied Yachting, Bizerte marina.
- L’Économiste Maghrébin, APIP equipment, November 2020.
- Figaro Nautisme, Bloc Marine, port sheets (here Kélibia).
Has something changed in a port? Write to [email protected] and we will update this page.
Haul-out in Tabarka160 t travel hoist, boats from 6 to 35 m, monohulls and catamarans.
