Rent a boat and sail through the Grado lagoon without a boat licence or escort? That's possible here at Tenuta Primero. So that you know how the wind blows - or rather, how the duck swims - we have put together some useful and interesting information for you. And don't worry: when you hand over your boat, the harbour master at Marina Primero will give you a comprehensive introduction.
Boating without a licence: A little ABC for lagoon pirates
The Grado lagoon at a glance
It is quite large, our lagoon. Namely, a whole 90 square kilometres. The Grado lagoon also has a 17-kilometre-long coastline that stretches from Porto Buso to the Canale Isonzato in Fossalon. We call the part of the lagoon to the west of the road connecting it to the mainland "palù de sora", and the part to the east "palù de soto". The Grades lagoon waters are calm, but not particularly deep. At high tide, the water is just 80 centimetres deep. On the other hand, our lagoon is a real "island kingdom", there are more than a hundred islands and islets here, the most famous "mota" bears the name "Safòn"; according to Pasolini, this is the mystical home of the centaur Cheiron. So it's worth watching (again) the 1969 film "Medea" with Maria Callas.
Of "batela" and "casoni"
Pier Paolo Pasolini was not the only one who once appreciated the raw beauty of the lagoon, the primitive way of life of the fishermen's families. Today more than ever, anyone who can call one of the "casoni", the fishermen's huts woven together from mud and reeds, their own, can count themselves lucky. Most of the Grades casoni are privately owned and used as holiday homes. It is considered impolite to simply moor up like this. If you ask our Tenuta Primero concierge Tommy, he will give you a lagoon timetable and tell you which lagoon island even has a restaurant. Speaking of timetables: The fairways (or waterways) in the Grado lagoon are marked with so-called dolphins (high wooden posts). Anyone who moves outside these waterways will almost certainly run aground. Speaking of safety: even though it is very tempting to press the accelerator with our boats, we highly recommend taking it easy. Because in the lagoon there are not only numerous water birds, but also other vehicles. And there is not always an experienced local at the helm of the typical fishing boats called "batela". In any case, it doesn't hurt to have a genuine Grades sailor like our harbour master explain the basics of boating to you on site, because after all, no master has ever fallen from the sky. In the lagoon, however, there is.
