Cruising eastern Med Greece/Turkey

[ QUOTE ]
Errrm. I think Portugal requires regular reports on your movements

[/ QUOTE ]No Jim, that requirement was abolished in 1998. You can now move freely around Portugese ports.

Greece is the only country that still flaunts EU rules and requires you to report in and out of every Greek port. That this rule is irregularly implemented just makes it worse. You do not know what to expect. The basic regulation is explained on this Greek government web site

Greek Port Procedure Regulation
 
[ QUOTE ]
No Jim, that requirement was abolished in 1998. You can now move freely around Portugese ports.

[/ QUOTE ]That's what we were told by the Portuguese authorities when we entered in 2005 however we were also told that if we were anchoring in places such as Isola Culatra we would need to report to the local police (how the dickens can you do that in Culatra?). It didn't make any sense to us and we spent a week in Culatra without any problems, but there is still a question mark over Portugal.
 
<<< and requires you to report in and out of every Greek port. >>>

They don't. The requirement is, as I think Jim said above, to have the transit log stamped once per month. There are notices to this effect at the clearing-in ports and most Port Police will advise the same. Port Police will often ask for the document but that is simply because all the yacht details are written there in Greek and in the form they prefer.
 
I'm afraid the basic regulation is not described in that tourist office document, which, among other errors, doesn't differentiate between EU and foreign flagged yachts. It still quotes a need for a transit document. A transit document is only required for non-EU registered craft.

The 'bulletin' of harbours visited is required for EU flagged craft over 10m (including Greek craft), and is only required to be stamped when entering the country, or at less than 30 day intervals, or when requested. It's rather less intrusive than the proposed UK e-borders scheme.

I understand that Portuguese reporting is now handled directly by the marina offices, so is no longer intrusive. Except, of course, when visiting 'out of marina' places - when it can't be implemented anyway.
 
Jim, you are basically saying that the Greek laws (as expressed on a government web site) are not applicable and your own interpretion of the rules are instead the correct version. End of story. Very strange, not sure I can accept that. You are exposing the very flexibility (using a postive word) of the Greek rules. There are not really any clear rules; it is interpreted differently on every island. You are at the mercy of the local Port Police interpretation of the rules wherever you are. The '30 day rule' seems to be in operation in the Ionian, but it is totally unknown in the Dodecanese.

My position would be to try to adhere to the basic rule of 'stamp in and out of every harbour'. It is very cumbersome, but it could keep you out of some serious trouble.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Jim, you are basically saying that the Greek laws (as expressed on a government web site) are not applicable and your own interpretion of the rules are instead the correct version. End of story. Very strange, not sure I can accept that.

[/ QUOTE ]Not that strange, LJ. He's probably been following all your posts over the last couple of years in which you challenge the accuracy of government websites and tell us that what we need is an 'expert'!!

/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
Jim, you are basically saying that the Greek laws (as expressed on a government web site) are not applicable and your own interpretion of the rules are instead the correct version.

[/ QUOTE ] A strange interpretation of my post. I'm saying that the Greek tourist department web site does not correctly reflect Greek maritime law.

And there's a sub-plot, which is that Greek maritime law is no longer enforced for leisure vessels, and for them there is 'recommended practice' for port police officials which I have quoted.
 
____________________________________________________
The '30 day rule' seems to be in operation in the Ionian, but it is totally unknown in the Dodecanese.
____________________________________________________

Hi LJ,

That wasn't our experience last year. We found the '30 day practice' to be very much in evidence in the Dodecanese. In one island I had to virtually wrestle the officials to the ground to get them to bother to stamp the document at all! (when we were only at about 21 days).

Cheers,

Bob
 
This is all very confusing.
I have a boat in Turkey ( red duster and SSR) but not EU tax paid, I can renew transit log up to a total time in Turkish waters of 5 years, then need to take out of Turkish water and re-enter via designated port. This is not a problem as in reality you just tell Bodrum (in my case) that you are leaving for foreign waters and will be back in a day or so. Then two days later make a new declaration. They do not exactly follow you out to international waters. My boat prior to purchase had overstayed its welcome and a small fine was paid and new 5 years granted.

Now to my confusion with Greece, I have been told by one reliable source that as I fly the red duster and have SSR I can pop in and out for a couple of days without problem, after all Greek islands are just a couple of hours away.
However another reliable source (I hate that phrase) states that as I am not EU tax paid I will be hit for EU VAT the minute I set foot in Greece.
Still very confusticated.
 
[ QUOTE ]
However another reliable source (I hate that phrase) states that as I am not EU tax paid I will be hit for EU VAT the minute I set foot in Greece.


[/ QUOTE ] He left out the 'if'. If they detect you're not VAT paid.

On entry to Greece from Turkey, you fly the Q. When they first issue docs, there is a chance that officials will ask if VAT is paid (not very common). Don't say 'yes', since you'll have to prove it has been paid. Say 'no', and then you'll be issued with a short term transit document, the same style as as a non-EU flagged boat. Or that's what my Pylos Port Police friend just told me, since I happen to be here.

He also said that quite a few officials would be flummoxed . . . since he had to look it up in his 'book of practice' and it wasn't easy to find. It came under a section called 'British Exceptions' - Channel islands, Gibraltar (out of date!), Isle of Man! and 'sail-away' - whatever that is.

JimB
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top