Cruising plan for 2017 and where to leave boat next winter?

[MedMilo]

Central/Eastern Med - cruising plan for 2017 and where to leave boat next winter?

I know Hurricane recently started a similar thread but I'd be grateful for any specific tips in relation to our cruising plan for next season.

Milo (2015 Squadron 65 with stabilisers, water maker etc) is currently based in Mahon - in 2016 we cruised to Sardinia, Corsica, Elba, Tuscany. The plan was always to return her to Cala D'or to get the last of the warranty work done (two year warranty expires April '17).

The plan for next season is to spend the summer cruising east with a view to this time leaving her somewhere in the Eastern Med as we won't need to return to the Balearics as our warranty period will be over. In a nutshell from early June '17 to end Sept we'll go Mahon, Cagliari, Palermo, north coast Sicily to eastern side of Sicily.

In 2018 we'd like to explore the Ionian (Corfu, Paxos, Kefallonia, etc) so we need to think about where to leave Milo at the end of 2017. Gouvia Marina (Corfu) seems very good but there are no winter flights so is a non-starter - I like to visit the boat every 6 weeks or so throughout the winter. Other options seem to be Malta or Porto Montenegro, but PM's quite a trek up from eastern Sicily and would be better for the following season. Does anyone have any other experience/suggestions for a winter marina around Sicily or Ionian? Key criteria are modern, safe marina with good boat services/guardiennage and regular direct winter flights… Is Malta a sensible option?

Also, any top cruising tips on south Sardinia (Cagliari area) and Sicily would be hugely valuable as I don't know these areas at all! We'll likely have about a month (June) in and around Cagliari and two months (July/August) cruising from Palermo to wherever we end up overwintering.

Thank you!

 

[Momac]

Re: Central/Eastern Med - cruising plan for 2017 and where to leave boat next winter?

In 2018 we'd like to explore the Ionian (Corfu, Paxos, Kefallonia, etc) so we need to think about where to leave Milo at the end of 2017. Gouvia Marina (Corfu) seems very good but there are no winter flights so is a non-starter - I like to visit the boat every 6 weeks or so throughout the winter.

I just searched and there appear to be flights Heathrow to Athens and separate flights Athens to Corfu in January.
https://www.skyscanner.net/transpor...&inboundaltsenabled=true&ref=day-view#results

 

[oGaryo]

Re: Central/Eastern Med - cruising plan for 2017 and where to leave boat next winter?

Sorry I cannot help but would appreciate a report on your travels as I used to go to Sardinia in my early 20's for 6 years running when working in the Royal Air Force based near Decimomannu often going into town (the bars along the via Roma in Cagliari if I recall correctly?).. also made trips up to what was a sparsely populated area with beautiful beaches near Alghero.. wonderful island and hope it hasn't changed too much since the 80's.. I suspect the Pizza Giganticas with whole shell crabs are no longer on the menu, hopefully I'm wrong

 

[MapisM]

Re: Central/Eastern Med - cruising plan for 2017 and where to leave boat next winter?

any top cruising tips on south Sardinia (Cagliari area)

Did you already see this epic Hurricane thread, by chance?
If not, that's a great place to start - but for anything more specific, just ask.
After having been based in S Sardinia for a whole decade, I can safely say that I know it like the back of my hand by now...!

Just one note ref. Cagliari area: while the town is indeed interesting and lively, from a cruising standpoint is not the best that the southern Sardinian coast has to offer.
Either the SW (Carloforte, where I am based) or the SE (Villasimius) are the areas blessed with the nicest spots, from a boating viewpoint.
Cagliari can be convenient if you wish to leave the boat there for some time and you need to fly back and forth frequently.
But only as long as you don't mind a bit of cruising to reach some nice spots - which otoh in the SW and SE are literally round the corner from the marinas.

Your plan sounds great anyway, and also the other places you mentioned are beautiful. You will surely enjoy a fantastic summer! :encouragement:

 

[Hurricane]

Re: Central/Eastern Med - cruising plan for 2017 and where to leave boat next winter?

I definitely agree with MAPISM.
We loved our trip down to Carloforte where he is based.
We had intended cruising a bit further down to Cagliari but San Pietro / Carloforte was so nice we didn't see the need to go any further.
For me, the problem with your time schedule is that you wouldn't spend the best time of the year around Carloforte.
The marina at Carloforte isn't particularly modern but it is safe and the local cruising is great - all our family loved it.
The issue with your plan is that the water temperature is much the same as the Baldricks - a bit cold until late June but stays warm into October. IMO, it would be a shame to miss the cruising around Carloforte before you move on further.
As you know, I'm thinking the same for 2018 (and on) but a stop in Carloforte is definitely a consideration.
My problem is that I don't like PEOPLE. - well, what I actually mean is that I don't like being in places where there are lots of people and Carloforte fits that ideal perfectly.
Anchorages where we are the only ones there is what we are searching for.
However, like most on here, I am always looking for somewhere new.

I suppose, our ideal might be to spend the summer in Carloforte (200 miles from Mahon) and move on in late Sept to somewhere for the winter so that we are "poised" for the 2019 season in the (say) Ionian.

So, please keep us updated with your thoughts and decisions.
Maybe we cound follow your successes/failures.

 

[statgar]

Re: Central/Eastern Med - cruising plan for 2017 and where to leave boat next winter?

Not wishing to sound like a trip advisor feed backer IMO Corfu, and in particular, Gouvia Marina is probably my all time best location for my Fairline Phantom 46. The cruising area is spectacular with 30 miles of sheltered water between Corfu and mainland Greece and Lefkas another 30 miles from the gorgeous Paxos making it a great stop over on the cruise down. Some super anchorages are available within a few miles of Gouvia (nearest being 1 mile) if you don't want to go too far. Marina facilities are amazing, reasonably priced (Gouvia is 50% cheaper than my last berth in Scarlino Tuscany) lots of marine trades all with a 'can do' attitude, reliable and competitive. Loads of restaurants, bars, markets and a supermarket, most will deliver to your boat) are within walking distance. I live in Bristol and go out every month in the season it is usually a 5 hour door to dock trip, the airport, (not the best in the world) is 20 minutes (€25) from Gouvia. Travel out of season is more difficult but quite feasible if you forget the point to pointers and use BA or Aegean. Example, I'm going out next week ex LGW at 11:30 via Athens arriving CFU at 18:55 (local they are 2 hours ahead) the round trip is £416, they also go from LHR. Not so easy but worth it my opinion as I have the time. FYI I started sun cruising in 2009 to Portugal's Algarve, 2012 to Denia then to the Balearics, Sardinia, Corsica, Tuscany for two seasons and this year to Corfu via Aeonian Islands, Sardinia.

 

[Hurricane]

Re: Central/Eastern Med - cruising plan for 2017 and where to leave boat next winter?

Not wishing to sound like a trip advisor feed backer IMO Corfu, and in particular, Gouvia Marina is probably my all time best location for my Fairline Phantom 46. The cruising area is spectacular with 30 miles of sheltered water between Corfu and mainland Greece and Lefkas another 30 miles from the gorgeous Paxos making it a great stop over on the cruise down. Some super anchorages are available within a few miles of Gouvia (nearest being 1 mile) if you don't want to go too far. Marina facilities are amazing, reasonably priced (Gouvia is 50% cheaper than my last berth in Scarlino Tuscany) lots of marine trades all with a 'can do' attitude, reliable and competitive. Loads of restaurants, bars, markets and a supermarket, most will deliver to your boat) are within walking distance. I live in Bristol and go out every month in the season it is usually a 5 hour door to dock trip, the airport, (not the best in the world) is 20 minutes (€25) from Gouvia. Travel out of season is more difficult but quite feasible if you forget the point to pointers and use BA or Aegean. Example, I'm going out next week ex LGW at 11:30 via Athens arriving CFU at 18:55 (local they are 2 hours ahead) the round trip is £416, they also go from LHR. Not so easy but worth it my opinion as I have the time. FYI I started sun cruising in 2009 to Portugal's Algarve, 2012 to Denia then to the Balearics, Sardinia, Corsica, Tuscany for two seasons and this year to Corfu via Aeonian Islands, Sardinia.

Very interesting - thanks for posting.
We live in the west country so usually fly through Bristol.
I'll certainly check those places out.
We honeymooned in Corfu and did a short trip to Paxos but that was xxxxxxxxxxxxx years ago.
It was lovely then.

 

[Hardmy]

Re: Central/Eastern Med - cruising plan for 2017 and where to leave boat next winter?

Very good résumé from statgar. I would add, that the cruising area south of Levkas is fantastic as well. Easily accessible from Gouvia anyway.

Re servicing in Gouvia, I think the choice of tradesmen around Preveza is much wider. Lots of UK expats working there. e.g. my CATs are very well serviced with an english CAT engineer based there. I had only two service occurences in Corfu, a very good one with Dimitris of Electromar (a electronics / nav systems guy) and a bad one with a guy I think called Balos (outboard mech / Williams RIB rep).

Hurricane, if you want to find Paxos in a somewhat similar state than xxx years ago, try to go in May/June or September/October. Gaios or Lakka, are among the most popular places in the whole Ionian...

 

[MedMilo]

Re: Central/Eastern Med - cruising plan for 2017 and where to leave boat next winter?

Not wishing to sound like a trip advisor feed backer IMO Corfu, and in particular, Gouvia Marina is probably my all time best location for my Fairline Phantom 46. The cruising area is spectacular with 30 miles of sheltered water between Corfu and mainland Greece and Lefkas another 30 miles from the gorgeous Paxos making it a great stop over on the cruise down. Some super anchorages are available within a few miles of Gouvia (nearest being 1 mile) if you don't want to go too far. Marina facilities are amazing, reasonably priced (Gouvia is 50% cheaper than my last berth in Scarlino Tuscany) lots of marine trades all with a 'can do' attitude, reliable and competitive. Loads of restaurants, bars, markets and a supermarket, most will deliver to your boat) are within walking distance. I live in Bristol and go out every month in the season it is usually a 5 hour door to dock trip, the airport, (not the best in the world) is 20 minutes (€25) from Gouvia. Travel out of season is more difficult but quite feasible if you forget the point to pointers and use BA or Aegean. Example, I'm going out next week ex LGW at 11:30 via Athens arriving CFU at 18:55 (local they are 2 hours ahead) the round trip is £416, they also go from LHR. Not so easy but worth it my opinion as I have the time. FYI I started sun cruising in 2009 to Portugal's Algarve, 2012 to Denia then to the Balearics, Sardinia, Corsica, Tuscany for two seasons and this year to Corfu via Aeonian Islands, Sardinia.

Thanks, thats really interesting. Have thought for some time that Gouvia looks like a great marina but don't know that much about it and have also been put off by the lack of winter flights. Your route next week doesn't sound too bad though so that's definitely good news - and the cruising ground sounds really excellent. Appreciate the info, might take the liberty of getting back in touch for for more detailed info (names and numbers of contacts etc) if we end up in Gouvia...

 

[MedMilo]

Re: Central/Eastern Med - cruising plan for 2017 and where to leave boat next winter?

Did you already see this epic Hurricane thread, by chance?
If not, that's a great place to start - but for anything more specific, just ask.
After having been based in S Sardinia for a whole decade, I can safely say that I know it like the back of my hand by now...!

Just one note ref. Cagliari area: while the town is indeed interesting and lively, from a cruising standpoint is not the best that the southern Sardinian coast has to offer.
Either the SW (Carloforte, where I am based) or the SE (Villasimius) are the areas blessed with the nicest spots, from a boating viewpoint.
Cagliari can be convenient if you wish to leave the boat there for some time and you need to fly back and forth frequently.
But only as long as you don't mind a bit of cruising to reach some nice spots - which otoh in the SW and SE are literally round the corner from the marinas.

Your plan sounds great anyway, and also the other places you mentioned are beautiful. You will surely enjoy a fantastic summer! :encouragement:

Thanks Mapism, I know from previous posts that you're based in Carloforte and know southern Sardinia very well. My wife was brought up in Milan and had a house in Villasimius for many years so knows that part of the world pretty well too, though not from a cruising perspective. So I would definitely appreciate some more specific info nearer the time.

 

[MedMilo]

Re: Central/Eastern Med - cruising plan for 2017 and where to leave boat next winter?

I definitely agree with MAPISM.
We loved our trip down to Carloforte where he is based.
We had intended cruising a bit further down to Cagliari but San Pietro / Carloforte was so nice we didn't see the need to go any further.
For me, the problem with your time schedule is that you wouldn't spend the best time of the year around Carloforte.
The marina at Carloforte isn't particularly modern but it is safe and the local cruising is great - all our family loved it.
The issue with your plan is that the water temperature is much the same as the Baldricks - a bit cold until late June but stays warm into October. IMO, it would be a shame to miss the cruising around Carloforte before you move on further.
As you know, I'm thinking the same for 2018 (and on) but a stop in Carloforte is definitely a consideration.
My problem is that I don't like PEOPLE. - well, what I actually mean is that I don't like being in places where there are lots of people and Carloforte fits that ideal perfectly.
Anchorages where we are the only ones there is what we are searching for.
However, like most on here, I am always looking for somewhere new.

I suppose, our ideal might be to spend the summer in Carloforte (200 miles from Mahon) and move on in late Sept to somewhere for the winter so that we are "poised" for the 2019 season in the (say) Ionian.

So, please keep us updated with your thoughts and decisions.
Maybe we cound follow your successes/failures.

Hurricane that's all very interesting and it sounds as though we have similar criteria when it comes to picking cruising grounds. The only issue for me it that I have lots of teenage kids and (their) friends on board so always need to strike the right balance between my desire for intrepid, quiet exploring and their need for a few bars and clubs to let their hair down. And we're also somewhat restricted to school holidays etc. But these are all first world challenges (!) and I hear what you say about spending a bit more time around southern Sardinia so will keep pondering timings etc… And will keep you posted of decisions etc...

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

Re: Central/Eastern Med - cruising plan for 2017 and where to leave boat next winter?

Also, any top cruising tips on south Sardinia (Cagliari area) and Sicily would be hugely valuable as I don't know these areas at all! We'll likely have about a month (June) in and around Cagliari and two months (July/August) cruising from Palermo to wherever we end up overwintering.

We have recently spent the best part of 3 summers and 2 winters in Sardinia, the first summer based in Olbia and cruising the Costa Smerelda and then for the remainder of the period based in Carloforte and cruising the south and west coasts of the island. Quickly dealing with Olbia and the Costa Smerelda, the big problem with leaving your boat there in winter is the lack of direct flights from the UK although there are plenty of yards in the area for winter maintenance. In high season the area is very crowded and visitor mooring charges in marinas are stupidly high. The area also has a reputation for being windy and certainly during our time there, it was often very breezy which I have to say I got pissed off with in the end

Having spent summer 2014 in the NE of the Sardinia we decided to move the boat to the south of the island for the winter because we knew there were year round flights to Cagliari and we wanted to try the Carloforte area the following year. I spent a couple of days in a rental car checking out every marina on the south coast for suitability as a 2014/15 winter base. Our boat is 63ft long and weighs around 41t so similar to yours. Going from east to west, Villasimius is an obvious winter stopover but first as you probably know its a good 1.5hrs drive from Cagliari airport and then whilst it has a maintenance yard its hoist won't lift a 40 tonner and the whole area felt a bit dead in winter. The next marina going west is Capitana which is about 45mins drive from the airport. It does have a larger hoist but it is rated to 40t max although they tried to persuade me it would be OK for my boat, an offer I refused. There are also only a handful of 20m berths at Capitana. Further west are the Cagliari marinas Marina di Cagliari and Karalis which are actually next to each other. There are a couple of other marinas in Cagliari but they don't have berths large enough for 20m boats. I quite fancied leaving our boat in Cagliari and using it as a base to visit the city which has a pleasant old town but as soon as I saw the location of these 2 marinas, I knew security would be an issue. Without putting too fina a point on it, Cagliari has an immigrant problem and a lot of them congregate around the marinas. When I was in one of the marina offices being assured by the manager that security wasn't a problem, a German boat owner walked in and complained that his boat had been broken into. I decided not to leave my boat in Cagliari. Going further west from Cagliari the next marina is Teulada. If you ever visit the place you will wonder why on earth somebody put such a large marina there because it really is in the middle of nowhere. Rumour has it that it was an EU subsidy job creation scheme. Whilst the marina itself is fine and the surrounding area is very scenic there is absolutely nothing nearby in terms of shops and restaurants. There are no more marinas of any size between Teulada and Carloforte. I eventually decided to leave my boat in Capitana which was fine but in retrospect I probably should have taken it direct to Carloforte

Carloforte itself has positives and negatives. On the negative side it takes a long time to reach the place from Cagliari airport, 1 - 1.5hrs to a ferry port, wait for a ferry and then a 40min ferry ride. The other negative is that again like the NE corner of Sardinia, the wind always seems to be blowing from somewhere but to be fair its not as windy most of the time as the NE corner. Also because Carloforte sits on an island you can usually find an anchorage with shelter from whatever direction the wind is blowing. On the plus side, the town itself is very pleasant with many restaurants and shops and a reasonable supermarket within staggering distance of the marina. One of the major plus points about Carloforte is that it is not far from the excellent Sacirn boatyard in San't Antioco. Sacirn has a massive hoist more than capable of lifting a 40t boat and will carry out pretty much any job you want at a fair price. They will also come across to Carloforte on the ferry to fix your boat there. There are actually 2 marinas in the harbour. We used Marina Sifredi on the northern side. At first sight it doesn't seem like much but it is well managed by some nice people and very cheap compared to other marinas in the W Med. We got to like it there very much but the journey to/from the marina got to be too much hassle and this year we decided to move on to the SoF

The cruising area between Villasimius and Carloforte is a mixed bag depending on what you like. If you like cruising from one full service marina to another then forget it. On the other hand if you like get away from it all boating and uncrowded anchorages with superbly clear water, its excellent. As I said the island of San Pietro on which Carloforte is located is a nice cruising area in itself and there are some pleasant anchorages north and south of San Pietro on the 'mainland'. The area around Teulada has some superb anchorages but frustratingly one of the very finest is used as a firing range and often closed. Between Teulada and Villasimius there aren't many useful anchorages but either side of Villasimius there are nice anchorages depending on which way the wind is blowing

 

[MedMilo]

Re: Central/Eastern Med - cruising plan for 2017 and where to leave boat next winter?

Mike, that's really helpful, thanks. We too did 3 years (2011-13 inc) on Sardinia's NE coast in both Portisco and Santa Theresa di Gallura. Agree that it's very busy in the summer, dead in the winter and v windy a lot of the time! But still enjoyed it very much and also its proximity to Corsica and the Tuscan islands of Capraia and Elba added to the cruising options.

Don't know the south of Sardinia at all so your feedback re the various marina options is fantastic and will save me a lot of gaffing around! Seems to me that Carloforte might be the place to be based for 4-6 weeks in the early summer, will think about that as I map out the various summer legs, visitor arrivals/departures etc...

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

Re: Central/Eastern Med - cruising plan for 2017 and where to leave boat next winter?

Don't know the south of Sardinia at all so your feedback re the various marina options is fantastic and will save me a lot of gaffing around! Seems to me that Carloforte might be the place to be based for 4-6 weeks in the early summer, will think about that as I map out the various summer legs, visitor arrivals/departures etc...

Early summer is a good time to be in Carloforte. There are a couple of festivals in the town at that time of year with fireworks and merriment and during our 2 summers there, the weather seemed to be very settled at that time of year. I forgot to mention; you will need to like tuna. I mean really like tuna

 

[Tranona]

Re: Central/Eastern Med - cruising plan for 2017 and where to leave boat next winter?

Thanks, thats really interesting. Have thought for some time that Gouvia looks like a great marina but don't know that much about it and have also been put off by the lack of winter flights. Your route next week doesn't sound too bad though so that's definitely good news - and the cruising ground sounds really excellent. Appreciate the info, might take the liberty of getting back in touch for for more detailed info (names and numbers of contacts etc) if we end up in Gouvia...

Also worth experimenting with the bus from Athens to Corfu. You can then take advantage of overnight cheaper flights to Athens. Airport bus to the coach terminal in Athens then buses are every hour or two to Ignoumonitsa then ferry to Corfu. Bus is the main way of travel in Greece and much better than it sounds (and cheap). Takes all day but scenery is spectacular and fellow travellers friendly. Also worth considering Levkas marina - owned by the same people and also easily accessed by (much shorter) bus from Athens. Both towns have an expatriate population including tradesmen, and are also working Greek communities so are reasonably lively in winter.

 

[petem]

Re: Central/Eastern Med - cruising plan for 2017 and where to leave boat next winter?

Early summer is a good time to be in Carloforte. There are a couple of festivals in the town at that time of year with fireworks and merriment and during our 2 summers there, the weather seemed to be very settled at that time of year. I forgot to mention; you will need to like tuna. I mean really like tuna

I can attest to the quality of the Tuna, in particular done three ways as a starter (Cerviche, Tartare and Carpaccio). Yum!

 

[Hurricane]

Re: Central/Eastern Med - cruising plan for 2017 and where to leave boat next winter?

Not wishing to sound like a trip advisor feed backer IMO Corfu, and in particular, Gouvia Marina is probably my all time best location for my Fairline Phantom 46. The cruising area is spectacular with 30 miles of sheltered water between Corfu and mainland Greece and Lefkas another 30 miles from the gorgeous Paxos making it a great stop over on the cruise down. Some super anchorages are available within a few miles of Gouvia (nearest being 1 mile) if you don't want to go too far. Marina facilities are amazing, reasonably priced (Gouvia is 50% cheaper than my last berth in Scarlino Tuscany) lots of marine trades all with a 'can do' attitude, reliable and competitive. Loads of restaurants, bars, markets and a supermarket, most will deliver to your boat) are within walking distance. I live in Bristol and go out every month in the season it is usually a 5 hour door to dock trip, the airport, (not the best in the world) is 20 minutes (€25) from Gouvia. Travel out of season is more difficult but quite feasible if you forget the point to pointers and use BA or Aegean. Example, I'm going out next week ex LGW at 11:30 via Athens arriving CFU at 18:55 (local they are 2 hours ahead) the round trip is £416, they also go from LHR. Not so easy but worth it my opinion as I have the time. FYI I started sun cruising in 2009 to Portugal's Algarve, 2012 to Denia then to the Balearics, Sardinia, Corsica, Tuscany for two seasons and this year to Corfu via Aeonian Islands, Sardinia.

I have a few questions about Greek taxes.
What taxes are currently being applied?

I have come across two types.

First, there is the cruising tax that seems to be applied to all craft in Greek waters.
The Cruising Association recently announced a change for 2017 (I think).
Here is an extract:

The new “duty” is calculated on current annual or current monthly basis as follows:
LOA upto 8 mtrs EUR 20 per month
LOA over 8 mtrs and upto 10 mtrs EUR 30 per month
LOA over 10 mtrs and upto 12 mtrs EUR 40 per month
LOA over 12 mtrs EUR 10 per mtr per month (as of the first metre, i.e. a boat of 13 mtrs is paying EUR 130 per month – it is possible by joint ministerial decision (Finance and Shipping) to grant a discount of 30% max for those over 12 mtrs permanently staying in Greek ports.

Also:
Discount 50% for the commercial boats and cruise ships subject to exclusive commercial use.
Discount 10% if the “duty” is paid on December or January for 1 whole year

I have also seen a tax that I don't understand.
It seems to be a significant port tax that "marinas" charge.
It seemed to relate to local town quays so this might not be relevant for fully managed marinas.

So, my main question would be this:-
Lets asume a 20m boat arriving in Gouvia Marina on the 1st October for a year from Italy.
I found some berth prices for the marina here:-
https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&s...HpVbQgczxrJFWSQ4Q&sig2=mkcVcPCOxDXTCKs_Mjs5ZA
That list is for 2015 and indicates a price of 7560 euros plus VAT. for a 20m boat
Would the price have increased significantly and what other costs/taxes would now be applied?
Are there any other costs.

I know there is a lot of talk about these Greek taxes amongst the yachties but Gouvia doesn't look too bad if it is only the cruising tax that is extra.

 

[Tranona]

None of those taxes are in operation yet, although they may well come in. They have been on the cards for 4-5 years in various forms. The EU is pressing the Greek government to collect tax more rigorously, but currently this tax is being disputed both internally by the marina owners and externally by France and Germany with the Commission.

It is not aimed specifically at visitors, but at the tax avoiding Greek elite and has been progressively watered down, although as the target population tends to own boats similar to yours, it is heavily weighted against large power boats.

Most people are just adopting a wait and see attitude, particularly those with long experience of living in Greece!

The port taxes are nothing to worry about. They apply in principle to all harbours, and collection is mostly delegated to local councils. Collection is variable, but the amounts are so small compared with the marina stop over fees you are used to that they are not an issue. They are included in your marina fees for your permanent berth.

BTW I spent 10 years there, mostly based in Gouvia, but a year in levkas and it is a delightful area, particularly for sail boats. Very "rustic", but less suited for your type of boat as most of the town quays are small and fill up easily. Only two proper marinas in the Ionian, but there is more than enough room and anchorages for lunch time and overnight stops. Very different from the western Med and for some of us that is what makes it so attractive.

 

[Hardmy]

Re: Central/Eastern Med - cruising plan for 2017 and where to leave boat next winter?

The Greeks tried several times to introduce a cruising tax. But none of them have ever been enforced. It may change in 2017, maybe not. In the unlikely case a tax is effectively enforced, Greece still remains one of the cheapest cruising ground in the med. Keep in mind, that still many town quays do not collect port fees, and if they do it's more a symbolic amount.

I have never heard of a "port tax" which is levied in an official Marina (Gouvia, Levkas, Cleopatra, ...) on top of the usual marina mooring fees.

When you arrive in Corfu, you should asap register your boat at the port police. They want to see your insurance and registration docs and will enter all details of your boat in their system and hand you out a DEKPA (if EU flagged) or a transit log (other countries). I think it costs around €30-40, and that's it. An agent may also do it all for you.

From time to time, a Port Police officer may ask to see this document and put a stamp in it.

 

[Hardmy]

Very "rustic", but less suited for your type of boat as most of the town quays are small and fill up easily. Only two proper marinas in the Ionian, but there is more than enough room and anchorages for lunch time and overnight stops. Very different from the western Med and for some of us that is what makes it so attractive.

Oh yes, that's why we love Greece! Re small harbours, around Corfu I would say that following town quays can accept 20 meters: Mathraki (OK now maybe too silted), Palaiokastritsa, Kassiopi, Mandraki, Plataria, Sivota, Lakka, Gaios, Mongonissi, Preveza.

But anchoring in remote places is more fun anyway