DEKPA

[bobthecook]

I have had a Dekpa since 2001 now that it only needs stamping one a year what do you do about crew lists in the past I have only had family on board so it did not matter.Now i intend haveing diffrent friends aboard every couple of weeks.Will I have to report every crew change ?

 

[sailaboutvic]

We never have and I not heard of anybody that have , if any thing we keep away from the PP has much as possaible

 

[Caladh]

Bob - this is Greece we are talking about ?

 

[bobthecook]

Bob - this is Greece we are talking about ?

I know, I have had more demands for crew lists than any other by PP

 

[sailaboutvic]

Bob no offend mate , but some mostly British Seen to want to go to the PP without being asked .
I been in and around Greece for well over 20 years now and there been some year where I never seen the PP .
My DEKPA is well before 2001 and there not many stamp on it ,

 

[B&M]

Bob no offend mate , but some mostly British Seen to want to go to the PP without being asked .
I been in and around Greece for well over 20 years now and there been some year where I never seen the PP .
My DEKPA is well before 2001 and there not many stamp on it ,

 

[B&M]

All old DEKPA's are being replaced at a cost of 50€, ready for the new cruising tax that is going to be implemented soon. You will need to take all your documents to the port police for checking before they issue the new document. Sailing in Greek waters without the correct documents could lead to very high fines. I had a friend who was fined 800€ for failing to keep their DEKPA up to date.

 

[bobthecook]

Usual response "I have a friend" Name boat and more detail, please?

 

[daveyw]

I have read somewhere, can't remember where, that when purchasing the new dekpa that the originals of the owners passports must be presented. We have a syndicate and we never have the owners onboard together so how do we present our passports?

 

[B&M]

I have read somewhere, can't remember where, that when purchasing the new dekpa that the originals of the owners passports must be presented. We have a syndicate and we never have the owners onboard together so how do we present our passports?

This is still unclear and is being looked into by the CA. May cause a lot of problems for many people is this is implemented .

 

[sailaboutvic]

Your obvious ignorance and arrogance will lead you into a lot of problems this year when they start tightening up the regulations this year.

We have to wait and see , it all just rumours at the moment ,
just like when everyone was jumping up and down for the last three years about the tax .
Three people I personally know of plus one from here have had new stamp this year and non have paid any thing or been told they need a new DEKPA.

Posted 14/03/2017
UPDATE -

We went to the Port Police today on Leros as we needed a stamp in our old DEKPA. There was no mention of buying a new DEKPA, it was explained to us by a senior PP that we only need one stamp per year and that is us now done for this year.

It seems that the message has not yet reached all PP offices

 

[Tony Cross]

Bob no offend mate , but some mostly British Seen to want to go to the PP without being asked .
I been in and around Greece for well over 20 years now and there been some year where I never seen the PP .
My DEKPA is well before 2001 and there not many stamp on it ,

I know of others who do this too and it's perfectly true that you can get away with ignoring lots of Greek laws (the Greeks themselves do after all!). The problem with not carrying a properly stamped DEKPA is that if anything were to happen that brings you to the attention of the port police* not having one gives them an immediate stick with which they can beat you, plus an excuse to investigate what other Greek laws you might be breaking (such as not having all your safety gear certified and in date). Obtaining a DEKPA and getting it stamped once a year is such a trivial process in the big scheme of things that it's just not sensible to deliberately avoid doing so.

*When we ran aground outside Killini port a few years ago and had to issue a pan-pan (it's a long story) we very quickly became of interest to the port police and it was reassuring to both of us to know that all our paperwork was correct and properly stamped.

I have read somewhere, can't remember where, that when purchasing the new dekpa that the originals of the owners passports must be presented. We have a syndicate and we never have the owners onboard together so how do we present our passports?

This is the key point about the new DEKPA that the CA is complaining about to the Greek Ministry of Shipping, though it's not the only one. In the meantime, and since the MoS is never rapid in responding (and often doesn't respond at all) the CA's best advice is to get properly notarised copies of all owner's passports and explain why the originals can't all be made available at once.

 

[Chris_Robb]

I have read somewhere, can't remember where, that when purchasing the new dekpa that the originals of the owners passports must be presented. We have a syndicate and we never have the owners onboard together so how do we present our passports?

The Cruising association has flagged this issue with the Greeks. It will effect me as my wife is part owner and wont be there when we clock into Kos from Turkey in June.

We have suggested that if this is really necesssary, then they should allow "Notarised Copies" of the other passports.

There are other issues:

The law appears to say that everyone must be onto a new DEKPA by September 2017 (one year from the date of the law). Some who may have entered Greece in September last year may have a rude surprise. There ARE fines stipulated in the law for not having a valid DEKPA. There are several people I know who have had their last years DEKPA stamped on the old form - their PP dont know about the law. (Leros is one such place)

The new Law also requires a DEKPA to be Valid at all times. What happens to anyone who has just had a new form stamped in March (I know several) and then next year does not go to his boat until May. Will he be fined as the law appears to say.

We are awaiting Answers............waiting......waiting......

 

[bobthecook]

What about crew lists? Let's say, I start out with a crew in Poros and they leave in Naxos and new crew arrive in Paros.

 

[Chris_Robb]

What about crew lists? Let's say, I start out with a crew in Poros and they leave in Naxos and new crew arrive in Paros.

Crew list have not been required since the Port Police duties were changed in 2014. This is official!

But as everything with Greece, crew list seem to be demanded from time to time. Dont worry - you just do one if you are asked.

The normal time is when you AND THE VESSEL are about to leave Greek waters. The local Port police will require you to create a new crew list on their paperwork, and take the list to the Customs who then liberally stamp it and send you back to port police who depending on the hour of the day - will stamp the exiting passports - or just smile. Actually - I have been trying to find out what the real rules of exit are for UK citizens (non Schengen) from the Greeks - but I never get an answer. I am not sure that there are any official regs!

Guests are not Crew - they are guests - there is absolutely no need to take any action at all to regular changes so long as they joined in Greece having cleared immigration. Guidance we were given by the previous government was that you should record crew and guests in your log book. I think most of us do this anyway.

Its just much easier to go with the foibles and do what they want.

I still here of people routinely going to see port police with their papers - why on earth are they doing it?

 

[bobthecook]

Crew list have not been required since the Port Police duties were changed in 2014. This is official!

But as everything with Greece, crew list seem to be demanded from time to time. Dont worry - you just do one if you are asked.

The normal time is when you AND THE VESSEL are about to leave Greek waters. The local Port police will require you to create a new crew list on their paperwork, and take the list to the Customs who then liberally stamp it and send you back to port police who depending on the hour of the day - will stamp the exiting passports - or just smile. Actually - I have been trying to find out what the real rules of exit are for UK citizens (non Schengen) from the Greeks - but I never get an answer. I am not sure that there are any official regs!

Guests are not Crew - they are guests - there is absolutely no need to take any action at all to regular changes so long as they joined in Greece having cleared immigration. Guidance we were given by the previous government was that you should record crew and guests in your log book. I think most of us do this anyway.

Its just much easier to go with the foibles and do what they want.

I still here of people routinely going to see port police with their papers - why on earth are they doing it?

Must be my bad luck then, was asked for Crew lists in Monemvasia, Plaka and Nafplion October, last year,

thanks

 

[Chris_Robb]

Must be my bad luck then, was asked for Crew lists in Monemvasia, Plaka and Nafplion October, last year,

thanks

why did you even talk to the PP. For me it's once a year. Are they still collecting port dues in any of those places?

 

[chrisgee]

Bob no offend mate , but some mostly British Seen to want to go to the PP without being asked .
I been in and around Greece for well over 20 years now and there been some year where I never seen the PP .
My DEKPA is well before 2001 and there not many stamp on it ,

Likewise -- just smile and keep moving never had any bother with the PP in 16 years

 

[RupertW]

why did you even talk to the PP. For me it's once a year. Are they still collecting port dues in any of those places?

In our couple of years in Greece up to last September we only spoke to PP once a year for the stamp. Hadn't realised there were any exit procedures as we have left Greece for Italy a couple of times without doing any paperwork in or out.

 

[Tony Cross]

In our couple of years in Greece up to last September we only spoke to PP once a year for the stamp. Hadn't realised there were any exit procedures as we have left Greece for Italy a couple of times without doing any paperwork in or out.

AFAIK there is no requirement for EU flagged yachts to check out of Greece, even if you are leaving for a non-EU country. You do not have to hand in the DEKPA for example. The rules for non-EU flagged yachts are different, they do have to check out and hand in their transit log and pleasure boat document (effectively a crew list).

When an EU flagged yacht returns to Greece you can be charged the cost of a new DEKPA again, even if you already have one. In practice this is rarely done but I have heard of a couple of people who were charged by an over-zealous port policeman.