Evoiko Sea Centre Boatyard

[Gypsyjoss]

Hi Guys
Seeing as there seems to be a shortage of good yards, I thought I'd put a plug in for this place which I've been using as a base for 4 years to explore the Sporades and Cyclades. Rod is rather dismissive in his pilots, though Rob Buttress does a fair description in his West Aegean Cruising Companion (they both incorrectly call it the Evia Sea Centre)
It's on the mainland opposite Evia just north of Khalkoutsi. It's family run by Zacharios Krina and Dennis Marinos, flat, clean, is secure, and has a shower/toilet block that SWMBO would approve of. Also a Cafe and WiFi. Room for about !50 yachts stored on steel cradles. Will take monohulls up to 14m LOA and 2.5m draught. Uses hydraulic trailor/tractor combination to pull you in. Athens airport 2 hours max by bus -no need to go into Athens. Khalkoutsi - nice town, 15 mins walk away, tavernas, good supermarket, paint shops etc, no chandlery, but Athens only an hour away. Can work on own boat. Elec and Water.

Most trades available on site (has a workshop). Zacharias Marinos (boss) has a mooring buoy outsidethe yard and a reserved place in Khalkoutsi harbour (2 metre depth).

Downside - Sometimes have to wait 12 hours for the wind to die down so he can haul you in.
I've stayed overnight in the harbour but you can go on the buoy or anchor off Khalkoutsi. 11pm curfew - resident security guy has to go to bed!

Rates - competitive- phone or email to find out.

Contact - via website or tel 22950 71963 (speaks English) also VHF Ch 71
Position 38deg20'.46N 23deg43'.60E

That's it. Not evena free Frappe for this! Just want to help the Greek economy!

Pete

 

[skipklaus]

May i add: http://www.evoiko.com/en.html

 

[jimbaerselman]

Are they anything to do with the other boatyard about 4 - 5nm east, on the headland close to Oropos by the lagoon?

 

[vyv_cox]

We fully intended to overwinter there about four years ago. We picked up the buoy preparatory to going ashore to look around. Our attention was drawn to a boat attempting to get onto the tractor on the beach. He eventually succeeded afte 30 minutes or so but was clearly having a very difficult time positioning himself in not particularly testing conditions. Knowing how reluctant our boat is to achieve a precise position going astern we decided we would be better off elsewhere.

 

[Gypsyjoss]

We fully intended to overwinter there about four years ago. We picked up the buoy preparatory to going ashore to look around. Our attention was drawn to a boat attempting to get onto the tractor on the beach. He eventually succeeded afte 30 minutes or so but was clearly having a very difficult time positioning himself in not particularly testing conditions. Knowing how reluctant our boat is to achieve a precise position going astern we decided we would be better off elsewhere.

Hi Viv. This isn't a problem that I've observed in the 4 years that I've used this place. There can be a current you have to take account of, but you just motor forward slowly between 2 marker balls adjusting your course as directed. A one off I think. Bear in mind that some folks have been using this place for 10 years or more. They have a lot of returnees.
As I write they have just launched an 11m long keel boat wanting to beat the Meltemi (fat chance) Must be 20 knots on the beam. No problem!

jimb-not as far as I know.

skiplaus- thanks. Also note - yard normally closed on Mondays

Off to blighty tomorrow for some welcome cool and wet (welcome for a week at least)
Cheers
Pete

 

[jimbaerselman]

Our attention was drawn to a boat attempting to get onto the tractor on the beach. He eventually succeeded afte 30 minutes or so but was clearly having a very difficult time positioning himself in not particularly testing conditions. Knowing how reluctant our boat is to achieve a precise position going astern we decided we would be better off elsewhere.

Vyv, we used sleds in Greece since 1979! No need to go in reverse. Go in forwards. And have about a knot of speed when you make contact. Most failures are due to being nervous about hitting the sled/trailer with too much speed. Too little, and the boat doesn't settle well, or has too much leeway or drift angle on first contact.

 

[vyv_cox]

Vyv, we used sleds in Greece since 1979! No need to go in reverse. Go in forwards. And have about a knot of speed when you make contact. Most failures are due to being nervous about hitting the sled/trailer with too much speed. Too little, and the boat doesn't settle well, or has too much leeway or drift angle on first contact.

We have been hauled out on sleds several times, without a problem. The difficulty at Evia, as we saw it, is that there is no harbour, or even a wall. The sledge operates on a beach that is totally exposed to the not inconsiderable wind. As Gypsyjoss says in his first post, it is sometimes necessary to wait 12 hours (or more?) until the wind dies down. Our decision was that it was not for us.

 

[jimbaerselman]

Fair enough!

Incidentally, I hear you're going to contribute to the Blue Water Seminar at CA house on Saturday 18 Aug. Sorry I won't be there! What's your subject?

 

[vyv_cox]

Fair enough!

Incidentally, I hear you're going to contribute to the Blue Water Seminar at CA house on Saturday 18 Aug. Sorry I won't be there! What's your subject?

'Some things that could spoil your day mid-ocean'. Corrosion, seacocks, fatigue and a few others.

 

[jimbaerselman]

Thanks. I've posted details of the event on my web site - corrected! - on the front page.

 

[Heracles]

Hi there,

I see that there has not been an update on Evoiko Sea Center for some years, so I would like to share with the forum details of our recent experience there.

We have a Bavaria 41 which we took to Evoiko last year. Prior to bringing the boat there we visited the yard and had quite a good meeting with the family who own and run the place. As has been mentioned before the boats are hauled and launched by a large sled arrangement off the shallow beach - this system works well in light winds and calm seas. We outlined the works which we needed to complete on the boat and agreed that we could work on the boat ourselves in the yard. In addition, we outlined some of the faults which required rectifying, one of which was a problem with the gearbox. Note that we spent sometime describing in detail the issue and they came aboard the boat while it was in the harbour to experience it themselves - sometimes the gear change was difficult to select into neutral, quite a dangerous fault if you were docking, mooring the boat.

So far so good, we hauled the boat without any problems and set about our program of works. This was in late May 2014 and included engine out, service and replace the mounting plates with Inox, some stanchions replaced, gearbox out and repair to selector mechanism, hull scrape, sand and paint with antiflouling, heads - plumbing all replaced, rudder adjustment, guardrail cable replaced etc etc.

The eventual bill included a substantial amount for the "repair" to the gearbox mechanism - although we never did get to bottom of why it was so high. Bear in mind, the yard sub-contracted this work to an "expert engineer".

All went well until after launching again (July) when it was immediately apparent that the gearbox problem had not been resolved - still exactly the same symptoms. Also within two days the outer rubber seal around the saildrive leg was found to be hanging off. Note that the original seal had been on successfully for 15+ years without incident. We made the owners of the yard aware of these issues both verbally and by email and although they tried to fob us off, they did agree to rectify them "next year". We took the boat back to the yard once in late 2014 so they could try to resolve the gearbox problem, but they failed to do so. Note that this was all at our expense, it is quite a hike to get up the East coast of Attica to Chalkoutsi.

Recently we contacted the people at the yard, but they were very evasive. Emails went unanswered, plus telephone calls ignored, until we dialled without showing the callers number - then they answered the phone! You know... the usual. Sigh.

We visited the yard in person on two occasions to try and make an agreement for them to help us. In the end they refused to talk to us anymore, the owner stating that he needed to speak to his lawyer - for heavens' sake, we only wanted them to provide a decent after sales service, how hard can that be?

Please be assured that myself and my partner/co-owner were very diplomatic and reasonable throughout all of this period. Now we simply feel let down and have told them so. They point blank refused to accept responsibility even for the rubber seal which fell off the hull after only a couple of days in the water - unacceptable. One of their jobs was to fix this to the hull.

They don't seem to care about their customers once they have left the yard and quite simply we would not wish to use them again for anything to do with our boat.

All of the above is documented by a series of emails and logged telephone calls etc.

Evoiko Sea Center? Not for us ever again thanks. There are much better alternatives on the Attica Peninsula.

Heracles.

 

[pmyatt]

This place is right next-door to Evoiko. Has the same type of haul-out arrangements - but a better reputation; owned by a brother of the owner of Evoiko - (un)friendly rivalry(?).
http://www.boatclub.gr/indexEN.html

 

[AndrewB]

This place is right next-door to Evoiko. Has the same type of haul-out arrangements - but a better reputation; owned by a brother of the owner of Evoiko - (un)friendly rivalry(?).
http://www.boatclub.gr/indexEN.html

Very definitely unfriendly rivalry.

I wintered in Evoiko this year. Security is excellent, lavatories disgusting. French don't mind - so its mostly French in Evoiko. British care more about lavatories than security, so they mostly go next door. More seriously though, watch madam's creative accounting when it comes to being charged. Evoiko is cheap - we paid about 1000 euro for eight months including haul out/relaunch - but the amount paid upfront against the quote was (pro rata) far less than the excess due to over-running by a couple of months.

As Heracles says, neither has access to good maintenance guys. We watched rather horrified at what was being done to other yachts. Do your own maintenance. There's a good chandlery in nearby Chalkida.

That having been said, I'd go there again.

 

[Heracles]

Thanks Andrew,

Yes I forgot to mention that the toilets and showers in Evoiko are particularly revolting (and I have seen some pretty awful things in Greece over the years I can tell you).

Cheers, Herc.

 

[John_Parkes]

Try Boatclub which is next door. We have been here since 2013 and have been very happy with the service. Website www.boatclub.gr. This generates a marina picture with a moving sail and sun. After a few seconds English appears in white click on this to enter the site. Email boatc@otenet.gr. The ablutions are squeaky clean and there is a clubhouse and attractive garden sitting area. Small shop with chandlery items. An 8kg self-service washing machine has just been installed. Several boats came to the yard having read my post on Jim B's site and have also been pleased. Secure yard, good rates and no curfew!

 

[Artic Warrior]

Try Boatclub which is next door. We have been here since 2013 and have been very happy with the service. Website www.boatclub.gr. This generates a marina picture with a moving sail and sun. After a few seconds English appears in white click on this to enter the site. Email boatc@otenet.gr. The ablutions are squeaky clean and there is a clubhouse and attractive garden sitting area. Small shop with chandlery items. An 8kg self-service washing machine has just been installed. Several boats came to the yard having read my post on Jim B's site and have also been pleased. Secure yard, good rates and no curfew!

Hi John,

Nice to see you again,,,,,yep the toilets in my yard are a toilet. Boooooooooh

 

[Gypsyjoss]

Evoiko Update: Now closed Sundays, not Mondays. Son Dennis is now the boss. Still relatively cheap. The loos are not disgusting IMHO, but they're certainly not pristine! - Adequate! I understand that next door has only one 'pristine' loo. Could be a queue!

Pete

 

[Chica]

Difficult to know what went wrong for Heracles because that's only one side of the story. It would interesting to hear what the yard has to say...

In my experience (15 years) Evoiko Sea Center are good on the fundamentals: security and fire-fighting equipment, sturdy supports for the boats, safe haul-out and launch etc. When I was but a novice skipper getting onto the trailer in the cross-current was a bit challenging but you get used it and for anyone with a bit of experience it's no problem. Boats in the yard are not parked too close to each other and you are not blocked in waiting for others to launch unlike other boatyards in Greece. Toilets and showers could be better.

The various rules in the yard are there for a reason for example:

- no cars in the yard except for loading/unloading because once everyone brings their car in it's a matter of time before an accident happens.

- be back by 11:00 at night. The gates of the yard have to be locked at some point and the dogs let out. That's to stop thieves coming in and robbing you (which by the way is very much a reality). Doesn't that make sense?

Personally I like knowing that when I leave the yard I'll return to find my boat exactly the way I left it.

Maintenance work? They can help a lot. But if it's something really technical don't expect miracles. Get involved, understand the issues and if you don't do the work yourself at least supervise it personally. You'll feel a lot better out at sea.

Overall Evoiko Sea Center is a good solution. Just don't expect hotel-standard facilities at these prices.

My 2c worth.

 

[AndrewB]

That having been said, I'd go there again.

Changed my mind about this. They put me next to an old steel boat, on my starboard side. "They aren't going to do any grinding or welding, at least not without being fully tented", I said. "Oh no, certainly not" Denis replied.

By July, little brown spots appeared all over the starboard side of my yacht. It has taken most of the season to clean them off with repeated application of chemicals that have cost over 100 euros. No, I won't be going back.

 

[grietick]

Hello gentlemen ,

Please, sorry for my bad english.
I am a french sailor, on my boat 10 months in a year.
Since 2009, i am an Evoiko sea center's customer.

And i am very surprise to read that they don't help customers.
My own expérience show exactly the contrary.

I changed my engine here, in 2009. The price of engine Changement was wonderful and the service perfect, even 2 years after when my gear box cable broke ! That was not Evoiko's fault, but they came immédiatly from Chalkoutsy to Marmari (more than 2 hours by car) to help us.

I know that i am french, so a little discusting !
But i am so surprise to read that toilets are discusting !
It is true that it is not the "great luxury, with marble and conditionned air", but it is tiled and very clean. Perhaps it could happen to go to the toilets just before the cleaning, but for me, there is no problem, except it's clod in the winter!
I think we can't want more than fair price and at the same time claiming installations "high end".
Anyway, Evoiko is an excellent place to rest and dry boat, security and boat care are very good.
To my opinion, its is not a place to spend the winter inside his boat. The boatyard is not equipped accoring for this.

Personally, I am very satisfied with the facilities, services, kidness and rates.
And, with chakoutsi harbour and a place here to wait the good wind to go outside, there is no problem.

Of course, everyone is free to form his own opinion and to relate his experience.
This is what I wanted to do in this thread

Very best regards to all.

Thierry
http://www.lepetitmondedetroll.fr