Greek paperwork

davidbains

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After five years cruising Greece, last year I was required to buy
a "Private Pleasure Maritime Document". Skippers are supposed to
present this at the Harbour masters office at every port, presumaby
when leaving, or maybe even when entering and leaving!
Most simple anchorages do not have an office. Nor does the skipper
have daily time to get the right official to stamp the document.
Yet one hears of fines been levied against skippers who do not keep
up with the paperwork. Returning from Croatia last year after only
three weeks away it took three visits to Corfu HM to be stamped back
in, and I only just escaped having to buy another one because my
trip out of Greece had been less than one month.
Yet many boats are not carrying these papers or presenting them,
with impunity. It does seem odd that the paperwork is becoming more
difficult after Greece's entry into the Euro and custom union. You even
have to get permision to launch now which took an hour in the office
at Preveza last summer, while forms were completed in quadruplicate
by bored staff. What's going on!? I understand some boats are leaving Greece
because of the hassle. Yet I cleared into and out of Croatia last year in 15mins!!
 

LadyInBed

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Some oldish info re:GREEK TRANSIT LOG

Posted by iangill.richards on Thursday, 19 October 2000, at 12:37 p.m.

During September we sailed from Marmaris on the Turkish coast first to Rhodes and then Simi re-entering Turkey at Datca.We are British registered private yacht.We had been warned of the Greek transit log requirement and expense involved but as we are heading West next season this was our last chance to visit these interesting islands.Having completed the correct formalities for leaving Turkey we cleard Customs,Immigration and Port Police in Rhodes at a total cost of £1 with no mention of a transit log.We stayed 3 nights in Rhodes (Monday to Thursday go to Port on entering and use the charter boat berths) with no charge except for water and electricity (about £3 in total).We went on to Simi and again no request for us to have a transit log in fact the Harbourmaster didn't even ask where we had come from.Berthing charge on the quay £1.20 with no charge for the second night.Have the Greeks finally come to their senses?

Posted by henry on Thursday, 19 October 2000, at 6:23 p.m.,

Not quite! - I have been sailing in Greek waters for over a year without any mention of the new regulations, until I arrived in Aghios Nikolaos in Crete. On arriving in the port I was told that I must report to the Port Authority where I was informed that new laws now exist and I must pay up. My yacht is British registered and has been in Greek waters for at least 5 years. First I had to complete a formal declaration that I would like to stay in Greek waters for over a year, cost 300 GDR (60 pence), then I had to prove that the yacht was in Greece at 1st Jan 2000 (photocopies of marina invoices taken and filed) and I was issued with something named "Private Pleasure Yacht permission for stay and maritime traffic" - cost 20,000 GDR (about 40 UK pounds). This entitles me to stay for 3 years.
Finally I was issued with the new transit log, entitled "Private pleasure maritime traffic document" - cost 10,000 GDR (about 20 UK pounds). I must take this to the Port Authority on arrival at each port and they stamp it, then again when I leave. There is room for 100 transits. I can buy another when it fills.
If the transit log shows a period of more than 31 days outside of Greek waters then I must renew my "Permission" document at a cost of (I think) 80,000 GDR
The "Permission" costs are based on yacht length and mine is 10 metres.
The authority at Aghios Nikolaos is the only that I have heard of who are enforcing this law.
I have written to my MEP about this and he (Giles Chichester) doesn't think it contravenes EU law.
I would like to protest but I'm not sure how. It hasn't cost me a lot compared to the pleasure that I get cruising in Greece, but I am against it on principle.
 

byron

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As a Greek, what bothers me is all this unneccessary paperwork just drives Yotties away. Yotties go - so does the dosh they spend.
Look at Pireaus. They drove the US 6th Fleet away and now wonder why the local economy is on its knees. Put 2 Greeks together and they instantly work out a set of rules and invent bundles of paperwork to go with it. Yet! If you know the right Dudes all of a sudden its "Theberazi" (translated that means "never mind") and your way is paved for you with a tot of Ouzo to oil you as you go.

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Mr Cassandra

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I think this paperwork is reasonable . £73 for 3 years cruising on a 44 ft boat , about £1.80 a night to park up on most quays ,and when the Port police get to know you they don`t bother after the first couple of times .So you have to spend about 10 min when you get in to port and another 10 when you leave ,if you tell them that you have been anchored off in some bay for a week they still don`t charge you . So lets say £25 a year plus on avarage £1 a night for 180 night =£205 for 6 months sailing . And also remember in the supermarkets a 500 ml of Lowenbru is only about 30 p a can .Fillet steak £6 a kilo No I think it`s not to bad compaired to what you have in this country IMHO . Cheers bob t

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davidbains

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I too don't have any great objection to buying a three year transit log.
What is a real nuisance is having to find the port police on entering and leaving any port.
Moving every day would mean 60 visits a month which is clearly ridiculous. And it can't
be done in ten minutes, often can't be done on Sundays or outside office hours. I sail
a multihull so rarely tie to town quays and usually anchor. A morning stamp would waste an hour
and make early starts impossible. This requirement is going to be ignored in practice by a lot
of skippers, which may store up trouble for the end of the season. And I forgot to get permision
to haul when I came home. I honestly believe boats will leave, if this is enforced on a daily
basis. I will.
 

Mr Cassandra

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Hello David If you don`t tie to town queys and usually anchor. You do not have to report to the port police as you officily have not entered the port . I park my boat for months on end , with no charge at all ,All I do is report to the police that i am leaving the boat in a certain location ,they then take a copy of my papers, when I go back I again report to the police they then stamp the papers with no charge . If and when Billskip returnes to the forum he will comfirm that this year I wrote out my own papers, , on a bit of scrap A4 in the port police office, and had them stamped , BIG laugh on the quey when I showed them to the new people who were complaning about charges It`s all a bit of a game if and when they get you just pay up and remember the times that you have been let off . I bloody love it out here, just chill out and have some fun. Hope to meet sometime and have a few cans cheers bob t

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davidbains

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Boss you seem to be finding it much easier than I am. The problem seems to be that you make trouble if you leave after stamping in, which hardly encourages people to stamp in in the first place. I don't mind the charges, it's the inconvenience, and the fact that trying to comply with the law in Greece doesn't necessarily produce the required results. I had a difficult time clearing in from Croatia last August and left the boat in Gouvia for a month. In late September I left Gouvia without stamping out and had the boat lifted at Aktion and flew home without seeing the port police in Preveza (there's no ferry across now anyway). In the spring I'll have to get permission to launch and I'm sure I'm heading for a fine, since officially I should still be in Gouvia. I didn't find the police in Gouvia very helpful anyway. How should I play it??!!
 

Mr Cassandra

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Hello .I think it because I act ,or am daft ,that I get away with it so often .When the police ask for my papers I hold my hands in the air and ask them not to shoot . this usually gets a smile or laugh. Also remember that I have been out here for years so the police know that I don`t cause any trouble and have lot of Greek friends that will vouch for me .I can only ask ,why did you leave Gouvia without stamping out?
I can only sugest that you ASK ? SPEAK to Joe Charlton at Contract Yacht Services.In Lefcas to see if he can help you out .I had a very good friend in Nikiana that could have helped you , unfortuately he has past on .
Or get launched and go back to Gouvia and say that you never realy left Corfu only went to Mongonise/ Gaios to park up ANCHORED OFF not moored for the winter .
please pm me if you need any more help . Barry Neilson from Sailing Holidays might be able to help if you know him there is a chance that you could have been parked in Mourtos cheers bob t

boss1
 
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