ICC Greece

T

tico

Well-Known Member
Joined
30 May 2001
Messages
3,276
Location
Worcestershire/Pembrokeshire
Visit site
Hells Bells!
Just been informed that an ICC or equivalent is required for any kind of charter in Greece.
Have been sailing for close on 35 years , owned mobos for the last 20 as well chartered without probs in Greece, BVIs turkey and Croatia.... so whats the problem? Just means it's b**gered the deal to be had for a week in the Sporadies in 2 weeks time.
PS live 200 miles from the sea so its not like i can skive off for an afternoon.

Any suggestions?
 
tico said:
Just been informed that an ICC or equivalent is required for any kind of charter in Greece.
Click to expand...

I've heard this rumour so many times in recent years that I've given up checking.

It may be true this time, but I doubt it.
 
Yes you do need an ICC chartering in Greece and one experienced crew but they often don't ask. You also need one in Turkey and Croatia and Croatia also requires a VHF licence. In fact any sailing qualifacation is acceptabe Day Skipper etc and any overseas licence.
 
That is a common position taken by many operators. The law says skippers must demonstrate competence but fails to define how that might be done. The decision on what is acceptable is left at a local level which inevitably means enforcement is variable. Although Greece does not formally recognise the ICC it is the most commonly used benchmark along with other national qualifications. The best you can do is discuss with the operator as it is their local manager that has to get the charter permit stamped by the Port Police. No point in making a big issue about it because the local man with the stamp in his hand is the one who wields the power!
 
Yup, chartered with them (s***ail) twice before in Greece, ~6 times in BVI, 1x in Croatia b'boat and flot, no problem before.
Will try talking to them but SWMBO said that they would not book it before seeing cert.

Ed... no problem, will you stump up the fee and the additional cost of the holiday?
 
tico said:
SWMBO said that they would not book it before seeing cert.
Click to expand...

My parents encountered the same thing. Fortunately they book their holidays very early, so it wasn't much bother to pop down to Lymington (I think) and spend a morning bouncing off pontoons to get their tickets. Mum was a bit worried they'd make her navigate, which she's never had the slightest interest in, but afterwards she said the whole thing had been "really noddy".

Pete
 
I was only trying to be helpful. I will reluctantly have to get some paperwork eventually myself after a similar length of time sailing with no tickets.

tico said:
Yup, chartered with them (s***ail) twice before in Greece, ~6 times in BVI, 1x in Croatia b'boat and flot, no problem before.
Will try talking to them but SWMBO said that they would not book it before seeing cert.

Ed... no problem, will you stump up the fee and the additional cost of the holiday?
Click to expand...
 
Tranona said:
That is a common position taken by many operators. The law says skippers must demonstrate competence but fails to define how that might be done. The decision on what is acceptable is left at a local level which inevitably means enforcement is variable. Although Greece does not formally recognise the ICC it is the most commonly used benchmark along with other national qualifications. The best you can do is discuss with the operator as it is their local manager that has to get the charter permit stamped by the Port Police. No point in making a big issue about it because the local man with the stamp in his hand is the one who wields the power!
Click to expand...

Ahhh isnt Europe useful!
 
nimbusgb said:
Ahhh isnt Europe useful!
Click to expand...

Nothing to do with "Europe"., The ICC is a UN sponsored certificate, based on the requirements for the Franco/German inland waterways system. A summary of the background is on the RYA site if you are interested in understanding how it works and why it is useful in Greece (and many other countries) even though those countries have not signed up to the UN Resolution.
 
Tranona said:
Nothing to do with "Europe"., The ICC is a UN sponsored certificate, based on the requirements for the Franco/German inland waterways system. A summary of the background is on the RYA site if you are interested in understanding how it works and why it is useful in Greece (and many other countries) even though those countries have not signed up to the UN Resolution.
Click to expand...

I looked it up a while back did the on line free test which I failed.
To sail or motor down through European canal system yes I get the point.
Its all about special rules and signals for inland waterways. I can't figure out why this would be thought essential to sail in Greek Islands.
 
Last edited:
Uricanejack said:
I looked it up a while back did the on line free test which I failed.
To sail or motor down through European canal system yes I get the point.
Its all about special rules and signals for inland waterways. I can figure out why this would be thought essential to sail in Greek Islands.
Click to expand...

I think the test you are referring to is the CEVNI endorsement on an ICC. The base ICC is about boat handling and is a practical test of those skills
 
tico said:
Hells Bells! Just been informed that an ICC or equivalent is required for any kind of charter in Greece.
Click to expand...

Doubtful.

I follow plenty of Greek Charter Firms on FB and none have mentioned this change. If true they'd be up in arms and having to contact a large number of customers.

Also plenty of people would need to cancel their 2013 Holidays, or devote half a day to getting the qual yet there's been total silence IRL, on FB and on YBW.

You don't mention what your source was for this information but is it possible that it was the charter firm? In which case I'd wonder if their local Port Authority has just started asking for ICC/Equiv and they're trying to put people off going to competitors by telling customers that it applies over all of Greece?

Maybe someone will produce a press release from the Greek Govt, but until then I'd say nothing has changed.

tico said:
Any suggestions?
Click to expand...

Choose a different charter company.
 
Last edited:
Tranona said:
Nothing to do with "Europe"., The ICC is a UN sponsored certificate, based on the requirements for the Franco/German inland waterways system. A summary of the background is on the RYA site if you are interested in understanding how it works and why it is useful in Greece (and many other countries) even though those countries have not signed up to the UN Resolution.
Click to expand...

Lots to do with Europe in my book, you missed my point completely.
 
Uricanejack said:
Its all about special rules and signals for inland waterways. I can't figure out why this would be thought essential to sail in Greek Islands.
Click to expand...

That's because you're looking at the CEVNI endorsement, not the ICC.

This is the UK syllabus for ICC:

screenshot2_zps9d8199eb.png


OK, most of the nav stuff is probably superfluous for a Greek charter ("turn right at the next island" being more the form) and lights, shapes, and sound signals are unlikely to make an appearance, but other than that it seems like a reasonable list of things a skipper should be able to do to be considered basically competent.

Pete
 
KellysEye said:
For those who don't believe an ICC is needed in Greece etc ask LateSsail www.latesail.com. I don't know if Sunsail still do but they used to give charterers a certificate of competence even if they had no experience.
Click to expand...

Those days are past. It is becoming more common for some form of official qualification to be required as you will see from the websites of most of the charter operators. As ever, though, practice in Greece varies from place to place and time to time. As I explained earlier, decisions are taken at a local level as there is no clear "official" policy on what is acceptable and what is not.
 
Tranona said:
Those days are past. It is becoming more common for some form of official qualification to be required as you will see from the websites of most of the charter operators. As ever, though, practice in Greece varies from place to place and time to time. As I explained earlier, decisions are taken at a local level as there is no clear "official" policy on what is acceptable and what is not.
Click to expand...

I imagine that the charter company's insurers like to stick their metaphorical oar in, too, in order to limit their risk...

Mike.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top