Marinas in Greece

[evgepr]

Hello!

We are searching for a marina somewhere in Athens area. I would like it to be safe for boat, relatively easy to get from Athens airport (either by bus or taxi or ferry) and not expensive. We want to spend around 6 month on hard and 6 month in water. It might be not in Athens area, but somewhere were can get within 2-3 hours by public transport. We can sail the boat 3-5 times per year by 1 week periods (more or less).

We have 37 feet sailboat with 2.2 meters draft.

Are there any recommendations?

 

[sailaboutvic]

You be luck to find a Marina around Athen which is cheap , the one place I can think of is up the Evia channel at KHalkis .
You can get to it by bus it's not too far from the airport .
Don't know anything about it , but I think Mac of this parish have left his boat there , might be wrote PM him

 

[AndrewB]

As Sailaboutvic says, the marinas around Athens: Zea, Olympia, Faliron, Flisvos, Alimos are among the most expensive in Greece. The marina at Khalkis he suggests is further away, but on the direct train line to Athens. I kept my boat there briefly, because of the ease of access. If cheapness is a primary consideration you might consider it. The pontoons are sound, with power and water, there's a yacht club, a bar/restaurant, a nearby chandlery, and limited security, but otherwise few facilities (no lift-out).

There are any number of small haul-out yards in the area which you might also consider, these are much cheaper than marinas but of course you can't stay there afloat.

 

[jimbaerselman]

Athens marinas within 2 to 3 transfer to the airport for your size boat are likely to charge around €5k pa and upwards for typical annual usage and slipping etc.

If you can handle a 5 hour transfer, Kalamata marina charges around €3.5k for similar service.

In season, there are UK flights (London, Manchester) to Kalamata on 2 or 3 days a week. Your transfer is then 30 minutes. S Peloponnese cruising is much less crowded, but with more limited choice of destinations. Adequate for a week - but maybe boring after 5 visits going around the same circuit.

Detail about Athens options and Kalamata options can be found on my web site through these links: Athens; Kalamata.

Or, if you can't remember the links, just google "jimb athens" or "jimb kalamata". The right page will usually pop up on page 1 !

 

[evgepr]

Thanks everyone for input.

We have asked for a quote from Alimos marina and Olimpic marina. Alimos quoted 6700 per year (560 per month) but they have no free places. And Olimpic marina quoted 4850 eur (including 10% discount). Electricity and water are billed separately. Right now we are based in Bar, Montenegro and we pay 2800 eur including water and electricity. So 2000 uplift seems pretty sharp.

The price is not my main concern. First of all I would like to find a safe place. Where our boat will remain the way we leave her without any damages and losses.

 

[evgepr]

By the way, I know that there are marinas and boatyards in Greece. In boatyard you can keep the boat on hard and in marina in water. How does it work usually? You make a contract with boatyard, where you lift and keep the boat during off-season. And then you put her back in water and move to marina? How are these boatyard compare in pricing with marinas?

 

[Tranona]

By the way, I know that there are marinas and boatyards in Greece. In boatyard you can keep the boat on hard and in marina in water. How does it work usually? You make a contract with boatyard, where you lift and keep the boat during off-season. And then you put her back in water and move to marina? How are these boatyard compare in pricing with marinas?

There are many different arrangements, but typically a boatyard will haul your boat out when you do not need it and put it in the water when you want. Some also have marina berths, but most do not, so people cruise and anchor then return the boat to the yard when they have finished. There are relatively few full service marinas outside the Athens area where you leave your boat afloat in the summer and ashore in the winter and as a consequence they tend to be expensive, although the 2 in the Ionian, Corfu and Levkas are cheaper. Boatyards are cheaper but obviously offer less.

Your pattern of usage to some extent determines the way you manage your storage and berthing. Many people from UK for example use their boats for a few weeks in the spring and autumn and keep the boat ashore when not being used and launched for their sailing periods. Others have annual contracts with marinas and use their boats for short periods throughout the season.

So, perhaps you need to do some research to find an arrangement that suits you.

 

[vyv_cox]

You could pretty much match your current annual rate in Samos or Leros, along with your other requirements other than distance from Athens. I know no other Aegean marinas other than those mentioned but there are innumerable yards that will cater for dry sailing.

 

[Irish Rover]

Just a warning about Samos Marina. With water and electricity included it’s relatively cheap but there are almost no services available. A Turkish boat owner I know who has been on an annual contract there for the last 2 years had to take his boat across to Kuşadası last month for haul out and painting after repeated promises to do so in Samos Marina were broken. We met a New Zealand couple in Lipsi a few days ago who are in Samos on contract but were hunting for a new location because of the lack of services in Samos. They said the got an attractive offer in Leros but didn’t share the details. Another big negative in Samos Marina is the manager who I find to be rude and arrogant and lazy beyond belief. I arrived in the marina today and the marinero who is also the receptionist was out assisting another boat. I called on the VHF as I was entering and got no response. I called again as I was passing the reception as I saw there was someone in the office. Instead of answering the VHF the lazy rude manager came outside and screamed “WAIT”. Later when I was paying I told the receptionist the charges were very high compared to other marinas and said id paid 40% less in Kos last week the rude arrogant manager said to me “well why don’t you go to Kos so”.

 

[rscary]

Hi there..I'm after a similar thing for next year but just looking for dry storage over the winter period around the Athens area..not bothered about marina facilities as such although a close by chandley would be good.

 

[Yangosat]

Hi All,
There are 2 yards with a sled haul out at chalcoutsi (Xalkoutsi) just up from Oropos, an hours drive from airport, taxi is about 80 eurolast time i had to use it, dont know about costs, but Mac was in there a winter or 2 ago. THere is a ‘reasonable’ Marina at Xalcoutsi also, private run for sailing club, with only running water, but reasonable security. There is a haul out yard at xalkoutsi side of Oropos, uses a travel lift, but you have to drop your back stay to fit (im a sadler 32). Metal cradles, water and electricity, no liveaboards & yard is closed Mondays, access to the good local engineers etc and eager to help. Drop a message if further details wanted, cheers Ewan

 

[Perrycas]

'Just a warning about Samos Marina. '

I was trawling and came across your post. I'm thinking about putting an 8m cat in the med and leaving it on the hard for probably 7 or 8 months a year. I have friends from here (sydney) who are on Samos over the Summer so it sort of appeals. I looked at the marina on line and it looks a bit fancier, and probably a lot more expensive, than i was after. Your report was about what i might have expected (!). So wonder if you're aware of anywhere on that side of the med that might vaguely be in line with what i am after? It could be as simple as a tractor and and trolley, pretty sure they haul out the fishing boats over the winter. Hard to say without being there and can't get there until next year.
Cheers
Perry

 

[vyv_cox]

'Just a warning about Samos Marina. '

I was trawling and came across your post. I'm thinking about putting an 8m cat in the med and leaving it on the hard for probably 7 or 8 months a year. I have friends from here (sydney) who are on Samos over the Summer so it sort of appeals. I looked at the marina on line and it looks a bit fancier, and probably a lot more expensive, than i was after. Your report was about what i might have expected (!). So wonder if you're aware of anywhere on that side of the med that might vaguely be in line with what i am after? It could be as simple as a tractor and and trolley, pretty sure they haul out the fishing boats over the winter. Hard to say without being there and can't get there until next year.
Cheers
Perry

Look at Artemis on Leros. Good yard with excellent services and facilities but a little more difficult to access by road. Consequently a good deal cheaper than the other two on the island.

 

[alexsailor]

uff
opened the thread on the first page and I see reply from Jim...
rest in peace..

 

[Perrycas]

thanks for this, i did see them, but couldn't get their website to work. Have now had another try and managed to send message.
Thanks for your help
Perry

 

[Irish Rover]

Look at Artemis on Leros. Good yard with excellent services and facilities but a little more difficult to access by road. Consequently a good deal cheaper than the other two on the island.

I believe that's where the NZ couple I mentioned in my post #9 went as well. Best of luck finding a suitable base.

 

[maggie2]

we started sailing in Greece in 1985 -2008 we never had any proplems as I read of now, every where we went was just about free of charge no marinas, taverna owner would come out to help with your lines onto the quay and look after your boat if you went back to the uk for a couple of weeks all they wanted was for you to use the taverna even had free showers ,happy days

 

[sailaboutvic]

we started sailing in Greece in 1985 -2008 we never had any proplems as I read of now, every where we went was just about free of charge no marinas, taverna owner would come out to help with your lines onto the quay and look after your boat if you went back to the uk for a couple of weeks all they wanted was for you to use the taverna even had free showers ,happy days

You must had arrive just a few years before us and funny I also took one boat back to the Uk in 2008 , return back in Greece in 2010 . And I agree with every thing you said , but is so different now . You wouldn't recognise the place ,
The place is over flowing with charters , the day the Taverna would welcome you , its more then likely they will come out And tell you can't moor out side there place as there a flotilla coming in ,
where once you got some dips and bread before you order and a ouzo after your meal not they give you stal bread toasted and change you €1.50 .
Nearly every town will charge you for mooring and the small harbour are no better some turned into mini marinas .
It's not the Greece you would had known and it's definitely not the Greece I fell in love with ,
I do understand things change but when it comes to Greece and sailing in Greece , they have only change for the worst .

 

[alexsailor]

Thinga are chaging and we a want old days- just for ourselves. But- it is possible. There are places just “for you”, places were there is no charter... and you can find all that in Greece in also Croatia (but it is better out od season).

 

[AndrewB]

I do understand things change but when it comes to Greece and sailing in Greece , they have only change for the worst .

Last Friday afternoon at Levkas I would have had to agree with you. I was coming north through the canal heading for Corfu. On entering there was a long and slow moving queue of yachts ahead. In fact it stretched the entire 3 miles of the canal! I started to overtake but then people started screaming abuse at us, ordering us to get in line. They were all charter yachts queuing to get into the marina, and presumably they thought I was the same. By the time I came level with the marina entrance, it was complete gridlock, mishandled yachts all over the place, with three workboats frantically trying to keep them apart and get them organised. So we worked outside the line of buoys to pass by. What a relief to reach the final stretch up to the swing-bridge, where we were entirely on our own.

This was as unpleasant behaviour as I've encountered in the overcrowded Ionian. And it isn't even high season!