Messolonghi Marina

[nimbusgb]

Frankly speaking it is not my style to comment in this way, specially not when somebody is writing anonymously, or others that don’t live or even haven’t visited the marina, speak about honesty. But now its time we put things in the right perspective.

At the moment we host about 100 boats in the marina. Over 50 boats are on the hard and about 20 boats are live-aboards. These figures are far more then we had anticipated.
On one hand this is very positive, but on the other hand it also puts great pressure on the organisation, specially because the marina is still under construction.
We try to handle problems as good as we can.

Beginning of December we have set a meeting in the “Marina clubhouse” for all the people that live in the marina, to address all issues. The main problems were the toilets and the showers. At the moment we only have two of both. We agreed on the fact that, when the new toilet building and the main sewage line are finished, these problems will be history.

Concerning the incapable staff. From the beginning we work with a professional crane company. Over 50 boats are lifted and put on our heavy duty cradles. No structural damage has occurred and although we have had some very strong winds, all the boats are save in the water and on the land.

As I can read on the various websites, most live-aboards enjoy there stay in the marina and the friendly atmosphere of Messolonghi and its people.

Yiannes and I are open for all suggestions and remarks, and within our means we will handle them. Our goal is to build a modern and hospitable marina. Together with our clients we can make it happen. We invite everybody to visit the marina or our website to see the works in progress.

Jo Mennen
info@messolonghimarina.com
www.messolonghimarina.com

Suggestions -

1 - Duplicate the cradles in use at Aktio, Preveza and Kleopatra marinas in Preveza. Your design did not inspire confidence.

2 - I know its a Mediterranean thing but shouting at paying customers from northern Europe will get you a marina completely absent of their custom and what's more they will end up on forums like this slagging you off. Get over it! you are in a service industry. You rely on the business and more importantly the goodwill! Yes, the customer is a pain, stubborn, obstinate and usually wrong but remember he pays the bills and salaries.

Apart from that I'm tempted to move down there myself!

 

[Dior]

Facilities in Turkey

Thank you for your honest appraisal of this Marina/yard

I have found that cleanliness if not high on these yards agenda. If you want good and very clean marina berths I think you will need to go to Turkey.

cheers bobt

You are so right. The facilities in most Turkish marina's have been top notch. Gocek with their piped classical music and air conditioning must be the best. Beautiful showers of a standard found only in Spa hotels. Fethiye marina come a close second for cleanliness. (less expensive to moor though) I've travelled around Greece for a few years where they call harbours marinas and the marinas they do have are pretty poor for facilities. You can almost hear them ask....who needs them?? Very laid back attitude but that's why we love the place.

One final word if ever you are crossing the border from Greece to Turkey by land.....Do not use the facilities they are worse than disgusting on the Turkish side. What a let down for the Turks.

 

[Chris_Robb]

But all the lazylines are secured to the riser chain with a bowline and a riggers clamp is used to secure the standing end for additional security. The lazy lines have a thimble secured with a riggers clamp to attatch the thinner shore line, but as this will never be used to take the weight of the boat riggers clamps here is of no consiquence.

Well what Ben says is certainly true for me. My Lazy lines were some 6 feet short of the bow, requiring me to set up a bridle to the lazy line through the thimble secured only by a riggers clamp. I have asked Yannis to deal with this urgently, but being back home at the moment I can get no response as to whether anything has been done yet. We are on the first pontoon to the north - boat name CARINA, I would be grateful if you could check what has or has not been done, because I just don't know what a riggers clamp on rope is like. My son is out on the 25th Aug for a week and then we come on 12th Sept.

We did not see any other lazy lines like ours, so I believe it is a one off.

As for errant boys, - we did see "gypsy" kids on the other side of the harbour (town quay) robbing a boat and riding someones bike into the water repeatedly - and then leaving it there. But no sign of anything round the marina. Unforgivably we did nothing as our boat was moored for a day there for a day, and we were concerned not to antagonise them as both mother and father seemed to be egging them on. We had already found them on board us whilst we were down below.

 

[Marsupial]

Chris_Rob,

Your adaptation of the lazy line is a one off, as you have extended the line using the eye that is supposed to take the lighter shore line, but no worries. Jo has agreed to renew these moorings with longer lines and we have said we are happy to wait until he has a diver on site to lay the new pontoons which should be some time soon (before the winter storms). We will be here until November at least and will make sure that they are renewed before we leave and that Carina is included in the list. We have a good relationship with the guys here and I am sure it wont be a issue, my mooring is one of the ones that have been extended with the riggers clamps and its still OK - but I do want it fixed and have been assured it will be.

PS the group of gypsies that were camped out by the tanks and planes have been moved on - not that they were ever a problem on the marina site, it seems that the staff at the marina are on the case.

 

[Chris_Robb]

Chris_Rob,

Your adaptation of the lazy line is a one off, as you have extended the line using the eye that is supposed to take the lighter shore line, but no worries. Jo has agreed to renew these moorings with longer lines and we have said we are happy to wait until he has a diver on site to lay the new pontoons which should be some time soon (before the winter storms). We will be here until November at least and will make sure that they are renewed before we leave and that Carina is included in the list. We have a good relationship with the guys here and I am sure it wont be a issue, my mooring is one of the ones that have been extended with the riggers clamps and its still OK - but I do want it fixed and have been assured it will be.

PS the group of gypsies that were camped out by the tanks and planes have been moved on - not that they were ever a problem on the marina site, it seems that the staff at the marina are on the case.

Thanks for that - We will probably be coming out for the winter anyway, as that should be far safer than in the water. The cradles looked overstrong - Yannies was very proud of them. I suppose my biggest worry down there is that they are on a very steep learning curve, and things that mariners would do as a matter of course they are learning (ie mousing shackles on moorings)- hopefully not by their mistakes!

I was pleasantly surprised by Messolonghi when we arrived after all the slagging off it had had, It basically great value - Yannies is stressed by the over success they have had, which is great (not the stress) as it now won't be added to the list of failed marinas that seem to haunt Greece.

And Greece has not changed after 15 years,from when we were last there. Just prices.....but compared with Corsica and Sardinia its a paradise.

 

[Vidare]

Any news About this marina

 

[Max K]

Any news About this marina

Friends came back from there to Gouvia yesterday. Reported that the mooring assistance could have been better but otherwise OK. We spent 2 x 3 days there last September and found everything working. Certainly more than 2 ea of showers and toilets. We rather like the town and most of it's tavernas and supermarkets.

Max.

.

 

[Bertramdriver]

Liked it so much we stayed a week last September. Well organised, nice people, good facililities. But won't keep my boat on shore until they buy a travel hoist. Had fun in the town.

 

[charles_reed]

Liked it so much we stayed a week last September. Well organised, nice people, good facililities. But won't keep my boat on shore until they buy a travel hoist. Had fun in the town.

It's amazing how bad news survives and comes back up again and again and again..

I'm on my way back there to collect a misdelivered shipment by Gaelforce.

I don't think there's a chance of them getting a Travelift - too great a capital cost and the need to dig a dock. That puts them at a major cost disadvantage compared to Manitsas (where I am at present), because a crane is slower, more costly to hire and needs x3 the manpower.
I'd also point out that the (Greek) copy of their trailer is infinitely inferior to the Netherlands original and on non-honeycomb bottom boats copes badly (as Chris Robb will testify).
I'd second the fact that they're nice folk and Mesologgi itself is a hidden treasure house of marine-supply support (though you have to go to Agrinio for elecrix)