OldBawley
Active member
Just some impressions from someone wintering in Greece:
No Greek I have spoken to has heard of the new tax. They all have boats, small fishing boats, taxi´s.
A Dutch friend who had some spare winter holiday to take and usually visits the place I have my boat wanted to visit two weeks in January. I had to tell him I have no desire to be the guinea pig, I don’t want to be the only foreign live yacht on the town quay. All other yachts are empty during winter.
So the hotel looses a client, as do the local taverna´s. This friend of mine is a chef, travels to explore the local cuisine, loves a drop to.
A planed visit from old friends is put on hold also. The town and island are beautiful, especially in spring but again, I don’t want to be the easy target of whoever wants to cash my dough. Our boat has no berths for visitors, local hotel and restaurants loose good clients. ( No “all in one” tourists )
We sail a small boat, I will pay the tax, want to see some more of Greece, however I don’t like to be the first one to be taxed. I still remember been one of only three liveaboard wintering non marina yachts in the Fethiye- Göcek area. Boy did we have the attention of those two coastguard vessels, and the helicopter who came looking for us every day. Guess it was a game for them. More than a hundred uniformed guys having nothing to do for several months.
For one sailing friend who keeps his yacht in Greece this tax was the last drop, he is selling, even in this bad time. It is a big beautiful yacht, but it looks more and more as if yachting will be a rich man´s hobby again.
French sailing friends who sail there classic yacht each year from France to Greece ( via North Africa ) and back, have told me that this year Greece is not in the market.
He said it is a matter of principle, not money.
Looks as if next summer the only neighbours will be charterers and big fat mega yachts. One of the reasons I left turkey.
Greece will have my 300 €, it lost a lot more already. Pity.
No Greek I have spoken to has heard of the new tax. They all have boats, small fishing boats, taxi´s.
A Dutch friend who had some spare winter holiday to take and usually visits the place I have my boat wanted to visit two weeks in January. I had to tell him I have no desire to be the guinea pig, I don’t want to be the only foreign live yacht on the town quay. All other yachts are empty during winter.
So the hotel looses a client, as do the local taverna´s. This friend of mine is a chef, travels to explore the local cuisine, loves a drop to.
A planed visit from old friends is put on hold also. The town and island are beautiful, especially in spring but again, I don’t want to be the easy target of whoever wants to cash my dough. Our boat has no berths for visitors, local hotel and restaurants loose good clients. ( No “all in one” tourists )
We sail a small boat, I will pay the tax, want to see some more of Greece, however I don’t like to be the first one to be taxed. I still remember been one of only three liveaboard wintering non marina yachts in the Fethiye- Göcek area. Boy did we have the attention of those two coastguard vessels, and the helicopter who came looking for us every day. Guess it was a game for them. More than a hundred uniformed guys having nothing to do for several months.
For one sailing friend who keeps his yacht in Greece this tax was the last drop, he is selling, even in this bad time. It is a big beautiful yacht, but it looks more and more as if yachting will be a rich man´s hobby again.
French sailing friends who sail there classic yacht each year from France to Greece ( via North Africa ) and back, have told me that this year Greece is not in the market.
He said it is a matter of principle, not money.
Looks as if next summer the only neighbours will be charterers and big fat mega yachts. One of the reasons I left turkey.
Greece will have my 300 €, it lost a lot more already. Pity.
