Official hassle in Mourtos

[Birvidik_Bob]

I noticed a few comments on this under the 'Greek Economy' thread - tales of receipts being required for winter mooring and the original purchase of a DEKPA.

I don't bother keeping receipts for this sort of thing, and anyway our DEKPA is 5 years old and still only half full.

Does anyone know on what grounds the authorities are asking for these and what sanctions they are threatening if they are not produced?

Or shall we just go 'sod it' and skip visiting Mourtos?

 

[jimbaerselman]

Mourtos appears to have an official who often investigates papers very closely for any possible infringements. He picked up the fact (once) that an under 10m boat (which didn't have or need a DEKPA) was being sailed by someone not listed on its SSR as owner, without written authority from the owner. Surnames were the same - father and son. Just different initials. He held passports until a fine was paid.

With reference to the DEKPA. Officials appear to have been trained to detect forged DEKPA by asking for the original receipt. This is rubbish for two reasons. First, there's no cause to forge a DEKPA - it only repeats info on the SSR. Second, a far more reliable method of checking for forgery (should anyone suggest this is the case!) is to ring the issuing port and ask if it's valid.

In 30 years sailing Greek waters I've twice been asked for my DEKPA receipt (and I've been pretty good about reporting arrival to PP). Both times in the Dodecanese. Once when returning from Turkey (in Lesbos) and once in Tilos. The Tilos guy was young and intelligent, speaking good English. He explained the reason (forgery check), and accepted that if he rang (Levkas, in this case) that would suffice, but that was not how he had been trained.

The Lesvos case was 20 years ago, and an attempted shake down by an older guy (three rings . . . ) who threatened to strip down the boat for a smuggling search since I "couldn't prove my papers". His English was not good, but he managed to explain that he could prove the papers, but that would be expensive. At that stage a junior officer (one ring) came in, and I asked him in English if he could interpret, and explained what I understood. I had enough Greek to understand the three ringer's replies - that I had completely mis-understood his meaning.

I was stamped in for 200 Drx (now €0.88) with a tax receipt and no further trouble. A lot less than the suggested Drx 30,000 - about €150 equivalent then.

The request for a winter mooring receipt is (I think) to check whether you've already pre-paid local region mooring fees (Porto Heli is one region where this happens). But I'm not very clear on this, and (as always in Greece) can't find any relevant documents to describe what is required.

 

[Tony Cross]

<snip, snip>

The request for a winter mooring receipt is (I think) to check whether you've already pre-paid local region mooring fees (Porto Heli is one region where this happens). But I'm not very clear on this, and (as always in Greece) can't find any relevant documents to describe what is required.

The port police here in Agios Nikolaos, Crete also require your winter mooring receipt when checking out after winter. I am told this is to be sure you are not leaving with any debts.

The comment earlier about being charged from midnight to midnight is, as far as I'm aware, the standard official line in Greece. In practice most port police recognise that a one night stay attracts a single fee, but on more than one occasion we have been billed two charging periods for a one-night stay. As I say, I understand they are simply applying the letter of the rules.