Spartachori - what's the deal?

[1bobt]

Sounds as if we made the right move 13 years ago, leaving the 1onion. You should come to Aegina/Poros it is heaven compared to where you are now.

 

[sailaboutvic]

The town quay is more protected from the afternoon breeze than the pontoons which can be almost impossible to walk on at times. I was told by the taverna owner (Babis?) that in future if I ring ahead he would reserve a place on the town quay which is a better place to be. On his own pontoon he provides electric and water free if charge. In the quay I believe you pay the water man. He provides decent showers and washing machines at his taverna which are very clean. Barring personalities of a couple of family members I find the place to be very well run and reasonable food at a reasonable price and it is clear he is prepared to invest money to improve facilities. There is always plenty of choice. The place is what it is and if you chose to sail to a tourist honeypot what do you expect? The Ionian is a zoo of a place full to bursting with flotillas. How the likes of Babis keep a smile on their face is beyond me. Just imagine dealing with that mayhem of floating caravaners day after day! I guess they just think of the money, which to be fair they work very hard for. You can always anchor at the head of the bay or walk to sportachori from on of the other anchorages. The likes of Babis don't spoil the place. It is trashed by sailing holidays, sunsail, Neilson, and the like.. not to mention the liveaboard gypsy types that camp out for weeks on end. Even in the 'quiet anchorages' around Meganisi it is like tying back on a town quay! Make sure you inoculations are upto date before you go swinging! The place was bad busy enough in May when we passed through. It must me a living hell now! My advise would be sail the Peloponnese and if you are not scared of sailing in 20 knots of wind try the Aegean

David you hit the nail on the head , GET out of the Ionians and sail East , The Aegean is much better place to be , The yacht get used for what it was build for , to Sail ,engine get a good rest , Nelson and sailing holidays are no where to be seen and the anchorages are a lot more quiet .
what else do you need ,

www.bluewatersailorcroatia.webs.com

 

[vyv_cox]

Nelson and sailing holidays are no where to be seen and the anchorages are a lot more quiet.

Bit out of date I think. Lots of flotillas in the Aegean, especially the Saronic of course, we have just seen one off from Korfos and there were others in Epidavros and Poros. But we see plenty further east based at Samos, Kos and others.

 

[sailaboutvic]

Bit out of date I think. Lots of flotillas in the Aegean, especially the Saronic of course, we have just seen one off from Korfos and there were others in Epidavros and Poros. But we see plenty further east based at Samos, Kos and others.

Flotillas or bareboat charter ???? It wasn't long that I was based in Kos and there was only bare boat that came out of there . I be very surprise if there a flotillas based in Kos . As the owners have a big interest in bare boat chaters and always looking for room to put more boats in the marina .
The five year I was based in Kos in eave seen one flotillas any where in that area .


www,bluewatersIlorcroatia.webs.com

 

[Davy_S]

The next time anyone does this to you, ask for their tax number and take photos of how many tables they have! they will not like it, this happened at Fiskardo last year, the tax men appeared the number of tables blocking the footpaths vanished.

 

[jimbaerselman]

As I was preparing to go back to the quay a young man on a scooter appeared and told me I could only moor up if we ate in the taverna.

Completely out of order. Unless there's a concession been allocated for a marina or other special private use, shorelines belong to the state, and are free to be used by anyone. Quaysides may belong to the Dimos (local council) and they are entitled to charge if they provide a service (water,electricity, tailed mooring).

Pontoons may be set up by shoreside owners (typically, either the Dimos, or a land owner who has a hotel or restaurant. They may charge for services used, and may also charge for use of the pontoon, in which case you can ask for a receipt. At that stage, you discover they have not declared "pontoon rent" as a business, but they will instead try to push you to use the restaurant. Move to another bit of the quayside!

Lots of people try to "claim" bits of quayside which they have no rights to. It's polite to let a fisherman park by his heap of nets and not interfere with his regular berth. And in some cases, if you pinch a favorite berth after you have been warned off, you may be within your rights, but don't be surprised to find your lines cast off when you weren't looking . . .

 

[sailaboutvic]

I agree with Jim this it totally out of order , any time I have a problem of this kind , as a rule I stand my ground , what I normally say is , go and get the harbor Master or PP and if they tell me to move I will , not once had the PP turn up , but as Jim said you need to watch your lines .

The only one problem we had in the six weeks we been in Croatia this year , we told the guy the same thing , his reply was , the harbor master is a laze, fat , B , my reply , that's your problem .

us Brit find it easier to dip into our pocket or give in , then ague the toss .

i was talking to an NZ sailor just before we arrived in Croatia and he told me a few years ago a guy approached him for anchoring fee , when he told the guy where to go he guy respond was , we always get problem with Aussie and NZ i will go to the British boat they always pay up . that sums it up .

www.bluewatersailorcroatia.webs.com

 

[charles_reed]

Bit out of date I think. Lots of flotillas in the Aegean, especially the Saronic of course, we have just seen one off from Korfos and there were others in Epidavros and Poros. But we see plenty further east based at Samos, Kos and others.

Two flotillas out of Kos last week and innumerable bareboat charters - I was in Kos marina until the Regatta weekend caused such an influx that boats were being rafted up, the showers ran out of hot water and the loos were permanently occupied.
A truly amazing number of Russians many of whom seemed a little resentful about Malaysian Airlines giving them a bad name.

 

[daveg45]

David you hit the nail on the head , GET out of the Ionians and sail East , The Aegean is much better place to be , The yacht get used for what it was build for , to Sail ,engine get a good rest , Nelson and sailing holidays are no where to be seen and the anchorages are a lot more quiet .
what else do you need ,

www.bluewatersailorcroatia.webs.com

Hi Vic, just seem your post. You are right there are much fewer flotilla boats in the Aegean. Sailing the Peloponnese we had a handful of fellow sailors as company until we reached Leonidhion where I had not choice then go alongside a sailing holidays flotilla (apparently that is as for south they go). The next day they sailed across to Porto Heli. One of the 37ft beneteau's healing way too much sailing downwind with the boom sheeted in while the wind picked up to a nice health 20 knots. I can still hear the screams as, over pressed the yacht rounded up to wind and broached. As we were berthed cockpit to cockpit the previous evening we had to suffer the conversation of how experienced they were and about their uk exploits.

Yes there are more bareboat charterers in the Dodecanese. Especially now we are on Kos. Then again being another honeypot it is to be expected. But to be fair, when the wind is blowing they do go out in it. I have no experience of the saronic gulf but I am guessing that is as crazy as the Ionian.

All in all, this is the place to be. Better winds, bigger distances and a great place to mooch around.

 

[sailaboutvic]

Hi David
I sure we talked about this last time we met and I suggested then to leave the home for old retired sailors and novices sailors and move East , I would say make a change of course and head to Croatia but since August arrived the whole place it packed out , a few people we met bland me , they said I made Croatia sound wonderfully all these empty anchorage , I keep reporting about , LOL. , mind you before August I started to think the war broke out again and no one told us , Maybe it will reverted back to that in September .
www.bluewatersailorcrotia.webs.com

 

[daveg45]

Yes you did Vic and it was some of the best advice you gave me. So will you sail in Croatia again next year or return to Greece? Would I be right in thinking you are surrounded by Italians?

 

[sailaboutvic]

Yes you did Vic and it was some of the best advice you gave me. So will you sail in Croatia again next year or return to Greece? Would I be right in thinking you are surrounded by Italians?

We will be back in Greece some time in sept but only till the end of nov then we shall head East to Malta for a few months and then back to Tunisia to fill with fuel , this time fill more contains maybe 3000 lts to sell to keep us going thought next summer , OK I was only joking about the 3000 lts to sell .
Next year is still along way away if we still alive and going strong then our thoughts are to returned back to Croatia for the spring and the first part of the summer , leave here aug and make for Turkey , it been 14 years last time we was there it be interesting to see how much chance there been , I guess quite a lot .

www.bluewatersailorcroatia.webs.com

 

[SHUG]

Hey Cardo (and some others), your'e going to be a physical and nervous wrecks if you go on like this! You seem to be looking for Rules where none actually exist!
Go with the flow. Berth where you're told, have a couple of beers, if you feel pressured to eat at the taverna , have a simple snack for starters and then go on board for the main business. You are not going to change Greek local politics from a visiting yacht.
Chill out, enjoy and play the system.

 

[sailaboutvic]

Hey Cardo (and some others), your'e going to be a physical and nervous wrecks if you go on like this! You seem to be looking for Rules where none actually exist!
Go with the flow. Berth where you're told, have a couple of beers, if you feel pressured to eat at the taverna , have a simple snack for starters and then go on board for the main business. You are not going to change Greek local politics from a visiting yacht.
Chill out, enjoy and play the system.

Good advise .

www.bluewatersailorcroatia.webs.com

 

[Cardo]

Hey Cardo (and some others), your'e going to be a physical and nervous wrecks if you go on like this! You seem to be looking for Rules where none actually exist!
Go with the flow. Berth where you're told, have a couple of beers, if you feel pressured to eat at the taverna , have a simple snack for starters and then go on board for the main business. You are not going to change Greek local politics from a visiting yacht.
Chill out, enjoy and play the system.

But that's the problem, the opposite applies. Rules are being applied where none exist. But then, that's not unusual for the Greeks. Ignore rules that don't suit, and make up ones that do.

I refuse to spend money in tavernas that employ bully boy tactics. It just encourages their behaviour and makes it worse for others.

Fortunately, our boat moves around, and we are a long way away from Spartachori.

 

[daveg45]

Cardo, SHUG has just given you first class advice.....'when in Rome' and all that.

I can't understand why some people on private boats seem to want to live for nothing or less and complain all the time about the 'rules'. Why not put up and shut up or vote with your keel and accept Greece for what it is! I don't know why people bang on about sportachori anyway. If you think that place is the golden egg and Meganissi is the jewel in the crown then you simply haven't sailed enough. Why be so hung up on a place you can get a ferry to from nidri anyway? Leave it for the flotilla's unless you enjoy camping in a caravan park full of dizzy holiday makers in their new deck shoes pretending to be sailors.

 

[concentrik]

It would appear a SH flotilla will be turning up today as a lead boat's recently arrived. .

What? A SH lead boat arriving before the flotilla...?

 

[E&B]

For Cardo - I fell upon this site,whilst looking for pictures, but registered as felt I wanted to say I think you may be missing something here - The space your yacht occupies equates to their livelihood during the summer months. Think about it - perhaps they are struggling - it's a small harbour/small taverna and I can completely understand why they might tout for business. I have been a few times since 2001 (as well as Kalamos, with the famous George) and many other small places in the S Ionian. In my experience you get what you give(deserve) - These people work hard, they are generally delightful, friendly people. There are always two sides to a story and I would like you to just consider the above.

 

[ostra4]

E &B = Nail on head .

 

[Cardo]

For Cardo - I fell upon this site,whilst looking for pictures, but registered as felt I wanted to say I think you may be missing something here - The space your yacht occupies equates to their livelihood during the summer months. Think about it - perhaps they are struggling - it's a small harbour/small taverna and I can completely understand why they might tout for business. I have been a few times since 2001 (as well as Kalamos, with the famous George) and many other small places in the S Ionian. In my experience you get what you give(deserve) - These people work hard, they are generally delightful, friendly people. There are always two sides to a story and I would like you to just consider the above.

Two sides to every story? The quay does not belong to him. We were friendly, he was rude. Spin it any way you wish.