Yachts detained in Greece by Port Police. Help needed.

[sailaboutvic]

And you really think they value you as a visitor spending so little money compared with the thousands of tourists (of all sorts) than keep them alive?

Great for you to survive on so little, but please do not criticise others for spending their own money as they think fit - just as you choose the way in which you spend your own money.

Sorry Tranona what part of my posting are you referring too ?
The part of the guy spending 4300 on a berth that he is now complaining about or the charter part and the yachties that out for a few weeks ,
What I spend is the going rate , the same has what I would spend if I was back in the UK , has "do they valve me has a visitor ", ? I think so very much when we turn up in March and April , oct and Nov when there not a charter to be seen , and thought out the winter months when we buying food, goods and spending money on repairs .
Your posting " but please do not criticise others for spending their own money as they think fit - just as you choose the way in which you spend your own money."
Well spending there money as there feel fit , ie given it away like there no tomorrow , effect everyone who out here and not just for a week , but much longer and spending more then they do in the months went it really counts , in the pockets of people who really need it .
I have to add not all charter are like this many don't over do it . also private owner who out for few months .
By the way Our 800 euros winter mooring fees wasn't on some quay in the middle of no where but in a well known Marina , yes we could had spend three time more , and help some one get richer and then moaned about it , but why ? we watch a private yacht just this year given a local guy who just happen to be there fishing , 5 euros for helping them to moor up , 20 mins the same guy helped another boat , this time asking for 5 euros , unlucky for him this time all he got was a thank you . By the way he wasn't poor , he drove a very nice car .
I don't know you other then our posting on here but I am guess you wouldn't moor to yarmouth harbour or any where else , passing your rope to a bystander willing to help then given him 5 pounds , so why go any where and do it , it just bloody showing off .( look I am on a boat , look how much money I got ) and the locals love it what's fools we are , I bet we the topic of conversation while drinking their coffees .
No wonder they think all yachties are loaded , reality check , we not . I for one don't want to feel I am being ripped off . Just because I happen to worked hard since I left school and own a yacht .
As far as we spend so little ,
I wish that was the case , if you only knew .

 

[Chris_Robb]

Happened to me a few years back, 5 or 6 years ago. A Benetau 38 was being delivered between Turkey and Malta. The engine broke down off Xania in Crete and was towed in by a fishing boat. The port police got wind of it and impounded the boat. The original skipper had to leave for personal reasons and the crew went too. I flew out as replacement. On reporting to the port police the first thing they asked to look at was our passports which they promptly took off us and said that the only way we were leaving the island was on the boat.

The engine fix was easy, just muck in the fuel. However, the port police wanted a survey done that the boat was safe to put to sea. A ship surveyor was called at great expense, took one look at the engine, asked for it to be started and that was it. He said that he had no experience of yacht engines.

The port police also noticed that the boat was still registered under the Turkish flag as the previous owner was Turkish. The new owner was Maltese and had not registered it yet. The police insisted that the boat must be re-registered as Maltese before it could leave. This is not easy in Crete, because it requires another survey by a surveyor approved by the shipping bit of the Maltese government. A Maltese surveyor had to be flown in - more delays and huge costs. The boat was surveyed, registered on the Maltese register, and we were all ready to go, but then they said we couldn't leave without a Maltese ensign. Imagine trying to find one of those in Crete! So more delay while one was posted from Malta.

Can we go now? Oh no. You only have your Yachtmaster certificate with you. We know what it is but don't recognise that as a qualification. We want to see an ICC. Fortunately I had one, but had not brought it with me from home in the haste to leave. Another 2 days while that was sent out by courier.

Finally, everything in place, and we were allowed to leave and they gave us our passports back.

In the harbour office there was a huge number of staff for a tiny port with a few fishing boats and some yachts. Their attitude seems to be to find all and every little rule infringement to prevent progress, and only tell you about the next problem after the resolution of the previous. I have no comprehension why they work like that, and I can't think of a more deserving government to go bankrupt. By comparison deliveries in Scandinavia and Northern Europe all seem to go without hitch, and if there are any problems or difficulties the authorities go out of their way to help and assist. They also seem to realize that doing small boat commercial deliveries is a tough pressurised job, give the skippers and crews respect, and co-operation and sometimes some help if required, not the Greek style buggerance and hindrance they seem to revel in.

Thanks, info added to list.
It pays to get the basics right unfortunately on reg and docs. Ownerz fault, but still does not excuse greeks over exuberance.