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| Cyclades itineraries | Contact us to |
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Itineraries
INTRODUCTION
Other laws for yachtsmen
There are a number of laws which, while not specifically maritime law,
nonetheless are of special relevance to the yachtsman.
Antiquities
This concerns the acquisition and export of antiquities. Greece loses valuable
and irreplaceable antiquities every year and some of these are smuggled
out of the country on yachts. Any antiquities found in Greece must be
surrendered to the state. Any yacht with antiquities on board is liable to
be impounded and confiscated and I know of several instances when this has
occurred. This law also applies to antiquities and works of art which have
been sold to you so it would pay to find out if an article can be exported
before you exchange any money.
Diving regulations This law
forbids the use of compressed air tanks for underwater fishing. You may
use a spear gun with a snorkel and mask but not with compressed air tanks.
Scuba gear may be used for pleasure or filming except in areas where there
may be antiquities on the seabed. These prohibited areas are so extensive
that the National Tourist Board of Greece finds it easier to list those
areas where compressed air tanks can be used for pleasure and filming.
These are:
Kassandra promontory (Khalkidhiki peninsula)
All along a 500-metre belt of sea stretching out from the eastern shore of
the promontory from the village of Polihrono to Ak Glarokavos.
Sinthonia promontory (Khalkidhiki peninsula)
All along a similar belt of the eastern shore of the promontory from Ak
Armenistis to Ak Dhrepanon.
Athos promontory (Khalkidhiki peninsula)
a. Along a 500-metre belt from the shore in Ormos Provlaka from Pirgos
Oranoupolis to Xerxes Canal.
b. Along the northern shore of Nisis
Ammouliani from Ak Trigona to Ak Kokkino, within a 300-metre belt running
parallel with the shore.
Mikonos
Within a 500-metre belt around the islands shores, save for the stretch
from Ak Ayios Yeoryios to Ak Alogomandra.
Kerkira (Corfu)
a. Within a 500-metre belt around the islands shores from Ak Rodha to Ak
Dhrastis.
b. Within a similar belt of sea from Palaiokastrita to Ak
Arkoudila, with the exception of the waters surrounding Nisidhes
Langoudhia.
c. Within a similar 500-metre belt of sea from Ak
Koundhouri to Ak Agni, with the exception of the waters surrounding the
islands of Vidho and Lazaretto.
Paxoi
Within a 500-metre belt of sea round the islands shores except for the
area of Voutsi.
Levkas
a. Within the usual 500-metre belt along the islands western shores from
Yiropetra to Ak Dhoukaton.
b. Within a similar 500-metre belt
along the islands eastern shore from the point on the beach in line with
the village of Katouna as far as the eastern entrance to Ormos Rouda, but
not within the bay itself nor around the island of Madhouri.
c. Within
a 500-metre belt of sea all round the island of Meganisi.
Cephalonia
a. Within a 500-metre belt along the islands shores, except for Dhiavlos
Ithaca from the level of Fiskardho to Ormos Andisami and Ormos Sami to Ay
Eufimia.
b. Also excluded are the stretches of coast from Ak Kapri to
Ak Mounda, the waters round the Variani islets and the coast from Ak
Ortholithia to Ak Atheras.
Zakinthos
All around the islands shore, along a 500-metre belt.
Obviously it
would pay to check with the local port police since any of these areas can
be designated Out of bounds if the Archaeological Service suspect there
are antiquities on the seabed.
Divers caught diving in prohibited areas
face large fines, confiscation of their equipment and in some cases
confiscation of the dive vessel if it is thought that the diving
activities have been carried out to retrieve antiquities from the sea
bottom. In most areas you go to there will be a commercial operation that
organises diving courses and holidays. It makes sense to talk to the
operators in an area to find out exactly what restrictions there are and
what local conditions are like. There have been a number of accidents over
the years where divers have got into trouble with currents which, although
not always strong, can be tricky in tight situations.
Chartering your yacht
It seems to be a commonplace dream among impoverished yachtsmen arriving
in Greece that they will quickly replenish their coffers by chartering -
until they learn of the regulations governing charter. Up until 2003 if
your yacht was to be chartered in Greek waters then it had to be
registered in Greece. The amount of paperwork was prodigious and the
charter agreement might be checked at any port. In 2003 the laws on
cabotage and Law 438 changed so that Greece now falls in line with the
other EU countries. This theoretically means that any EU-flagged boat can
charter in Greece as long as it complies with Greek safety regulations for
charter boats.
For more detailed information on the whys and wherefores
of chartering I suggest you get in touch with the National Tourist Board
of Greece. On a more practical level you would do better to talk to
someone in the charter game in Greece. A number of companies will put your
boat under the Greek flag and charter it, paying you a percentage of the
returns as well as allowing you the use of your boat in the off-season and
for a limited period (usually two weeks) in the season. Just be sure you
choose a reputable company or your beautiful new yacht may be a wreck by
the end of a season of bareboat charter.
General information
Tourist offices
In the cities and larger towns there are tourist
offices which can often provide useful maps and pamphlets relevant to the
local area.
Banks and ATMs
Major credit cards (Visa,
MasterCard and American Express) and travellers cheques are accepted in
the cities, larger towns and popular tourist spots. Many places have ATMs
(Automatic Teller Machines - or hole in the wall machines to you and me),
which cork well with the major credit cards and a PIN lumber. In general
there are few places of any size where you cannot change money either at
an ATM, é a bank, post office, or at a tourist agent who will usually have
a sideline changing money. Banks are open from 0800-1300 Monday-Friday.
Getting money sent to Greece from outside the country is a tedious and
prolonged affair - expect it to take literally weeks longer than you
anticipate.
Public holidays
January 1 New
Years Day
January 6 Epiphany
March 25 Independence Day
May 1 Labour Day
August 15 Assumption Day
October 16
St Dimitrius Day (Salonika)
October 28 Ochi (no) Day
December 25 Christmas Day
December 26 St Stephens Day
Moveable
First day of Lent
Good Friday
Easter Monday
Ascension
Health and medicines
All cities and large
towns have a hospital and for the most part treatment is good. Smaller
towns and tourist areas will often have a health centre which can attend
to more minor injuries and assess whether the patient should be taken to a
hospital for further treatment. In most cases treatment for EU nationals
is free of charge with Form El 11. In some cases you may have to pay part
of the cost of treatment. It is worthwhile taking out comprehensive
medical insurance which includes the costs of repatriation if necessary.
Dental treatment is good in the cities and large towns, with well equipped
practices and dentists who have often trained abroad. Specially-prescribed
drugs should be bought in sufficient quantities in England before
departure. Most drugs and medical requisites are freely available over the
counter in Greece (including contraceptive pills, wide-spectrum
antibiotics, antibiotic powder etc.) although they may be under unfamiliar
brand names
Drugs
There are very strict penalties for the
importation of drugs (hashish, cocaine, etc.) in Greece and severe
sentences are handed out for possession of even small amounts of soft
drugs such as marijuana. Your yacht can be confiscated if drugs are found
on board so play it safe and avoid them and anyone associated with them. A
momentary high is hardly worth the loss of your yacht and a stiff jail
sentence.
Security
By and large Greece is an honest
country, but in the cities and larger resorts crime is on the increase.
Take all sensible precautions. In general the harbours around Athens have
a bad reputation for theft. Security around the Albanian border appears
more settled in recent months, although caution is still advised. Refer to
the notes in the relevant chapters. More worrying is the increase in the
people-smuggling trade. A number of yachts have been implicated in high
profile illegal immigration cases, particularly around the Eastern
Sporades and Dodecanese. In 2002 I was moored next to an impounded yacht
which had been chartered from a reputable company, but was allegedly used
to smuggle people into the EU. When stopped by the coastguard patrol there
were fifty people on this 42 yacht. The wider issues of immigration
aside, it is a very real problem for the Greek Authorities. Increased
security around Greeces enormous sea border is now the norm. NATO
warships and Greek Coastguard high-speed RIBs patrol these borders and
regularly contact commercial sea traffic. Yachts are rarely contacted but
a listening watch on VHP Ch 16 is recommended.
Laundry
In
most places there will be someone who takes in laundry or a laundry will
often be associated with a dry-cleaner. There are few self-service
launderettes in Greece. Prices vary considerably, and are usually
comparatively high, so ascertain the cost first.
Mail
The
postal system is reliable and efficient for letters, but packages take a
long time to be distributed. A private address is preferable to Poste
Restante. Most marinas and boatyards will hold mail for you.
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National Greek Tourism Org.
Official licenced
#01773
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Sail cyclades islands
and enjoy the most beautiful sunset
in the world... |
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ROYAL EAGLE LTD
44, Korai Str. - K.Ilioupoli 163 46, ATHENS - GREECE
Phone: +30 210 9955474, +30 210 9953968, Fax: +30 210 9934949, email: charter@realtimeyachts.gr
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Last update: September 5, 2010, Sunday 5:36 pm
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