Yachts
The Greek seas and coasts, with their many comparative advantages, have made yachting a very popular activity, among both the Greek people and foreign visitors.
A trip on the calm Greek waters, on your own or a chartered yacht, offers you the possibility to sail among extremely beautiful clusters of islands, to anchor in naturally protected bays of rare beauty, to visit inaccessible beaches and to swim with safety in exceptionally clear and transparent waters.
Arrival on a privately owned vessel (foreign flag)
Before arriving in Greece on your own vessel bearing a foreign flag, you should obtain information on the basic regulations in force concerning entry and exit, as well as the formalities required.
Yacht chartering procedure
When chartering a yacht, you should know:
– what type of yacht you are interested in;
– if you wish to have a crew on the yacht or not;
– the number of people to be accommodated on the yacht;
– the number of days and the exact dates of your trip; and
– the departure port.
For information regarding yacht chartering procedures in Greece, click on one of the following:
The cost of chartering depends on the size of the yacht, the accommodations, the degree of comfort and the service required. Maximum rates are quoted for the high season, that is June to September, but reduced rates may be obtained for other months.
The base price agreed upon in the charter for a yacht, usually includes all yacht running costs, and wages and provisioning for the crew.
In some cases, depending on the type of vessel and the season, they may also include fuel and lubricants (e.g. sail boats and powerful-engine sailing boats.), or these may be charged extra (e.g. motorboats), while they may include water and port dues for a set time of sail. The daily price does not include the cost of food, drinks, refreshments, cleaning and any other demand made by the charterer. The costs of the Corinth Canal dues (if the vessels pass through that) and port dues for foreign ports are also charged extra.
In practice, it is accustomed for the boat broker/or owner to make a separate arrangement to supply foodstuff at an agreed daily rate per person. In the case of bare boats, the chartering terms are different from those of manned boats. The charter price only includes the chartering of the boat and insurance. A deposit is required against any eventual loss of equipment or damage, which is refunded immediately if the yacht is returned in its initial condition. The skipper wages (if required) are not included.
Charterers of bare boats usually buy their own food and drink, but the owner or yacht broker will, on request, arrange for supplies at local prices to be placed on board in readiness before the departure of the vessel.
In order to book a vessel, a charter contract needs to be signed between the contracting parties. This is a form in quintuple, approved by the Ministry of Merchant Marine, and specifying the terms of the charter (charge, deposit, date and harbors of departure and return). This contract is signed by both contracting parties, and a deposit is paid to the owner or to the broker, while the remainder must always be paid before the departure of the vessel.
Charter agreement V.A.T.
With regards to charter agreements of professional recreational vessel, V.A.T. (24%) is set as follows:
- Tourist vessels on international cruises that go beyond Greek waters, when they have proof of having entered a foreign port, are exempt form V.A.T.
- Tourist vessels on international cruise that go beyond Greek waters, when there is no evidence that they have entered a foreign port, are entitled to a V.A.T. discount of 60% (Category I).
- Tourist vessels departing from a Greek port and going on long domestic cruise (e.g. Piraeus – Corfu – Northern Greece – Mytilini – Crete – Dodecanese) are entitled to a V.A.T. discount of 50% (category II).
- Tourist vessels departing from a Greek port and going on short domestic cruises (e.g. Piraeus to Cyclades, N.Sporades, Zakinthos, Kefallonia, Corfu) are entitled to a V.A.T. discount of 40% (Category III).
- Tourist vessels going on very short domestic cruises (e.g. Piraeus to Saronikos Gulf and Argolikos Gulf harbours or form the harbours of the N.and S.Evoikos Gulf to Volos or between Kornthiakos harbours and Patras) are charged with 24% V.A.T.
YACHT INVENTORY LIST
Together with the charter agreement, the inventory list is also signed, according to which the broker/or owner “charges” the charterer for all the equipment mentioned in said list.
If, for whatever reason, the charterers cancel their booking, the initial deposit is withheld by the yacht owner. However, in case the yacht owner is able to charter the vessel under the same terms and for the same dates, it is customary that he returns the deposit (minus the expenses incurred by the yacht owner), although he is not required by law to do so.
By mutual agreement, the charterer may use the boat later during the same season, or in the next, whenever it becomes available.
The charter must include full insurance cover for the vessel, the crew and any accidents caused directly by the negligence of the skipper or the crew or by defects in the vessels.
Charterers must arrange their own insurance coverage against illness or accidents arising out of their own negligence or misfortune.
It is preferable that bookings are made through members of the various associations of brokers, owners and licensed travel agents. In order to protect charterers, the Greek government requires yacht brokers to be licensed by the Greek National Tourist Organization, and to deposit a bond to ensure proper performance. This is not the case with owners. In all cases, however, it is required that all charter agreements be made on the official form prescribed by Greek law.
SOME PARTICULARS OF GREEK LEGISLATION
- The right to charter “professional” recreational vessel under Greek flag belongs solely to yacht owners, operators and brokers.
- It is prohibited for recreational vessel under foreign flag to be chartered from Greek harbours or to take on passengers for a fee. The same applies to vessels under Greek flag that are not licensed as “professional”.
- Recreational vessel under an EU member-state flag or the flag of state of the European Economic Area and European Free Trade Area, excluding Switzerland, may be chartered on a total charter basis only between Greek ports on the coasts of mainland Greece, without approaching island ports. They can approach island ports only of they exceed 650 G.T. Another exception is made in special circumstances and only by special license granted by the Minister of Merchant Marine, under certain conditions. The exception applies to all foreign flag vessels.
- For charters arranged abroad, the first Greek harbour sailed into is considered to be the first departure harbour.
- Any chartered vessel must, prior to sailing from the departure harbour and for each cruise, be furnished with a copy of the charter agreement, certified by the Port Authority, where a copy will be deposited.
- Before each sail, the skipper is required to deposit with the local Port Authority a list with full data of the crew and the passengers, a certified (by the Port Authority) copy of which he must carry on board, together with all other documents of the vessel, throughout the cruise.
The Winds in the Greek Seas
Generally speaking, the winds blowing in the two major Greek seas can be described as follows:
The Aegean Sea winds usually appear during the warm season, i.e. from May to September, blow in a northward direction and are called etisies or meltemia. Normally, the meltemia season begins around the end of May and ends around the end of October. They are the strongest during the months of July and August, and their average duration is from 2 to 4 days, although they do not have the same frequency of appearance every year. These winds mostly blow during the day, from 8 in the morning to 8 in the evening, and are at their strongest around 2 in the afternoon.
They are characterized by alternate strengthening and weakening, while they fall quickly after sundown, to return at dawn. In the Northern Aegean they usually are NE winds, in the central Aegean they become North, and in the Southern Aegean NW. In the area of Rhodos they tend to become West, while in the Saronikos and the Northern Evoikos Gulf they remain NE. Under the influence of the sea breeze during the day, the meltemia become stronger locally, as it is the case in the coastal area of Northern Crete. The meltemia are at their most intense in the N.Aegean, particularly in the region of the Cyclades islands.
During the winter, the winds blowing in the Aegean reach a force of 8-9 Beaufort, while greater intensity is observed in the Kafireas straits (Cavo Doro) and in the Cyclades.
With regard to the waters in the Thermaikos Gulf, there we encounter the strong local NW wind called Vardaris, with strengths that range from 6 to 8 Beaufor. Also during the winter, and particularly when it is at its coldest, a humid wind in the Aegean region, which becomes gradually stronger, accompanied by low skies and rain. It appears mostly in the southern and western regions of the Aegean, but this stormy wind does not make an appearance often.
The winds blowing in the Ionian Sea during the summer are the NW “maistros” winds, while during the winter we also have the wet sirocco that, when at its strongest, can blow for 2 or 3 days without stop. Also during the winter, and to a lesser extent in the summer, blows the NE Central Mediterranean wind called “gregos”, which comes form Albania and Western Greece. It creates strong waves in the winter, but does not blow in the summer.
It is useful to divide the Greek seas into 4 zones running from North to South, and thus examine the course of the summer winds.
Winds vary greatly from zone to zone, (except when the meltemia winds are blowing, which are very strong, and result in large areas overlapping and having the same features).
More specifically:
THE FIRST ZONE includes the Ionian Sea and the West Coasts of the Peloponnese. For the greater part of the summer, the North Ionian features light to medium NW winds, the maistros, which appear in the early afternoon and usually fall during sundown.
THE SECOND ZONE is the sea area that is located south of Attiki and east of the Peloponnese. Very often in this area we have the southerly (SE) sirocco wind, the duration of which is usually short. The sea in the north part of this zone is protected from the strong northern winds by the land areas. In early summer there often is no wind at all, or weak winds blow, generally from the south. However, from July till the end of the summer, in this zone we mostly have meltemia, except for thw NW Peloponnese, where you may have encounter western winds.
THE THIRD AND CENTRAL ZONE covers the greater part of the Aegean from North to South, including the Sporades and the Cyclades. Throughout the summer, the prevailing winds are northeaster winds in the Northern Aegean, and northwestern winds in the Southern Aegean. The meltemia are weaker during May and June, stronger during July and August, but disappear in the fall, when the high Balkan barometric pressures are decrease. These are not cold winds, but they may blow continuously for 3 to 4 days in a sunny sky, reaching an intensity of force 6 and in some case 7 to 8 on the Beaufort scale. They create sudden waves that may make conditions difficult for small recreational vessels, particularly in the sea areas around the island of Icaria and the Cavo Doro, north of Andros.
THE FOURTH ZONE, comprises the sea areas of the NE Aegean, as well as the sea of Samos and Kos before the coast of Turkey, is considerably influenced by the meltemia, particularly in the north. However, during the grater part of the summer a slight, variable breeze blows on the coasts of the southern region.
In order to obtain more information regarding the winds and the navigation weather forecasts, please follow the weather forecast broadcasts.
Average direction* and windspeeds in knots in the Greek weather Forecast areas for shipping during the months April-October.
|
APR. |
MAY |
JUN. |
JUL. |
AUG. |
SEP. |
OCT. |
|
|
N.E. Aegean |
ΝΕ |
ΝΕ |
ΝΕ |
ΝΕ |
ΝΕ |
ΝΕ |
ΝΕ |
|
(Limnos) |
10.2 |
8.2 |
8.2 |
10.2 |
10.2 |
10.2 |
11.4 |
|
Thrakiko |
ΝΕ |
ΝΕ |
ΝΕ |
ΝΕ |
ΝΕ |
ΝΕ |
ΝΕ |
|
(Thassos) |
1.4 |
1.4 |
1.4 |
1.4 |
1.4 |
1.6 |
2.3 |
|
Rhodes Sea |
WNW |
WNW |
WNW |
NW |
NW |
NW |
WNW |
|
(Kos-Rodos) |
13.6 |
13.0 |
13.0 |
13.6 |
13.6 |
13.0 |
11.4 |
|
S.W. Aegean |
N |
SW |
N |
N |
N |
N |
N. |
|
(Milos) |
9.0 |
6.6 |
6.6 |
8.6 |
8.6 |
8.6 |
9.8 |
|
W.Cretan sea |
SW |
NNW |
NW, N |
N, NW |
N |
N |
N |
|
(Hania) |
5.0 |
4.4 |
4.4 |
4.1 |
4.1 |
4.1 |
3.8 |
|
E.Cretan Sea |
NW |
NW |
NW |
NW |
NW |
NW |
NW |
|
(heraklion) |
6.6 |
4.4 |
6.2 |
8.2 |
7.4 |
6.6 |
5.0 |
|
E.Cretan Sea |
NW |
NW |
NW |
NW |
NW |
NW |
NW |
|
(Sitia) |
6.6 |
5.0 |
7.0 |
8.6 |
8.2 |
6.6 |
5.0 |
|
Kithira Sea |
NE |
W |
W |
NE |
NE |
NE |
NE |
|
(Kithira) |
9.8 |
8.2 |
7,8 |
7.4 |
8.2 |
9.0 |
10.6 |
|
Samos Sea |
NW |
NW |
NW |
NW |
NW |
NW |
NW |
|
(Samos) |
9.4 |
7.8 |
9,4 |
11.0 |
10.2 |
8.6 |
7.0 |
|
Karpathio Sea |
W |
W |
W |
W |
W |
W |
W |
|
(Karpathos) |
6.6 |
6.2 |
8.6 |
10.6 |
9.4 |
8.2 |
6.2 |
|
N.Ionian Sea |
SE |
W, SE |
W |
NW, W |
NW |
SE |
SE |
|
(Corfu) |
2.9 |
2.6 |
2.9 |
2.9 |
2.6 |
2.3 |
2.6 |
|
N.Ionian Sea |
N |
NE, N |
NE |
N |
N, WE |
N |
NE |
|
(Zante) |
9.8 |
9.4 |
9.8 |
10.2 |
9.8 |
9.0 |
10.2 |
|
S.Ionian Sea |
W |
W |
W |
W |
W |
W |
NE |
|
(Methoni) |
11.8 |
11.0 |
11.4 |
11.8 |
11.0 |
10.2 |
9.8 |
Marinas - Moorings
Marinas – Moorings
Nowadays there are 19 marinas with 6,661 docking places in Greece, offering high quality services. Quite a few of these marinas have been awarded by the European Blue Flag programme. In recent years, the Greek National Tourist Organisation and some of the 13 administrative regions of the country have started the implementation of a programme for the creation of an integrated network of anchoring and relevant services for boats along the Greek coasts; this programme is now nearing completion. New modern marinas, hotel ports and moorings for the safe docking of boats already operate or are in the process of starting their operation, in order to meet the needs of tourists coming to Greece by sea in the most satisfactory way and under the safest conditions. For analytical information regarding the marinas operating in Greece, click here. Also see the marinas under construction.
Moorings
In addition to the docking places provided by public or private marinas, approximately 3,000 yachts can be accommodated in the Greek ports. Apart from the big commercial ports of Piraeus and Thessalonica, small and picturesque moorings have been created and equipped in many Greek ports. Piers and sea walls have been constructed, creating safe areas where yachts can dock, provided they pay the relevant port dues. Basic facilities and elementary services are provided in most of these ports for the docked boats. Such ports have been created in Mikrolímano of Piraeus, on the islands of Aegina, Poros, Hydra, Spetses, in Nafplio, Gythio, Pylos, on the islands of Zákynthos, Ithaca, Kefaloniá, Lefkada, Paxí, Ios, Mykonos, Patmos, Symi, Samos, Lesbos (Plomari), Chios and in other places.
-Port dues
Commercial ports are supervised by the port authorities of each region. Yachts using the ports of the country are obliged to pay port dues as specified by the regulations of the competent Ministry of Mercantile Marine. The docking dues are paid at the Port Authorities of each region to the Port Fund and are calculated on the basis of yacht category, the metres of the yacht’s total length, the registered tons of total capacity and the duration of docking in the port.
-Supplies Fuel:
Diesel fuel is provided to yachts in many ports of the country, mainly by fuel trucks, with the care of the port authorities of each region (information VHF, channel 12). Most oil companies have established a well-organised coastal network of fuel stations on the islands and the continental coasts of the country, capable of handling refueling requirements of yachts in each area. Moreover, some of these companies have built special small tankers, capable of carrying not only fuel, but fuel trucks as well, thus creating floating installations for the servicing of yachts. In the larger ports of the country fuel is charged at current prices. In more remote areas, however, a small surcharge is added in order to cover the additional transportation cost.
Vessels are no longer entitled to transit fuel. All vessels, without exception, are obliged to use diesel fuel which has the natural yellow-white colour of oil (non coloured).
Gasoline: It is usually sold at gas stations and not at pumps near the pier.
Lubricants: Although all types of lubricants are sold in Greece, you may not find them on certain remote islands. For this reason, yachts on extended trips should have reserves of the lubricants they need.
Water: As far as the supply of potable water is concerned, at the marinas of the Greek National Tourist Organisation an additional charge of 80% is added to the urban consumption dues. Water is provided on the pier or is transported by road to the ports. It is recommended to check prices with the port authorities of the region. Due to water shortage on some islands during the summer, it may be difficult to replenish water supplies; therefore, skippers are advised to keep adequate water reserves on the boat.
Other supplies – provisions – equipment: As far as victuals, ice, gas and other goods are concerned, in most of the country’s ports you can buy these from private enterprises or through the organised networks of the oil companies (Information via the port authorities/VHF Channel 12).
-Repairs In most Greek coastal areas and near the ports of the mainland and the bigger islands, all types of wide-scale repairs are carried out and all kinds of service are provided to the boats. Some medium or small-scale repairs may be possible in the smaller ports and on the more remote islands.
-Please note the following regulations in force according to Greek legislation:
1. Private yachts, either under the Greek flag or under foreign flag, ARE NOT ENTITLED to tax-free delivery of equipment and supplies, such as fuel, lubricants, victuals and other goods.
2. Professional tourist ships ARE ENTITLED to tax-free delivery of fuel only, through the procedure by which the special oil consumption tax is returned for the amount of fuel that can be proven to have been used for professional reasons. Same vessels are not entitled to tax-free delivery of food supplies and other goods.
Note: The relevant legislation, which was recently revised in order to harmonise Greek legislation with European community policy, may be subject to differentiations with regard to these issues.