How Much Red Tape in the Mediterranean?

[George Wade]

Originally Posted by Zoef

The difference in legislation between EU states is quite interesting.
In French seas you do not need any permit for a pleasure sailing craft, even if it has an engine. However, if you take the mast down your sailing boat becomes a motor boat and you need a permit, both at sea and inland waters.

Klaas

I hope the French have a sense of humour, still, about being outgunned over marine terminology. I would certainly try a Chinese sweep for short hops, to demonstrate that it is not just decoration for the purpose of cheating. A short, hinged mast, with a Chinese Lug sail would be reasonable in many places. You could raise it everywhere practical to show the French flag to advantage; also to save a little diesel.

[goboatingnow]

Even the Yachtmaster exam is a one day and night exam only.

Oh yes Talbot, quite correct, you have however looked up the prerequisities havent you, ie 3000 seamiles, night hours , etc etc. its not a cert a begineer can do. in my ezperience a 24 hour exam is something else.

[Talbot]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

Oh yes Talbot, quite correct, you have however looked up the prerequisities havent you, ie 3000 seamiles, night hours , etc etc. its not a cert a begineer can do. in my ezperience a 24 hour exam is something else.

Not only know the requirements, but have the Qual.

[feelsgood]

[QUOTE=areso70;231003]Hello everybody,

Sailing in the Mediterranean has been a long time dream of mine. The plan was to stick to the eastern part of the region visiting Greece , Turkey, some of ex Yugoslavia coast and then continue to Egypt.

I intended to sail from March thru September in the Med and then winterize the boat in a fishing village . To avoid paying big bucks for a marina I was thinking of having a local guy keep an eye on the boat for a fee. Another scenario was to move to the winterless Red Sea, drop the hook either around Hurghada or Aqaba and explore Egypt and Jordan from there.

However after reading a number of sites on regulations and requirements in the area I am having serious doubts as to the feasibility of my plan.
My major concern is if I can meet the local requirements and whether I can afford it.

Greece in particular seems to be a bureaucratic maze combined with ubiquitous fees .

Just to mention a few gems from the Greek section:
The original boat insurance certificate is required with the minimum amounts as follows:
293,470 for liability from death or injury by sinking or collision
146,753 for damage
88,041 for pollution
All numbers in Euros.

The skipper must have an International Certificate of Competence.

To obtain a sailing permit one has to pay 10 Euros per foot. This permit is supposedly good for a month

Every time the boat touches a quay or enters a marina just to buy fuel for example a fee is charged.

What is the reality of the Mediterranean sailing ? Is it that complicated and pricey?

Any suggestions as far as the budget just for permits , fees etc would help .

I do carry a boat insurance but it's only good for the West Coast. Unfortunatelly I cannot afford an offshore insurance.

As far as certificates I have a Pleasure Craft Certificate, now required in Canada, and a VHF Operators Card. Other than those and some 20 plus years of sailing the West Coast and in the South Pacific I have no other credentials.

The boat is registerd in Canada.

Any comments especially from the sailors who have dealt with those issues first hand would be highly appreciated.

Hi Chriswell we bought our boat in Alicante in 2005
As Alicante is the drug centre of Europe we made sure that all the paper work was correct. We then had all the paper work translated into French, Spanish, and Portuguise. Although we didnt go further east than Alicante we were told that Spain is one of the worst plases for problems. We encountered the Arrogance of the American Navy just being nosy on 3 occasions and saw the Spanish Customs once. The American Navy we egnored as we are a british flaged ship and were in international waters. The Spanish customs were very polite and were very impressed that we had taken the trouble to have all our papers translated into Spanish as it showed a mark of respect and after 10 mins and a coffee we were left to go on our way with a smile and a wave. the same in Portugal and France where we now live aboard. I have heard that in the eastern Med the local governments are trying it on to bring up the revenue that they can get from visiting yachts. One because you dont speak their language and one because their laws are sooooo complicated that you cant argue with them. As to the Red sea be very careful. I know you want to save money but have a look at tunisia as thay do deals and the security is very good. I hope this helps you with your decision but in the end each person finds their own problems wherever they go so good luck and calm seas. Regards Pete