Crew Wanted: Croatia to Greece - 20th Jan Departure

[digitalnomad]

I will be heading to Croatia to collect a Gib Sea 106 of 11m at Pula Aci Marina, Istarska, Croatia. I will be arriving there to view the boat on the 19/20th and then we need to make the boat ready for departure. This might take a couple of days (I already know that the tender has no outboard so we might aim to collect one).

I am looking for someone with lots of experience to help me sail the boat down to Greece. This will be done mainly on sail and the weather will dictate how long it will take. If you cannot go all the way, then we might also consider that.

We will also consider a couple or two very close friends.

Experience of the Adriatic sea would be a real advantage. As the weather at this time will surely be unpredictable. So knowledge of the marinas and anchorage would make things a lot more comfortable.

My wife will be joining us and she has no experience in sailing, so we need to train her during the trip to a competent crew level so that she can start her studies for Day Skipper in Greece when things warm up.

I am not 100% clear on the complete specifications of the boat, so expect that there will be no heating or hot water other than that which we can create from the galley.

I will be driving to Croatia from Barcelona on the 18th of January arriving on the 19th, so if you are on the way (Spain, France, Italy, Slovenia, or Croatia) then we could pick you up on route.

Any questions please ask and any interest then please PM me.

[Dogscout]

Make certain that you can enter Greece. We are on lockdown. No recreational boating. Look at covid19 travel restrictions on www.gov.gr.

[digitalnomad]

Originally Posted by Dogscout

Make certain that you can enter Greece. We are on lockdown. No recreational boating. Look at covid19 travel restrictions on www.gov.gr.

Completely understand. I am keeping an eye out. If we can not sail down to Greece we will focus on moving the boat closer and finding a nice free anchorage to wait out the crisis. To drive to Croatia we need a covid test less than 48 hours from the time of the swob. I know that Croatia this week or even today lifted their no entry to port restrictions. Let see if this trend heads down to Greece

[nmuir]

You might try crewbay.com

Good luck! Cheers.

[digitalnomad]

Originally Posted by nmuir

You might try crewbay.com

Good luck! Cheers.

Many thanks

[Dogscout]

I'm in Preveza Marina. Give me a shout when you get this way.

[digitalnomad]

Originally Posted by Dogscout

I'm in Preveza Marina. Give me a shout when you get this way.

Will do Please keep me updated on the Greek lockdown situation. I heard there will be news on the 15th.

[Franck Bavaria]

I am exactly on your way there, in Hyères, France, and may be free around those dates.
I have already sailed Croatia, I do not expect difficulties, many harbours are on the way and always open for an 11 meters.
I went to Greece in October only to get border entry refused, just note that!

Consider twice bringing your wife along for such a trip in that season at first experience, unless she has a very adventurous sporty character. It may be an awful experience.

All sorted our with logistics? Payment, getting proper papers for the boat?
How do you come back from Greece? What about the car left in Croatia
You are going to see a boat first time, thenyou are sure to pay it, then leave with it. How can you be so sure?
We can PM
Cheers

[jim King]

I have sailed in the Adriatic twice from Split to Debrovnic in the late summer when the conditions are more favorable and even then ran into some high seas and heavy winds. I'd look for two reliable crew and let your wife off at the first signs of green gills. The good news is there are lots of marinas all up and down the Adriatic and quick bays to hunker down in when conditions worsen.

[blubaju]

Greece is closed my sister tells me, she lives there since 40 years, not even greek people are allowed to move freely within the country. With the spreading of the new Covid-virus countries are tensioning measures again, ask the embassies, do not rely on newsgroups and people like me.

Adriatic sea and Aegaean sea can be very very nasty, I would not take any inexperienced crew this time of the year.
However, Fair Winds & Following Seas!

[digitalnomad]

Thanks for all the replies.

We will head to Croatia on Monday and then access. I spoke with some local sailing training centers and they are all closed until April. We can work from an AirBNB until things change, Greece opens, conditions with winds come south from the mountains, the temperatures rise, the boat becomes more know with short sailing around the coast etc.

At present, the boat is on a secure buoy that it has used for many years, so we will extend the contract for a while and use Pura as a base.

Any sailors in Pura, please give me a shout

[Skippy5]

That could be a difficult trip this time of year. I am a liveaboard in this area and can tell you the weather in the Adriatic changes quickly and can be severe, especially in winter. I would make yourself familiar with the weather app: predictwind.com before considering a departure and continuously while underway. It is often necessary to wait a week or longer for a weather window. Remember: A schedule is the most dangerous thing on a boat.

[Zai]

It appears that arrivals for Shengen members plus a few others are allowed.

https://covid19.gov.gr/prosorini-apa...oiou-covid-19/

Couldn't find the english page, but translated it.

[Dogscout]

Zai and others are very correct but besides whether or not a person can enter, there is this little troublesome issue.

The departure and arrival of all types of amateur craft, private pleasure ships and professional tourist ships, regardless of flag, shall be prohibited.

Such ships and vessels may be moved in the following cases:

(a) Emergency and force majeure relating to mechanical damage, damage, government and other relevant cases, strictly necessary, related to maritime safety and the protection of the marine environment;

(b) frontiers and test vessels, in accordance with the relevant provisions and orders of the relevant Port Authorities;

(c) supply of fuel, water and supplies to ships and vessels;

(d) arms to/from shipyards for repair and other related work. At the end of the above operations, departures shall be permitted for an individual passenger gap, either at the port of docking of the ship or at another port of wish of that Master,

(e) serving exclusively purposes related to the security of critical energy infrastructures in the country. This case concerns only commercial pleasure ships of L. 4256/2014 (A' 92).

In the event of non-compliance with the measures:

Non-compliance with sanitary measures relating to private and commercial pleasure craft, as well as to professional tourist days (a) passengers and crew members an administrative fine of EUR 300(300), (b) to shipowners or shipowners or ship managers, as well as masters or masters, an administrative fine of EUR 5 000 (5,000).

GG/5486 B/12.12.2020

[digitalnomad]

Originally Posted by Skippy5

That could be a difficult trip this time of year. I am a liveaboard in this area and can tell you the weather in the Adriatic changes quickly and can be severe, especially in winter. I would make yourself familiar with the weather app: predictwind.com before considering a departure and continuously while underway. It is often necessary to wait a week or longer for a weather window. Remember: A schedule is the most dangerous thing on a boat.

Thanks for all the great information. I had not heard about predictwind.com, I am still using windguru and windfinder (knowing how unpredictable they are). Completely agree about a schedule.