Yachting and Boating World forums: Greece Taxes

Subject: Additional Greece Taxes; a warning for Non ECU boats wintering in Greece

Last summer we stored our boat in Cleopatra Marina in Prevezia on the east coast of Greece. I thought I had done my home work because I when questioned about any taxes for storing the boat in Greece both the Marina and the US Greece Embassy said there was nothing to worry about and that the costs of sailing in Greece would be the cost of the cruising permit and the harbor charges. So understanding this we put the boat on the hard and returned home for the winter.

Returning this year after going through a morning running around Preveza retrieving my Cruising Permit from Customs (this would have taken a full day for me but the owner of Cleopatra Marina was very helpful to me and ran me back and forth to the various offices and basically cajoled the bureaucrats for me) we sailed from Greece to Turkey along the way we ran into several American boats that were heading to Croatia as fast as possible the general consensus we felt was that everyone was fed up with Greece Bureaucracy, At the time I was feeling the same but was determined to enjoy the country.

All was fine until I needed to leave Greece from Koss to sail to Bodrum Turkey when the Port Police hit me with a $740 tax for just having my boat in Greek Waters. Unknown to me and every other sailor I have talked to there is apparently a tax for a non ECU boat just to be in Greece over 3 months. It is 9.4 euro per meter, per quarter, regardless whether the boat is on the hard in or in the water. It really soured me on Greece. Next year we will be sailing in Turkey but the year after I beeline through Greece to Croatia and leave as little of my money behind in Greece as possible. This is another example of what seems to be the Greek Governments typical short sightedness. I will recommend that any non ECU boats planning on storing or wintering in Greece to be aware of this hidden tax on non ECU boats. To my friends I will recommend they winter in other countries.

There is a Greece Embassy Web page that discusses Yachting in Greece at http://www.greekembassy.org/tourist/index.html#yacht
It mentions nothing about this tax.

Keep On Sailing!

Franz Amussen
WB7OFQ
See Dream
28” Bristol Channel Cutter