Greek sailing holiday - the financial risks

**Davy_S** · 20-05-12, 18:42

Things have escallated over this W/E , Germany the Greek bank has signalled the end of the bailout, along with Greek people getting fed up with the " German " imposed austerity measures.
€ in Greece is over!
So how will this be effected? ----- people will start to withdraw from the banks it's allready started it will just escalate cause panick as people try to move any € they have into a " safe " place eg french/ German bank , or keep hold ( in the medium term to exchange into Drachmas ) later?..
The government s all of them, inc ours will all deny the end to avoid a run/ panick . Meanwhile the Greek G will set a date ( try to keep this secret? ) . You will wake up to be told € no longer the tender , the G has issued Drachmas ,
Immediate civil unrest on the streets , looting and armed gangs for awhile until the G using army/ police restore order hyperinflation as the rest of the world looks on , the curreny will devalue every day/ month until it stabilises , this will cause ." issues" for holidaymakers - insomuch as public sector breaking down , airlines paying bills etc - cancelations ,powercuts .Assets seized if demed valuable as cash will in free fall .
And of course you will need to access some Drachmas to carry on when you step ashore, shops will empty etc .
Of course 12 months later we will benefit as tourist in the usual way , dead cheap , sunny, blue sky, warm water etc.
I would not volunteer to in Greece on the morning the € ends .
Look at Argentina they did a similar thing , sorry to seem to prick the bubble

OK, apart from the mass hysteria you posted, do you think I will be ok to nip down to my local Taverna for my coffee with a view, or should I start digging my underground shelter now and forgo the coffee?

**pteron** · 20-05-12, 19:26

What's the weather like in the Ionian at the moment? We're thinking of a week supporting the sailing and drinking establishments in the near future.

**Portofino** · 20-05-12, 19:43

This is boaty forum, I was responding to the original OP , but that was Feb this year.
Saw news a few mins ago , re G8 our three european reps Cameron , Hollande, and Merkel, -- complete diff now "cold" view on the € crisis in Greece .
Mrs M let slip earlier this week that on June 19 th next election, stick another box on the ballot paper asking if they want to return the Drachma , exit the € ?
Reason -- so the Greeks have only themselves to blame for what I have described in the first post.
While you pop down for your coffee with the other s hopefully in a busy Taverna,with a fab view ,reflect for a moment the German labour force who have changed their working practices , increased hours ( to meet demand ) lower wages , now going in on a Sunday to manufacture goods to then export , resulting in positive growth in their economy , but greater taxation as the the German government " sends" € billions to Greece , to pay for YOUR - electricity , Pensions , police , coast guard ( nod to boats) .
I hope the local tax collectors are not drinking top much tonight , and return to to work, to dilligently go about calculating/ collecting all taxes/ dues properly and send to Athens , so that the Gemans can perhaps send less this week and perhaps give their workers a day off or a pay rise?
Mrs M and her workers have had enough!
Plan a passage out of Greece and keep a eye on the ATM,s
As I said return and live like a king later , all the beaches will be crowded covered in German towels in 2013? From German factory shut downs as new machinery is installed to meet the production demands

**CAPTAIN FANTASTIC** · 20-05-12, 20:21

Originally Posted by Portofino

This is boaty forum, I was responding to the original OP , but that was Feb this year.
Saw news a few mins ago , re G8 our three european reps Cameron , Hollande, and Merkel, -- complete diff now "cold" view on the € crisis in Greece .
Mrs M let slip earlier this week that on June 19 th next election, stick another box on the ballot paper asking if they want to return the Drachma , exit the € ?
Reason -- so the Greeks have only themselves to blame for what I have described in the first post.
While you pop down for your coffee with the other s hopefully in a busy Taverna,with a fab view ,reflect for a moment the German labour force who have changed their working practices , increased hours ( to meet demand ) lower wages , now going in on a Sunday to manufacture goods to then export , resulting in positive growth in their economy , but greater taxation as the the German government " sends" € billions to Greece , to pay for YOUR - electricity , Pensions , police , coast guard ( nod to boats) .
I hope the local tax collectors are not drinking top much tonight , and return to to work, to dilligently go about calculating/ collecting all taxes/ dues properly and send to Athens , so that the Gemans can perhaps send less this week and perhaps give their workers a day off or a pay rise?
Mrs M and her workers have had enough!
Plan a passage out of Greece and keep a eye on the ATM,s
As I said return and live like a king later , all the beaches will be crowded covered in German towels in 2013? From German factory shut downs as new machinery is installed to meet the production demands

The Facts: Germans work 1400 hours per year; S Koreans: 2080, Chileans: 2040; Greeks: 2012; British:1600 hours per year; productivity is a different story.

Greeks own £7 bn to German banks; £5 bn to British banks, £3.5 bn to USA and £38 bn to French Banks; however, the Germans make more noise than the French. The German economy in the last 10 years was built on exports to Greece, Spain and Portugal; they done very well out of these relatively small Euro economies.

The German Economy is too strong for the rest of Europe; if there is one country that may need to leave the Euro it should be Germany. However, if Germany goes back to the mark, it will never be able to export their goods to Euro-land at low cost as the mark would be far too expensive, making exports very expensive, resulting in a German collapse of economy.

The Germans will have to put up until others in Europe get back on their feet

**Portofino** · 20-05-12, 20:51

Problem Greek economy shrank around 13 % from 2008 to now, they have bought German exports then , but not now , eg Merc/ BMW sales fallen off a cliff now.
So there was " something" in it for Germany then , but not now. Youth unemployment ( under 25 ) 54% in Greece , ours is 22 % .
Think of the original 50 p 7 sides those countries will be fine and stay in there present currency , inc UK
Problem made worse by weak proposed government(s) attempting to win votes by anti austerity stance , means to lenders , cut your losses .
And Hollande stance , French want to cut Greece out ,( french are for france ) break that bond and Mrs M will stop sending €
ATM,s will dry up with € ,in Greece that your pulse , keep watching them.
The country will be better for the exit after the initial settling down.
Print money ,like before creat loads of public sector jobs, need a bigger tourist industry to meet demand, etc

**Portofino** · 20-05-12, 21:19

I,ll finish --- go on "search " on this forum , or U Tube
" Nigel Farage speaks on Greece"
Sums it all up, and more .

**jimbaerselman** · 21-05-12, 09:20

Originally Posted by Portofino

Things have escallated over this W/E

<snip.

Immediate civil unrest on the streets , looting and armed gangs for awhile until the G using army/ police restore order

Sounds a bit like England last summer . . .

Meanwile, outside Athens, Thessaloniki and Patras, everything goes on as normal.

Each extended family has a farm which produces meat and veg and dairy products; a taverna which processes some of it; a van which takes the rest to market or a lorry which collects it for export. If the family is on an island, or near the sea, it'll have a fisherman as well, and rooms to rent to visitors.

Yes, power cuts may become more frequent. Transport more expensive. Equipment breakdowns slower to repair. Back to the 90's in fact - when Greece had difficuty importing expensive (by their standards then) mechanical goods.

But Greece then was (and out of the cities, still is) a delightful place. Some foreigners were very critical of its infrastructure; other delighted in it's more simple and friendly way of life.

Yes, it's difficult for the "in crowd" - protected employees with early pension rights, the hundreds of professions with closed shops - to have to step back 20 years in their standard of living when the promises about their privileges made by vote seeking politicians suddenly turn to worms. They are, indeed, suffering very heavily. Teachers, a 50% pay cut . . . that is a horrific step back.

It is a pity that some who earned a lot for so long were able to buy their way out of taxation. Top level professionals whose income very rarely exceeded €7,000 per annum indeed! Have you met many lawyers, surgeons, accountants and doctors who earn so little? Of course, their big boats and swimming pools were gifts from heaven to compensate for such low income . . . weren't they?

Anyway, come hell or high water, the tourist industry will keep running. My Russian friends tell me the routines for obtaining visas are becoming much smoother . . . with luck one of them may buy my house!

**CAPTAIN FANTASTIC** · 21-05-12, 22:20

Originally Posted by jimbaerselman

Sounds a bit like England last summer . . .

Meanwile, outside Athens, Thessaloniki and Patras, everything goes on as normal.

Each extended family has a farm which produces meat and veg and dairy products; a taverna which processes some of it; a van which takes the rest to market or a lorry which collects it for export. If the family is on an island, or near the sea, it'll have a fisherman as well, and rooms to rent to visitors.

Yes, power cuts may become more frequent. Transport more expensive. Equipment breakdowns slower to repair. Back to the 90's in fact - when Greece had difficuty importing expensive (by their standards then) mechanical goods.

But Greece then was (and out of the cities, still is) a delightful place. Some foreigners were very critical of its infrastructure; other delighted in it's more simple and friendly way of life.

Yes, it's difficult for the "in crowd" - protected employees with early pension rights, the hundreds of professions with closed shops - to have to step back 20 years in their standard of living when the promises about their privileges made by vote seeking politicians suddenly turn to worms. They are, indeed, suffering very heavily. Teachers, a 50% pay cut . . . that is a horrific step back.

It is a pity that some who earned a lot for so long were able to buy their way out of taxation. Top level professionals whose income very rarely exceeded €7,000 per annum indeed! Have you met many lawyers, surgeons, accountants and doctors who earn so little? Of course, their big boats and swimming pools were gifts from heaven to compensate for such low income . . . weren't they?

Anyway, come hell or high water, the tourist industry will keep running. My Russian friends tell me the routines for obtaining visas are becoming much smoother . . . with luck one of them may buy my house!

Well said. The Greeks will bounce back again within the Euro or Drachma, always have done in the past; and we will carry on sailing in one of the best sailing places. I also hope that someone buys my house too