This year there have already been two unusual cases in which the Greek state is disproportionately tough on owners and charter customers in the event of technical defects on the ship. In the most recent case, a sailor had an engine failure on the ship because the impeller of the water pump was defective. After unsuccessful repairs on the water in wind and waves on his own, the skipper decided to ask the local port authority for assistance to the berth in the port of Patmos. At no time was there any danger to the life and limb of the crew or the safety of the ship.
In the port, the crew then took their time to replace the defective impeller of the water pump. To their great astonishment, the harbor police suddenly went into action on site, issued an exit ban and chained the German owner's boat due to technical problems.
The boat is technically not leak-proof. The requirement of the authorities: He should have the impeller change carried out by himself approved by a specialist workshop as correctly carried out. Then, at the owner's expense, an appraiser had to be appointed via the German consulate, who should travel extra and confirm that the repair had been carried out properly. The whole thing dragged on for a whopping 4 days in which the boat was not allowed to sail.
Since the German embassy could not do anything with the relevant request, the German owner finally agreed with the port police that he could appoint an expert. The yacht was only released after his written report. Especially on remote islands, this procedure is expensive for those affected, 3,000 to 4,000 euros are quite possible, as the cruiser department representative of Greece, Achim Rollhäuser, confirmed the YACHT.
“The seaworthiness of the boat must be guaranteed. But that's not what it is, at least for the state, in the case of private repairs. Until everything has been clarified, there is no exit permit.”Rollhäuser's advice: If there are problems, do not inform the authorities, as they would often make decisions that are impractical. Anchor the boat outside the port and attempt the repairs from there. Then the port police will not notice anything.