I have tale of woe and a warning to anyone sailing in or around Kefalonia, Greece.
My name is Sean Bowler and I have a Contest 46 called AliBo. I have spent two years getting her ready for a sailing adventure around the World. I and my crew left Portland at the end of March this year to start our tour in the Mediterranean. We have visited all the countries in the West Med and on the 24 July arrived in Kefalonia after a two-day sail from Catania, Sicily.
We decided to go to the marina in Lixouri for a bit of r & r. As we came up to the marina there is an unmarked channel which we were following it, but unknown to us there is a sandbar that has grown into the channel, hence we had a soft grounding on the sand. We tried several times to free ourselves with the engine but to no avail.
As we were effectively in a shipping channel with a number of commercial ferries whizzing about, I issued a pan to advise other shipping we were unable to manoeuvre. Fortunately, with a little help from some very nice ladies in a rib, they gave us a push off the sand as the wind was holding us against it. They advised that we should go into the main harbour as it was better than the marina.
We proceeded into the harbour and tied up. A Coastguard Officer was waiting for us and told us that we must hand over our ships documents as we are impounded by the Port Police pending a check of the yacht’s seaworthiness.
Having had a conversation with the Port Police based in Argostoli on the other side of the inlet, we were told we must get the British Embassy to appoint a Surveyor to get a certificate of seaworthiness before we could have our documents back.
I then contacted the Consulate in Zakynthos, who rightly informed me that it was not their responsibility to authorise surveys to yachts, but the responsibility of the Greek Authorities.
So I went to see the case officer in Argostoli and he told me to contact the British Ships Register for them to authorise the surveyor. This is a 21-ton yacht with a 7.5 ton encapsulated cast iron keel!… However, I had the same response from the BSR.
I then went back to see the case officer – another ferry trip from Lixouri to Argostoli – to explain my findings and we agreed that I could authorise a bona fide Surveyor to carry out the work.
I found a very helpful surveyor in Labion Greece, YDSA member and MCA approved, who organised a diver survey of my yacht.
In the meantime, the Consulate contacted the Chief of Port Police and explained in plain language that if the Greeks wanted a survey they should authorise their own Surveyor. My surveyor, I appointed with their previous agreement, sent the case officer video and photographic evidence that there was no damage to the yacht and in his opinion, it was totally seaworthy. Hurray! sorted!….No – the Chief of the Port Police has now decided that I must contact a Greek surveyor and have the report re-done.
It is now Saturday 29th July and I am still held hostage.
It would seem that the Chief of the Port Police is a woman who is positioning herself for political office, and having become quite good friends with the Coastguard officers at Lixouri, they keep impressing upon me that it is not their doing. They are worried that sea users will not use the VHF when they are in difficulty and may lead to loss of life.
We all know that we have to follow the SOLAS rules, but when you are told by the locals not to use the radio (if you have) problems, where does that leave us?
I am unsure what will happen next.
I have asked for a meeting with the Chief, but so far she has not responded. I have already laid out €600 for a BS survey and am now faced with the prospect of having to do the same again.
The local Coastguard are so embarrassed that they have told me anything I need, fuel, water, even food, is free, as they want tourist yachts to visit their harbour. I just want my papers back so that I can continue my tour.
I think yachties sailing to Kefalonia should be made aware that they run the risk of being impounded for following correct procedures at sea, and secondly, I have been assured that the rest of the Chiefs of Port Police are more understanding of the dangers of following this policy.
As yet I do not know how this is going to end up and many people have said there are worst places to be confined, but that is not the point. As yachties, we take our responsibilities very seriously concerning safety and this really scares me with the consequences of these actions towards people who follow the rules.
Sean Bowler