Published 13 years ago, updated 5 years ago

Received From: Neville Palmer

Subject: Caution for NZ yachts entering Greece

Message:

Along the lines of that warning from Jane-G regarding Channel Islands-registered craft entering Greece, in the light of our experience, I have a similar word of caution for New Zealand boats entering Greece at Symi – or other remote ports.

In short, none of the people in authority there recognized New Zealand as being non-EU and so gave us the wrong advice. This was our first entry from the Red Sea into Europe.

We had read Rod Heikell’s description of the documentation requirements, that is, that whereas EU boats require a DEKPA, we – as non-EU – should need a transit log, but also, at the same time, that there was a lot of confusion and the rules were constantly changing.

In hindsight, I wrongly allowed myself to be guided by the authorities, firstly Immigration and then the Port Police, trusting them to know what they were doing!

Clearing into Symi, I was instructed that it was a DEKPA that I needed and as it could not be issued there, I was to get it from Customs when we arrived in Kos, which we had indicated as our first major port of the Greek Islands.

In the meantime, as a temporary arrangement prior to Kos, a copy of our crew list was stamped both in and out by the Coastguard.

Almost a week later, to my consternation, on approaching Customs in Kos Port, I learned that I had been misinformed.

It was not a DEKPA, instead it was a Transit Log that I needed and as we had been in the country illegally without one for some days, we would be facing a heavy fine! There was no reasoning with them (Customs), they were insistent that as skipper it was entirely my responsibility to know the rules of their country, even in the face of being told otherwise by their Greek Authorities in Symi, it was my fault if I was given bad advice!

I was given no choice but to pay the full amount.

Even to leave the country immediately would not have been an option, they would have had the coastguard impound the yacht!

To very effectively rub salt into a deep wound, although our time without the Transit Log was actually a few hours short of 6 days, quite illogically, as it covered 7 calendar days, I was being fined for 7 (at about 70 Euros per day).

Again, no amount of arguing or reasoning would have even that reduced…

Sadly, my unquestioning acceptance of advice from the Greek officialdom resulted in a penalty of more than 500 Euro and although I left Customs in Kos Island on very bad terms, vowing never to return there, I have to say that we went on to have a thoroughly enjoyable 6 weeks in the Islands nearby – one has to move on!

Neville Palmer

Yacht Quo Vadis