How Much Red Tape in the Mediterranean?

[areso70]

Hello everybody,

Sailing in the Mediterranean has been a long time dream of mine. The plan was to stick to the eastern part of the region visiting Greece , Turkey, some of ex Yugoslavia coast and then continue to Egypt.

I intended to sail from March thru September in the Med and then winterize the boat in a fishing village . To avoid paying big bucks for a marina I was thinking of having a local guy keep an eye on the boat for a fee. Another scenario was to move to the winterless Red Sea, drop the hook either around Hurghada or Aqaba and explore Egypt and Jordan from there.

However after reading a number of sites on regulations and requirements in the area I am having serious doubts as to the feasibility of my plan.
My major concern is if I can meet the local requirements and whether I can afford it.

Greece in particular seems to be a bureaucratic maze combined with ubiquitous fees .

Just to mention a few gems from the Greek section:
The original boat insurance certificate is required with the minimum amounts as follows:
293,470 for liability from death or injury by sinking or collision
146,753 for damage
88,041 for pollution
All numbers in Euros.

The skipper must have an International Certificate of Competence.

To obtain a sailing permit one has to pay 10 Euros per foot. This permit is supposedly good for a month

Every time the boat touches a quay or enters a marina just to buy fuel for example a fee is charged.

What is the reality of the Mediterranean sailing ? Is it that complicated and pricey?

Any suggestions as far as the budget just for permits , fees etc would help .

I do carry a boat insurance but it's only good for the West Coast. Unfortunatelly I cannot afford an offshore insurance.

As far as certificates I have a Pleasure Craft Certificate, now required in Canada, and a VHF Operators Card. Other than those and some 20 plus years of sailing the West Coast and in the South Pacific I have no other credentials.

The boat is registerd in Canada.

Any comments especially from the sailors who have dealt with those issues first hand would be highly appreciated.

Chris