Is a boat driver license required in Greece and Turkey?

[Rustic Charm]

Originally Posted by karlrad

Hi,
I may purchase a 35 foot sailboat in Lesvos Greece. Is there any boat driving license required for USA citizens?

Is the only license required a radio license (what type?), legal registration of the boat, and liability insurance?

Thanks!
Karl

Welcome to CF

Once you purchase this boat, where are you intending to go?

[Waboson HR352]

Originally Posted by karlrad

Hi,
I may purchase a 35 foot sailboat in Lesvos Greece. Is there any boat driving license required for USA citizens?

Is the only license required a radio license (what type?), legal registration of the boat, and liability insurance?

Thanks!
Karl

Registration and Insurance an absolute must. Regarding a Captains ticket, you may not be asked for one but when things go wrong and you are registered on the transit log as captain then, no doubt, it will be required. Your choice, your risk!
Interpretation of maritime requirements vary from port to port.
Jobs are hard to find in Greece, so if you bribe be prepared to dine on prison food.
My advice- get a ticket and be done with it.

[philip.cat]

Well I am an Australian and we do not require a licence to sail, this is my second circumnavigation and no one as asked for a skippers licence or paperwork to say if I am actually licenced, I am currently in Greece after cruising Turkey and in both countries I have not been asked or fined, as long as your paperwork is in order plus insurance (I have third party) you are good to go, having a piece of paper saying you passed this or that does not make you any more competent than me. That's my 2 cents worth.
Phil on Big Bandicoot anchored in a beautiful Bay on the island of Amorgos Greece 🇬🇷.

[Rustic Charm]

Originally Posted by philip.cat

Well I am an Australian and we do not require a licence to sail, this is my second circumnavigation and no one as asked for a skippers licence or paperwork to say if I am actually licenced, I am currently in Greece after cruising Turkey and in both countries I have not been asked or fined, as long as your paperwork is in order plus insurance (I have third party) you are good to go, having a piece of paper saying you passed this or that does not make you any more competent than me. That's my 2 cents worth.
Phil on Big Bandicoot anchored in a beautiful Bay on the island of Amorgos Greece 🇬🇷.

I think he's American actually

You Phillip puddy cat, will need a recreational license if you ever bring you boat back to Australia but that's an aside.

[kas_1611]

Originally Posted by chuckr

Generally never had to produce any of the above and we have both vhf and ssb on board - no one has ever asked for our radio licenses anywhere we have been - and we did sail Croatia a couple of years ago from near Montenegro to a northern port across from Venice.

All we have ever been asked for is our boat paper - ie USCG documentation, our insurance and as SoulMates is our floating home we have full insurance, and passports unless we have already checked into a country where we have a cruising permit and then they want to see that.

If you ever get stopped by the Kapitanja for a document check, which happens more than people think, then make sure all your documentation is available and up to date as they do a thorough check. This includes your vignette, if an non EU flagged vessel and your tourist tax. We've been "controlled" twice in 5 years and thanked by the officials for having everything together and available.

Just because no one has ever asked you to produce it does not mean you don't need it. I've never had to show a policeman my driving licence but I still have to have one to legally drive a car.

[Palarran]

Originally Posted by k. michael marquardt

Yes, its from personal experience in the Corfu area. I was a guest on board in 2014 and the skipper had these problems. They first wanted to fine him but then took the fine without a receipt. That's what I call a baksheesh.
I as a guest would not qualify although I got a valid master mariners license (STCW) any ocean any tonnage.

Since you were with him, was this in the Gouvia or Corfu Town Port Authority?

As Chuckr pointed out, as a foreign flagged boat in EU waters we have what's called a transit log. The needs to be stamped, without charge, at all harbors that have a port authority. In 4 years, that's been a lot of visits and I just can't believe there's a systemic bribery issue. At the port you are talking about, I had a pretty serious problem with my paperwork. If there ever was a time that I could have been subject to as bribe, and would have gladly paid it, it would have been there. We spent all day between the trifecta of authority there and it really didn't seem like a bribe would work on anyone. Maybe your friend didn't understand the process and missed the receipt.

[Captain Yiannis]

For Greece:
Better if you have one sailing licence, for sailing boats (up to 21m) or motor boats (over 17 knots of speed).
Otherwise, if something is wrong during your sailing,for example an accident or a loss of life , then you will finish in the prison before you understand it.
All this about not asking licences etc etc is for winter time stories

[Waboson HR352]

Originally Posted by Rustic Charm

I think he's American actually

You Phillip puddy cat, will need a recreational license if you ever bring you boat back to Australia but that's an aside.

Can only concur. Western Australia, and I think the Easter seaboard is the same, requires a skippers ticket to sail anything with an engine capacity of 5 or more horsepower.
As I say, all is good until the proverbial hits the fan.

[alexisail]

My experience it vary from port captain to port captain, sometimes they take any certificate another very detailed. We tell people charter with ICC just to be safe. Most recognize it even if not "official" license.

[chuckr]

Originally Posted by kas_1611

If you ever get stopped by the Kapitanja for a document check, which happens more than people think, then make sure all your documentation is available and up to date as they do a thorough check. This includes your vignette, if an non EU flagged vessel and your tourist tax. We've been "controlled" twice in 5 years and thanked by the officials for having everything together and available.

Just because no one has ever asked you to produce it does not mean you don't need it. I've never had to show a policeman my driving licence but I still have to have one to legally drive a car.

Never ever said we did not have our documentation in order or for that part completely available. We have been in and out of more ports than we can count and got stopped by the Turkish Coast Guard on the Black Sea. We simply pull out our book and each and every doc is in order in order in importance - we also have multiple copies of each that they can take if they want them.
We are very serious about our docs and I think more than once impressed officials on how prepared we are.

[Factor]

Originally Posted by Waboson HR352

Can only concur. Western Australia, and I think the Easter seaboard is the same, requires a skippers ticket to sail anything with an engine capacity of 5 or more horsepower.
As I say, all is good until the proverbial hits the fan.

[leaving aside jetskis]

QLD Recreational Ship Masters Licence or equivalent required in Qld - for vessels powered by an engine of more than 4.5 kw.

NSW to drive a vessel at more than 10 knots ( not capable of more than 10 but rather being driven at more than 10) - NSW - General Boat Driving Licence. So Phillip Puddy cat wont need a licence in NSW if he stays under 10 knots.

VIC Dont know about Victoria, sure one of the people from the deep south will chime in. But my recollection is ANY motorised boat. Any at all.

[Rustic Charm]

Originally Posted by Factor

[leaving aside jetskis]

QLD Recreational Ship Masters Licence or equivalent required in Qld - for vessels powered by an engine of more than 4.5 kw.

NSW to drive a vessel at more than 10 knots ( not capable of more than 10 but rather being driven at more than 10) - NSW - General Boat Driving Licence. So Phillip Puddy cat wont need a licence in NSW if he stays under 10 knots.

VIC Dont know about Victoria, sure one of the people from the deep south will chime in. But my recollection is ANY motorised boat. Any at all.

4hp way down here in the south. Includes jet ski's here. Tenders from another registered vessel are exempt up to 4.5meters and within half a mile of the main vessel.

[Factor]

Originally Posted by Rustic Charm

4hp way down here in the south. Includes jet ski's here. Tenders from another registered vessel are exempt up to 4.5meters and within half a mile of the main vessel.

I know Tassie is slow, but we have been metric for 46 years or so. They havent caught up yet? (and settle, we are actually just in the process of buying a place down there )