GR-GUIDE-L5.1

Coastal rules and marine parks for yacht crews

GR-GUIDE-M5 · Practical · GR-GUIDE-M5-A Coastal rules, marine parks, the Port Authority, emergency contacts and training routes.

Tenders and toys are where crews meet Greek coastal law: **100 m from bathing buoys, 200 m from swimmers, 5 knots within 200 m of shore** — and parks with their own limits.

Legal frame

Governing: ΓΚΛ 20 arts 4, 9, 26, 37 as amended by ΦΕΚ Β' 4559/2026; ΦΕΚ Δ' 906/1999 (Zakynthos); ΚΔΝΔ art. 157. Builds on: L1.1.

Tenders, toys and the beach

The yacht rarely breaks coastal rules; the tender and the toys do. ΓΚΛ 20 applies to any craft meeting the speedboat definition (L1.1), and to jet skis always.

Rule Figure
Speedboats from bathing buoys at least 100 m outside
Speedboats from swimmers where there are no buoys at least 200 m
Speed near shore max 5 kn within 200 m of the shore
Inside the buoyed area No movement or anchoring of any powered craft (2026 wording)
Launching from a beach Marked channel, or 3 kn or less with no swimmers within 100 m (1 kn and 30 m clearance if there are)
Spear-fishing flag Keep 150 m away

Jet skis

  • Licence always — a Greek licence or a foreign state-issued one Greece accepts.
  • 200 m outside bathing buoys; 300 m from swimmers where there are no buoys; above 5 kn only beyond 500 m from the shore where there are no swimmers.
  • Daylight only, and banned 14:00–17:00 in June–September in coastal areas the harbour master designates.

WARNING — Alcohol Operating a speedboat or water-sports craft under the influence is prohibited, with testing after any injury accident (ΓΚΛ 20 art. 25). No numeric limit for boat operators was found. Treat it as zero for anyone driving the tender.

Marine parks

Area Rules for boats
Zakynthos (Laganas Bay), 1 May–31 Oct Area A closed to transit, stopping and anchoring; Area B 6 kn, no stopping or anchoring; Area C 6 kn. The park body says no motorised water sports in its marine area
Alonissos – Northern Sporades No vessel within 3 nm of Piperi; 10 kn within 0.5 nm of zone-A islands; anchoring only in named bays, mostly by day
South Aegean (Southern Cyclades) and Ionian parks Decree at the Council of State in July 2026 [secondary]; not in force when this course was drafted; rules for yachts unknown

There is no French-style national anchoring regime by yacht length in Greece. Anchoring limits come from park decrees and local Port Authority decisions, such as seasonal bans on anchoring off listed beaches. No national posidonia anchoring rule was found; anchor clear of seagrass as good practice.

Fines

Breaches of general or special port regulations cost EUR 50–60,000 under ΚΔΝΔ art. 157, set by the head of the Port Authority. If the offender has no Greek tax number, the boat's documents can be held until payment, and departure can be banned.

TIP — Brief the toys Put the 100/200 m, 5 kn and jet-ski rules on the tender and toy briefing card. Renting a Boat or Jet Ski in Greece has the full craft-by-craft table.

Practice questions

5 questions

recall · core

How far outside the bathing buoys must a speedboat keep? (a) 100 m (b) 30 m (c) 50 m (d) 300 m

recall · core

What speed limit applies to a speedboat within 200 m of the shore? (a) 6 kn (b) 5 kn (c) 10 kn (d) 3 kn

recall · core

In the Zakynthos marine park between 1 May and 31 October, what applies in Area A? (a) Anchoring allowed by day (b) 10 kn limit (c) Closed to transit, stopping and anchoring by any craft (d) 6 kn limit

recall · core

What is the range of fines for breaching a port regulation under ΚΔΝΔ art. 157? (a) EUR 20,000–500,000 (b) EUR 50–60,000 (c) EUR 500–5,000 (d) Fixed EUR 1,100

scenario · core

Guests ask the deckhand to run the RIB tender into the buoyed swimming area off a busy beach to drop them near the shore. What should he do? (a) Refuse: since 2026 no powered craft may move or anchor inside bathing buoys; land them at a jetty or marked channel instead (b) Go in slowly at 3 kn (c) Go in if the guests sign a waiver (d) Go in if no swimmers are within 10 m

Independent study. xplor is not affiliated with the Greek Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy, the Hellenic Coast Guard / Port Authorities, ΑΑΔΕ or any marine park body, is not an approved sea-school (σχολή ταχυπλόων) or training centre, and awards no licence, title, certificate or permit. This guide does not replace the Directorate of Seafarers' Education (ΔΕΚΝ), the flag state or a Port Authority's ruling on your own certificates, crew list or charter. AI-drafted content pending subject-matter-expert review.