Legal frame
Governing: ΓΚΛ 20 art. 4(1)(θ), 39; ΓΚΛ 38 art. 7; ΚΔΝΔ art. 157 as replaced by law 4532/2018. Builds on: L2.1, L4.1.
Emergency contacts
| Number / channel | Use |
|---|---|
| 108 | Hellenic Coast Guard emergency line |
| 112 | European emergency number, free from any phone |
| VHF channel 16 | Distress, urgency and calling at sea: MAYDAY for grave and imminent danger |
| 166 / 199 / 100 | Ambulance / fire service / police on land |
Save 108 in your phone before you leave, and keep the phone in a waterproof pouch. Tell the operator where you are going and when you will be back; beach operators must record your start time anyway.
TIP — the first call Give your position (a landmark, the beach name, or GPS from your phone), what is wrong and how many people are aboard. Then stay with the boat. It is easier to find than a swimmer.
After an accident
For speedboats, ΓΚΛ 20 art. 4(1)(θ) is explicit. If you cause an accident to another craft or person, you must:
- stay at the scene;
- give all possible help to the injured;
- report the accident to the Port Authority immediately.
For any rental, whoever skippers takes on the master's duties under Greek law (ΓΚΛ 38 art. 7), including reporting. After a fatal or injury accident, an alcohol and drug test is compulsory (L4.1).
Operators have duties too. A beach operator who does not give immediate help loses the rental approval permanently, whatever their share of the blame (ΓΚΛ 20 art. 39(2)).
Fines
The general sanction is ΚΔΝΔ art. 157, the Code of Public Maritime Law, as replaced in 2018:
- €50 to €60,000, set by the head of the Port Authority according to seriousness, circumstances, repetition and harm;
- suspension of an activity for up to 60 days;
- departure may be banned until the fine is paid or guaranteed;
- if the offender has no Greek tax number (ΑΦΜ), the boat's nationality/ownership and seaworthiness documents are removed until payment or a bank guarantee.
ΓΚΛ 20 adds fixed amounts:
| Breach | Fine | Article |
|---|---|---|
| Speedboat or jet-ski operator repeats the same offence within 12 months | Licence suspended 1–12 months | 39(3) |
| Operator has no rescue boat on site | €3,000; repeat within 12 months €6,000 | 39(4)(β) |
| Rented motor boat without propeller guard | €1,000; repeat €2,000 | 39(4)(γ) |
| Operator gives or advertises lessons | €3,000, doubled on repeat | 39(4)(β) (2026) |
| Operator absent from the site while renting | €5,000, doubled on repeat | 39(4)(α) |
| Listed operator duties (briefing, register, fuel checks…) | €500; repeat €1,000 | 39(4)(β) (2026) |
| Renting water-sports craft without approval | €2,000–30,000 | ΚΥΑ 64444/2021 |
CAUTION — who pays Hirers pay for their own breaches: distances, speed, alcohol. Operators pay for theirs. Where both break the rules, both can be fined. The operator's insurance does not cover your fines.
A worked case
A hirer takes a rented 20 HP RIB inside the bathing buoys to drop a friend, at about 8 kn, without a licence. At least three breaches follow: operating a speedboat without a licence (RIB over 15 HP, L1.1); moving inside the buoys (2026 rule); and speed within 200 m of shore (over 5 kn). Each is a port-regulation breach under art. 157. The operator separately faces liability for renting a speedboat without a named licence holder.