“They ‘seized’ my boat in Greece. And I don’t know why.”

Their Polish-flagged Hunter 41 DS runs aground in a sandbar in Agios Sostis (on the southern coast of the island of Zakynthos, Greece).
They are assisted but the Greek Coast Guard withholds the boat’s documents by not issuing them a report, forcing them to remain on board in the roadstead in Greece where rescues have taken them until they produce a phantom certificate of seaworthiness issued by Polish authorities .

Vacation in Greece ruined for four Italians overwhelmed by bureaucracy and institutions.
Here is what happened in the letter from the boat’s owner, Tommaso Di Caccamo.
As of today (Tuesday, July 22), the situation is still not resolved.

Overwhelmed by bureaucracy in Greece in a blue July sea

Good morning my name is Tommaso Di Caccamo, for friends Massimo. I want to tell you this story that is not really history, as I am still living it at this moment that I am writing to you together with my traveling companion Piero C.. We are both members of the Palermo Rowing Society and we decided to embark on a trip to Greece aboard my Fujiko a Hunter 41 DS.
We left Palermo on July 9 and touched Greek shores about 4 days later.
Joining us on our departure was Piero’s wife, Lina B. We toured wonderful ports and coves and then went to Zakynthos to retrieve my wife, Sabina P. who flew in from Palermo to stay with us for 3 days.
Given the short duration of my wife’s stay, we decided to circumnavigate the island of Zakynthos starting from Agios Nicolaus, a small port northeast of Zakynthos from where, once the boat was docked, I rented a car to pick up my wife at the airport.
We stayed 3 days in the latter marina which I recommend as in addition to finding the availability of the great Dimitri there is also water and electricity all free (but you have to have lunch or dinner in his tavern).
I am going on and on as the intention is to make a report of my Greek experience to share with other boaters in the good and the bad. But now to the bad. Having finally left with full crew, we decided to go to see the turtle paradise at the Laganas Marine Park.
I don’t understand how these poor turtles can live now here a constant coming and going of speedboats launched at full speed loaded with tourists, mystery.
When we arrive we decide to cast anchor in front of a small beach outside the marine park area with a very shallow bottom but I don’t worry my boat fishes 1.55 m..
A few hours later we decide to move for the night at Agios Sostis about 500 meters from where we were at that time.
I don’t know what happens the chart plotter does not report the position we get distracted and find ourselves stranded in a sandbank and posidonia. Any maneuver to disengage was in vain perhaps because of the shape of the bulb with wings who knows, in short to make a long story short I call 112 for help.They transfer the call to the coast guard who send me a local guy with a barge to take tourists around to see the turtles.
I have to say that despite his appearance and the vehicle he was quite professional and managed to unseal the boat.
Having finished the operation the guy, who we later find out was named Tasos, tells us to anchor down at the roadstead in front of Agios Sostis because a coast guard policeman was waiting for me for some paperwork. After the customary pleasantries in Grekalic English, he accompanies me to the coast guard office in Zakynthos. Here again after the pleasantries always in Grecalic English they hold back my boat documents and make me understand that I will have to stay where the boat is currently moored, i.e., in the roadstead, until I produce a certificate of seaworthiness issued by the Polish authorities, well yes I had forgotten to say it before my boat flies the Polish flag.

That said, they kindly escorted me back to the beach where my boat is moored.
They didn’t issue me any report, didn’t make me sign anything, just held onto the papers and left us at the mercy of events (sounds like a refrain from a song).

Well at this point despite the fact that I am at sea…I don’t know which way to turn.
Some say run away, some say call the Farnesina, some say nothing is needed because the Polish license does not provide certificate of seaworthiness under 15 meters in length , some say contact the Polish embassy.
We try to reach out to experts in the field such as the agency that issued the sailing license through contacts in Poland, lawyers, and with experts from the certifying body Enave.
Considering that this all started on a hot and sunny Saturday afternoon in July it was understandable that yes or to yesterday we would have solved nothing.
Running low on water in the boat we decide that our wives, Sabina and Lina, will return to Palermo on the first useful flight so the next day on Sunday we accompany them to the cab to the airport with small little hearts, we escape a few tears from the abandonment and anguish of the situation.
Today is Tuesday we anxiously await answers from an appraiser and from the Polish embassy and also from the Italian embassy to which I have appealed so that they can intercede with the local authorities to give us the possibility to move to a safe port from a nautical point of view and to give us the possibility to make water and have light as now the situation is becoming critical from a hygienic and mental point of view.
This “hot-button” letter of mine is to bring those of you who have Polish flags up to speed, but not because of the flag itself, but to be able to make the regulations smoother without all this bureaucracy killing you.
We are still stuck here. Any help is welcome, you can write to me at max20dcm@gmail.com!Tommaso Di Caccamo