:Nice:I just wanted to share some of my funniest Island experiences with you guys.; Me and 5 of my friends rented this: [IMG]http://www.nautilus.hr/Bavaria_46_Cruiser_2.jpg[/IMG]
We flew to Mykonos then took a ferry to Paros where we picked up the boat and started our 2 week sailing adventure. We spent the night anchored on a beach in Paros drinking and smoking. First thing we did in the morning was sail back from Paros to Mykonos to pick up another friend who had landed the day after us. We came to back to mykonos early afternoon and went to get some food...we anchored under Cavo Paradiso on Paradise Beach
[IMG]http://www.mykonos-hotels.info/images/guide/beaches/super-paradise-beach-02.jpg[/IMG]
While we were eating and admiring the sights. I noticed that I could no longer see the mast of our boat rocking above the parasols. I jumped up quick and ran to the beach only to have my fears reaffirmed. Our boat was GONE. I quickly ran to get one of my friends and we got onto our dinghy and took it out towards the end of the little bay....where a boat that looked like ours with 5 guys on it was rocking. We finally got near enough to appreciate that it was not our boat even though it was the exact same model...we got close and asked the guys on it if they had seen a boat just like theirs. . .the answer of course was negative. I looked around on the open sea as I contemplated the fact that our boat was nowhere to be seen. Our spirits were crushed as we were sailing back to shore with about 5 euros between us, no passports, no phone, no cards...nothing but 14 days of holidays left. As we got to the beach I quickly ran to the life guard who saw the distressed look on my face and immediately asked what had happened...as soon as I opened my mouth and said our boat was gone he said "its ok, its ok...your boat is at the marina. It had floated away and a fisherman picked it up and took it to port."
A couple of my friends took a cab to the main port on the island in order to pick up the boat. I spend 4 hours waiting for them. What happened stunned us all...and convinced thjose who had any doubts of the unavoidable backwards mentality of the people living and working on Greek islands (especially Mykonos).
They came to the port met the guy and started saying their thanks and praises. He quickly interrupted them and told them that he wants "HALF". Half of everything on the boat and half of the boat value. Apparently, according to the sailing and maritime law...a person who "salvages" anything on the open sea is entitled to half of anything salvaged. My frined explained that the boat is rented from a Greek and the guy proceeded to ask for money. At first 2000 euros; this was met with a dose of slight hostility mixed with disbelief. My friends told him that they could afford to pay 1000 eur and the guy agreed. "Luckily" the police came and started convincing the fisherman to up his request back to 2 k so that they can get 1 k as well!?! To which he thankfully said no...They asked where we were all from and when they realised that we were Serbian got slightly upset as they assumed that we were broke as hell. They asked my friend if he now hated Greeks to which he replied "no I am half Greek myself" a blatant lie i might add. The guy started at the open see for a bit and said "ia m not going to take your money Mihailis its bad karma". "just give something to the port authority for their time" so we ended up giving 300 euros to some lady who worked there.
The official report stated that the guy had found the boat 1.5 miles out from the shore and that he had dragged it to port. It also stated that there was 30 meters of chain in the sea along with the anchor. Sooo...to recapitulate in 45 minutes our boat managed to float 1,5 miles away with 30 meters of chain and anchor in 9 meters of depth and managed to get picket up and dragged to port. all in 45 minutes...the comment of the police was "this is impossible but we trust him. he finds AROUND 10 TO 12 BOATS A YEAR LIKE THIS"
that was the first event...there were lots of mental things but i'm at work now