THE EYB COUNTRY GUIDES · Greece

What Safety Equipment Must a Boat Carry in Greece? 2027

Check the recreational small-craft equipment schedule, distance bands, condition and handover records.

By Peter Mattey · 9 min read · Facts checked 2026-10-03

Boat safety equipment Greece rules depend on the boat's category and permitted voyage, so begin with the documents before buying replacements. The Greek Coast Guard publishes an equipment schedule for recreational small craft that covers flotation, distress signals, communications, fire equipment and emergency tools. A buyer can use it to question a seller's inventory; a seller can use it to explain what stays aboard and what needs attention before delivery.

This guide gives the verified schedule for recreational craft up to 10 metres, distinguishes the category over 10 and up to 12 metres, and explains how distance from shore changes the checks. It also covers equipment condition, identification and handover. Foreign flags and larger yachts need their own applicable requirements confirmed. For anything this guide does not cover, email us at info@europeanyachtbrokers.com for the latest information.

Key facts at a glance

Article 21(3) covers recreational craft up to 10 metres; Article 21(4) separately covers craft over 10 and up to 12 metres.

Hellenic Coast Guard ·

Article 21(3)(c) requires three hand flares and one smoke signal for recreational craft up to 10 metres.

Hellenic Coast Guard ·

Article 21(3)(b) requires a lifebuoy with at least 15 metres of rope, but exempts craft remaining no more than 3 nautical miles from the coast.

Hellenic Coast Guard ·

Beyond 6 and up to 10 nautical miles from the nearest coast, Article 21(3)(ke) requires a liferaft or buoyant apparatus for 50% of maximum permitted occupants plus two lifebuoys with at least 15 metres of rope; with survival capacity for 100%, one lifebuoy suffices.

Hellenic Coast Guard ·

Article 21(6) requires approved equipment aboard, in good condition and within its expiry date wherever an expiry applies.

Hellenic Coast Guard ·

Section 1

Which safety-equipment category applies?

Begin with the boat's measured length, recreational or commercial use, flag and voyage permit. General Port Regulation 23, titled Small Craft—Inspections of Small Craft, separates equipment categories rather than prescribing an identical shopping list for every yacht. The schedule below concerns recreational small craft within that regulation. Give the seller the relevant category before requesting an inventory, so the response identifies the equipment intended to remain aboard and the paperwork supporting the boat's permitted operation.

A sales listing can show attractive safety equipment without establishing that it matches the boat's permitted voyages. Ask to see the voyage permit and compare its operating area and occupant limit with the planned use. For a family purchase, include everyone who will travel when reviewing personal equipment. For a seller preparing a handover, record any item that will be removed. Treat changes to intended use as a question to resolve with the competent port authority before departure.

The regulation refers the larger recreational small-craft category to a separate presidential decree. This guide therefore gives the detailed equipment list for the smaller category and identifies the extra items expressly stated for the larger one. It does not reproduce an unverified larger-yacht schedule. Have a surveyor or the port authority identify the applicable provisions for the actual vessel. For a foreign-flagged yacht, also confirm the flag's requirements rather than assuming this Greek domestic schedule alone settles compliance.

Broker tip: Ask for the voyage permit before booking a delivery. Put the intended route and occupant list in your enquiry so the surveyor can identify the right equipment category. See also our guide on whether you need a boat licence in Greece.

Boat insurance and tax paperwork on a desk

Boat insurance and tax paperwork on a desk.

Recreational small craft

Recreational small craft
General Port Regulation 23, Article 2(2), includes recreational craft up to 12 metres in its small-craft definition.Source: Hellenic Coast Guard
Separate equipment categories
Article 21(3) covers recreational craft up to 10 metres; Article 21(4) separately covers craft over 10 and up to 12 metres.Source: Hellenic Coast Guard
Larger category reference
For recreational craft over 10 and up to 12 metres, Article 21(4) refers to Articles 24, 25 and 27 of Presidential Decree 917/1979 and adds GPS, a folding stainless knife, a towing rope of at least 20 metres, an anchor with appropriate rope or chain, and a sea anchor.Source: Hellenic Coast Guard
Permit passenger limit
Article 22(6) prohibits carrying more people than the number recorded on the voyage permit.Source: Hellenic Coast Guard

Section 2

Check the baseline equipment inventory

Work through the baseline inventory by function: personal flotation, distress signalling, communications, navigation, firefighting and basic emergency tools. The facts below identify the quantities and equipment alternatives expressly stated in the regulation. Ask the seller to show each item physically rather than marking a brochure as checked. Photograph labels, storage locations and any service records. This inspection creates a usable purchase inventory and lets the buyer identify replacements that must be arranged before the boat is taken away.

For personal flotation, check the permitted occupant number and the child equipment provision before counting what is aboard. An inventory should describe the actual items and sizes, so a buyer can check suitability for the intended crew. For communications, identify which stated alternative the boat carries and ask for its operating instructions. A loose handset or an unidentified radio in a photograph does not establish that the required equipment package is present and ready for the intended trip.

Check the emergency tools and fire equipment in their storage positions. Ask the seller to demonstrate where the towing line, anchors, torch, first-aid materials and extinguisher are kept. Practical preparation includes knowing what is accessible from the cockpit and what requires opening lockers. This is advice for an effective handover, not an extra statutory inventory. Record any missing item as a specific purchase task, with the item description attached, instead of relying on a general promise to provide safety gear.

Broker tip: Attach photographs and item descriptions to the sale inventory. Identify equipment the seller intends to remove before negotiating replacements or arranging a delivery skipper. Readers often go on to our guide on what boat insurance you need in Greece.

Signing a boat purchase agreement

Signing a boat purchase agreement.

Wearable lifejackets

Wearable lifejackets
For recreational craft up to 10 metres, Article 21(3)(a) incorporates Article 21(1)(a): lifejackets for maximum permitted occupants plus 10%, rounded upwards, and child lifejackets at 20% of that maximum.Source: Hellenic Coast Guard
Distress signals
Article 21(3)(c) requires three hand flares and one smoke signal for recreational craft up to 10 metres.Source: Hellenic Coast Guard
Communications alternatives
Article 21(3)(d) requires a transistor radio plus a mobile telephone with spare battery or power supply, or alternatively a portable marine VHF, fixed marine VHF, or VHF/DSC while away from the anchorage.Source: Hellenic Coast Guard
Night navigation lights
Article 21(3)(e), referring to Article 21(1)(c), requires the applicable collision-regulation navigation lights for recreational craft up to 10 metres operating after sunset.Source: Hellenic Coast Guard
Firefighting equipment
Article 21(3)(kb)-(kg) requires a portable foam, powder or carbon-dioxide extinguisher and a bucket with rope or a manual or electric fire pump.Source: Hellenic Coast Guard
Towing and anchoring
Article 21(3)(h)-(j) requires a towing rope at least 20 metres long, an anchor with appropriate rope or chain, and a sea anchor.Source: Hellenic Coast Guard
Knife and torch
Article 21(3)(f)-(g) requires a folding stainless knife and a waterproof battery torch with spare batteries.Source: Hellenic Coast Guard
Oars and first aid
Article 21(3)(k)-(ka) requires oars, which may be folding, rowlocks and a spare plug except for inflatable craft, plus a first-aid kit with the necessary medicines and dressings.Source: Hellenic Coast Guard

Buying or selling a boat in Greece and want a second opinion? Speak to one of our brokers.

Section 3

Match survival equipment to the voyage

The survival-equipment requirement changes with distance from the nearest coast. Choose the planned route before deciding whether the existing package is adequate. A short delivery between nearby ports and a longer offshore passage can lead to different checks even on the same boat. The facts below set out the relevant distance bands and alternatives for the recreational category covered here. Use them alongside the voyage permit; possessing additional equipment does not itself expand the boat's permitted operating area.

When reviewing a liferaft or buoyant apparatus, compare its stated capacity with the maximum permitted occupants rather than only the number expected on the next outing. The regulation offers a reduced lifebuoy requirement where the survival equipment covers the full permitted complement. Ask for the equipment identity, capacity marking and any applicable service documentation. Put those details into the handover inventory, then obtain a replacement or servicing quotation where the condition or supporting record cannot be established at inspection.

Domestic voyages without local restrictions bring additional requirements, including position finding and spare propulsion. Ask the surveyor to identify the installed or carried equipment intended to satisfy them and to describe its condition in the report. Do not price an unrestricted delivery until the equipment scope is understood. For a seller, declaring the operating category and showing the relevant inventory early gives a buyer something concrete to assess before agreeing how the boat will leave its present berth. The official-hosted consolidation is labelled informal codification; latest listed 2023 and 2024 amendments were opened, but no complete subsequent-amendment search for every provision is claimed. Detailed Presidential Decree 917/1979 equipment schedule for recreational craft over 10 and up to 12 metres is not reproduced; only the expressly verified Regulation 23 additions are given. For these, email us at info@europeanyachtbrokers.com for the latest information.

Broker tip: Ask for a route-specific inventory check before obtaining a delivery quotation. Record survival-equipment capacity and the permitted occupant number together so the comparison is clear. Our guide on whether you need a boat survey in Greece covers a related point.

Model yacht beside a calculator for boat tax costs

Model yacht beside a calculator for boat tax costs.

Near-shore lifebuoy exemption

  • Near-shore lifebuoy exemption

    Article 21(3)(b) requires a lifebuoy with at least 15 metres of rope, but exempts craft remaining no more than 3 nautical miles from the coast.

    Source: Hellenic Coast Guard
  • Beyond three miles

    Beyond 3 and up to 6 nautical miles from the nearest coast, Article 21(3)(kd) requires an inflatable liferaft, buoyant apparatus, or two lifebuoys each with at least 15 metres of rope.

    Source: Hellenic Coast Guard
  • Beyond six miles

    Beyond 6 and up to 10 nautical miles from the nearest coast, Article 21(3)(ke) requires a liferaft or buoyant apparatus for 50% of maximum permitted occupants plus two lifebuoys with at least 15 metres of rope; with survival capacity for 100%, one lifebuoy suffices.

    Source: Hellenic Coast Guard
  • Unrestricted domestic voyages

    For domestic voyages without local restrictions, Article 21(3)(kst) requires survival capacity for 50% of maximum permitted occupants, two lifebuoys with at least 15 metres of rope, a spare ordinary anchor, whistle, spare propulsion and GPS; with survival capacity for 100%, one lifebuoy suffices.

    Source: Hellenic Coast Guard

Section 4

Check condition and document the handover

Equipment compliance includes condition and expiry, not merely possession. Inspect labels and markings, reconcile them with the inventory and ask which records will pass to the buyer. A seller can prepare a list of equipment needing attention; a buyer can use that list to request itemised quotations. No standard retail replacement budget is given here because the official material checked does not publish one. Agree in writing which party will pay for any work required before the delivery trip.

The Greek renewal procedure requires an owner declaration covering the boat and its equipment. Treat that declaration as a reason to verify the underlying condition, not as a substitute for showing the buyer the items. Ask for the current permit and the renewal documentation held by the seller. For applicable CE boats, compare the safe-use supporting certificate with the boat's particulars. Resolve any discrepancy with the issuing or competent authority before signing an undertaking about the boat's condition or permitted use.

At handover, walk through the emergency equipment with the person taking responsibility for the next voyage. Locate flotation equipment, distress signals, fire equipment and communications, then agree which inventory copy both parties will retain. Before sailing, the regulation also requires a safe craft and sufficient fuel. The buyer should arrange any outstanding equipment work before that departure; the seller should disclose what has been removed or is no longer serviceable. These practical steps make the documented inventory useful aboard.

Broker tip: Agree which safety items remain aboard and which need replacement before completion. Ask the person taking the boat away to review the inventory and outstanding work. A related question is answered in our guide on how much a berth costs in Greece.

Boat sale contract with a legal stamp

Boat sale contract with a legal stamp.

Approved serviceable equipment

Approved serviceable equipment
Article 21(6) requires approved equipment aboard, in good condition and within its expiry date wherever an expiry applies.Source: Hellenic Coast Guard
Vessel identification markings
Article 21(6) requires the craft identification marks on lifejackets, lifebuoys, buoyant apparatus and inflatable liferafts.Source: Hellenic Coast Guard
Safe departure condition
Article 21(5) prohibits departure before confirming the craft can sail safely and carries sufficient fuel for the voyage.Source: Hellenic Coast Guard
Renewal equipment declaration
The current e-DLA renewal procedure for recreational craft up to 10 metres requires the owner to declare good craft condition, the equipment required for the permitted voyages and maximum occupants, satisfactory equipment condition and applicable expiry compliance.Source: Hellenic Coast Guard — e-DLA
Technical certification scope
The September 2024 amendment to Article 16(1)(b)(ba) requires the stated supporting safe-use certificate for applicable CE recreational craft up to 10 metres, including permitted occupants, maximum load and specified technical particulars.Source: Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy, updated 18 Sep 2024

Practical support

How European Yacht Brokers can help with boat safety equipment Greece

Peter Mattey is a yacht broker at European Yacht Brokers with a BA in Law. He is not a Greek lawyer: for Greek law and tax we refer you to a locally qualified adviser. What we can do is help you plan the transaction, put the right questions to the other side and spot gaps in the paperwork before you commit.

If you are buying or selling a boat in Greece, tell us about the boat and the area through the enquiry form on this page and a broker will reply. For anything this guide does not cover, email us at info@europeanyachtbrokers.com for the latest information.

  • Buying and selling guidance for boats in Greece
  • Legal background in international marine law
  • Local-law questions referred to a locally qualified lawyer
Peter Mattey, yacht broker at European Yacht Brokers

Written by

Peter Mattey

Yacht Broker, European Yacht Brokers

BA (Law). Expert in marine law

Yacht keys handed over on a marina dock

The handover of a boat at the dock.

Your questions

Frequently asked questions

Does one equipment list cover every yacht in Greece?

No. The verified Greek regulation separates recreational small-craft categories and refers the larger category to separate presidential-decree provisions. This guide reproduces the detailed smaller-craft equipment requirements and only the larger-category additions expressly found in the opened text. Confirm the actual vessel's category, flag and voyage permission before treating an inventory as complete. [Hellenic Coast Guard]

Do I need a lifebuoy for a short coastal trip?

The recreational category covered here has an express near-shore exemption from the baseline lifebuoy requirement. Outside that exemption, check the distance-band requirements and the survival-equipment alternatives in this guide. A lifejacket inventory alone does not settle the whole flotation requirement. Ask the competent authority or surveyor to match the equipment to the permitted voyage. [Hellenic Coast Guard]

Can a mobile telephone replace all marine communications equipment?

The published smaller recreational-craft rule gives a specific combination involving a transistor radio and a mobile telephone with backup power, or the stated marine VHF alternatives. A telephone on its own does not match the combination described. Identify the equipment actually aboard and the alternative being used, then check its condition before planning the boat's delivery. [Hellenic Coast Guard]

What should I check on used safety equipment?

Check approval, physical condition, applicable expiry dates and the vessel identification markings required by the regulation. Ask the seller to show the items and supporting records, then describe them in the sale inventory. The official schedule does not establish a retail replacement budget, so obtain itemised quotations for any work or replacement identified during the inspection. [Hellenic Coast Guard]

Is the owner's renewal declaration enough for a buyer?

It establishes what the owner is required to declare in the renewal procedure, but the buyer should still inspect the equipment and compare the records with the actual boat. The declaration covers craft condition, equipment for the permitted voyages and occupant limit, equipment condition and applicable expiry compliance. Use those points to organise the inspection and resolve any discrepancies. [Hellenic Coast Guard]

What if my question is not answered in this guide?

This guide only includes facts checked against official sources. For anything it does not cover, email us at info@europeanyachtbrokers.com for the latest information, and ask a locally qualified adviser to confirm the position for your own boat.

Ready when you are

Boats for sale and how we can help

ADMIRAL MILGAUSS

MILGAUSS

ADMIRAL MILGAUSS is a recently refitted yacht (2023/2024) built by the renowned Admiral shipyard in Italy. Featuring a modernized aesthetic, low engine hours, and upgraded

View this boat
MOONEN EUNOIA

EUNOIA

MOONEN The 25.7m (84’4″) motor yacht Eunoia—formerly Moon Shadow—was built by Moonen in the Netherlands. Designed by Diana Yacht Design, she was originally delivered in

View this boat

Looking to buy?

Tell us the boat, budget and area and we will search for you.

Boats for sale Greece

Check it yourself

Official sources and useful links

Talk to European Yacht Brokers

Buying or selling a boat in Greece? Tell us what you need

Tell us about the boat, your budget and the area and a broker will reply.

  • No-obligation enquiry
  • Your details are handled confidentially
  • One of our brokers will reply
Guide enquiry