Awesome

[bmot]

This really is awesome   Just wanted to share it...

Back in March, we posted a video showing a ratherhigh risk ferry docking at a Greek island port in less-than-ideal conditions. Here is another video seemingly showing the same vessel performing the same maneuver in similar conditions, although this time shot from better angle. As the uploader points out, this is the roro passenger ferry Adamantios Korahs, performing a Mediterranean Mooring procedure (stern-to-dock) at the Greek Island of Sikinos in the Aegean Sea. Sketchy? Yes. But residents of the Greek islands depend on the ferry system for vital deliveries of food, medicine and various other items. Needless to say,  the Captain and crew are not about to get off schedule just because of a little wind and waves. Just another day in the Greek islands, I guess.

[Grant Lamontagne]

That's insane!

You'd never see that done around here.  The Union wouldn't allow it for many reasons!

Def

Sent from a digital multitool

[bmot]

That's insane!

You'd never see that done around here.  The Union wouldn't allow it for many reasons!

Def

Sent from a digital multitool

Then again, I bet you -do- have a sheltered harbour over there 

[Grant Lamontagne]

Yup- one of the largest natural ports in the world. 

Def

[Mercury]

That's nuts!

[Aloha]

pretty crazy stuff there

[PTRSAK]

haha,  just sent this to one of my mates who is a wharfie..  see what he has to say about it.

[kkokkolis]

You need special survival skills to live in our country and the best full tang blade isn't any help at all.
But there is always someone better. Have you ever been in a Taxi drive in Cairo?

[Grant Lamontagne]

haha,  just sent this to one of my mates who is a wharfie..  see what he has to say about it.

Is that what you call them down there?  We call them longshoremen here.

I deal with roro cargo (roll on, roll off) almost every day and I can't imagine having to do it like that.  I would love it if we did though, since my job revolves around documenting and investigating cargo damage.  I could just get a rubber stamp that says "Damaged on Discharge" and leave early!

Def

[Chako]

That is crazily insane!

What I loved best, the people drowning on the wharf and then running to the ship with all abandon to almost get run over by ty the vehicles driving off with all abandon. I found that part particularly fascinating. 

Still, mad skills on the Captain. Just doesn't seem safe at all.

[derekmac]

Jeez b'y, that's right some nuts!!    That Captain has balls of  titanium laced with kevlar! 

[Taxi Dad]

Jeez b'y, that's right some nuts!!    That Captain has balls of  titanium laced with kevlar! 

Indeed he must ! 
although the passangers must be pretty brave, you couldn't give me a 'FREE ride' on that ship 

[kkokkolis]

Same ship, same captain, different island. This is in Kimolos, 25 of March 2013 (National Holiday), wind 9 Beaufort scale.

My daughter is studying  in Aegean Polytechnic School in the island of Syros (Industrial Design Engineer). She traveled a lot of times like this. You managed to make me fearful and I missed  her. I'm going there this time during the weekend to hug her and tell her good luck.

That's her boat!


OMG!!!

[Grant Lamontagne]

I had sent this to my boss, who in turn sent it to his father.  They have both been in the business all their lives and they both thought that was insane, and gave serious credit to the captain's skill in moving that boat in.

They also echoed my thought that this would never happen in Canada.

Def

[stealth007s]

Pretty cool videos here

[sir_mike]

Cool vid's...

[nuphoria]

It's all very Greek - just needs to get done and that's what the sea gets like round the islands!

I have been on several of them myself, including that Blue Star at Naxos. I'm not sure you ever quite get over the fear of doing it, but it's often the only option when island hopping round there, and the places you get to see are definitely worth the risk!
To be honest, the one time I managed to get a flight instead I wished I hadn't - it was a LOT worse!
I think it was an 18 seater and the old lady in front of me was crying, praying and kissing her rosary beads a lot, for good reason.

I saw a great bit of skill when they were getting a very large truck on to an extremely unstable ferry at 2am once... took them a while, and the sea was so bad the ferry we were waiting for had been cancelled. They must have needed to get this truck gone.... terrifying and impressive all at once

[Whoey]

That's insane stuff... I'd like to visit Greece, but that's sort of off putting...

[nuphoria]

That's insane stuff... I'd like to visit Greece, but that's sort of off putting...

Nah, it's worth it... just don't travel when the weather is like that if you can choose not to

Favourite islands so far: Corfu (not the south where the white trash party), Naxos and Paros (lovely and quiet).

[Whoey]

there's still about 95% of Spain I have yet to see...

[kkokkolis]

I have two tickets with Blue Star Ithaki (sister ship of Naxos) and I'm going to visit my daughter tomorrow. I feel very excited.
Greece has around 6000 islands, about 230 of them are inhabited. Most of the inhabited ones consist  what is called Άγονη Γραμμή (Agoni Grammi meaning Infertile Line). In these islands with a few inhabitants (say 200-1500) that live with the bare essentials and are isolated from October to April. Ships go there from twice a week to maybe even once a month. Usually  there is no commercial interest from ship owners to send ships there and the goverment forces them to have a minimum of itineraries. If the ships won't be able to dock, the islands will remain without essential supplies for some days. Most of these islands have no general hospital and for certain periods of time they have no physicians too (and when they have they are young, inexperienced, forced and not speSmurfpillsed). Patients move with helicopters and this is dangerous too.
People live on these islands (deserted rocks spread on a sea desert) since the beginning of time. The first real European civilization emerged there 5000 years ago. Untill very recently they relied to fishery, local cultivation, livestock (goats are the only beasts that can prosper in such an enviroment) and manufacture and small local wooden sailships. Tourism is just a contemporary additional source of income.
People there are real survivors. Their seamen are much admired. The following song "The Seamen" suggests the following recipe:
"Take a sailor from Syros, boatswain from Piraeus, engineer from Mytilene, steersman from Kalamata and captain from Chios"

[nuphoria]

there's still about 95% of Spain I have yet to see...

Me too, but I don't live there!

[firiki]

I understand why this manoeuvre may seem wild to many people. At first it was odd for me too but I got used to it over the years and until reading this thread I hadn't realised that this way of approaching a port is so uncommon, I've only traveled by boat to Italy where the procedure was the same.

That's insane stuff... I'd like to visit Greece, but that's sort of off putting...

Given the amount of naval transportations here and the various adversities these guys are facing the percentage of accidents is much lower than one could expect and very little in real numbers. I reckon there's room for plenty impovements to be made but at least them crews usually know their job well.

Paros I liked but its people got me infuriated and besides I'd take Samothraki, Milos, Skopelos or Cythera every day instead. Let's not talk about Icaria or Gavdos       

[Chako]

I agree with Def, that would never happen in Canada. We would build a protected harbor or something. Watching that second video, I have to wonder how many get swept out to sea? You would think they could have at least built in some handrails or something. 

[firiki]

I agree with Def, that would never happen in Canada. We would build a protected harbor or something. Watching that second video, I have to wonder how many get swept out to sea? You would think they could have at least built in some handrails or something. 

One of the various adversities I mentioned earlier is the fact that we have around 30 ports classified as insufficient and/or dangerous. There are other biggies too and talking about those would make this thread plunge into modern greek history, maybe sociology too and certainly into politics  (and steal the captains' thunder). Better if I just said that there has been a systematic depreciation of the importance of what we can call "public interest" both in actual terms as well as into peoples minds for more than 20 years now resulting to grotesque things, derisible and deplorable at the same time. Ever saw a tragedy/comedy mask?         

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

Now that is some skillful seamanship to say the least!

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

[Dunc]

Hells bells  I bet those people can't wait to get off and the people waiting to get on are dreading it.

So many things could have gone wrong , from people being washed in to that lorry running everyone over.

[Chako]

I hear you firiki. Regardless, that captain has mad skills to do that on a daily basis.