Ghost harbor on the brink of dissolution?

36° 55’ 08.0000’’ N, 21° 41’ 95.0000’’ E

We’ve heard in advance that Pilos Marina on the Peloponnese is a ghost harbor without supervision, on the verge of chaos and dissolution.

“Don’t sail in there,” several sailors write on the digital bulletin board, Navily.

Therefore, we are highly curious as we sail into the marina, which turns out to be full of boats – regular boats, abandoned boats, and a few pure wrecks. Everyone loves it when a marina is free, even if there is no electricity, water, or harbor master.

Some have spray-painted “private” on the quayside, while others have marked with chains and ropes that strangers should stay away. On a long outer pier, some boats have positioned themselves lengthwise and entangled themselves so thoroughly in three or four mooring lines that no one can dock alongside them.

Sailors warn on Navily about individuals posing as harbor masters and collecting harbor fees. “Don’t pay. They are pirates,” they write.

It resembles a harbor we’ve encountered a couple of times before in Greece. Harbors that were built with EU funds, but where the developer then can’t reach an agreement with the local authorities on an operating agreement, and therefore the harbor falls into disrepair.

Following the advice of a British sailor, we moor at the end of a pier right at the entrance to the harbor. After all, we’re only going to be here for one night. And Pilos is, by the way, a beautiful town.