My documents expire each August, which is a bit of a problem as I am sailing at that time.
Most ports accepted my expired document without any problem, until I got to the notorious port of Kos.
Kos is a wonderful place and should not be missed, but beware the authorities.
When I went in to check out (in October) and get my transit log stamped, the lady officer pointed out that my USA documentation had expired some weeks earlier. She insisted that I could not leave until she had seen, at least, a fax of the original new document.
Luckily my wife was in Florida at the time, so I asked her to fax the document directly to the coast guard in Kos.
When I returned that evening, a burley officer told me that a fax was no good and he needed to see the original. This screwed up my cruising plans and my friends had to leave without me.
Several days later the FedEx envelope arrived at the Coast Guard and I was able to leave the following day.
Keep your documents up to date in Greece, especially in Kos! This minor detail turned into a huge problem
Howard and Jayne [ Just Imagine ] 23-Feb-2007