Syros: fast boat donated to the Port Authority

The Syros Port Authority is set to receive a new inflatable fast boat following a donation from shipbuilding and repair company ONEX Neorion Shipyards. The boat is an INDIGO 27 PRO model and is being delivered together with its accessories. The total financial value of the donation amounts to €137,888. The recipient is the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy, for the benefit of the Syros Port Authority. The donation has also been formally accepted by the General Directorate of Public Property and Public Benefit Assets of the Ministry of Economy and Finance.

This is not the first support the service has received from the same company. According to the announcement, ONEX had previously made significant donations aimed at the maintenance and repair of the Port Authority’s service vessels. The Neorion shipbuilding and repair yard is the largest industrial facility on the island. Its relationship with local services leaves a strong imprint on Ermoupoli’s economy. The announcement does not include any statements from officials, nor does it give a date for the decision to accept the donation.

Inflatable fast boats are a key operational asset for the port authorities of island regions. They are used in patrols, search and rescue operations, vessel inspections and personnel transfers. Their advantage lies in their speed and their ability to approach shallow or hard-to-reach points along the coastline. In the Cyclades, where distances between islands are considerable, the availability of such craft determines response times. The addition of another boat strengthens the ability to cover more incidents simultaneously.

The Syros Port Authority has jurisdiction over one of the busiest maritime areas of the Aegean. Ermoupoli functions as a response hub for the rest of the islands in the cluster, with a significant number of daily routes. During the summer months, the volume of incidents the service is called on to handle multiplies. These incidents include vessel breakdowns, rescues of swimmers and shipping safety inspections. In recent times the service has been called to intervene in a series of such incidents.

Donations from private individuals and businesses to security forces and civil protection services have increased in recent years on the islands. The mechanism provides for their formal acceptance by the relevant ministries, so that the assets are incorporated into public property. This process ensures the equipment’s lawful use and maintenance. Similar donations have been recorded in other regions, such as the donation of six fire engines to the Municipality of Agios Vasileios in Crete. The phenomenon is linked to chronic equipment shortages in regional services.

Strengthening the Cyclades’ port authorities remains a standing demand of local government. The issue resurfaces every summer, when the islands’ population multiplies and maritime traffic peaks. At the same time, the Ministry of Shipping has announced the hiring of 420 new port guards through ASEP. The new positions are earmarked as a priority for services with an increased operational load. Their distribution has not yet been announced.

The boat is expected to join the service’s fleet in the coming weeks. The photograph accompanying the news report is an archive image and does not depict the specific boat in question. Cyclades Today will publish further details once they are provided by the relevant authorities. More from Syros on the Syros page. Announcements from the Coast Guard are posted on its official websites.