1st Channel Crossing - Ship's Papers

[capricorn]

1st Channel Crossing - Ship\'s Papers

Hi All,

Planning our first channel crossing in a couple of weeks (Cherbourg).

Please advise what ship's papers we need to take to avoid any Gendarmarie/Customs grief. Currently I'm planning to take the following:

- SSR Registration (Original)
- Original Bill of Sale to show VAT status (photocopy)
- Ships Radio License (Original)
- SRC Operator's License (Original)
- Passports

Anything else ?

Thanks

 

[Phoenix of Hamble]

Re: 1st Channel Crossing - Ship\'s Papers

Insurance docs

 

[zefender]

Re: 1st Channel Crossing - Ship\'s Papers

Insurance doc (for marina rather than customs (though I've never been asked)
A sheet of paper with the names, gender, age and passport number of all aboard saves a lot of potential hassle
ICC

 

[iangrant]

Re: 1st Channel Crossing - Ship\'s Papers

Last time I got approached by the French in St Vaast their grubby little fingers were only interested in the SSR. Saying that the mooring agreement with MDL went down well along with the Passport matching the name on the docs.

Try very hard to speak French and that makes them happy. They speak fluent English but won't let on.

Ian

 

[fireball]

Re: 1st Channel Crossing - Ship\'s Papers

I didn't think photocopies were allowed ... ? Not that it makes much difference as it is such an easy bit of paper to fudge ...

 

[duncan]

Re: 1st Channel Crossing - Ship\'s Papers

as my 'origional' was a B&W injet print from the firm supplying the boat I will admit that I have taken neat copies and carry a laminated one (like the SSR) in the ships papers box to (1) make it look more official (2) keep it neat and (3) easier to find! It also has some words that I am assured say 'origional reciept for VAT paid' in french on the back in indelible ink with the boats name and SSR number.

As mentioned above the more everything can be easily cross referenced apparantly the better.

 

[Rustyknight]

Re: 1st Channel Crossing - Ship\'s Papers

Not sure how you personally have health insurance, but there is a Form E111 that might be usefull to carry.......

Link HERE

 

[Robin]

Re: 1st Channel Crossing - Ship\'s Papers

For absolute collation of everything have the Insurance Certificate as someone else said. We keep all of them together in the same file so we don't have to hunt through several lockers to find things.

In one search they asked to see and indeed studied our Ship's Log (asked SWMBO 'what does bang crash wallop we are supposed to do this for fun' mean that was in one entry!). They don't like photocopies and have been known, probably when meeting a stroppy 'I know my rights' Brit, to ask for the current Liferaft Certificate and to see in date flares, one or two such Brits have been fined, albeit incorrectly for having these out of date. Be polite, smile and remember they carry guns and have no sense of humour at all, zilch, but they are just doing their job.

Have fun /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[capricorn]

Re: 1st Channel Crossing - Ship\'s Papers

Don't have an ICC. Is this a problem ?

 

[BrendanS]

Re: 1st Channel Crossing - Ship\'s Papers

No, you don't need ICC to visit France, unless you are going inland, in which case you need the Cevni endorsement as well

http://www.rya.org.uk/Cruising/faqs.asp?contentID=117152

 

[capricorn]

Re: 1st Channel Crossing - Ship\'s Papers

Great, thanks for the help everyone.

 

[chrisc]

Re: 1st Channel Crossing - Ship\'s Papers

I have got into 'fairly serious 'trouble for giving a copy of original receipt to french customs launch instead of original. ( i did have original hidden on-board) they do sometimes take this seriously....

 

[Sybarite]

Re: 1st Channel Crossing - Ship\'s Papers

Most of them are very polite and so it does no harm to be polite back. They have no right though IMHO to ask about safety equipment on foreign owned boats. It may be a legal requirement on French flaged boats but I have already established with the French "Affaires Maritimes" that my French registered British flagged boat does not need to comply with French safety requirements.

This was the corollary of them refusing to do a safety inspection on my boat to enable me to do charter work in France.

On two occasions they have threatened me with fines because I did not have British registration. I told them that I didn't have it and had no intention of having it either as that would oblige me to be registered in two places.

John

 

[Guest]

Re: 1st Channel Crossing - Ship\'s Papers

[ QUOTE ]
my French registered British flagged boat

[/ QUOTE ]

Not wanting to repeat earlier detailed posts on this subject, but a French registered British flagged boat is an impossibility. Criminal offence under English law to fly a British flag on a French registered boat, and almost certainly under French law too.

 

[Phoenix of Hamble]

Re: 1st Channel Crossing - Ship\'s Papers

Chris copy of what receipt?

The Bill of Sale?

Reason I ask is that my marine mortgage company hold the original in my case, and I only have a copy......

 

[Gunfleet]

Re: 1st Channel Crossing - Ship\'s Papers

You have obviously never dealt with French bureaucracy, which is an irony and humour free zone. It isn't possible to be legal in France, just more or less legal and then you shout at whichever official tests you on it.

 

[Robin]

Re: 1st Channel Crossing - Ship\'s Papers

They should not want to see the Bill of Sale at all and have never asked to see ours even though we carry it now. I think in the case mentioned it was being used as proof of VAT paid, which is another matter as I'm not sure how it would do that. I suspect what was meant in the other reply was 'the original sales invoice' which is not what most people understand as the Bill of Sale which is a specific document that goes with transfer of Part 1 Registry (old Blue Book).

Robin

 

[Robin]

Re: 1st Channel Crossing - Ship\'s Papers

John

Yes we have only ever found them to be polite but firm, as you would expect. We did get a laugh from one who woke us up by climbing on board from a Rib at 7am anchored off Belle Isle, when he looked at our papers we still had the 'fiche' from the same guy on the same date the previous year tucked in the Blue Book which he remarked on. I said 'yes and it was the same early wake up call then too'!!

Robin

 

[Guest]

Re: 1st Channel Crossing - Ship\'s Papers

Had one or two brushes with them, akcherly. Most amusing was on my 16' Hobie Cat - landed on a deserted beach in Normandy in the middle of nowhere. Standing there in our wetsuits, some chap in a kepi and uniform appeared out of nowhere and asked to see charts, compass, flares... He seemed slightly surprised when we actually produced them, walked away looking a little miffed, I thought /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[LadyInBed]

Re: ICC

Brendan I AM disappointed, you forgot to point out that if you take an ICC, a Kitchen Sink then also becomes obligatory /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif