Arriving from outside the EU

When entering Leirwick, Shetland from Norway (non-EU) you should fly the yellow flag (we did not know and entered with a home made Shetland flag on starboard). You are expected to call the Leirwick Port Authority on VHF to report and recive docking instructions. We arrived during night and were directed to a pontoon and asked to go to the customs office in the morning. Customs are conveniently co-located with the harbourmaster. In all an easy and friendly process.
 
We arrived there from Haugesund 2seasons ago.
Having passed through Germany/Denmark/Sweden/Norway with no officialdom remotely interested. Shetland customs was??

I can't fathom it, other than for satisfying bureaucratic procedure?

It was simple enough but who is going to smuggle goods from Norway to the UK? Have you experienced the relative costs of living?

Balls Ox is close to the mark in real life terms

Our previous trip to Norway involved no officialdom at any point, and attracted no interest at all.

Have all your docs available by all means but worry less....
 
pagoda said:
We arrived there from Haugesund 2seasons ago.
Having passed through Germany/Denmark/Sweden/Norway with no officialdom remotely interested. Shetland customs was??

I can't fathom it, other than for satisfying bureaucratic procedure?

It was simple enough but who is going to smuggle goods from Norway to the UK? Have you experienced the relative costs of living?

Balls Ox is close to the mark in real life terms

Our previous trip to Norway involved no officialdom at any point, and attracted no interest at all.

Have all your docs available by all means but worry less....
Click to expand...

Like yourself, we encountered no bureaucratic interest in entering Norway, but was surprised by all the detailed form filling on return to Lerwick. I really could not see the point of it.
 
As soon as you get within mobile phone range of France, you will leave a trace. If you use your credit card over there, you will leave a trace.
I would not rule out the French emailing a list of UK boats berthed in the marina back to the UK.

Google will know where you've been and target you with adverts accordingly...
 
On a number on occasions I have arrived in the UK from Guernsey which is outside of the EU.
You simply call the UK Yachtline and answer a number of questions. If they are all okay then they give you immediate clearance to enter. If you don't pass then they will instruct you on what actions are needed.
 
lw395 said:
As soon as you get within mobile phone range of France, you will leave a trace. If you use your credit card over there, you will leave a trace.
I would not rule out the French emailing a list of UK boats berthed in the marina back to the UK.

Google will know where you've been and target you with adverts accordingly...
Click to expand...

Indeed, but I doubt that that will be enough to formally enter or exit Schengen. As for data transfer, presumably in time such schemes for pleasure craft/light aircraft etc. might begin to exist. But it's probably not high on the list.
 
bobgarrett said:
On a number on occasions I have arrived in the UK from Guernsey which is outside of the EU.
You simply call the UK Yachtline and answer a number of questions. If they are all okay then they give you immediate clearance to enter. If you don't pass then they will instruct you on what actions are needed.
Click to expand...


That's what you do at the moment. The RYA have already said we are moving to a smartphone app based system and have tested the beta version and provided feedback.
 
There are regular threads on here and scuttlebut regarding this subject ....the short fact is that no one knows with certainty how it will operate, but in my opinion most of the ‘doomsday’ predictions made by arm chair theoreticians will prove to be unfounded

In my opinion

1. Reciprocity will be at the heart of an agreement post transition ..that might not be exactly equivalent processes, but the core principle will be reciprocal

2. The border threat to the Uk from small craft is illegal immigrants and drugs, and possibly weapons ...Brexit does not change that. The processes to guard against these are mainly surveillance and intelligence. Processes to manage these are resource intensive and will be applied on a risk basis

3. Control of the UK border is for immigration, not tourists ...the risk based analysis will show very few illegal immigrants arrive on their own yachts and continue to use them to pootle around harbours up,and down the coast, and back and forwards to their home country. The exact converse also applies to UK boaters pootling back and fowad to the EU

4. Risk based and materiality analysis will focus on industrial scale smuggling ...a few extra packs of ciggies will not justify the huge expense of building systems to stop it... similarly the EU will be looking to block unregulated or tariff-bearing products arriving but you’d struggle to get 20 tons of non compliant beef onto your 35 ft sailing boat

5. The Uk and Eu have mutual economic benefit in encouraging tourism between themselves.. recreational boaters are tourists, not illegal immigrants or industrial-scale smugglers.

So exciting though it is for forum members to float scare stories, I believe pragmatism and risk-based controls will dictate the final process
 
bobgarrett said:
On a number on occasions I have arrived in the UK from Guernsey which is outside of the EU.
You simply call the UK Yachtline and answer a number of questions. If they are all okay then they give you immediate clearance to enter. If you don't pass then they will instruct you on what actions are needed.
Click to expand...

I've never bothered flying the yellow or reporting to anyone when arriving in UK from Guernsey or in Gibraltar from Morocco. They just assume we've been sailing locally.
 
Graham376 said:
I've never bothered flying the yellow or reporting to anyone when arriving in UK from Guernsey or in Gibraltar from Morocco. They just assume we've been sailing locally.
Click to expand...

IMO, you've been very lucky. UK to Guernsey ... maybe worth the risk, Morocco to Gib? ... how many others don't bother with customs/immigration on that trip?

I would imagine the MoD wouldn't be too pleased if their facilities in Gib were being compromised by yachtsmen running clandestine trips to and from the African mainland without any checks on passengers or goods, or even a declaration of the trip. Yikes. Sounds like it is wide open for terrorist abuse.
 
Bathdave said:
There are regular threads on here and scuttlebut regarding this subject ....the short fact is that no one knows with certainty how it will operate, but in my opinion most of the ‘doomsday’ predictions made by arm chair theoreticians will prove to be unfounded

In my opinion

1. Reciprocity will be at the heart of an agreement post transition ..that might not be exactly equivalent processes, but the core principle will be reciprocal

2. The border threat to the Uk from small craft is illegal immigrants and drugs, and possibly weapons ...Brexit does not change that. The processes to guard against these are mainly surveillance and intelligence. Processes to manage these are resource intensive and will be applied on a risk basis

3. Control of the UK border is for immigration, not tourists ...the risk based analysis will show very few illegal immigrants arrive on their own yachts and continue to use them to pootle around harbours up,and down the coast, and back and forwards to their home country. The exact converse also applies to UK boaters pootling back and fowad to the EU

4. Risk based and materiality analysis will focus on industrial scale smuggling ...a few extra packs of ciggies will not justify the huge expense of building systems to stop it... similarly the EU will be looking to block unregulated or tariff-bearing products arriving but you’d struggle to get 20 tons of non compliant beef onto your 35 ft sailing boat

5. The Uk and Eu have mutual economic benefit in encouraging tourism between themselves.. recreational boaters are tourists, not illegal immigrants or industrial-scale smugglers.

So exciting though it is for forum members to float scare stories, I believe pragmatism and risk-based controls will dictate the final process
Click to expand...

The RYA Legal Team at their talk 3 weeks ago at the Cruising Conference were very explicit on this.

The EU offered reciprocity, the UK has declined. The Schengen 90 in 180 rule will apply.

Trips to France (the example they gave) will require arrival and departure from a Port of Entry.

The UK are attempting to not use Ports of Entry by having a smartphone app.
 
st599 said:
That's what you do at the moment. The RYA have already said we are moving to a smartphone app based system and have tested the beta version and provided feedback.
Click to expand...
As I have understood the the proposals the UK Yachtline will continue even after the app is introduced for many reasons including that the app may actually ask you to call to discuss details.
 
bobgarrett said:
On a number on occasions I have arrived in the UK from Guernsey which is outside of the EU.
You simply call the UK Yachtline and answer a number of questions. If they are all okay then they give you immediate clearance to enter. If you don't pass then they will instruct you on what actions are needed.
Click to expand...

I did that once. Not only did they seem spectacularly uninterested, I got the feeling they couldn't even understand why I had rung them.
 
lw395 said:
As soon as you get within mobile phone range of France, you will leave a trace. If you use your credit card over there, you will leave a trace.
I would not rule out the French emailing a list of UK boats berthed in the marina back to the UK.

Google will know where you've been and target you with adverts accordingly...
Click to expand...
France is nowhere near Norway or Shetland.

I have no problem checking in anywhere. It keeps people employed and feeding their families.
 
awol said:
Free Pratique
Click to expand...

Thank you ... beat me to it !

For some reason maybe because of its yellow overall colour and its being the Q flag - it has been mistaken as a quarantine flag.

Its meaning is in general terms :

a ship that declares itself free of quarantinable disease, and requests boarding and inspection by Port State Control to allow the grant of Free Pratique

the only semblance to quarantine ... if the flag is hoisted - you cannot board the vessel unless you are authorised by Port State Control.
 
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