Bizarre entering and leaving France tale.

[john_morris_uk]

I’m writing this just south of Saint Catherine‘s point on the Isle of Wight as we approach the UK on our daughters Pandora. We had to leave the boat in Cherbourg a week or so ago because of the weather and we’ve been back overnight last night to collect it and bring it home. The ferry overnight from Portsmouth was a delight and we arrived at 8 o’clock as advertised. As for the passengers we all got on the bus and stopped at the customs immigration post where the officer came on and took all our passports away. He came back on the bus and handed them back out to us and we found that none of them had been stamped with an entry stamp. I’ve planned it be to go straight to the PAFW stamped out again but we couldn’t work out whether they’ve been scanned electronically or he just had failed to stamp them. So I asked the Brittany ferries helpdesk and they made a phone call and Clare did have to drive us back round to get them stamped. We were taken by a young lady in one of the staff cars through into the restricted port area again and waited at the customs point. We waited and waited and she made various calls on the radio to be told eventually that no one was going to come and stamp our passports and no one was available and we were free to go. We were taken to the terminal building again and made our way to the marina by taxi and left. But I do wonder what is going to happen to the other foot passengers when they go to leave France and find there’s no entry stamp in their passport!

 

[neil1967]

I’m writing this just south of Saint Catherine‘s point on the Isle of Wight as we approach the UK on our daughters Pandora. We had to leave the boat in Cherbourg a week or so ago because of the weather and we’ve been back overnight last night to collect it and bring it home. The ferry overnight from Portsmouth was a delight and we arrived at 8 o’clock as advertised. As for the passengers we all got on the bus and stopped at the customs immigration post where the officer came on and took all our passports away. He came back on the bus and handed them back out to us and we found that none of them had been stamped with an entry stamp. I’ve planned it be to go straight to the PAFW stamped out again but we couldn’t work out whether they’ve been scanned electronically or he just had failed to stamp them. So I asked the Brittany ferries helpdesk and they made a phone call and Clare did have to drive us back round to get them stamped. We were taken by a young lady in one of the staff cars through into the restricted port area again and waited at the customs point. We waited and waited and she made various calls on the radio to be told eventually that no one was going to come and stamp our passports and no one was available and we were free to go. We were taken to the terminal building again and made our way to the marina by taxi and left. But I do wonder what is going to happen to the other foot passengers when they go to leave France and find there’s no entry stamp in their passport!

I think you'll find its all electronic these days - the stamp gives a quick and easy way of a cursory check, but the 'real' info is on the computer.........

 

[john_morris_uk]

I think you'll find its all electronic these days - the stamp gives a quick and easy way of a cursory check, but the 'real' info is on the computer.........

But I understand the computer system isn’t up and running yet. The system is being developed but hasn’t been implemented.

 

[Momac]

But I do wonder what is going to happen to the other foot passengers when they go to leave France and find there’s no entry stamp in their passport!

Sounds like they can stay as long as they like (not).
The passports will have been scanned .
The first time they use a mobile phone or a bank card they will have logged their presence in France.
On this basis I don't see the point of stamping passports unless evidence of a visa is required and even then electronic records make the stamp as outmoded as a car tax disc.

 

[john_morris_uk]

Looks like I might need some proof of arriving back in uk…?

 

[Momac]

Looks like I might need some proof of arriving back in uk…?

Don't you have to check in with UK customs when you arrive ?

 

[john_morris_uk]

Don't you have to check in with UK customs when you arrive ?

Yes we do.

 

[Daydream believer]

Don't you have to check in with UK customs when you arrive ?

Are you confident that Uk customs know their a..se from their elbows?

 

[john_morris_uk]

Are you confident that Uk customs know their a..se from their elbows?

If they don’t, then I guarantee I’m not going near their a..ses to help them out.

 

[Momac]

Yes we do.

There is your proof.

 

[westernman]

I’m writing this just south of Saint Catherine‘s point on the Isle of Wight as we approach the UK on our daughters Pandora. We had to leave the boat in Cherbourg a week or so ago because of the weather and we’ve been back overnight last night to collect it and bring it home. The ferry overnight from Portsmouth was a delight and we arrived at 8 o’clock as advertised. As for the passengers we all got on the bus and stopped at the customs immigration post where the officer came on and took all our passports away. He came back on the bus and handed them back out to us and we found that none of them had been stamped with an entry stamp. I’ve planned it be to go straight to the PAFW stamped out again but we couldn’t work out whether they’ve been scanned electronically or he just had failed to stamp them. So I asked the Brittany ferries helpdesk and they made a phone call and Clare did have to drive us back round to get them stamped. We were taken by a young lady in one of the staff cars through into the restricted port area again and waited at the customs point. We waited and waited and she made various calls on the radio to be told eventually that no one was going to come and stamp our passports and no one was available and we were free to go. We were taken to the terminal building again and made our way to the marina by taxi and left. But I do wonder what is going to happen to the other foot passengers when they go to leave France and find there’s no entry stamp in their passport!

Your passport will have been scanned (and I think almost certainly cross checked with the data from the Ferry. I think the have to submit a passenger list).

Was your passport scanned on the way out?
That is the critical bit - to prove you have left and are not still ticking up your Schengen days.

 

[john_morris_uk]

There is your proof.

I hope the French accept it!

 

[john_morris_uk]

Your passport will have been scanned (and I think almost certainly cross checked with the data from the Ferry. I think the have to submit a passenger list).

Was your passport scanned on the way out?
That is the critical bit - to prove you have left and are not still ticking up your Schengen days.

That’s what I thought. But Mrs M travelled as a foot passenger to France last week and all she got was a stamp. I got stamped in and then stamped out. I don’t recall any scanning. Perhaps it’s scanning by sleight of hand?

 

[Wansworth]

There take your word a man of the cloth?

 

[westernman]

That’s what I thought. But Mrs M travelled as a foot passenger to France last week and all she got was a stamp. I got stamped in and then stamped out. I don’t recall any scanning. Perhaps it’s scanning by sleight of hand?

They only need to scan the bar code like letters on the photo page (like swiping a credit card). Or pass it close to a contact less reader to read out the chip contents (like paying in the shop with a contactless credit card).

 

[benjenbav]

Looks like I might need some proof of arriving back in uk…?

You could do as Sir Robin K-J
did on his completing his circumnavigation and race in Suhaili: on taking the customs officer aboard in Falmouth he was asked his port of departure and simply replied “Falmouth”.

 

[Daydream believer]

Don't you have to check in with UK customs when you arrive ?

Last August a French boat sailed into ramsgate with 2 french & one english aboard ( he had lived in France for the last 14 years) They berthed withing 90 yds of the border force vessel
They did not fly an ensign. Stopped in Ramsgate for a couple of days. Spent some time drinking in the Royal Temple YC. Then sailed back to France. No one queried their movements in UK or France. All the time the CG were issuing warnings about covid & £10,000 fines for possible covid breaches. In the YC they made no attempt to social distance at any time. We were drinking on the balcony & they plonked themselves with us & I had to keep moving back to avoid one of them breathing all over me. I really felt inclined to notify border control but did not.
Border control is a total farce.

 

[Momac]

Last August a French boat sailed into ramsgate with 2 french & one english aboard ( he had lived in France for the last 14 years) They berthed withing 90 yds of the border force vessel
They did not fly an ensign. Stopped in Ramsgate for a couple of days. Spent some time drinking in the Royal Temple YC. Then sailed back to France. No one queried their movements in UK or France. All the time the CG were issuing warnings about covid & £10,000 fines for possible covid breaches. In the YC they made no attempt to social distance at any time. We were drinking on the balcony & they plonked themselves with us & I had to keep moving back to avoid one of them breathing all over me. I really felt inclined to notify border control but did not.
Border control is a total farce.

What did the three do that was illegal (apart from the bit about behaving like covid spreading drunken twats)?
It is perhaps the British who are too keen on obeying rules (with some exceptions).

I hope UK and EU citizens travelling between the UK and the EU in their own boats (or other means) will be allowed a relaxed attitude from the relevant border forces on both sides of the channel. Much as was the case not so long ago.

 

[Daydream believer]

What did the three do that was illegal (apart from the bit about behaving like covid spreading drunken twats)?
It is perhaps the British who are too keen on obeying rules (with some exceptions).

I did wonder if there was any point in answering that question.
Perhaps you were not aware that the govt had tabled emergency procedures to try & reduce the pread of covid.
Perhaps you were not aware of restrictions placed on the populus re cross border movement . Perhaps you had not turned on a VHF & listened to the warnings from the CG about possible fines of up to £10K for entering ports without following correct procedures in force at the time. Perhaps you were not aware of the French banning entry to their ports of visiting yachts.Perhaps you were not aware of govt's attempts on both sides of the channel to try & stop the spread of covid.
I suppose you thought that it was not just MPs & their staff, (on both sides of the house) that could have p..s ups after work, during work, whether they actually did any work, or not ?
Or as time passes all that has slipped out of memory for good.

 

[Capt Popeye]

Looks like I might need some proof of arriving back in uk…?

Well thats surely very easy , you just refer them to the Forum , where all is listed , noted , scaned by Moderators for correctness etc etc etc {)#

Mind you kind Sir , you do perhaps sail quite close to the Current Affairs ban on these pages ?