Channel Island Cruise - Will we encounter French Authorities?

[vandy]

We are off to Guernsey on Thursday for a few days - being the first time going there on my own boat, I was wondering if because of proximity to French coast, either in the Channel or near Guernsey we should ever expect to meet French authorities althoug we will technically only be in UK waters or Intl waters?

The reason being I don't have my ICC with me and have heard the French coastguard can be tough on paperworks?

 

[Robin]

We are off to Guernsey on Thursday for a few days - being the first time going there on my own boat, I was wondering if because of proximity to French coast, either in the Channel or near Guernsey we should ever expect to meet French authorities althoug we will technically only be in UK waters or Intl waters?

The reason being I don't have my ICC with me and have heard the French coastguard can be tough on paperworks?

The French have boarded boats in these waters but they are very polite and courteous, You do not need an ICC or much else except the registration papers and crew's passports. We were boarded by them once 13 miles out from cherboug headed home to poole. They asked a bunch of innocent questions like where had we come from, going to, home address etc designed I guess to see if we really were the people the paperwork said. They are looking for potential drug smugglers or terrorist not innocent folk unless provoked. They did read the ship's logbook again I think to establish veracity of our verbal replies. In our case they really knew we had come from Cherbourg as they had blasted past us as we left via the east entrance some two hours earlier. They did radio back our passport details to their office 'for checking with Paris' they said , most likely because SWMBO is a yank with a weirdo passport albeit at the time she was a UK resident with proper UK IMmigration stamps in her passport to prove it.

If you meet them, be polite,invite them on board ( they will anyway and they carry guns! and answer any questions and they will be gone in a puff of a Disque Bleu.

 

[prv]

The reason being I don't have my ICC with me and have heard the French coastguard can be tough on paperworks?

You only need an ICC for inland waterways (albeit that does include a couple you can get to in a seagoing boat). At sea they are only likely to want a registration document for the boat (SSR will do nicely) and your passports.

Pete

 

[johng39]

You only need an ICC for inland waterways (albeit that does include a couple you can get to in a seagoing boat). At sea they are only likely to want a registration document for the boat (SSR will do nicely) and your passports.

Pete

Not quite true, you need a CEVNI for inland. That would normally be an ICC with the CEVNI marked 'YES'

However, as stated they are interested in ships papers and passports. Make sure you have the original VAT invoice & keep a log of your movements also (it is a requirement). To be belt and braces though, you should also have:

Radio License (yours and ships)
SSR (with number displayed on boat) or Part 1
VAT invoice
Lifejackets serviced and in date
Liferaft (if you have one) serviced and in date
Fire Extinguishers, in date
Flares, in date

I have been to the CI 3 times and never been stopped, friends have been and they went through the lifejackets, extinguishers, log book and VAT invoice. All was in order and they politely left.

HTH

 

[longjohnsilver]

Not quite true, you need a CEVNI for inland. That would normally be an ICC with the CEVNI marked 'YES'

However, as stated they are interested in ships papers and passports. Make sure you have the original VAT invoice & keep a log of your movements also (it is a requirement). To be belt and braces though, you should also have:

Radio License (yours and ships)
SSR (with number displayed on boat) or Part 1
VAT invoice
Lifejackets serviced and in date
Liferaft (if you have one) serviced and in date
Fire Extinguishers, in date
Flares, in date

I have been to the CI 3 times and never been stopped, friends have been and they went through the lifejackets, extinguishers, log book and VAT invoice. All was in order and they politely left.

HTH

Where were your friends stopped by the douaniers? If going from UK straight to CIs seems very unlikely that the French authorities would trouble you. Been to CIs many times and never seen or heard of anyone being stopped by the French.

 

[johng39]

Perhaps I should qualify my response more. When in the CI, I travel to and from the French coast, so that forms part of my CI trip. The only time I stray into French waters en-route is the Alderney race and I have never been stopped there either.

My friends were stopped when on a Normandy leg of a trip last year and that was their experience of the Customs. I was merely trying to be helpful in outlining the possible requirements and not specifically whether they would be stopped by les flics. I agree that the likelihood of being stopped around Guernsey or on the way to is extremely remote.