Scotty_Tradewind
Well-Known Member
Coming back from the Channel Isles yesterday we were approached from astern by a French customs boat 13nm north of Cap la Hague.
They asked a few basic questions over the radio .....number of persons on board, what nationality were we, where the vessel was registered, where was our last port of call and then they said that they would come and 'check us'.
We were asked to alter course ..... 90deg (East.) We presumed this was to maintain the patrol boat into the oncoming tide.
I however refused to do so explaining that being a sailing boat it was safest for me to motor steadily into the wind and this I did after furling the genoa.
A rib was launched from the back of their boat and 4 black clad official looking crew came powering towards us. They boarded very quickly using the port shrouds to haul themselves aboard and settled down in and around the cockpit.
Their leader explained that this was a routine check and they would like some identity from us. We had already produced our passports, mine British, Mrs. S' American.
They then asked for our boats documents and I proudly went for my 'ships documents' all nicely arranged in a folder with laminated registration certificate, insurance, radio licence, bill of sale, v.a.t. exempt papers etc. It seemed to help passify their interest in us as we had a second form of photo ID on our radio licence and a third on our driving licences.
All details of the registration document and our passports were copied down by one of the boarding party. They were particularly interested in noting down our ships radio call sign. Two others then asked if they could look below.
Mrs S' showed them through and they duly looked into the forepeak, the heads, a wardrobe, under the sole boards and generally surveying all around them. They failed to look into any saloon lockers, our large cockpit lockers and lazarette and a large box on the stern deck.... all places that could have hidden either booty or people.
Upon exiting the corridor from the forepeak their leader hit his head firmly against the bulkhead archway and I felt less irritated by this delay.
After we had been delayed for thirty minutes we were thanked..... I shook hands with the lead man and they departed as efficiently as they arrived, except a large wave came up between rib and our topsides and the lead man got a soaking.
We just made our entry to The Needles channel before the ebb and in past Hurst to eventually sit on the hook in Newtown Creek.
What gave them any reason to want to check us.... could it have been my wifes nationality?
No, more likely we later realised, that I had told then correctly over the radio that our boat was registered in Poole and on the back they could read it saying that it was registered in Southampton.
Checks like this are now quite a common occurrence so be reminded.... have your papers ready!
They asked a few basic questions over the radio .....number of persons on board, what nationality were we, where the vessel was registered, where was our last port of call and then they said that they would come and 'check us'.
We were asked to alter course ..... 90deg (East.) We presumed this was to maintain the patrol boat into the oncoming tide.
I however refused to do so explaining that being a sailing boat it was safest for me to motor steadily into the wind and this I did after furling the genoa.
A rib was launched from the back of their boat and 4 black clad official looking crew came powering towards us. They boarded very quickly using the port shrouds to haul themselves aboard and settled down in and around the cockpit.
Their leader explained that this was a routine check and they would like some identity from us. We had already produced our passports, mine British, Mrs. S' American.
They then asked for our boats documents and I proudly went for my 'ships documents' all nicely arranged in a folder with laminated registration certificate, insurance, radio licence, bill of sale, v.a.t. exempt papers etc. It seemed to help passify their interest in us as we had a second form of photo ID on our radio licence and a third on our driving licences.
All details of the registration document and our passports were copied down by one of the boarding party. They were particularly interested in noting down our ships radio call sign. Two others then asked if they could look below.
Mrs S' showed them through and they duly looked into the forepeak, the heads, a wardrobe, under the sole boards and generally surveying all around them. They failed to look into any saloon lockers, our large cockpit lockers and lazarette and a large box on the stern deck.... all places that could have hidden either booty or people.
Upon exiting the corridor from the forepeak their leader hit his head firmly against the bulkhead archway and I felt less irritated by this delay.
After we had been delayed for thirty minutes we were thanked..... I shook hands with the lead man and they departed as efficiently as they arrived, except a large wave came up between rib and our topsides and the lead man got a soaking.
We just made our entry to The Needles channel before the ebb and in past Hurst to eventually sit on the hook in Newtown Creek.
What gave them any reason to want to check us.... could it have been my wifes nationality?
No, more likely we later realised, that I had told then correctly over the radio that our boat was registered in Poole and on the back they could read it saying that it was registered in Southampton.
Checks like this are now quite a common occurrence so be reminded.... have your papers ready!
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even for a mobo 
