For those contemplating doing Holland this year.

Koeketiene

Koeketiene

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Le Roussillon (South of France)
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Been reading this month's copy of Zeilen Magazine - the Dutch YM counterpart (only much better).

Red diesel.

A no-no.
Customs (Douane) will patrol vigorously.
You will be OK if:
- you have your UK receipts and a detailed engine logbook (hours run, etc...).
You will be not so OK if:
- you only have receipts but no detailed engine logbook but Douane accepts that you acted in good faith. In that case there's a one-off fine of €226.
You're ****ed if:
- you have neither. Douane will consider you did not act in good faith and you will be fined €4.53 per litre of red diesel found on board.


Alcohol while underway

According to new legislation now making it's way through parliament boats will be put on an equal footing with cars. When breathalysed alcohol level should not exceed 0.5
Note: whilst in the case of cars they just beathalyse the driver, in the case of boats the entire crew can/will be breathalysed.

You've been warned ;)
 
I that case Holland is off my crusing list.
That is a pitty as I was looking forward to going there.

I am not going to risk them deciding that my engine hours log is not good enough.
 
The magazine has quite an editorial rant on this issue - 'Is this the best use of Douane resources? Catching a few yotties with red diesel, etc...'

The editor goes on to blame the RYA for the current situation.
When the tax relief on red diesel for leisure craft came to an end a few years ago the RYA campained to keep red diesel (but taxed) in order to spare marina operators the cost of having their tanks cleaned.
In Belgium - the only other country (apart from Malta) where red diesel was provided to yachts - marina operators were ordered to clean their tanks. The problem does not exist there.

Dutch yachts are advised not to refuel in Britain if they can avoid it.
 
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Hi

Thanks for the info, we really enjoy sailing in Holland and it would be a pity if it became a complete pain.Would it be worth also posting this on the Scuttlebut forum to see if with enough numbers ,some influence can be brought to bear on the the decision makers, re the red fuel problem

Many thanks.

Rob

P.S Am presently involved in a work project with an old Dutch hippy,wonder if he's relocated to the UK because now too many rules in the Netherlands
 
Well I'm still going.Had my radio Atised,got the porta potti(black water) and got receipts for my red diesel.I always keep an engine log anyway.We don't drink underway and prefer to do our socialising in the evening.Friends in Holland say that the Dutch authorities have a much more reasonable attitude to these matters than the French and they still like the British.
 
Google translation of the ANWB's take on it

The legal BAC limit of 0.8 for marine and water sports will be reduced to 0.5 per mille. This emerged during treatment of Maritime Traffic in the House on Thursday, February 11 this year.

Under Secretary of State for Transport Tineke Huizinga-Heringa (CU) becomes the norm, enshrined in Article 27 of this Law, the same as for the road. The Lower House will help to clarify the equation. The PVV wanted, through Fleur Agema, the standard set at 0.0 per thousand for both shipping and road traffic. Secretary or House went along with this.

The Secretary of State promised to before the summer to come with a bill that misconduct on the water will be heavily punished. Examples include the revocation of the certificate or even seizure of the boat. According to Sander Funeral (CDA), would that not only should apply to alcohol abuse. State Secretary Huizinga reassured him by saying that if the bill is worked and speeding and "jeopardizing" (antisocial behavior) are part of it. Again, she stressed that abuse of the certificate remaining an integral part of the Criminal Law.
Click to expand...
 
I won't be going back there for a few years. Too many boats, bolshy bridge attendants (a curse on the man who operates the Zerikzee bridge) poxy box moorings.

I'm off to warmer climes anyway.:cool:
 
Guapa said:
According to the article the legislation has not been enacted yet, but 'should' be before summer.
From what I gather they talk about yachts underway only.
Click to expand...

Thanks.

I know that there was discussion a while ago (not necessarily with referance to Holland) about the difficulty of having to get underway quick (eg dragging anchor) whilst enjoying a bottle of wine, and how this is coped with in any regulation. Could well see an equivalent of getting into your car in a pub carpark to retrieve your belongings and being done for drink driving, even though you havn't. Good to see in Holland that you are only being done for a crime, and not being done because you might do!
 
This does seem to make visiting Holland a massive problem.
When you live on board like us, your 'domestic' fuel usage is going to be higher than standard. Indeed, when we fill in the Spring, there would be no 'propulsion' usage if we have stayed in the marina all winter (having fgilled at the end of the season).
With 1600 litres on board, why would I risk a £7k fine if some jobsworth doesn't like my records?
At the end of the day, surely this kind of 'additional tax' being levied by any EU country is effectively illegal. Having paid the correct duty to the country of purchase, how can it be right that the Dutch authorities feel that they can charge huge amounts of money in this way? To use alcohol as an analogy, if we buy a litre of spirits in France or Holland and pay duty in that country we are perfectly entitled to bring it back into the UK without paying any further duty even if the UK duty levied on goods would be higher. Why are the Dutch able to instruct their Customs officers to penalise UK boaters in such a way?
Perhaps someone should ask the RYA for clarification. Then again, the only people who could give a proper answer would be Dutch Customs so maybe we could contact them.
 
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