Has anyone ever been boarded by Border Force?

[The Professional]

In the unlikely event that I'm going to France, I'll have passports and boaty documents but otherwise they'll have to make do with what we happen to have. IFAIAA, there's no requirement to carry any sort of ID in the UK.

Can anyone confirm this? What happens if boarded by Border Force and you don't have your passport?

 

[NormanS]

Many years ago, when they were still "Customs", we happened to be anchored in a small and seldom frequented bay in the Ross of Mull. We had an old wooden boat, and we were burning paint off the deck, and happened to see the Customs cutter passing the narrow entrance to the bay, and thought nothing of it. Minutes later, there was a bang, and a big black RIB was alongside, and two or three big burly guys were jumping aboard us, asking " permission" while in mid air. We were in our home waters, and we never have any means of identification or papers. They kept asking when we had come from Northern Ireland. We had never been there, but they kept asking the question. They had a look around, and opened some lockers. I suppose it was completely harmless, but it felt threatening, knowing that they could tear the boat apart, find nothing, and then just go, leaving us to clear up the mess.

 

[Skylark]

Almost boarded once by a German RIB close to Elbe. They hailed us and asked politely to come alongside, put crew on my boat to check paperwork. Despite three attempts, the RIB helm couldn’t quite manage it so they left looking rather embarrassed.

 

[Molteni]

We were boarded off Mizen Head, SW Ireland, in July. Very polite and professional. Checked our paperwork and had a 5 minute look below decks.
They laboriously copied by hand the passport details of our Polish crew member, why they didn't just photo it instead baffles me!

 

[RichardS]

In the unlikely event that I'm going to France, I'll have passports and boaty documents but otherwise they'll have to make do with what we happen to have. IFAIAA, there's no requirement to carry any sort of ID in the UK.

Indeed. If you're British and are sailing in British waters why would you ever be carrying a passport? I'd be carrying a copy of the the day's newspaper. :encouragement:

Richard

 

[Humblebee]

Same experience as you Mel80. PR work, advice on keeping a look out for suspicious activities etc.

 

[gregcope]

Yep.

Asked to come aboard as they were climbing up. Asked for ID. Asked to look below as they approached the hatch. Searched a few things. Actions were assumptive.

Made my children scared. Pretty obvious we were a Cruising family.

Although I am usually inclined to help, this sort of behaviour would not encourage me. It would have been better to wait a few seconds between asking and moving to at least allow me to feel i had been asked.

I understand most arrests / things are intelligence lead. To engender more tip offs the friendly chat approach would probably work allot better.

 

[Graham376]

Indeed. If you're British and are sailing in British waters why would you ever be carrying a passport? I'd be carrying a copy of the the day's newspaper. :encouragement: Richard

Slightly different off Ireland though. When we were boarded they asked for passports which we happened to have so no problem. When I queried the need for them, was advised photo ID was required when visiting. Had never been asked before on countless trips and don't know if Euro driving licence would suffice.

 

[PetiteFleur]

We were boarded in the channel about 4 years ago when helping a friend sail his new to him boat back to the East Coast. It had been bought in France near the Spanish border through a broker so had all the correct papers etc. They did not search the boat, one went below with the skipper to view paperwork etc but all they seemed interested in was wether VAT had been paid - oh and they knew exactly where we had come from...

 

[Elessar]

Just ordered a Q flag as nobody knows what is going to happen with this Brexit shenanigans. Before I head over to France next year, assuming we actually leave the EU at some point, I'll be ringing the douane and asking what is required.

Have flown a Q since Shengen quite a few times - but one that may be of interest was for coming back from the CIs.

I had an American citizen on board - my sons wife (he has a green card)

I rang Yachtline. All the usual questions then. “Do you have any foreign nationals on board “ ........
“Well yes” I said expecting a boarding at sea or in port.

There was a pause after I gave details but then.....
“Thank you for calling Yachtline, you are cleared please take down flag Q”.

And I didn’t even have to take my shoes off or take the very dangerous bottle of water out of my bag.

 

[STOL71]

Came alongside and questioned on the Thames and in Ramsgate, was boarded in Belgium.

 

[prv]

Can anyone confirm this? What happens if boarded by Border Force and you don't have your passport?

Assuming you’re travelling from one British port to another, nothing much. We were boarded while sailing from Itchenor to Lymington, retracing our steps of the previous day on a weekend charter (pre boat ownership). They had a cursory look at the charter boat’s wallet of documentation, didn’t ask for anything from us as individuals. Their manner was perfectly pleasant and polite.

If travelling internationally, you would presumably have your passport with you since the UK isn’t in Schengen, so the issue shouldn’t arise.

Pete

 

[GHA]

Once just after the Olympics. Anchored overnight off Southend, next to their cutter and they came over for a chat. They spotted somehow I'd checked out of Antigua without an exit stamp. Then as everything is paperless in their words I'd 'nothing to show I'd been in the country for a while' so had a good search. Nice enough guys, we had a chat about how violent the drugs trade is on the islands. I keep Google location history on all the time now just as another option to show where I was when.
Didn't bat an eyelid at the logbook being a ring bound Brazilian schoolbook.

 

[yerffoeg]

This summer we were stopped and questioned by a French border force vessel, 2 miles out of Calais, bound for Ramsgate. We were not boarded, and they seemed content with our replies, but they came up on us at speed and were not to be trifled with..

 

[Blue Sunray]

Pretty obvious we were a Cruising family..

Funny old thing but the baddies don't wear black hats or striped T shirts and masks in real life.

Albeit from a different era but this is what a gun running yacht looks like:

 

[Fr J Hackett]

Once in Penzance early 90s quite pleasant as I remember just a cursory look at ships papers and head into the companionway everything being done in the cockpit. Then I was called up by a customs cutter several miles out from the Lizard who asked my destination and where I had come from, I was on my way back from the Azores. It was a brief exchange and as I couldn't see him, visibility being less than a mile I asked how he knew me he said they had me on radar and had been tracking me for a while. They asked me to confirm my arrival in Falmouth to the coastguard which I did but nothing came of it.

 

[Ohlin Karcher]

Funny old thing but the baddies don't wear black hats or striped T shirts and masks in real life.

Albeit from a different era but this is what a gun running yacht looks like:

View attachment 82244

One of the crew is holding a Mauser, which might raise suspicion :encouragement:

 

[LittleSister]

Many years ago I was returning from Brittany on a friend's distinctive, unusual looking and somewhat scruffy boat. Crossing Lyme Bay we saw a Customs cutter at some distance and then a RIB racing from it towards towards us. They boarded, checked our documents, had a quick look below, and asked about where we'd been and what we'd done there. We explained we'd come from a maritime festival in Brittany, and had stopped the previous night in Dartmouth. They asked if we'd posted the required customs form there, and we admitted we'd forgotten to. They gently wagged their finger, said make sure we post it at our next stop, and departed.

Our next stop turned out to be Brighton, where the skipper's was having some family drama, resulting in him departing, leaving me to take his boat back to Essex.

On leaving Brighton it was rather misty. The navlights on my friend's boat weren't working for some reason, so whenever we saw another vessel we shone a torch in its direction hoping to make sure we were seen. At one point the mist lifted somewhat and I spotted a Customs cutter in the distance inshore of us, at which point I remembered to my horror that in the midst of the drama in Brighton we'd forgotten again to post the Customs form. I imagined the Customs were keeping an eye on us, and us showing no nav lights and flashing torches at other craft in the mist must look highly suspicious. Every now and again over the next few hours the mist would lift a little, and we could see the cutter in the distance inshore, keeping pace with us. To my surprise we reached Dover without being boarded again.

 

[Blue Sunray]

One of the crew is holding a Mauser, which might raise suspicion :encouragement:

Well spotted, but I suspect they might put that in a locker when the Boarder Force arrived. :ambivalence:

 

[fisherman]

Bro in l'AberVrach on a friend's boat, with them was a rather rotund fisherman, 70 years plus. Some of them had turned in when the Douane arrived, After a few cursory enquiries the chink of glasses was heard and the fisherman leapt from his bunk with some dispatch, quickly donning his jersey, to stand in the companionway hatch and exchange pleasantries. What the rest didn't realise, but was all too obvious to those below, the fisherman was naked from the waist down.

The only time I was boarded was when the Customs was threatened with cuts and job losses, about 1994/5. Not much excuse to suss me, but bulked up the numbers I suppose.