I couldn't believe it!

[claymore]

Re: I couldn\'t believe it!

Hello David
The original post was a cracker for April 1st. I just embellished it but I guess we'll see more posts as the year progresses and we come to terms with statutory passage plans etc. I have to do planning at work - thought I'd managed to escape when off sailing!
I'm not sure how much impact any of this will have, whether there are the resources to carry out spot checks etc - or indeed if this is intended, if they do I just hope the authorities confine their activities to the Solent.
Quite right about the passage planning - I've seen us change direction because it looked like the sun was shining over there!

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Claymore
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[davidhand]

Re: I couldn\'t believe it!

Woops I fell for that one. The most ridiculous thing I ever came across from the US coast guard was when I was invited out on a boat the owner had just bought in Vancouver and sailed down. We had some engine trouble and the CG came on board gave the guy a ticket because all his life jackets said Canadian Coast guard approved, not legal in the US.

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[claymore]

Re: I couldn\'t believe it!

So do you have the equivalent of Kitemarks on equipment? the only one I remember is BS 3595 which is for lifejackets. You'd think that something so important would have some kind of global safety standard approval stamp.

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Claymore
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[Jools_of_Top_Cat]

Re: I couldn\'t believe it!

Wait till we have to do risk assessments, coshh, manual handling etc. By the time we get to the boat on Friday evening, sort out passage plans and other paperwork it will be time to go home in order to be up for work on Monday.

Freedom, something to tell the kids about when we get old.

<hr width=100% size=1><font color=blue> Julian </font color=blue>

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[Guest]

Re: I couldn\'t believe it!

You are required to have one on board believe it or not. You could be asked for it, but I doubt it. I gather just a tatty old note book with Radio Log written on the cover will do. You could even put some entries in it to make it look better if you so wish...

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[Magic_Sailor]

Check that date

Does the posting date tell us something about the nature of this post. Or, are we all turning Froggie?

Magic

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[ponapay]

But this is genuine!

There we were finishing our port after a nice evening meal at anchor, waiting for the sun to go down when there was a knock on the hull. A small RIB was alongside with a lovely young blonde and a large gentleman.

A polite voice asked if they could come aboard and check our papers and safety items. We agreed, offered them a drink which they rapidly declined. They checked our crew list, log book, liferaft, passports and qualificactions, they wanted to know our last port of call, where we were going next and whether we needed a weather report.

They filled in some forms, got us to sign and warned that they might be back.

Twenty minutes later they were back with profuse apologies they had forgotten another form that had to be completed and signed; they still would not accept a drink.

After signing they wished us well and said that we should have checked in with them 500 miles ago! We had, by radio and had been told OK to proceed.

No this was not some strange foreign requirement, just the start of the Schengen rules in Sweden. It was all very civil and pleasant.

We had seen many of the Swedish coastguard vessels on our trip from Denmark north east to Stockholm and spoken to them on the radio but not filled in any forms. It was the first year of their membership of the Schengen territory and our visit was the first foreign yacht they had visited.

There was no nastiness, no difficulty and the whole process was completed quickly and without fuss. How nice to see officials doing their duty well and with consideration.

BUT be cautious, you should report even when going from one Schengen territory to another.

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[NigeCh]

Even truer

Two years ago I sailed up the Chesapeake from Bermuda and entered the USA illegally.

When exiting the USA at BWI airport a curious customs officer checked the number of USA immigrations and exits and found an odd number.

"How do you account that you are about to leave the USA more times than you have entered?"

Reply "Must be invisible ink"

His response, "I'm not sure which agency is worse: the frigging FBI or the CIA or any of the frigging others. Have a nice flight back to dear old Mother England" - Passport stamped.

Cheers,

Nige,

BTW, Andrew Bray was on the same flight.

 

[claymore]

Oh Magic, really....nm

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Claymore
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