Look out!

[tome]

Just heard a report on R2 about a sailor who visited 37 UK ports without being challenged (apparently from Daily Mail or Mirror). That's all we need - some daft sod sparking a security alert.

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[chas]

He must have been wearing a blue ensign

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[tome]

Found it on p39 of todays Daily Mail. Retired accountant Duncan Heenan sailed from IOW round Britain on his 34ft boat 'Fellowship' and complains that his documents weren't checked in any of the 39 ports he visited.

'I could have been smuggling bombs or drugs, nuclear weapons or illegal immigrants...'


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[Twister_Ken]

Simple answer

The prosecution of the war on drugs, bombs, illegal entrants, guns and aussie beer is 'intelligence-led.' Obvioulsy the authorities concluded that anybody who would consider talking to the Daily Mail displays insufficient intelligence.

<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.writeforweb.com/twister1>Let's Twist Again</A>

 

[Metabarca]

How desperate are these rags to invent 'news' for God's sake?! I offer the Daily Mail the following shocking revelation for free.
"Man not bitten by dog!!!!!!!"
'Postman Pete got a bit of a scare today at Mrs Blog's house because her dog barked menacingly before weeing on the pavement and walking away. Postman Pete said: "That dog could have been rabid. All dogs should be put down."

<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.comoy.com/saillinks.html>http://www.comoy.com/saillinks.html</A>

 

[robp]

Now they'll be all over us like a rash, as we try and make the Bugle before stoptap!

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[jimi]

Re: Simple answer

bit old like all good intelligence but <A target="_blank" HREF=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/3144980.stm>whisky as well</A>

<hr width=100% size=1>.. whit way roon should it be again ..

 

[Metabarca]

Re: Simple answer

I've heard whisky called a lot of things but never a weapon of mass destruction, or should WMD read 'whisky for mass delirium'?

<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.comoy.com/saillinks.html>http://www.comoy.com/saillinks.html</A>

 

[robp]

Re: Simple answer

Whisky is My Destruction!

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[ships_parrot]

I wonder if he stopped to think that he might not have been stopped/challenged because HM Customs knew exactly where he'd been anyway..?
Of course that wouldn't make a very good story....

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[Gunfleet]

I've never had documents checked while sailing anywhere in Britain. A customs man once asked me where I'd come from and I said (truthfully) 'daysail on the Blackwater'. If that's being checked it's a very polite version!

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[kesey]

Duncan likes a fuss. He tried to get the newsgroups uk.rec.sailing etc interested in the fact that no one took a blind bit of notice of his cruises. The latter fact may be related to the fact that he likes to cruise nude. That is his own business, but expecting everyone else to watch him is akin to cruel and unusual punishment. My congrats to HM Customs and Excise for having the cop-on to ignore him.

<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://homepage.eircom.net/~ajpower>http://homepage.eircom.net/~ajpower</A>

 

[LadyInBed]

Anyone sailing out of the IoW could be bringing illegal immigrants in!

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[tome]

Excellent - thanks for the perspective!

<cruel and unusual punishment> ROFL

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[sailorman]

i bet his cell phone provider knew where he was, 24 / 7
cos thats a real BIG BROTHER

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[tome]

Hadn't thought of that, but quite right. And I expect HM C&E have free access to records, not to mention HMCG.

I wonder if this chap was actually trying to get publicity for his 'epic voyage' and fell easy prey into the hands of the DM reporter...

I see he gave a talk about his voyage to the ISC back in October.

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[AlanPound]

Lets get perspective...

100,000 (ok, I made that up) people come into Heathrow every day, and (I guess) depending upon where they come from, they all (mostly) get a hard stare from customs (and depending upon where they come from 1 in 500 gets searched).

So Mr (wossisname) probably has 463 more ports to visit before he gets the random....

... except that now, he has pretty much guaranteed to get the recognition he craves on every trip for the next three years....

hmmm (home goal?)

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[sailorman]

God i hope so


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[chriscallender]

Funnily enough my logbook also shows that I also returned after a daysail to my mooring in Portsmouth Harbour on 25 occasions in the last year and was never once asked to show my papers. Disgusted. Especially as it its a naval port. I could even have been smuggling in a bottle of red wine purchased in Waitrose supermarket in Cowes.

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[Scillypete]

I must look shifty

I was only going out to the boat on its moorings last summer to tinker for an afternoon, usual tidying up stuff, and I got a visit from the customs men. Nothing to stressful, they only wanted to know where I go when I sail and if I had seen anything untoward they didn't look inside at all and I'm sorry to say I didn't even have the courtesy to offer them a cup of tea.



<hr width=100% size=1>Rather a bad day on the water than a good day at the office.