Naughty Duch Yacht

Javelin

Well-Known Member
Joined
3 Sep 2010
Messages
1,413
Location
Southwold
www.southwoldboatyard.co.uk
Late Sunday night a 44' ish Dutch yacht was heading for Lowestoft when it suddenly changed course and headed for Southwold arriving in the early hours, closely followed by the Alert.
On my way into work on yesterday I saw the Alert moored outside the yacht on a mooring two up from the bridge.
Turns out there were 23 illegal immigrants onboard.
Not seen anything on the news about it yet.
 
If anyone wants a used 44' yacht, there should be one for sale soon! Something similar happened at Titchmarsh last year, also Dutch-flagged. I heard it from the staff, but they didn't hear much about it. Although it can seem a bit of a joke, I have a deep-seated resentment of these crooks, who will be making our innocent pastime harder if they continue.
 
Late Sunday night a 44' ish Dutch yacht was heading for Lowestoft when it suddenly changed course and headed for Southwold arriving in the early hours, closely followed by the Alert.
On my way into work on yesterday I saw the Alert moored outside the yacht on a mooring two up from the bridge.
Turns out there were 23 illegal immigrants onboard.
Not seen anything on the news about it yet.

If anyone wondered why the Belgian police have got so keen about Schengen documents, there's your answer.
Whether it has any effect on the numbers of human traffickers I do not know. I would be surprised if the skipper of that yacht bothered about Schengen. I can tell from experience that the way the Belgian police go about it is nothing less than a farce.
 
I assume the 'organisers' will be remanded and tried but what happens to the 'passengers' in these cases? Are they deported immediately? Or are they able to make claims of asylum thereby delaying the process?
 
I gather from Look East that the yacht Flamingo, Lemmer, was on charter. Does this mean that it can't be impounded?
 
I assume the 'organisers' will be remanded and tried but what happens to the 'passengers' in these cases? Are they deported immediately? Or are they able to make claims of asylum thereby delaying the process?

Since May 11, Ukraine citizens have 90 day visa free entry to EU Schengen area, but without the right to reside or work. EU is a safe area so they should have no valid grounds for an asylum claim and should be deported back to Netherlands immediately. But with the incompetance of the UK Immigration Service, who knows.
 
Since May 11, Ukraine citizens have 90 day visa free entry to EU Schengen area, but without the right to reside or work. EU is a safe area so they should have no valid grounds for an asylum claim and should be deported back to Netherlands immediately. But with the incompetance of the UK Immigration Service, who knows.

Most likely give them a council house and buy them a car.
 
I would be surprised if the skipper of that yacht bothered about Schengen. .

I thought the UK was not part of the Schengen agreement?
If a UK vessel with UK citizens on board visits a EU country there is no Schengen paperwork required other than a passport. Is that correct?
.
 
Depends on the country. For example Holland and Belgium both have a form to complete on arrival (not the same form - that would be too easy). France not so.
 
I checked out ais data and she left Makkum at around 07:00 last Saturday.
She reappeared on ais around 6 miles off Lowestoft at around 16:40 and changed course suddenly towards Southwold
She hung around outside Southwold and tied up at around 19:00
The feds were alerted but the Alert was at that time in the Blackwater so had to steam, at speed, up to Southwold, arriving early hours by which time there was 9 people still on board.
Strangely the others were picked up in a minibus in the car park of the White Heart pub in Blythburgh having obviously been tipped off.
The manager of the pub having phoned the Police has he saw two black BMW's in his car park after hours.
So not sure what the story was about them being picked up on the way to Ipswich.
All 23 were Ukrainian and obviously don't know much about ais and how to turn it off!!
The boat is currently impounded but will be released back to the owners as long as the cooperate with police.
Couple of pickies I took today.
flamingo_001.jpg

flamingo_002.jpg
 
It was good to see that even smugglers have standards, courtesy ensign up and fenders on both sides.

Seems a bit odd, I would have thought the old railway line would have been a better bet for a pick up!
 
Last edited:
Top