Overnighting onboard in Scotland

[JumbleDuck]

So what does this mean for us sassanachs that want to cross the border and visit the bonny islands?

You can't, at the moment. Sorry. Should be OK in a week or so, with luck.

All a bit academic as we don't get launched until next week. By the time the boat is sorted, the rules will be different and hopefully more free.

Academic for me too. Hoping to launch sometime in May and take the boat to her new berth in early June, but we'll see how it goes.

 

[wully1]

So what does this mean for us sassanachs that want to cross the border and visit the bonny islands?

It means you can’t- but on the bright side you CAN sit outside a pub necking a pint browsing your charts and Pilot book for a week or so until you can..

 

[Skylark]

You can't, at the moment. Sorry. Should be OK in a week or so, with luck.

........is it still looking like from 26th April I’ll be able to drive from Manchester to Scotland, stay a few days at local hotel while slapping-on a coat antifoul and other jobs in readiness for launch?

 

[JumbleDuck]

........is it still looking like from 26th April I’ll be able to drive from Manchester to Scotland, stay a few days at local hotel while slapping-on a coat antifoul and other jobs in readiness for launch?

Yes, probably. There is no official word on travel from England to Scotland yet, but we are due to move to Level 3 on 26th at which point hotels can re-open for tourists (subject to distancing inside) and the yard with my boat in it plans to reopen then.

The only potential snag I can see would arise if you were travelling from somewhere equivalent to Level 4 in Scotland, because travel from L4 to L3 will not be allowed. However, Manchester seems to be about 50 cases per 100,000 per week, which is Level 2/3 borderline - you'd need three times as many cases to be in L4. I think you'll be OK.

I have a Travelodge booked for two weeks time in order for me to take my other half to Somerset to see parents for the first time in a year. The booking is refundable, just in case ...

 

[dunedin]

Does anybody have a link to the current actual law? I wonder if this is like the position in England, where the guideline was no overnight stays until 12th April, but the law was OK after 29th March?
They must have released the law on cross local authority travel from 16th April, and would be very complex laws if had all these details within it. Could also explain RYA Scotland wording that overnight at anchor is “not prohibited” (ie not illegal) but “discouraged“ (guideline?).

Of course, either way, a single household staying overnight on anchor and not going ashore causes zero Covid risk, or other risk to NHS. Certainly less than sailing two days by returning to marina and travelling back and forth twice extra by car. (And before the lockdown enthusiasts leap in, also much less risk taken than anybody who has visited a food shop in person, rather than click and collect or delivery, over the last 6 months.)

 

[wully1]

........is it still looking like from 26th April I’ll be able to drive from Manchester to Scotland, stay a few days at local hotel while slapping-on a coat antifoul and other jobs in readiness for launch?

As far as I can see - yes.

 

[ProDave]

There is a rumour of a "significant announcement" from the SG soon, so I supect another date will be brought forward?

 

[stevie69p]

Of course, either way, a single household staying overnight on anchor and not going ashore causes zero Covid risk, or other risk to NHS. Certainly less than sailing two days by returning to marina and travelling back and forth twice extra by car. (And before the lockdown enthusiasts leap in, also much less risk taken than anybody who has visited a food shop in person, rather than click and collect or delivery, over the last 6 months.)

I haven't read the latest version of the regulations (as opposed to the guidance), however on Friday, Saint Nicola (blessed be her name lol) said during her CV briefing that we 'must not' stay overnight. May have been a slip of the tongue. Of course everything is broad brush as ever, but my own logic says as a single hander I pose a very low risk being in an isolated anchorage versus returning to my marina berth after each day sail, so I will admit to having sailed Friday evening and anchoring overnight with no other boat in sight, and only fish and sheep for neighbours. The following night I had quite a lot of folk in a caravan park over the water as neighbours but was again the only boat in the anchorage.

 

[roblpm]

Does anybody have a link to the current actual law? I wonder if this is like the position in England, where the guideline was no overnight stays until 12th April, but the law was OK after 29th March?
They must have released the law on cross local authority travel from 16th April, and would be very complex laws if had all these details within it. Could also explain RYA Scotland wording that overnight at anchor is “not prohibited” (ie not illegal) but “discouraged“ (guideline?).

Of course, either way, a single household staying overnight on anchor and not going ashore causes zero Covid risk, or other risk to NHS. Certainly less than sailing two days by returning to marina and travelling back and forth twice extra by car. (And before the lockdown enthusiasts leap in, also much less risk taken than anybody who has visited a food shop in person, rather than click and collect or delivery, over the last 6 months.)

The Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Restrictions and Requirements) (Local Levels) (Scotland) Amendment (No. 20) Regulations 2021

Good luck reading it but a quick glance at the summary / explanation shows no change to overnight I think.

 

[roblpm]

There is a rumour of a "significant announcement" from the SG soon, so I supect another date will be brought forward?

Yes my mate who works for a quasi government department just hinted at that. Will they be brazen enough to say "we have dealt with it so well we are bringing forward blah blah blah" two weeks before the election......? ?

 

[dunedin]

The Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Restrictions and Requirements) (Local Levels) (Scotland) Amendment (No. 20) Regulations 2021

Good luck reading it but a quick glance at the summary / explanation shows no change to overnight I think.

Yes. Or easy to interpret, as just deltas upon deltas of previous bills. Interestingly , also not easy to spot any change to a travel limit of local authority plus 5 being removed - was it never law in the first place?
RYA Scotland must have had some basis for their announcement though.

 

[ProDave]

Yes my mate who works for a quasi government department just hinted at that. Will they be brazen enough to say "we have dealt with it so well we are bringing forward blah blah blah" two weeks before the election......? ?

The blatant try and buy votes move I predicted (and hope voters memory is too short to remember how long we have been locked up after the DATA said we should not be)

 

[ProDave]

The following night I had quite a lot of folk in a caravan park over the water as neighbours but was again the only boat in the anchorage.

You were in sight of a caravan site full of campers and YOU worry you are bending the rules?

 

[JumbleDuck]

Of course, either way, a single household staying overnight on anchor and not going ashore causes zero Covid risk, or other risk to NHS.

I agree. but I think it would be unreasonable to expect an exemption for (luxury) yacht owners. Another week. Let's just suck it up.

 

[roblpm]

Yes. Or easy to interpret, as just deltas upon deltas of previous bills. Interestingly , also not easy to spot any change to a travel limit of local authority plus 5 being removed - was it never law in the first place?
RYA Scotland must have had some basis for their announcement though.

I can't tell if you are being serious or not regarding deltas in deltas.....

Anyway explanatory notes say:

Regulation 4(4) relates to outdoor exercise or outdoor recreation as examples of a reasonable excuse for entering or leaving a Level 4 area. Paragraph 16 is amended so that the condition that outdoor exercise or recreation must start and end at the same place, which must be in the local government area in which the person lives, or within 5 miles of that area no longer, applies in order for the reasonable excuse to be available. The outdoor exercise or recreation cannot involve an overnight stay outwith the area in which the person lives. Paragraph 16 is further amended so that the reasonable excuse of entering or leaving a Level 4 area for the purposes of outdoor organised sport is not available unless the organised sport is for persons under the age of 18.

Seems to mean that only some reasons for leaving local authority zone have been changed! But now includes exercise and recreation as a reasonable excuse. Although not for organised sports if you are over 18!

What do you think the chances of the average person in Scotland really understanding this? You have to wonder about the people who think making it this complicated is a good idea.....

 

[gus]

It is all about education. Lots of very useful information on the Scottish Peoples Forum on Fb.

 

[penfold]

Practically you can go where you like if you're anchoring, PC Murdoch doesn't have water wings and is too busy arresting stupid canoeists on Loch lomond. As Dr Van Tam said last time we were doing this, "Don't kick the @rse out of it".

 

[panaras]

Hey guys. I read that the UK will reopen the borders for Scotland and Wales on the 26th of April, but what about the tourists? Any clues anyone? Hope that I can visit the UK again and sail across the coastline.

 

[ProDave]

Hey guys. I read that the UK will reopen the borders for Scotland and Wales on the 26th of April, but what about the tourists? Any clues anyone? Hope that I can visit the UK again and sail across the coastline.

I have a friend in England booked into a hotel in Scotland for the first week in May. Clearly the hotel is expecting tourists from England to be allowed to cross the border and come and stay after April 26th.

If you are talking about from Outside the UK then the quarantine rules might apply?

 

[Skylark]

If the English travel restrictions are to be lifted w/c 26th April and also non-essential hotel stays possible, when will there likely be a formal announcement? It’s now one week away and I’d like to make a hotel booking. Leaving it until last minute usually means price premium ?