Ports of Departure and Arrival next year

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Rafiki

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A passing comment in another thread got me wondering.... if we wish to visit the EU in our boats next year will we still be permitted to leave from any port and arrive at any port , eg Levington to Blankenburg or Ramsgate to Graveline or will all journeys ( in both directions) have to be from an official port of exit entry ie Dover to Calais ? It'll certainly take the shine off it if we have to use either Dover or Calais.
I had rather expected to be asked for passports or some form filling this year in France but nothing at all except for a requirement to complete a bizzarre Coronavirus form in Dieppe asking how many passengers had died en-route and was that death rate higher than anticipated .
 
Rafiki said:
A passing comment in another thread got me wondering.... if we wish to visit the EU in our boats next year will we still be permitted to leave from any port and arrive at any port , eg Levington to Blankenburg or Ramsgate to Graveline or will all journeys ( in both directions) have to be from an official port of exit entry ie Dover to Calais ? It'll certainly take the shine off it if we have to use either Dover or Calais.
I had rather expected to be asked for passports or some form filling this year in France but nothing at all except for a requirement to complete a bizzarre Coronavirus form in Dieppe asking how many passengers had died en-route and was that death rate higher than anticipated .
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In the absence of any agreement otherwise I would expect to be able to leave from your home mooring but will be required to check in and out of the Schengen area via an official port of entry.
 
What was the protocol for trips to EU before we had free passage from and to anywhere?
In aviation pre 1990 or so we had to leave and arrive via a customs/port of entry airfield with nauseous and utterly pointless paperwork at each end which was a dreadful, costly and inconvenient bind.

What did yachts do?
 
Slowboat35 said:
What was the protocol for trips to EU before we had free passage from and to anywhere?
In aviation pre 1990 or so we had to leave and arrive via a customs/port of entry airfield with nauseous and utterly pointless paperwork at each end which was a dreadful, costly and inconvenient bind.

What did yachts do?
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I don't remember paperwork in France (Calais) back in the late 60's, though my dad would have sorted that out as I was about 11 years old ...
I do remember our boat being met by the duty free man followed by customs asking if we had seen the duty free man so back then all fairly relaxed.
I must admit the worst experience I have had with French customs is at the ferry ports on the way in to France.
 
Slowboat35 said:
What was the protocol for trips to EU before we had free passage from and to anywhere?
In aviation pre 1990 or so we had to leave and arrive via a customs/port of entry airfield with nauseous and utterly pointless paperwork at each end which was a dreadful, costly and inconvenient bind.

What did yachts do?
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I never gave it much thought, on the grounds that an Englishman had a right to go wherever and whenever he wished. I never encountered bureaucracy of any kind in France, Belgium or the Netherlands, with the exception of Belgian immigration on one occasion when they were bored. As regards Customs, you could return to wherever you wished so long as you contacted them on arrival. This could be interesting in the days when we didn't have VHF, and a phone box was the only way. I did this once at Maylandsea but more often came back via Ramsgate, where they usually, but not always, sought you out.
 
From memory you had to enter by a customs port. A friend of my parents entered Holland by one of the Friesland Islands and took 2 days before he got to Den Helder and entered his customs form. He was fined about £600. To say he was not happy, is an understatement. Also remember once sailing from Holland to Belgium and a customs boat boarded us. He complained we did not respond to the VHF. We were let off when they checked our VHF and found it was not working. Until then they had been talking of a big fine for not stopping when requested by them. Both these events happened a in the late 1970's. I would expect similar problems in the future.
 
I visit the Azores about every two years in a British flagged boat and a non European passport. Every 4 years I arrive within days of a stack of other British flagged boats. For a British flagged boat with a British passport you have to check in with the Police National for me as a non European passport holder they get an immigration person down from th airport to stamp my passport when I arrive and leave. I imagine a similar process will apply in most European countries after Brexit. I once left from Graciosa to return to the UK. Graciosa has no airport but is a recognised port of entry to Portugal. the Police National Sergeant in that case stamped my passport.

The first time I entered France on a British flagged boat with my non European passport I declared to the Cherbourg Marina who were handling entry that I was an Australian and may need to be properly received into the country an d was handed my passport back and told that it was too much trouble and please don't tell them again that I have a non European passport.

I often catch the ferry across to France with my non European passport and have no difficulty entering France, my wife with her British passport is given exactly the same treatment as me. Entering the UK on our return I have to prove that I have a right to remain which my wife doesn't have to prove.

I have returned from the US on my boat and tried to alert the authorities that as a non European I was entering Britian. they didn't want to know although finally Yachtline did suggest they would send me some papers to fill in.

Other than having passports stamped I don't think that entering Europe by boat for British passport holders or other non European passport holders will change much from what it is now. I am not sure what the UK will do as they have really had no controls on boats entering up to now. There is a process where you can send forms off to Dover that probably are recorded on some database somewhere.

Maybe for re entry to the UK the E borders proposal from a few years ag will be re instituted.
 
Yeah Gods. Surely you all remember the procedure. Wasn't you supposed to retain the Customs records 40 years?

Customs form by Roger Gaspar, on Flickr

1. Complete Pts 1, 2 and 3 of Form C1328 before departure. You must send Part 1 to the Customs prior to departure. You may place the form in the blue Customs postboxes that are located in common ports.
2. On departure of a foreign place complete parts 2 and 3.
3. Fly 'Q' Flag from the time of entering UK territorial waters. No exception is permitted and late hoist will be regarded as suspicious.
4. Ensure the completion of Parts 2 and 3 comply to the directions in Customs Notice No 8 'Notice to Owners and Persons responsible for Pleasure Craft based in the United Kingdom.
5. All persons on board must sign the declaration at Part 2 relating to personal goods.
The owner or person responsible must complete the declaration on the reverse of Parts 2 and 3 if the vessel is carrying duty-free ship's stores.
6. Notify the nearest Customs Office of your arrival ensuring that all parts of the Form are fully completed BEFORE notification (note from me: On ringing or attending you will be told that you and your crew must be remaining on board until an officer attends. If nobody attends within two hours of teh notification, you may lower your 'Q' flag and depart.
7. If you do not reach a foreign destination, please write 'VOYAGE ABANDONED' across the face of Part 2 and despatch both Part 2 and 3 to the Customs and Excise Office to which you sent Part 1.

Seems simples to me
 
In practical terms I suspect it will be down to how the local douanes feel towards the final exit deal. If the French loose access to UK fishing, I expect the powers in Bolougne to be arsy because the oort has a very large fishng fleet. The Dutch will be different.
 
Tomahawk said:
In practical terms I suspect it will be down to how the local douanes feel towards the final exit deal. If the French loose access to UK fishing, I expect the powers in Bolougne to be arsy because the oort has a very large fishng fleet. The Dutch will be different.
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Its not just customs, while being limited to 90 days in every 180 in the Schengen area won't bother too many of us who aren't long term cruisers, if we don't follow the formalities for checking out then the clock will continue to run in our absence
 
Interesting point.
I suppose the "crime" will be failure to do paperwork. It should be easy to demonstrate having left the Schengen Zone. y way of CC recesipts in the UK.
 
Some years ao we sailed across to Belgium. We all went to Passport control, and the officer asked for each of our names. When he asked the first person for his name, somebody said "Don't tell him Pike" and we all fell about laughing. The passport man had obviouly not seen Dad's army, and was not amused
 
To answer the original question, re departing from UK, I understand you're going to be able to register it online, i.e. depart from any port.
 
DavidofMersea said:
Some years ao we sailed across to Belgium. We all went to Passport control, and the officer asked for each of our names. When he asked the first person for his name, somebody said "Don't tell him Pike" and we all fell about laughing. The passport man had obviouly not seen Dad's army, and was not amused
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Asking for trouble!! :D
 
tillergirl said:
Yeah Gods. Surely you all remember the procedure. Wasn't you supposed to retain the Customs records 40 years?

Customs form by Roger Gaspar, on Flickr

1. Complete Pts 1, 2 and 3 of Form C1328 before departure. You must send Part 1 to the Customs prior to departure. You may place the form in the blue Customs postboxes that are located in common ports.
2. On departure of a foreign place complete parts 2 and 3.
3. Fly 'Q' Flag from the time of entering UK territorial waters. No exception is permitted and late hoist will be regarded as suspicious.
4. Ensure the completion of Parts 2 and 3 comply to the directions in Customs Notice No 8 'Notice to Owners and Persons responsible for Pleasure Craft based in the United Kingdom.
5. All persons on board must sign the declaration at Part 2 relating to personal goods.
The owner or person responsible must complete the declaration on the reverse of Parts 2 and 3 if the vessel is carrying duty-free ship's stores.
6. Notify the nearest Customs Office of your arrival ensuring that all parts of the Form are fully completed BEFORE notification (note from me: On ringing or attending you will be told that you and your crew must be remaining on board until an officer attends. If nobody attends within two hours of teh notification, you may lower your 'Q' flag and depart.
7. If you do not reach a foreign destination, please write 'VOYAGE ABANDONED' across the face of Part 2 and despatch both Part 2 and 3 to the Customs and Excise Office to which you sent Part 1.

Seems simples to me
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I remember this well. Leave the departure form in the customs house at Burnham. Wait for the officer in his pram dinghy on return. Flash a torch through his window if returning at night. One day he stripped my boat & tipped absolutely EVERYTHING out. Took a day to tidy it all up. A year later he recognised me as acrew on another boat & gave the owner a hard time. They would not take me to ostend again.
It was in Ostend that the customs would come & one had to answer questions & fill in forms. One yearin the 70's I forgot all my papers as well as passport. My crew told the customs officer to F off ( They could understand that bit of english if nothing else!!) We were arrested, dragged on to the pontoon, I had a machine gun shoved up my nose whilst protesting my total innocence. Threats of boat confiscation did not help either.
Finally released & told to "Go away" which we did withing the hour.
I have had 2 more run ins with customs at Ostend each time threatened with fines but so far managed to weasel my way out of them

As for going to France next year I might give that a miss as I suspect that French fishing boats may be a bit " obstructive" to British flagged vessels in the light of the Brexit fishing debacle.They may even chain Boulogne port again. I cannot see Dieppe being chained off but I can see British boats being "accidentally" bumped into. Cherbourg should be OK but not ports with bigger fishing fleets. The main ports of Boulogne, Dieppe & Le Havre should be classed as main ports of arrival departure. In Belgium I would imagine Nieuwpoort, Ostend, Blankenburge & Zeebrugge. Then moving along the coast, possibly Breskens. Not sure where the customs would be based in Flushing though. Presumably somewhere through the lock if Flushing is a port for arrival, or the Michiel De Ruyter marina
 
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When we were due to crash out previously there was a statement circulated that for the Brittany coast UK yachts would need to enter France via a Port of Entry (St Malo or Roscoff).
The Cruising Association through its HLR queried this through the "locals" in Brittany and there was subsequently an official statement that other ports could be used and the Harbour Masters would liaise with the authorities and confirm for each entry whether further actions were needed beyond completing the forms where they had arrived. This was then extended to the Normandy coast.
The CA is now seeking clarification/confirmation that this will still be the case in 2021. For CA members there is a webinar planned on Brexit generally but might not go into this specifically - Webinar: Brexit Issues for Cruisers | CA.
 
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