Quarantine requirements for arrivals by boat.

[Seven Spades]

Please write to the RYA, the CA your MP and request the following:

Whilst people entering the country by plane must quarantine in a hotel immediately upon arrival. I am sure no thought has been given to people entering by private boats. Please would you lobby for those people to remain on their boat for the quarantine period. They should continue to fly the Q flag during this period and must not leave the vessel for any reason.

 

[Seven Spades]

The reason is that it may be in the summer some people (those who have been vaccinated perhaps) will be able to go cruising but this will be prohibitive if on return they have to be taxied to a hotel near an airport for example. If we must quarantine then I see no problem in doing so on the vessel I arrive on. I won’t come into contact with anyone in the U.K. it is much safer than transporting me and my crew to a hotel.

 

[atol]

Where were you thinking of sailing from/to if all the borders are closed to non residents and 3rd country nationals,assuming stay at home restrictions are lifted?

 

[jordanbasset]

From listening to the news (could change of course) the suggestion is that it will only apply to passengers coming from those countries with the new more virulent strain, Brazil, South, Africa, Portugal etc
The only one likely to effect sailors will be Portugal and I don't think many will sail straight from there

 

[Seven Spades]

We will need to see the details, as it is not announced yet but there will be boats returning from the carribean in the spring to answer @atol and others returning from the med. In addittion I am expecting that in the summer we might be allowed to travel abroad on the basis that we quarentine on return. We need to ensure that any rules about quarantine for people on private boats require then to do their period of quarantine under a q flag onboard their vessel.

Do you disagree with that or do you think we should wait for someone else to lump us in with air passangers?

 

[jordanbasset]

Just trying to help, will wait to see what is announced, which I suspect will be in the next 24 hours

 

[atol]

We will need to see the details, as it is not announced yet but there will be boats returning from the carribean in the spring to answer @atol and others returning from the med. In addittion I am expecting that in the summer we might be allowed to travel abroad on the basis that we quarentine on return. We need to ensure that any rules about quarantine for people on private boats require then to do their period of quarantine under a q flag onboard their vessel.

Do you disagree with that or do you think we should wait for someone else to lump us in with air passangers?

as far as i know you need to use the same locata arrival document for arrival by yacht as you do if arriving by ferry,tunnel or air,plus how many marinas or ports still have Quarantine berths suitable for yachts,with 24/7 surveilance and resupply options for those isolated?
Travel advice: coronavirus (COVID-19)
National Yachtline

 

[Sandy]

Whilst people entering the country by plane must quarantine in a hotel immediately upon arrival. I am sure no thought has been given to people entering by private boats. Please would you lobby for those people to remain on their boat for the quarantine period. They should continue to fly the Q flag during this period and must not leave the vessel for any reason.

But, the Q flag means "My vessel is 'healthy' and I request free pratique", totally the wrong message.

 

[Iliade]

Surely ports are open so all visitors just have to display Lima for a fortnight before they may step ashore...

Quarantine flag
"In an interesting nod to past practice, some local ordinances were enacted to re-use the old meaning of the Lima flag for the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, notably in Alaska and Newport, R.I. "

 

[Seven Spades]

What is wrong with that? The boats will be healthy but they won't be cleared in until they have completed their quarantine period? Q is the correct flag to fly unless someone is ill, if there is a sick person on board then Q over L or if someone has had the virus then it is q over the first substitute.

 

[Yellow Ballad]

A friend of mine, liveaboard who was planning on leaving on their big trip this year popped to France for a month or so after the first lockdown ended. Up on return they stayed on the boat for 2 weeks (Studland, Newtown and other anchorages). The day after he arrived from France at Studland a coastguard boat came along to check what his attentions were as they had seen him arrive on radar. They were friendly and chatty and seemed to be more interested on the migrant situation on the French ports but the water is being watched, I imagine more so with minimal traffic about!

 

[atol]

What is wrong with that? The boats will be healthy but they won't be cleared in until they have completed their quarantine period? Q is the correct flag to fly unless someone is ill, if there is a sick person on board then Q over L or if someone has had the virus then it is q over the first substitute.

current protocol is a pcr test 72 hours before departure, second test on arrival,10 day quarantine with option for 3rd test after 5 days,if clear quarantine can be discontinued
Entering the UK

 

[Seven Spades]

Correct but it is the same for air travel too at the moment.

The rules are about to change, so if air travellers are forced into hotels there is a risk that the rules will apply to everyone arriving int the UK unless entry by private boats are either exempted or a different set if rules are applied. I think that it is better to negotiate an acceptable and workable alternative routine than to risk being lumped in with the rules for air travellers.

 

[atol]

Correct but it is the same for air travel too at the moment.

The rules are about to change, so if air travellers are forced into hotels there is a risk that the rules will apply to everyone arriving int the UK unless entry by private boats are either exempted or a different set if rules are applied. I think that it is better to negotiate an acceptable and workable alternative routine than to risk being lumped in with the rules for air travellers.

i think your are missing the point,being that unless quarantine is strictly controlled,self quarantine does not work,hence the need for facilities that are policed and of a certain standard

 

[Seven Spades]

I am not missing that point at all. When we arrive we have to call the yacht line to clear in. At that point they should be able to direct you to a quarantine location, where you can stay for the requisite 10 days. It is much safer than requiring transport to a hotel and all that involves. It might mean for example anchoring or tying up in a particular location in Falmouth, Plymouth, Southampton, Portsmouth or Dover for example. Let's face it the maritime police units could easily monitor this, they never seem to be out on their boats they spend more time being tied to the docs.

 

[Capt Popeye]

Might just ask; are there dedicated Bouys or Anchorages for boats arriving into our Country from abroad or elsewhere where such new arrivals are required to stay moored up until either given clearance or other instructions by Port Authorities ?

 

[RupertW]

Absolutely vital that private boat crews are also formally escorted at their own expense to hotels to be kept there for quarantine, and happy to write to my MP or whatever to support that if the movement for exemptions takes off (which it won’t).

Quarantine in people’s own homes would work fine if there was compliance but with just 11% (or whatever the latest poll shows) complying this should have been tightened up from April like the Australians did.

There is nothing on this forum that would indicate to me that sailors are more compliant with rules compared to the general population.

 

[Seven Spades]

I think that sailors would be more compliant if the choice is to sit on you boat or a Holiday Inn. It would be very easy to designate some quarantine areas where people would be held and monitored for the requisite time.

 

[RJJ]

I think that sailors would be more compliant if the choice is to sit on you boat or a Holiday Inn. It would be very easy to designate some quarantine areas where people would be held and monitored for the requisite time.

It really would be easy. Confiscate all dinghies and paddleboards. Harbour master does a random-hours check every day or two. Penalty = boat impounded until payment of massive fine, or sold and proceeds to HMRC.

Gonna be a stackload cheaper than putting people in a hotel with security; much more pleasant for all involved.

I think it's an easy sell. It's all about communications: you're fortunate to have this treatment instead of the other, sign here to show you understand and accept the terms, if you don't like it here's your £3k bill for the hotel and security, enjoy your stay.

Whether any of it is necessary, proportionate or effective is another matter entirely.

 

[Sandy]

It really would be easy. Confiscate all dinghies and paddleboards. Harbour master does a random-hours check every day or two. Penalty = boat impounded until payment of massive fine, or sold and proceeds to HMRC.

Much easier to put a heat sensitive camera on the vessel, any movement and an anti ship missile is sent on its way.