Sailing to Netherlands and Belgium 2022

[Kurrawong_Kid]

And Mr Dowden is quite correct in that statement.

Their were other ways in which the EU offered to make interaction with the EU easier for UK citizens which the UK rejected out of hand, for instance they offered the UK the opportunity to conyinue membership of the Erasmus program which supports education in EU states other than the one of which the student is a citizen. I know many Brits who benefitted from this excellent ptogram when we were members of the EU and a few of other nationalities. The EU asked for nothing in return for this offer other than contribution at the same level as the EU countries, so its rejection offered the UK no advantage beyond satisfying the unneighbourly attitudes of the ERG.

The GHIC covers all 27 EU countries whereas the EHIC covered those 27 plus Norway, Iceland Liechtenstein and Switzerland. Non expired UK EHICs remain valid in the EU 27 but ceased to be valid in the other 4 european countries for which it used to be valid on 1 January 2021. So despite its name, it is hardly global.

Perhaps of greater concern to most British yachtsmen, neither of these schemes have ever covered the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man or Monaco but your UK NHS protection does extend to Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Isle of Wight.

Peter.

Not quite true for the IOM, In the 1970’s if you purchased a weekly mooring permit then the UK govt.made a payment and you could access medical services. Used it twice! My daughter developed chickenpox whilst on passage from Portpatrick and then I sprained my ankle in Peel and had to go to A&E in Douglas.No charges! Not sure when this facility was removed.

 

[bluerm166]

Do the ferries go into the same port as the 2 marinas?
There are 2 ports

The ferries go into a separate port 'Port Ouest' .The marinas are in 'Port Est' some 8nm further and quite some distance around by road.
A few years ago I heard and saw a yacht heading into and pleading to enter the Ouest as they were taking on water but it was refused and they hot footed off to the East in front of me where they were immediately lifted .I remember going through the linking industrial canal as a youngster but little seems to use it now from the West except the odd dredger etc. and certainly not yachts.

 

[Graefin]

Hi Inka Grey Goose, thanks for the question. I'm planning sailing from Orwell to Stellendam, so got the same question. I found this page for the Dutch Customs and emailed them, and I'll follow up with a phone call tomorrow... maybe Belgium has similar websites? Either way, let us know how you get on
Best wishes, Graefin.

 

[Marmalade]

has any one any idea what the Belgians are going to do when we turn up with red in our tanks now we are out of the EU

Pretty good idea - they'll do what they always did. Ignore it. If it's in your bunker (ie not on deck) and you're polite and friendly when they come calling.

but to answer the specific; as I understand it - our legal position is actually stronger on this now we're out. We're no longer exepcted to abide by EU directives in the same way so we should be treated like a foreign vessel - not like a visiting EU vessel

 

[Fr J Hackett]

Pretty good idea - they'll do what they always did. Ignore it. If it's in your bunker (ie not on deck) and you're polite and friendly when they come calling.

but to answer the specific; as I understand it - our legal position is actually stronger on this now we're out. We're no longer exepcted to abide by EU directives in the same way so we should be treated like a foreign vessel - not like a visiting EU vessel

Didn't the Belgians fine a US flagged boat rather a lot a few years back?

 

[fifer]

Not quite true for the IOM, In the 1970’s if you purchased a weekly mooring permit then the UK govt.made a payment and you could access medical services. Used it twice! My daughter developed chickenpox whilst on passage from Portpatrick and then I sprained my ankle in Peel and had to go to A&E in Douglas.No charges! Not sure when this facility was removed.

Coincidentally I was just looking at the IOM reciprocal heathcare arrangement with the UK, as I might sail there from N. Wales in these nice easterlies that are forecast. Basically does what the EHIC does with no paperwork.

Isle of Man Government - Reciprocal Healthcare Agreement

 

[Koeketiene]

Didn't the Belgians fine a US flagged boat rather a lot a few years back?

That was a one-off in Germany - nearly a decade ago.

Germany fines red diesel yachtsmen - Yachting Monthly

 

[bluerm166]

May seem a silly question to you locals but how do you access Nieuport in a yacht on a firing day ? Some of us older people find that we can sail on any day of the week .Do you come in under the guns having asked for free passage from the control ? Not a plan but a contingency.
I see that you can just squeeze past the zone if coming from the West ,so from the East you would just pass out to sea and then turn in -hardly worth it .

 

[Daydream believer]

May seem a silly question to you locals but how do you access Nieuport in a yacht on a firing day ? Some of us older people find that we can sail on any day of the week .Do you come in under the guns having asked for free passage from the control ? Not a plan but a contingency.

Same procedure as for French fire zones--Hoist ensign, fire back & they run away

 

[westhinder]

May seem a silly question to you locals but how do you access Nieuport in a yacht on a firing day ? Some of us older people find that we can sail on any day of the week .Do you come in under the guns having asked for free passage from the control ? Not a plan but a contingency.
I see that you can just squeeze past the zone if coming from the West ,so from the East you would just pass out to sea and then turn in -hardly worth it .

Coming from the east you are supposed to steer out to sea and sail around it, but it is worthwhile checking with the range on channel 67, because actual firing is restricted to a couple of hours in the morning and afternoon with a long lunch break. The Belgian army works rather limited office hours.
The western limit of the zone never seems to extend beyond the harbour entrance, although on the chart it does. In practice, coming from southwest to northwest you will not be bothered by it. They nearly always use the small sector, sometimes the middle one, but very rarely the large sector, I don’t think they have guns with that range nowadays ?

 

[bluerm166]

Thank you westhinder.

 

[Esmerelda]

We are intending to sail to Vlissingen at the end of May and have struggled with what we need to do re immigration. An email to the Dutch immigration office received the very helpful reply below:

Good morning



In answer to your question about any immigration requirements upon entering The Netherlands via Vlissingen.

Please sent a complete crew/passenger manifest – IMO FAL 6 – to vlissingen@dutch-immigration.nl



Since you and most likely your passenger(s) have the British nationality, your passports need to be stamped upon arrival/exit. If Vlissingen is the first port of entry to the Schengen area, please make an appointment upon arrival with the duty officer at the border crossing point Vlissingen.



You can reach the DO at the following 24/7 telephone number 0031-(0)889530410.

Our office is located in the Customs building; Duitslandweg 1, 4389 PJ RITTHEM.



If you leave The Netherlands/Schengen area via Vlissingen you require an exit stamp in your passport(s), if this is the case please contact the DO at the above mentioned telephone number. It is also possible that you leave The Netherlands via another border crossing point please call (from The Netherlands) 0800-1814, from abroad 0031-889581814. Or send an email to dutch.immigration@mindef.nl



When you are planning to sail from (after your stay in) Vlissingen to Belgium you do not have to be stamped out. Only when you are sailing back to the UK you need an exit stamp from in this case the Belgium Immigration authotities.

I hope that I have answered your question, further I wish you and your party a safe and nice trip to Vlissingen and a pleasant stay in The Netherlands.

 

[Inka Grey Goose]

We are intending to sail to Vlissingen at the end of May and have struggled with what we need to do re immigration. An email to the Dutch immigration office received the very helpful reply below:

Good morning



In answer to your question about any immigration requirements upon entering The Netherlands via Vlissingen.

Please sent a complete crew/passenger manifest – IMO FAL 6 – to vlissingen@dutch-immigration.nl



Since you and most likely your passenger(s) have the British nationality, your passports need to be stamped upon arrival/exit. If Vlissingen is the first port of entry to the Schengen area, please make an appointment upon arrival with the duty officer at the border crossing point Vlissingen.



You can reach the DO at the following 24/7 telephone number 0031-(0)889530410.

Our office is located in the Customs building; Duitslandweg 1, 4389 PJ RITTHEM.



If you leave The Netherlands/Schengen area via Vlissingen you require an exit stamp in your passport(s), if this is the case please contact the DO at the above mentioned telephone number. It is also possible that you leave The Netherlands via another border crossing point please call (from The Netherlands) 0800-1814, from abroad 0031-889581814. Or send an email to dutch.immigration@mindef.nl



When you are planning to sail from (after your stay in) Vlissingen to Belgium you do not have to be stamped out. Only when you are sailing back to the UK you need an exit stamp from in this case the Belgium Immigration authotities.

I hope that I have answered your question, further I wish you and your party a safe and nice trip to Vlissingen and a pleasant stay in The Netherlands.

Thank you so much for that, I was attempting to do the same research a few months ago and kept coming up against brick walls. Hope you have a great trip.
Paul

 

[bluerm166]

Monday : Dunkerque,expectations fully realised-spent most off day failing to get from Grande Large to PAF office at Ferry Terminal.Frustrated when the relevant bus changed its number as it arrived at the pole d'echanger and didn't take the leg out to the terminal.
Gave up and did the other thing.
Tuesday: Blankenberge:having changed my route permently to pass offshore of the small firing range smug to hear 3 german boats get redirected.
The River Police as described by the v.helpful harbourmaster at Royal Scarpout arrived in 30 mins ,passport and SSR certificate,stamped in in 5 mins flat all while they stood on pontoon.
Wednesday:Roompot lock olice appeared at waiting pontoon,passport only,given a helpul note to show on forward journey.
Thursday:wrestling with the 30 kts whistling thro Helvetsluis when more police,passport and note sent up in box ,had I been asked to carry passengers,no.Eventually gate closes,relief.
Friday:different policeman same procedure on the way out,box lowered at very point I should have switched to a lower bollard.Slowish questions including this time did I own the boat.Declined view of the SSR certificate.
No formalities at Ijmuiden.

All officials very pleasant and slightly pleased at the stamp in Blankenberge.
Absolutely no shortage of wind except on the original crossing from the Swale except that the lightish conditions encouraged me to continue east from the foreland on day 1.

Likely to adopt same tactic on the way back.
No sign of the Schengen wide terminals.Situation much as it was before exit from EU.
Although frontier police on the ball except in France where system in limbo in the north.
Nobody asked for Vaccination statements or the PAF forms that I had filled in,bit miffed also about the VAT invoice I always carry.No actual customs questions or inspection or contact with Douane although I did ask for clearance

German sailor worried and put off by the UK forms,especially list all items value exceeding £250 pounds as had all sorts starting with two ipads.
Will I be checked again into the sea lock ,perhaps not.
(Can't get rid of the smiley)

 

[Inka Grey Goose]

Many thanks for the information, slightly unclear did you need to have your passport stamped in and out of Belgium. Then stamped on arrival in the Netherlands or just one stamp when arriving in Belgium (Schengen) then a stamp out when departing from Netherlands (Schengen).

 

[bluerm166]

Many thanks for the information, slightly unclear did you need to have your passport stamped in and out of Belgium. Then stamped on arrival in the Netherlands or just one stamp when arriving in Belgium (Schengen) then a stamp out when departing from Netherlands (Schengen).

You only need one stamp in to the entire schengen area and one stamp out.It seems the Netherlands border police are very vigilant if most polite and made the same checks as if it was a first entry.,but not needing to stamp.To explain they use a plastic box lowered down to you because of the height of those locks.No sign of any police at Ijmuiden where am now on way back,hopefully if wind and seastate eases as forecast.

 

[Inka Grey Goose]

Thank you very much, just had the same confirmation from the RYA. Looking forward to getting across next week.

 

[Cantata]

Those of you who have checked in at Nieuwpoort - can you tell me which marina is closest to the office that we need to visit? Been looking at Nieuwpoort online info and not found that detail.

Edit-----ah, found it thanks, by the Jachthaven Nieuwpoort.

 

[Momac]

Wednesday:Roompot lock olice appeared at waiting pontoon,passport only,given a helpul note to show on forward journey.

Sounds like Roompot is a good place for arrival and departure. Did you book your arrival in advance?

 

[westhinder]

Those of you who have checked in at Nieuwpoort - can you tell me which marina is closest to the office that we need to visit? Been looking at Nieuwpoort online info and not found that detail.

Edit-----ah, found it thanks, by the Jachthaven Nieuwpoort.

Yes, the VYN, which used to be called VVW. The police office is in the white pyramid building