Sailing to Netherlands and Belgium 2022

[seasicksteve]

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.

@bluerm166 (or anyone else) do you know if we can use Roompot as a port of entry (and get passports stamped etc)? It's not listed in the Dutch documents - nearest seems to be Vlissingen or Rotterdam.

 

[michael_w]

Bit of googling brings this up.

 

[DanTribe]

Bit of googling brings this up.

At the start of this thread I was a bit confused. Various comments clarified things and I thought I understood what was needed.
But if I follow that link I'm completely baffled!

 

[bluerm166]

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

No diďnt book in advance as already stamped in to SCHENGEN in Belgium.
Dutch border police appear more concerned about people smuggling.Their primary question.
Last evening having arrived Breskens had my 5th check.A bit like ground hog day as 4th check in Stellendam only previous night and also by a M and F team.
Seems automatic that they will attend any British vessel port movement.They are certainly not short of officers,all goodnatured.Last thing they seem to want to do is actually step on the boat and have a look round.

 

[sailaboutvic]

Just some info we sailed to Calais and stayed on a buoy over night no one bothered us , next day we sailed to Vlissingen nd had two nights in the marina,
Again there as no interest
We now doing the standing mast route a week into the trip and still no inerect in us .

 

[Cantata]

Just some info we sailed to Calais and stayed on a buoy over night no one bothered us , next day we sailed to Vlissingen nd had two nights in the marina,
Again there as no interest
We now doing the standing mast route a week into the trip and still no inerect in us .

Still got your Q flag up, then?

 

[mattonthesea]

Just some info we sailed to Calais and stayed on a buoy over night no one bothered us , next day we sailed to Vlissingen nd had two nights in the marina,
Again there as no interest
We now doing the standing mast route a week into the trip and still no inerect in us .

We were approached outside Nieuwpoort who informed police so we registered there. In Vlieland we were visited by the customs re vat.

 

[sailaboutvic]

We were approached outside Nieuwpoort who informed police so we registered there. In Vlieland we were visited by the customs re vat.

We well into our trip and Deep in the Netherlands now , been no issue and no one have ask for anything .
Re vat after the last 13 years living on board all over the Med we never been asked about vat as it happen in 40 years of cruising not once as anyone ask about vat .
Maybe you was a bit unlucky .
Any way now the UK out of the EU vat don't come into it unless your boat been in the EU longer then 18 months or your a EU boat.

 

[Cantata]

Border Force now offer a C1331 in MS-Excel format - the e-C1331 - and say that’s the preferred version to use, submitted by email.
Can someone explain to me please how to fill out this thing on iPhone or iPad, ie an iOS device? I don’t carry a Microsoft device on board.

 

[sailaboutvic]

Border Force now offer a C1331 in MS-Excel format - the e-C1331 - and say that’s the preferred version to use, submitted by email.
Can someone explain to me please how to fill out this thing on iPhone or iPad, ie an iOS device? I don’t carry a Microsoft device on board.

I did mine on an iPad but we have an excel program.

 

[Cantata]

I did mine on an iPad but we have an excel program.

Didn't appreciate you could do that. However the apps are paid-for, aren't they. Since my post I've tried out an Adobe freebie for iOS called 'Fill & Sign', tried it out on the PDF version of C1331 on an iPad and it actually seems to work OK albeit a bit fiddly. Maybe that's a way forward.

 

[mrming]

You could also try Google Sheets - Google Sheets: Online Spreadsheet Editor | Google Workspace - free to use and can import / export Excel files. Does require an Internet connection though.

 

[Marmalade]

You could also try Google Sheets - Google Sheets: Online Spreadsheet Editor | Google Workspace - free to use and can import / export Excel files. Does require an Internet connection though.

Also a developer has ported Open Office to ios - I haven't used it as, like others, I have MS excel on my ipad - but Open Office is compatible and free - think it's called AO Office.

 

[Cantata]

Also a developer has ported Open Office to ios - I haven't used it as, like others, I have MS excel on my ipad - but Open Office is compatible and free - think it's called AO Office.

Thanks, looks a possibility. Free version, and a ‘Pro’ version that’s £11. Free version may be adequate.

 

[seasicksteve]

Just some info we sailed to Calais and stayed on a buoy over night no one bothered us , next day we sailed to Vlissingen nd had two nights in the marina,
Again there as no interest
We now doing the standing mast route a week into the trip and still no inerect in us .

We crossed to Vlissingen, through the lock and stayed in the old Yacht Club marina. Called the local border police office and they came out to us within an hour, had a pleasant chat, stamped our passports and gave us a form to show we'd checked in. No awkward questions. Seems best to try and follow the rules, but it wasn't necessary to send a crew list by email.

 

[Inka Grey Goose]

We crossed two weeks ago to Zeebrugge. The harbour master was very helpful. He called the border police on our behalf who arrived within 15 minutes and came to the boat to stamp our passports . They already had our details as I had submitted their on line form as we left the UK. They were only interested in passports and did not want to come on to the boat. The boat is still in the Netherlands so can not comment on the return procedure.

 

[MikeBz]

We arrived at Oostende late morning last Saturday after an overnight thrash from Woolverstone (who ordered the wind to go SSE as we left Harwich when the forecast was SW?). Upon arrival we asked the very helpful chap running the Mercator lock what we do about customs - “We have never seen any customs people here, just go ahead and enjoy your stay!” Maybe we didn’t need to wolf down the bacon as we were approaching the harbour. Border control is in the Politie office just to the left of the Railway Station and is manned 24 hours a day - when you get there call the Border Control number affixed to the door and another friendly, helpful and efficient chap will come and let you in to stamp your passports. We called him from the marina - he asked the boat name and read out all the crew names, very efficient. Nobody interested in COVID passes - somebody asked and was told that COVID had “gone away”.

 

[sailaboutvic]

We arrived at Oostende late morning last Saturday after an overnight thrash from Woolverstone (who ordered the wind to go SSE as we left Harwich when the forecast was SW?). Upon arrival we asked the very helpful chap running the Mercator lock what we do about customs - “We have never seen any customs people here, just go ahead and enjoy your stay!” Maybe we didn’t need to wolf down the bacon as we were approaching the harbour. Border control is in the Politie office just to the left of the Railway Station and is manned 24 hours a day - when you get there call the Border Control number affixed to the door and another friendly, helpful and efficient chap will come and let you in to stamp your passports. We called him from the marina - he asked the boat name and read out all the crew names, very efficient. Nobody interested in COVID passes - somebody asked and was told that COVID had “gone away”.

Are you staying in Belgium or moving north to of Holland to France ?
If your moving on what's your plain when arriving in another country ?
Will you be looking at going to custom again?

 

[geoid96]

We returned to UK yesterday via Roompotsluis. After a phone call to the Marechaussee in Vlissingen (+31-88 953 0410) on Wednesday afternoon, two officers came to Roompot Marina about a hour later and stamped passports. I believe we then had three days to actually depart. All very easy and straightforward.
One point to note was that they were keen to check the arrival stamp for my current trip.

 

[MikeBz]

9

Are you staying in Belgium or moving north to of Holland to France ?
If your moving on what's your plain when arriving in another country ?
Will you be looking at going to custom again?

Along with the other boats in our ‘flotilla’ we took down the Q flag after getting our passports stamped. Moved on to Breskens after a couple of days where some other compatriots had arrived directly from Harwich, again no customs - we didn’t bother with the Q flag again. Up through Vlissingen and into the canal system to Middelburg (which is beautiful), no sign of any customs anywhere. Now back home after train to Hook and ferry back to Harwich leaving our shipmates and flotilla to continue their holiday.