So much for Border Farce

[rotrax]

I f you think that the foreign customs do not care, you can think again. I have been dragged on to the pontoon & had a pistol shoved up my nose. Threatened with fines up to E2000 twice ( Once after helping them with a TV news programme) & that is just Ostend. Over one 4 year period, I got to know one customs official, in Ostend, so well, that he used to come & have coffee & a chat in his tea break.

The French lot have searched my boat so many times, they must know the inside better than me. FOURTEEN visits on one cruise to Biscay with my wife in 2004.
I doubt that one would get away without going through the passport stamping ( or scanning & recording ) procedure in Belgium, or France. They would love to issue a fine.
It is just our lot that could not give a stuff about overseas visitors. Instead taking us yachties as easy pickings I suspect.

One of my Speedway mates got the same service every time he had his passport checked at the various borders he regularly used.

He had, however, been heavily fined for having 40,000 fags hidden in the truck some time previously.............................................................

Not suggesting any such nefarious activity on your part, but the behaviour you describe is not normal Customs practice.

There was obviously something on their collective minds

 

[Pye_End]

I f you think that the foreign customs do not care, you can think again. I have been dragged on to the pontoon & had a pistol shoved up my nose. Threatened with fines up to E2000 twice

Is this behaviour you would like to see replicated in the UK?

Going back to your original post, do you want to see 24 hour armed border force in every UK minor port such as Bradwell?

Round the UK this year I saw a few instances of Border Force interacting with foreign vessels - all seemed good humoured, professional and welcoming, and not necessarily at standard 'incoming' ports like Ramsgate or Peterhead.

Don't really understand what you are asking for.

 

[R.Ems]

.... I have been dragged on to the pontoon & had a pistol shoved up my nose. .....

A Glock 17 muzzle will not fit up a nostril. I think the lady doth protest too much.

 

[Daydream believer]

A Glock 17 muzzle will not fit up a nostril. I think the lady doth protest too much.

To be honest, it was more across my mouth in a gesture to "shut up", but the nozzle felt as it was up one's nose Also I seem to recall it was some sort of automatic weapon, but I really did not care that much. I was too busy cursing my crew for swearing at the other customs officer. I felt that it did not help to qwell the situation.
But in the end they gave up on us. They told us to b..ger off back to the Uk & think ourselves lucky that they did not confiscate the yacht. Which we did soon after.

 

[dunedin]

It did not seem funny when the policeman held the barrel against my mouth with the end just at my nose. It was circa 1972 & my crew had just swore at the customs official. In those days I do not think that they had rules about such things.
His English was awful- But not that bad. F.. O seems to be part of a universal language understood by many. As for the expetive- well he was getting on our t..ts a bit.

Here we go, another example quoted turns out to 50 years old !

 

[Daydream believer]

Is this behaviour you would like to see replicated in the UK?

Going back to your original post, do you want to see 24 hour armed border force in every UK minor port such as Bradwell?

Round the UK this year I saw a few instances of Border Force interacting with foreign vessels - all seemed good humoured, professional and welcoming, and not necessarily at standard 'incoming' ports like Ramsgate or Peterhead.

Don't really understand what you are asking for.

Ramsgate do not do very good checks. Last year the coastguard was issuing threats of £10000 fines for unlawfull entry during covid. France had a ban on UK entrants.
However, between lockdowns in August a French vessel arrived at Ramsgate. Parked 75 yards from the border force vessel & the 3 crew went & had drinks in the Royal Temple. They totally ignored any attempt to maintain 1 metre apart, saying that covid was just a cold. They were contemptuous of our border force teams. In all fairness they felt the same about their own. No one challenged them.
It would not be difficult to insist that overseas visitors were checked on arrival in the same way that we are, when going abroad. What is wrong with , say, Ramsgate, Burnham & Shotley, (among others of course) being a designated point of arrival. Surely if our E1331 system ( or its update) is to work it must include all vessels & not just UK flagged ones

 

[dunedin]

I guess part of our challenge is we invested all our marine money in two floating airfields, whereas the money could have purchased and operated hundreds more small patrol craft, if borders were a priority.

 

[Stemar]

I guess part of our challenge is we invested all our marine money in two floating airfields, whereas the money could have purchased and operated hundreds more small patrol craft, if borders were a priority.

But when the budgets for the big targets were set, Brexit and the need to protect ourselves from nefarious Europeans was just a wet dream for a xenophobic politician.

 

[st599]

Surely if our E1331 system ( or its update) is to work it must include all vessels & not just UK flagged ones

It does, but like the updates to Highway Code, the government hasn't told anyone.

 

[Pye_End]

What is wrong with , say, Ramsgate, Burnham & Shotley, (among others of course) being a designated point of arrival. Surely if our E1331 system ( or its update) is to work it must include all vessels & not just UK flagged ones

How does this stop a French vessel deciding to bypass the system and go to Bradwell instead?

 

[Daydream believer]

How does this stop a French vessel deciding to bypass the system and go to Bradwell instead?

Having a rigid declared system makes it easier to issue warnings, or in extreme cases, fines, in the same way that one might expect from EU countries. It could also include onus on marinas to report visitors that could not present proof of entry via the approved ports. This would be by showing a stamped card handed out at the designated port, when paying the marina fee.

 

[Spirit (of Glenans)]

What are the consequences for an EU vessel which turns up at a random British port without having complied with any pre-arrival documentation?

 

[TwoFish]

I spoke to a guy on a French registered boat today . It was in berth B1 at Bradwell. Next to mine.
" Oh Hi, & where are you from"

"France"
W ell I knew it was genuine because the ensign was tiny. All french ensigns are tiny. I think they are trying to hide. Unlike the Dutch who have one big enough to cover the boat in a rainstorm.
"Yes, I can see that from your ensign". " Where abouts in France?"
"Dunkirque"
"Oh! I have been there a few times. Which marina? The one on the left or the right, when you go in?"
" The right"
"That is the one I always stop at"
"How did you get on with our customs here in the Uk? Did you have any problems filling in forms?"
"Have not seen any customs & not filled in any forms. Just arrived & have been sailing around here"
Now that really p..sed me off. I amgoing to Ostend on Monday & cannot even LEAVE this country without filling in a b..y form . Let alone coming back.
As for getting into Ostend- I am still on a wing & a prayer that I get it right going there , getting my passport stamped then going through the whole process again when I leave.
Why are they getting away with this. If i go to Boulogne I have to travel 20 miles to get customs clearance in Calais. I am not complaining about that so much, I expect to have to clear customs .
But the one sideness of it??? Even before Brexit, I used to get inspected by Belgian & French customs all the time. During my last visit to Boulogne I had been there 20 minutes when 4 officers decended on me & spent 1 hour 5 mins searching my yacht. My bedding included. They left having ignored every other boat in the marina. Now they tell me I have to go to Calais, because they do not have time to come to Boulogne & hassle me.
But over here-Foreign boat, Nothing- But me? Just imagine if I forget to fill in a blasted form.
I was so peed off I rang Essex marine unit & gave them a piece of my mind. The chap was very polite & said that he would notify border farce. When I returned, the yacht had gone. B...ger

So your complaint seems to be that UK Border Force seem to focus on where the real risk is, whilst (perhaps true to stereotype) some continental officials can be more zealous in their petty officialdom, and you would like British officials to behave likewise. Have I got that right?

 

[st599]

Having a rigid declared system makes it easier to issue warnings, or in extreme cases, fines, in the same way that one might expect from EU countries. It could also include onus on marinas to report visitors that could not present proof of entry via the approved ports. This would be by showing a stamped card handed out at the designated port, when paying the marina fee.

The UK are meant to be implementing a biometric entry system at some point.

 

[Pye_End]

Having a rigid declared system makes it easier to issue warnings, or in extreme cases, fines, in the same way that one might expect from EU countries. It could also include onus on marinas to report visitors that could not present proof of entry via the approved ports. This would be by showing a stamped card handed out at the designated port, when paying the marina fee.

There is a rigid system. From memory the procedure for incoming vessels have been up in most ports and marinas I have visited this year.

 

[bluerm166]

I spoke to a guy on a French registered boat today . It was in berth B1 at Bradwell. Next to mine.
" Oh Hi, & where are you from"

"France"
W ell I knew it was genuine because the ensign was tiny. All french ensigns are tiny. I think they are trying to hide. Unlike the Dutch who have one big enough to cover the boat in a rainstorm.
"Yes, I can see that from your ensign". " Where abouts in France?"
"Dunkirque"
"Oh! I have been there a few times. Which marina? The one on the left or the right, when you go in?"
" The right"
"That is the one I always stop at"
"How did you get on with our customs here in the Uk? Did you have any problems filling in forms?"
"Have not seen any customs & not filled in any forms. Just arrived & have been sailing around here"
Now that really p..sed me off. I amgoing to Ostend on Monday & cannot even LEAVE this country without filling in a b..y form . Let alone coming back.
As for getting into Ostend- I am still on a wing & a prayer that I get it right going there , getting my passport stamped then going through the whole process again when I leave.
Why are they getting away with this. If i go to Boulogne I have to travel 20 miles to get customs clearance in Calais. I am not complaining about that so much, I expect to have to clear customs .
But the one sideness of it??? Even before Brexit, I used to get inspected by Belgian & French customs all the time. During my last visit to Boulogne I had been there 20 minutes when 4 officers decended on me & spent 1 hour 5 mins searching my yacht. My bedding included. They left having ignored every other boat in the marina. Now they tell me I have to go to Calais, because they do not have time to come to Boulogne & hassle me.
But over here-Foreign boat, Nothing- But me? Just imagine if I forget to fill in a blasted form.
I was so peed off I rang Essex marine unit & gave them a piece of my mind. The chap was very polite & said that he would notify border farce. When I returned, the yacht had gone. B...ger

A less than edifying account.

 

[Davy_S]

To be honest, it was more across my mouth in a gesture to "shut up", but the nozzle felt as it was up one's nose Also I seem to recall it was some sort of automatic weapon, but I really did not care that much. I was too busy cursing my crew for swearing at the other customs officer. I felt that it did not help to qwell the situation.
But in the end they gave up on us. They told us to b..ger off back to the Uk & think ourselves lucky that they did not confiscate the yacht. Which we did soon after.

 

[sailaboutvic]

Someone please In lightning me what the problem is .

 

[Daydream believer]

So your complaint seems to be that UK Border Force seem to focus on where the real risk is, whilst (perhaps true to stereotype) some continental officials can be more zealous in their petty officialdom, and you would like British officials to behave likewise. Have I got that right?

So you have not read the thread on drug smuggling then

 

[Daydream believer]

There is a rigid system. From memory the procedure for incoming vessels have been up in most ports and marinas I have visited this year.

Is it working?