Sorry, flares again and HMRC Form C1331

Fascadale

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I'm just looking for confirmation that I do not need flares on a boat of less than 10 metres in the Irish Republic, Spain, Portugal, and France.

If I do carry flares then they must be in date.

This This seems to suggest that the situation in Portugal is resolved.

I'm also a bit confused about HMRC Form C1331. This thread [http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?362618-Cross-Channel-documents]suggests you need this form for the CIs

The rubric on the form says "If you will be stopping at another location in the EU before proceeding to your final destination, you do not need to complete Part 1 of this form"

Do I need any paperwork if I stop in Guernsey when returning to the UK from France?
 
Do I need any paperwork if I stop in Guernsey when returning to the UK from France?

Yes, because you're leaving the EU and coming back in. So in theory you'd clear out of France (except that they rightly consider it pointless and don't bother, so ignore that bit), you will fill in a customs form in Guernsey, then you need to clear back into the EU on arrival in UK which if I remember rightly is part 2 (only) of the 1331.

Going the other way (CIs to UK via France) is simpler as you do the clearing into the EU bit in France, which again they're not interested in actually doing.

Pete
 
I'm also a bit confused about HMRC Form C1331. This thread [http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?362618-Cross-Channel-documents]suggests you need this form for the CIs

The rubric on the form says "If you will be stopping at another location in the EU before proceeding to your final destination, you do not need to complete Part 1 of this form"

Do I need any paperwork if I stop in Guernsey when returning to the UK from France?

Yes. You need to fly the Q flag, call the HMRC yachtline and fill in and send off part 2 of the C1331:
http://customs.hmrc.gov.uk/channelsPortalWebApp/channelsPortalWebApp.portal?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=pageVAT_ShowContent&id=HMCE_CL_000289&propertyType=document

Plenty of people will doubtless tell you they never bother, but them's the rules.
 
I do know someone who has been given a hard time over this, in complicated circumstances.
I suspect that if you come to their attention for another reason, it could become an issue.
 
Is anyone likely to enquire about this?

I have no idea, I've actually only sailed to the Channel Islands the once, and we went on to St Malo from there so didn't need to clear back into the UK.

With the new faster boat, I hope to go there more regularly. I will be playing the game and filling in the forms - it's no real hardship and in a way having to clear customs like in the old days makes it feel like more of a "proper voyage" :)

Pete
 
I will be playing the game and filling in the forms - it's no real hardship and in a way having to clear customs like in the old days makes it feel like more of a "proper voyage" :)

I think the real bummer is not so much the coming back as the going. How are you supposed to post your C1331 pt1 or post an amendment to the one you posted before leaving the last harbour if you're sat at anchor in Studland bay waiting for the weather to go your way? Of course you could "Intend" to head to France but then "decide to divert" part way, but such a move would not be entirely compatible with lodging a passage plan to St. Peter Port with the coastguard.
 
I think the real bummer is not so much the coming back as the going. How are you supposed to post your C1331 pt1 or post an amendment to the one you posted before leaving the last harbour if you're sat at anchor in Studland bay waiting for the weather to go your way?

I guess I'd send off the form from the postbox near our home berth, just before leaving there. If departure offshore was delayed I wouldn't fret about it; if we ended up abandoning the idea completely and going somewhere else then I'd do the "Voyage Abandoned" thing via the next convenient postbox - on return to our home berth if necessary.

I have put half a dozen forms (printed from their web site) and stamped addressed envelopes (only second-class though :) ) among the ship's papers on board.

Pete
 
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