UK Border Agency - what powers do they have

[timbartlett]

The RYA have constructed and run a hostel/hotel at the Olypimpic Centre at Weymouth,

I see, so this was, in fact, just another bit of unfounded anti-RYA mud-slinging?
AFAIK The WPNSA is not part of the RYA, nor is it run by or for the RYA.
The RYA has certainly contributed to it (they are the governing body of sailing, and the WPNSA is the venue for the next yachting olympics, so it would be very strange if they didn't). But my understanding is that the biggest financial contributions came from the South West Regional Development Agency and the National Lottery, along with various local councils.

 

[Tillernut]

As long as they are accompanied by a constable at night though

I was of the understanding that HM Customs had more powers than the police. The police need a warrant to enter your property whereas the HMC do not?

 

[bilbobaggins]

"they are the governing body of sailing,"

Is that so....?

 

[deuc02]

Perhaps we'll soon start to be regularly boarded by RYA officials in ribs demanding payment of annual subs. That's if they can tear themselves away from drafting dinghy measurement certificates of course

 

[Lawsy]

So, yet again on these forums the Mr Angry's rant on about the UKBAs powers &, by implication, more alleged restrictions to the freedoms of innocent British citizens. For all the quotes about what the UKBA can do, do any of you really think that the agency is bothered about Mr & Mrs Smith & their overnighter to Normandy? Whatever you may think, the UKBA (like all civil sevice departments) will have some pretty tough targets. Thus it will be more bothered about 'professional' targets than most,if any of us, who are on here.

 

[timbartlett]

Perhaps we'll soon start to be regularly boarded by RYA officials in ribs demanding payment of annual subs.

That's another thing I don't understand about these forums.
Why do people hate the RYA so much?
If you don't want to join, don't want to buy any of their products, and don't want to go on any of their courses, no-one is forcing you to, and you can get on with your sailing or motor boating without the RYA taking anything from you whatsoever.
If you choose to make use of their services, you can -- in most cases without being a member and in many cases without paying a penny.

That's if they can tear themselves away from drafting dinghy measurement certificates of course

And I expect the average dinghy sailor wonders why the RYA wastes so much of its time messing about with things like eborders and UKBA instead of devoting all its efforts to issuing his measurement certificate.

 

[deuc02]

So, yet again on these forums the Mr Angry's rant on about the UKBAs powers &, by implication, more alleged restrictions to the freedoms of innocent British citizens. For all the quotes about what the UKBA can do, do any of you really think that the agency is bothered about Mr & Mrs Smith & their overnighter to Normandy? Whatever you may think, the UKBA (like all civil sevice departments) will have some pretty tough targets. Thus it will be more bothered about 'professional' targets than most,if any of us, who are on here.

I'm not angry, I just don't want to see hard fought for rights slowly but surely removed by a paranoid state. And if the UKBA aren't really concerned by all of us Mr and Mrs Smiths, why do they keep boarding our boats for no other reason than to puff their chests and hammer home the fact that our movements are being watched, which anyone with any nous will realise has always been the case. Unobtrousive surveillance is 1 thing. Boarding your boat unannounced in the dark is something completely different. Wouldn't you agree Commerades!!!!

 

[Resolution]

I have never made any secret of the fact that the RYA is a customer of mine.

QUOTE]

A quick look at Tim Bartlett's website provides the fascinating info that he has just written a booklet for the RYA on






wait for it







The COLREGS!

And in his website blurb he refers to recent debate on Scuttlebutt about the colregs.

So now the forum has its own specialist / professional / Craig of the Colregs.

 

[Kurrawong_Kid]

That's another thing I don't understand about these forums.
Why do people hate the RYA so much?
If you don't want to join, don't want to buy any of their products, and don't want to go on any of their courses, no-one is forcing you to, and you can get on with your sailing or motor boating without the RYA taking anything from you whatsoever.
If you choose to make use of their services, you can -- in most cases without being a member and in many cases without paying a penny.

And I expect the average dinghy sailor wonders why the RYA wastes so much of its time messing about with things like eborders and UKBA instead of devoting all its efforts to issuing his measurement certificate.

I don't hate the RYA so much.
I've been a member since 1959, was succesively a regional secretary, regional chairman and (since I had trouble getting time off work to attend meetings in London) an ineffective Council member for a couple of years.
I rejoined a regional committee four years ago and have been disturbed to find that, after the management consultants report was implemented, it has become almost impossible to effect any democratic influence over the "Chief Executive" (formerly Secretary-General-change of title significant?) and the paid staff.
The welcome "Mission Statement" issued on the website in May indicates what should be happening. I personally just don't think that the section "Representation" is pursued vigourously enough, either through inertia or fear of losing those juicy government grants that keep so many employed!
I don't hate the RYA, I'm just so frustrated that it doesn't realise what the majority of members who pay their subs want--representation rather than sequestration!

 

[lenseman]

I'm not angry, . . . . . . . Boarding your boat unannounced in the dark is something completely different. . . .

They are not allowed to do this unless they have a police officer present. Read my notes above lifted from their own web-site.

 

[lenseman]

I wonder what the UKBA will do when they rummage a yacht from the USA and discover firearms, tasers and pepper-spray (CS) on board? I know a number of the USA RTW guys carry firearms and other weapons.

What are the rights of the skippers and crew and what authority does the UKBA have in this regard?

 

[bilbobaggins]

I don't hate the RYA so much.
I personally just don't think that the section "Representation" is pursued vigourously enough, either through inertia or fear of losing those juicy government grants that keep so many employed!
I'm just so frustrated that it doesn't realise what the majority of members who pay their subs want

Spot on.

A long time ago and far away, 'The Good Robin' announced, with a smile, to a Cruising Committee meeting that a survey had found the majority of people joining the RYA put 'Cruising' as their principal boating activity.

Then some wag announced the same was true of people leaving the RYA.....

 

[Chris_Robb]

Spot on.

A long time ago and far away, 'The Good Robin' announced, with a smile, to a Cruising Committee meeting that a survey had found the majority of people joining the RYA put 'Cruising' as their principal boating activity.

Then some wag announced the same was true of people leaving the RYA.....

Perhaps the reason for the turnover of cruising folk, is that the ICC is the same price if you join or buy it seperately! Perhaps most people just join for 1 year.

 

[timbartlett]

I have never made any secret of the fact that the RYA is a customer of mine.

A quick look at Tim Bartlett's website provides the fascinating info that he has just written a booklet for the RYA on...wait for it...The COLREGS! And in his website blurb he refers to recent debate on Scuttlebutt about the colregs. So now the forum has its own specialist / professional / Craig of the Colregs.

I've been writing about the colregs, on and off, since I became a professional writer, over twenty years ago.

Are you suggesting that the RYA should have approached someone with no interest in the colregs to write its book?
Or are you suggesting that my interest in the colregs should have disqualified me in particular from being commissioned to write the RYA book?
Or are you suggesting that having written the RYA book, I should lose all further interest in the subject?
Or are you suggesting that having written the book, I should now try to keep it secret?

PS. I think most people would refer to it as a book, rather than a booklet.
And "recent", used on a webpage that was written on 24 September, must be referring to a colregs thread that was going on at least three weeks ago or more ... not to the current one.

 

[David_Jersey]

I wonder what the UKBA will do when they rummage a yacht from the USA and discover firearms, tasers and pepper-spray (CS) on board? I know a number of the USA RTW guys carry firearms and other weapons.

I am more interested in what would happen if the UKBA tried an unannouced boarding at sea..........

 

[mcframe]

Spade or Rcona?

Officers may fire upon ships liable to forfeiture or examination where they have failed to bring to after the commander of any vessel in the service of Her Majesty has hoisted the proper ensign and caused a gun to be fired as a signal and chase has been given.

Lordy lordy!

Do they have *proper* anchors to go with their *proper* ensigns? ;->