Weather diversion makes official port of entry unreachable

[Beneteau381]

Wait and see.
In France it wil bel down to the local chamber of commerce.. If they decide the local plod are costing them too much income because UK boats are not visiting..

Yup, Belgium soon changed its tune over red diesel!

 

[Skylark]

Croats can be a bit touchy.........

You’re being overly kind?
On another occasion, we were heading into Pula as PoE and the thoroughly unpleasant port official (female) also wanted to fine us for not making a direct course into port. Just outside the port, we headed into wind to drop the main and she took delight in showing us our track as proof of our law breaking?

Not my favourite country, as you may have already guessed.

 

[Ningaloo]

Wait and see.
In France it wil bel down to the local chamber of commerce.. If they decide the local plod are costing them too much income because UK boats are not visiting..

This shows how little some of us STILL don't understand how Schengen works. It is your responsibility to ensure that you get the required stamps in your passport NOT down to local interpretation. If you don't have them and are subsequently inspected you are likely to be fined, deported and banned from re-entry to the entire Schengen block. Similarly if you don't exit correctly your will have no evidence of leaving Schengen and eventually your 90 day limit will be exceeded with consequences. All this is documented in detail on various Schengen websites.
Of course places like St Vaast (the only port I have ever crossed to from Solent) will lose out from the UK weekend cruisers, but think how much nicer it will be for the EU boats without us filling their marinas!
For the OP I believe a non urgent call to coastguard would be prudent. I think common sense will prevail in genuine cases of emergency.

 

[westhinder]

When sailing to France before the days of free movement there was never anybody interested in customs formalities for English yachts on their side. The Q flag was mainly an invitation for the duty free supplier to come and take his order. There was much more hassle with ports of entry and customs inspections when trying to get back into the UK.
I wonder how different things will be this time. I haven't been able to find any official guidance from the French. Does anybody have a link to these details? Is there a list of ports of entry, office hours, etc?
I can't see it putting me off crossing the channel.

In Belgium all the harbours are ports of entry. More details here:
Harbours

 

[Seven Spades]

More of a concern is we have not been told if we need a full Schengen visa. I think the visa waiver is only available from travel by air or ferry

 

[bobgarrett]

A good source of such info ...
Brexit Issues For Cruising Sailors Addressed in RATS Webinar | CA

 

[Tomahawk]

This shows how little some of us STILL don't understand how Schengen works. It is your responsibility to ensure that you get the required stamps in your passport NOT down to local interpretation. If you don't have them and are subsequently inspected you are likely to be fined, deported and banned from re-entry to the entire Schengen block. Similarly if you don't exit correctly your will have no evidence of leaving Schengen and eventually your 90 day limit will be exceeded with consequences. All this is documented in detail on various Schengen websites.
Of course places like St Vaast (the only port I have ever crossed to from Solent) will lose out from the UK weekend cruisers, but think how much nicer it will be for the EU boats without us filling their marinas!
For the OP I believe a non urgent call to coastguard would be prudent. I think common sense will prevail in genuine cases of emergency.

So the port authorities in Holland France and Spain were implementing the marked fuel directive as heavily as the Belgian authorities and all the posts about red fuel problems in Belgium are a figment of everyones imagination? No I think not.. One of the benefits of the so called level playing field of the hegemony has always been the way implementing central directives has been left to local districts. Some have been very strict, others have completely ignored them. But we must never allow facts to get in the way of religious belief.

 

[Birdseye]

I'm looking forward to my first trip to the mainland, also known at Continental Europe, and meeting up with friends there, but I am Scots and am excused all sorts of "le rostbif" jokes.

Likely they have seen haggis and realised that you cant have a sense of humour!

 

[oldmanofthehills]

Likely they have seen haggis and realised that you cant have a sense of humour!

Explaining Haggis to a Swiss customs office was interesting, though logically the neap was a greater hazard as raw

 

[NPMR]

Presumably a list of Ports of Entry will appear that is simple to use?

Brest, for example is on the list but several places one could go to.

Will Reeds 2021 have any info? As an update before the main season kicks in?

 

[st599]

When sailing to France before the days of free movement there was never anybody interested in customs formalities for English yachts on their side. The Q flag was mainly an invitation for the duty free supplier to come and take his order. There was much more hassle with ports of entry and customs inspections when trying to get back into the UK.
I wonder how different things will be this time. I haven't been able to find any official guidance from the French. Does anybody have a link to these details? Is there a list of ports of entry, office hours, etc?
I can't see it putting me off crossing the channel.

According to the RYA the issue is immigration, your entry needs to go on the Schengen database, it's up to each country how that's done. They said Germany had a terminal at most major marinas, France it's at a Port of Entry - mainly the ferry ports, Calais, Caen, Cherbourg, St Malo.

 

[eddystone]

So it seems vital to get an exit stamp on your passport after an entry one otherwise your 90 days will tick away while you are actually back in the UK. That raises the question are ports of entry also ports of exit?
From Plymouth one might consider entering France at Roscoff and coast hop along maybe as far as Paimpol and then head back to Plymouth - except I can’t. I’m making the reasonable assumption I don’t have the time or inclination to return via St Malo or go all the way back to Roscoff. So in practical terms I can make trips to France but not ones that are convenient /attractive to me therefore I won’t .
Thanks Brexidiots

 

[st599]

So it seems vital to get an exit stamp on your passport after an entry one otherwise your 90 days will tick away while you are actually back in the UK. That raises the question are ports of entry also ports of exit?

Yes they are. The other thing to notice is they're not open 24/7.

 

[st599]

Presumably a list of Ports of Entry will appear that is simple to use?

The Atlantic and Channel ones are:

• Brest,
• Gironde Estuary & Bordeaux,
• Hendaye-Behobie,
• La Rochelle,
• La Trinite-sur-Mer,
• Les Sables d’Olonne,
• Lorient,
• Nantes,
• St Nazaire
• Caen-Ouistreham,
• Calais,
• Cherbourg,
• Dieppe,
• Dunkirk,
• Le Havre,
• Roscoff,
• St Malo

 

[chrishscorp]

So it seems vital to get an exit stamp on your passport after an entry one otherwise your 90 days will tick away while you are actually back in the UK. That raises the question are ports of entry also ports of exit?
From Plymouth one might consider entering France at Roscoff and coast hop along maybe as far as Paimpol and then head back to Plymouth - except I can’t. I’m making the reasonable assumption I don’t have the time or inclination to return via St Malo or go all the way back to Roscoff. So in practical terms I can make trips to France but not ones that are convenient /attractive to me therefore I won’t .
Thanks Brexidiots

Yes, Portsmouth, Cherbourg, St Vaast, Portsmouth a nice long weekend trip but cant see how that will work anymore if we have to use ports of entry and exit

 

[AngusMcDoon]

Yes, Portsmouth, Cherbourg, St Vaast, Portsmouth a nice long weekend trip but cant see how that will work anymore if we have to use ports of entry and exit

I expect that once the kerfuffle has calmed down and before too long it will either move online or the task will be farmed out to marinas, like other countries. The French customs and immigration officials have bigger things to concern them that British sailors wandering over the Channel for a weekend.

 

[Uricanejack]

I suppose it will go back to the way it was once upon a time.

My recollection of visiting France back in the dark ages. we sailed down to Cammarette from the Clyde. I had a passport not so sure about everyone else.
We returned to Plymouth via the Channel Islands and Salcomb Bay. We were cleared some where by someone. I think the skipper just went ashore by himself took and care of the paperwork,

I still go through the process with the US and Canada, an option exists to sign up for a quicker system where use the quicke line at the airport or border or if on the boat I can just make a cell phone call, No need to stop at a port of entry.
This requires me to go and make a special application and give greater detail than I do for a passport or enhanced drivers lisence.

Pariona, I don’t like the RCMP, FBI or any of the rest having access to my fingerprints ect. So I put up with the inconvenience.

Even though I’m sure all they need would be my cell phone No and or Debit card to track me down.