from Upnor a day's (or a night's) sail gets to -
Calais - Gravelines - Dunkerque - Boulogne
or stop off at Ramsgate Marina
for an easy sail to -
Nieuwpoort - Oostende - Blankenberge - Vlissingen
and on to other North Sea ports and inland waterways
- or sail south
maybe stop off at Dover
for all the ports and harbours (on both sides) of the English Channel
When you are sailing a British registered boat from the UK to any other country, you will require papers both for the boat and for the crew on board.
Ship's papers:
Registration - You must have on board the original registration document, photocopies are not acceptable.
Ship's Radio Licence - International Radio Regulations say that each vessel owned or operated by a UK Citizen or UK Registered, which has a radio onboard, must have a valid Ships Radio Licence and valid Maritime Operators Certificate.
Marine Insurance cover note - insurance for boats is more or less compulsory nowadays and many European countries will ask for evidence of insurance cover. It is important to check the territorial limits of your cover before undertaking any trip, as you may need to extend the cruising limits. Some countries also require a translation of the cover note which your insurance broker should be able to provide.
VAT - proof of VAT paid on the boat is not formally part of the Ship's papers, but may be required by customs officials within the EU.
Personal papers:
Passport - Every crew member on board requires a passport. If you are cruising outside the EU you may also need a visa, so check well before you intend to leave the UK as they may take time to procure.
International Certificate of Competence (ICC) - it is important to check whether you need an ICC before you leave the UK.
The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) replaces Form E111. All E111 forms are no longer valid. Application For European Health Insurance Card
The skippers of British Registered boats - motor or sail - do not require an ICC or any other certificate of competence when sailing in French coastal waters.
Generally, an ICC is required when navigating the inland waterways of Europe, the main notable exception is The Netherlands. In Holland an ICC is only required by vessels that are either longer than 15 metres and/or capable of more than 20 kph (~ 11 knots). If cruising to Europe to explore the canals and rivers, both categories 'coastal' and 'inland' will be required and so the CEVNI test, as well as proof of general boat handling competence, is needed.
There are some additional rules to be aware of when cruising the Dutch inland waters:
If you have a radio fitted you must observe the compulsory listening watches on the correct VHF channels at all times. It is important to note that the VHF frequency varies with location. Details of the frequencies are contained on the local charts and the ANWB Almanac.
All boats must carry BPR (vol 1 ANWB Almanac). This is only available in Dutch.
When cruising in Belgian waters, skippers are required to produce tide tables and a copy of the collision regulations (International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, otherwise known as the COLREGS) in addition to the usual ship's and personal papers.
Some EU and Nordic countries, but not the UK, are operating the Schengen Convention under which border controls on persons between Schengen members have been abolished. Consequently, travellers from the UK to a Schengen country or those leaving for the UK from one may find that they are subject to additional checks when overseas because of the Schengen commitment to reinforcing frontiers between Schengen members and countries which are not party to the convention. However, the UK's law and practices do not differentiate in any way between Schengen members and non-members. As at November 2002, the Schengen members with coastlines, which were actually operating the Convention, were Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain and Sweden.
HM Customs and Excise - notice 8 - information for sailors
CG66 - Safety Identification Scheme
SSR - Small Ships Register
Noonsite: The global site for cruising sailors - loads of information and links
DoH - health advice for travellers
European Health Insurance Card
COLREGS - The International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea from the International Maritime Organization.
REGULATIONS - information
on the Regulations that are applicable to pleasure craft from
the Maritime
and Coastguard Agency.
if you have anything to add to this page, or any comment, please send it to me webmaster or use the Feedback page
Feedback - your comments about this website
© Upnor Sailing Club