Since the Cornish Shrimper was conceived over forty years ago, many owners have taken their boats into Europe (and sometimes beyond) to enjoy cruising new waters and/or warmer climes. Some choose to voyage independently, but with International Shrimper Week often held outside the UK, (France and The Netherlands being regular favourites), it is not uncommon to see a sizeable flotilla of UK boats heading across the Channel. Whilst Britain was part of the EU this was easy, requiring very little in the way of documentation other than some basic proof of ownership and nationality.
Following Brexit all has changed and there are now a number of quite stringent requirements to be satisfied, some before your Shrimper can even board the ferry. The link below takes you to an article written by Paul Musgrove about his experience when taking Shrimper 21/102 (Dilly) to France during the summer of 2023. It is understood that the regulations referred to apply across all EU countries including Eire, which could make them relevant to anyone wishing to participate in ISW 2024 in The Netherlands.
Trailing to the EU – The Customs Regulations
Paul makes reference to a customs form that needs to be completed prior to boarding the ferry. For convenience this can be downloaded using the links below and is available in English, French and Italian. Since there is no form in Dutch we assume that the English version is acceptable for The Netherlands.
Although not mentioned in Paul’s article, it is strongly recommended that any boat being taken out of the UK should be SSR registered to provide proof of nationality. In some countries it may be essential, so it makes sense to be prepared.
We hope to provide more information on this subject as it becomes available.
