Back in the days when there where border checks between eu country's,we were entering France. In those days you had to pay extra taks on the fuel you used in France so you declared the amount on board when entering and when leaving and had to pay for the difference. Needless to say it was in your interest to declare as little as possible when entering. So we filled in the forms and o dear, a customs official wanted to check the real amount on board. That had never happened before. So he came on board and wanted to go down the ladder to the engine room but he was a man fond of the good life and he did not fit through the hatch 🙃 His female colleague was checking some cupboards in the wheelhouse, looking for god knows what. Then she noticed our 2 year old son wearing an ear-to-ear smile and she forgot all about her duty and grabbed the boy. So, "a good trip to you" and that was it
Tom, always nice to see you sir. To hear yarns about the years you've spent sailing about the globe never ceases to captivate me. You fine sir are among the few that I would love to sit back and share a drink or two and just listen. Now as far as lessons go you always mingle a few treasured pieces of wisdom along with your stories. I tip my hat to you Tom. Well done Captain! A big hello from St.Louis Missouri USA.
I once mingled around a commodores reception at a sailing club when my son was sailing Toppers. A very sunny day so wearing my cool shades . Unbeknown to me one of the lenses had fallen out and I hadn’t noticed. Strangely my son and all him mates had but omitted to tell me. I now always check I have two lenses in if condition require sunglasses at posh social occasions. Great tales Tom,thanks.
Sadly we paid VAT on our boat when it was new in 2015. If we want to bring it back to the UK, HMRC say we have to pay the VAT again. Same as many other boat owners. Sail Safe mate. Ant & Cid
I would say sunglasses can be forgiven on the water! Important to look after the vision.I think the sun on the water hastened forming of cataracts in my case! Skin cancer too! CHEERS from Westcoast Vancouver Island!
Hi Tom, I gather you were going to my place Ystad when you made this video. You were lucky with the winds and you got as long as Kalmar! During my time in the Med, it was quite a trouble every time going between Greece and Turkey. First time entering Turkey at Cannakele we underwent all the procedures as if we were a 100,000-ton Container ship! We went to the Customs Office. We were offered a cup of tea and Lemon Perfume to freshen us up! The customs officer allotted us a man to follow us. Off we went to the local Police Office, to the Health Officer, etc… We had to have a lunch in between. We offered our “ man “ to join us in eating. Sorry, he answered I am on duty! At the Health Office, we got approval to enter Turkey not having any contagious diseases on board the ship! We continued our voyage and entered the Marmara harbour in the Marmara Sea. The only harbour with marble breakwaters!
There is no yachtsman that haven't done a little of smuggling, especially liquors... Now let's sing the Schooner I'm Alone from NS by the Irish Rovers. :)
Second to the drug issue, i would rank never, ever, reply to the customs agent who asks "have you anything to declare? "...."yes. I'd like to declare we've had a wonderful passage!" Leastways not unless you are overdo for a colonoscopy.
I don't feel free living in Norway anymore. We are surveilled and registered anywhere we go. It's only a matter of time before AIS is not just a tool but mandatory. Of course it's like this over most of the World.
that's a great point about drugs. i don't partake, but what happens if you have a passenger who declares, i dont know, 3 joints(marinaua SP?). if you declare are you penalized?
This reminds me of a camping trip to France and Spain in 1958. My mother, who was a doctor, and I returned on the ferry at Dover and the customs man wanted to search our luggage. At that time the allowance was half a bottle of spirits per person. After 3 weeks of camping the suitcase was humming somewhat, but that didn’t put the customs officer off. He found a full bottle of Scotland’s finest scotch. So there we stood in front of the customs officer one adult and one child aged 10. “Madam, are you aware that the allowance for spirits is half a bootle?” “Yes, officer.” “Well how do you account for having twice the allowance?” “Well there are two of us” “Madam are you saying you would a 10 year old boy scotch whiskey?” “Certainly, for medicinal purposes.” The officer was so taken aback, but then smiled, closed the suitcase and sent us on our way.
Ow I may need to prove VAT was payed on my boat... I just got my family's yacht to Plymouth and was hoping to make a channel crossing next year. Thing is my late Grampa bought the boat in ther early 90 and I doubt he payed vat and i definitely dont have proof he did. It then passed from him to my mum, then my brother, and now me. Now im just worried I'm in for a very long day of phone calls, or m i just over thinking it.
It is extremely unlikely that you will solve the problem with phone calls. HMRC will not provide a decision on the VAT status of a vessel unless there is evidence. Unfortunately you in a situation with many others in the UK.
The important VAT issue is to prove that the boat was in the UK on 31st December 2020 - usually a Marina or Storage invoice is enough - this prevents HMRC trying to charge VAT when you return from another country. Visiting the EU is no issue, as the boat is considered a temporary admission for up to 18 months. However, you don't say if the boat was new when bought - Yachts built before 1 January 1985 were deemed to have acquired EU (UK) VAT paid status if they were in private ownership and within the EU (UK) at midnight on 31 December 1992.
@@antonynr thank you, I'll still phone both sides of the channel before making the crossing just to make sure all my eggs are in a row. It was built some time between 70 and 75, and was definitely used when bought in the 90s. I also have scattered invoices from when it's been in my family. So I should be fine. Thanks for the info.
My boat (pegasus 800) was built in 1981, I'm a bit worried I can't prove that VAT has been paid, can anyone link out a site to understand the rules etc.
@@AndrewVett I've tried to put a link in, but RUclips doesn't allow it - so search for "yacht vat exemption" and look at the article from Yachting Monthly dated 2 Aug 2022 - about the fourth article down.
I agree. I only wear shades while glare is dangerous purely so I don't have to remember to put them on and off. Instead I wear hats when interacting with people I don't intimately know is likely.
Sorry David. I appreciate your concern, but the taffrail is the capping across the stern on a wooden boat,. The s/s railing on a modern yacht aft is a pushpit. Forward it's a pulpit.
Back in the days when there where border checks between eu country's,we were entering France. In those days you had to pay extra taks on the fuel you used in France so you declared the amount on board when entering and when leaving and had to pay for the difference. Needless to say it was in your interest to declare as little as possible when entering.
So we filled in the forms and o dear, a customs official wanted to check the real amount on board. That had never happened before. So he came on board and wanted to go down the ladder to the engine room but he was a man fond of the good life and he did not fit through the hatch 🙃
His female colleague was checking some cupboards in the wheelhouse, looking for god knows what. Then she noticed our 2 year old son wearing an ear-to-ear smile and she forgot all about her duty and grabbed the boy.
So, "a good trip to you" and that was it
Very welcome to Sweden❤. You are almost a ”Swede” now when you visit us so often.👍
I'm amazed tom doesn't speak much Swedish, he's there so often
@@abyssaljam441, I think he pickup a word or two, midsommarfest, nubbe or surströmming, he knows what that means.😉
Tom, always nice to see you sir. To hear yarns about the years you've spent sailing about the globe never ceases to captivate me. You fine sir are among the few that I would love to sit back and share a drink or two and just listen. Now as far as lessons go you always mingle a few treasured pieces of wisdom along with your stories. I tip my hat to you Tom.
Well done Captain!
A big hello from St.Louis Missouri USA.
I once mingled around a commodores reception at a sailing club when my son was sailing Toppers. A very sunny day so wearing my cool shades . Unbeknown to me one of the lenses had fallen out and I hadn’t noticed. Strangely my son and all him mates had but omitted to tell me. I now always check I have two lenses in if condition require sunglasses at posh social occasions. Great tales Tom,thanks.
Sadly we paid VAT on our boat when it was new in 2015. If we want to bring it back to the UK, HMRC say we have to pay the VAT again. Same as many other boat owners. Sail Safe mate. Ant & Cid
I would say sunglasses can be forgiven on the water! Important to look after the vision.I think the sun on the water hastened forming of cataracts in my case! Skin cancer too! CHEERS from Westcoast Vancouver Island!
Hi Tom,
I gather you were going to my place Ystad when you made this video.
You were lucky with the winds and you got as long as Kalmar!
During my time in the Med, it was quite a trouble every time going between Greece and Turkey.
First time entering Turkey at Cannakele we underwent all the procedures as if we were a 100,000-ton Container ship!
We went to the Customs Office. We were offered a cup of tea and
Lemon Perfume to freshen us up!
The customs officer allotted us a man to follow us.
Off we went to the local Police Office, to the Health Officer, etc…
We had to have a lunch in between. We offered our “ man “ to join us in eating. Sorry, he answered I am on duty!
At the Health Office, we got approval to enter Turkey not having
any contagious diseases on board the ship!
We continued our voyage and entered the Marmara harbour in the Marmara Sea. The only harbour with marble breakwaters!
That’s useful advice Tom 🙏
Good to see you as informative and lucid as ever - fair winds Tom.
Smiling like a fool listening to this. Tom, you really make me laugh...your stories make my eyes leak. God bless you.
There is no yachtsman that haven't done a little of smuggling, especially liquors... Now let's sing the Schooner I'm Alone from NS by the Irish Rovers. :)
Second to the drug issue, i would rank never, ever, reply to the customs agent who asks "have you anything to declare? "...."yes. I'd like to declare we've had a wonderful passage!" Leastways not unless you are overdo for a colonoscopy.
😂 Love it Tom, thank you.
I don't feel free living in Norway anymore. We are surveilled and registered anywhere we go. It's only a matter of time before AIS is not just a tool but mandatory.
Of course it's like this over most of the World.
Always a joy. Thank you!
I love your yarns :)
that's a great point about drugs. i don't partake, but what happens if you have a passenger who declares, i dont know, 3 joints(marinaua SP?). if you declare are you penalized?
This reminds me of a camping trip to France and Spain in 1958. My mother, who was a doctor, and I returned on the ferry at Dover and the customs man wanted to search our luggage. At that time the allowance was half a bottle of spirits per person. After 3 weeks of camping the suitcase was humming somewhat, but that didn’t put the customs officer off. He found a full bottle of Scotland’s finest scotch. So there we stood in front of the customs officer one adult and one child aged 10. “Madam, are you aware that the allowance for spirits is half a bootle?” “Yes, officer.” “Well how do you account for having twice the allowance?” “Well there are two of us” “Madam are you saying you would a 10 year old boy scotch whiskey?” “Certainly, for medicinal purposes.” The officer was so taken aback, but then smiled, closed the suitcase and sent us on our way.
Ow I may need to prove VAT was payed on my boat... I just got my family's yacht to Plymouth and was hoping to make a channel crossing next year. Thing is my late Grampa bought the boat in ther early 90 and I doubt he payed vat and i definitely dont have proof he did. It then passed from him to my mum, then my brother, and now me. Now im just worried I'm in for a very long day of phone calls, or m i just over thinking it.
It is extremely unlikely that you will solve the problem with phone calls. HMRC will not provide a decision on the VAT status of a vessel unless there is evidence. Unfortunately you in a situation with many others in the UK.
The important VAT issue is to prove that the boat was in the UK on 31st December 2020 - usually a Marina or Storage invoice is enough - this prevents HMRC trying to charge VAT when you return from another country. Visiting the EU is no issue, as the boat is considered a temporary admission for up to 18 months.
However, you don't say if the boat was new when bought - Yachts built before 1 January 1985 were deemed to have acquired EU (UK) VAT paid status if they were in private ownership and within the EU (UK) at midnight on 31 December 1992.
@@antonynr thank you, I'll still phone both sides of the channel before making the crossing just to make sure all my eggs are in a row. It was built some time between 70 and 75, and was definitely used when bought in the 90s. I also have scattered invoices from when it's been in my family. So I should be fine. Thanks for the info.
My boat (pegasus 800) was built in 1981, I'm a bit worried I can't prove that VAT has been paid, can anyone link out a site to understand the rules etc.
@@AndrewVett I've tried to put a link in, but RUclips doesn't allow it - so search for "yacht vat exemption" and look at the article from Yachting Monthly dated 2 Aug 2022 - about the fourth article down.
I also think it's impolite to address someone while wearing shades, even if that person is also wearing shades. I remove mine.
I agree. I only wear shades while glare is dangerous purely so I don't have to remember to put them on and off. Instead I wear hats when interacting with people I don't intimately know is likely.
He is right no drugs geep your brain cells!
👍
Get a grip Tom. It wasn’t £1.50 - it was 30 Bob!
😂
How many thru'penny bits in 30 bob?
@@patrickhorgan8389120!
120 of course!
You'd be lucky to get any booze for 1.50 now a days
Unless its Caribbean rum, perhaps 🙂
@@SailingTaranto Might be a little blinding.
Strange how smuggling spirits is culturally accepted but have a toot of a herb and you are immoral and may lose your ship.
Oh I could tell you a few tales Tom!!
I hate the word 'Pushpit' Horrid, horrid, horrid. Please call it by its correct name, 'Taff Rail'.
Sorry David. I appreciate your concern, but the taffrail is the capping across the stern on a wooden boat,. The s/s railing on a modern yacht aft is a pushpit. Forward it's a pulpit.
Totally agree Tom. Pushpit is a very old term that can be found in maritime books and papers from centuries ago.
It is rude to speak with people or on camera with shades on.
Except when it's outdoors and it's bright.