Latest marine news from the Cruising Association about its work with orca sinking boats. Plus new campaigns, strategies and information about Returned Goods Relief, VAT changes, cruising in EU and visas, and red/white diesel.
French officials have announced a new ‘protocol’ for small boats to enter France from outside of the EU. The Cruising Association (CA) has welcomed the easier check in/out protocol for cruising to France. Previously, boats would have to arrive at and depart from a port of entry (PPF), although last year there were a few […]
The Cruising Association (CA) has analysed available orca interaction reports since 2020 to produce a new table showing locations by year and month along the Atlantic coasts of France, Portugal, Spain and through the Strait of Gibraltar. Skippers can review this table when planning to sail through the specific areas of coastline affected by orca […]
The RYA and Cruising Association are urging vigilance for orca encounters in The Bay of Biscay, Iberian Peninsula and Strait of Gibraltar. As the cruising season arrives along the Atlantic coasts of France, Portugal, Spain and through the Strait of Gibraltar, the Cruising Association (CA) and the RYA is urging vigilance for potential orca encounters. […]
Marine insurer Haven Knox-Johnston crew has confirmed details of the latest instalment in its ‘From The Helm’ webinar series, to be held on Thursday (25 January), offering guidance on channel crossings and cruising in France. ‘Crossing the Channel and Cruising Northern France’, presented in collaboration with the Cruising Association, is designed for all boaters, but […]
The Cruising Association is hosting a Zoom talk on 22 January, to assist UK nationals interested in applying for the VLS-T (Long Stay Temporary Visa) for France. Following the UK’s departure from the EU, UK citizens are restricted to staying in the Schengen area for only 90 days within any 180-day period. Penalties for overstaying […]
It’s been a year of numbers. Orca have sunk two boats, memberships to orca Facebook groups have rocketed past 50k, and the Cruising Association has seen a massive drop off in incidents being reported to its database (launched in June 2022) . . . even though the number of incidents doubled at the start of […]
The Cruising Association has created an online research library to document reports of orca interactions gathered from skippers worldwide. Orca attacks on boats have been making global headlines in recent months, after a spate of ramming and other interaction by orca off the Iberian coastline. Some experts suggest that the whales are teaching their young […]
Orca have attacked another boat off the Spanish coast, with some experts suggesting that the whales are teaching the young to attack boats. On 4 May, an orca attack left a small sailing boat rudderless off the coast of Gibraltar. According to reports, three orca attacked the Swiss sailing yacht. The crew had to abandon […]
The Cruising Association (CA) is hosting a free webinar for members and non-members entitled ‘Orca and Yachts: Fact, Fiction and Fear’. It’s next Thursday 18 May 2023, at 1900 BST. Anyone can attend, but must register in advance. The CA says it is committed to sharing knowledge and enhancing research on the phenomenon of orca […]
The last couple of years have proved perilous for some sailing the Iberian coastline. Once boats could amble at leisure, but since 2020 there have been over 100 orca ‘interactions’ where boats have been spun around and repeatedly rammed, two of which incidents have ended in yachts sinking. According to the Cruising Association, 15 per […]
Recreational boat owners, established in the UK, who lawfully purchased and kept their boat in the EU at the time the UK was an EU member, will not be eligible for Returned Goods Relief (RGR), the government has advised. It’s a disappointing outcome felt by the Royal Yachting Association, British Marine, Association of Brokers and […]