Schengen Question

[monte]

90 days every six months, regardless of whether they have stayed in another Schengen area country (except the other Nordic countries) prior to entry into Denmark.[185] If visitors from Australia spend any amount of time in Denmark and/or the other Nordic countries in the first 90 days of their visa exempt period according to the Schengen agreement, they cannot claim the following 90 days visa exempt period for Denmark and the Nordic countries.[186]


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[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Tellus

Anyway here are some info's from a german crew in 2012

Important documents:

Crew list (you should have in sufficient quantity, they are collected as desired)
Copy of passport of the skipper
(Also copy visa page!)
Copy of the certificate of international boat
(a proof of ownership is required!)
Not on the go, be with the own yacht, you need a confirmation of the owner, that you can't be on the road with the yacht
(if applicable Charter contract)


It is important to have all documents in the original it and smarter is way more than a copy to share. Despite the bureaucracy, or because of it, copies disappear sometimes, so you must put everything on the table twice...

Another feature, you should consider that many Russians do not speak English upon entry. And this is unfortunately also on the Russian coastguard. In this respect is to enhance listening watch on channel 16 (or the respective channel is specified in). The Russian coastguard invokes an often without even the ship's name to mention or the word "sailing boat/vessel" in Russian. Even if it tried to act and gets the Russian coastguard by itself, it can happen that you get no answer. It is important for those arriving after Baltiysk: man gets six miles off Baltiysk on channel 74 "Baltiysk traffic" and asks permission to retract. Listening watch is to continue on channel 74. The check is carried out at Pier 81. This is extra for small ships with wood clad and in accordance with flat, so that can be set easily with small yachts

For directions to St. Petersburg you should refer the Cruiser Department mandatory. Call i.e. near Gogland "Velboot" on channel 16 and with a certain intensity, because now they don't answer that. Kronstadt is then to call "Granit" on Channel 6 and then it goes directly to the Terminal D - to the check. However, you should bear in mind also: it changes all the time slightly. In this respect, it makes sense to inform again shortly before the trip, and if necessary via radio have confirmed the clearing Pier. We have had a "translator" often in radio communications: a Russian sailing yacht or the pilot or St. Petersburg traffic. You get so no contact to the Russian coastguard it offered, to ask St. Petersburg traffic translation help. Unless you step in time with the Russian coastguard in contact, then really come in a small speedboat over and come quite quickly on board. This is certainly not very beautiful, but not too dramatic. Depending on the size of the ship, then three or four officials aboard, which require some formal details coming. After about half an hour, the haunting is then over. Typically, one of the officials speaks a few English words, so that the communication somehow works.

Sorry , it ś translated by BING

Port of Entry Sankt-Petersburg, Fort KONSTANTIN
(Island of Kotlin, Kronstadt)

Thanks for that. I can read and speak German, so maybe a link to the original source?

As to Russian Coast Guard: I listen to them on the VHF from where I am now, and they are speaking pretty good English. But in any case, I speak Russian fluently, so communication with them will be no problem.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by monte

90 days every six months, regardless of whether they have stayed in another Schengen area country (except the other Nordic countries) prior to entry into Denmark.[185] If visitors from Australia spend any amount of time in Denmark and/or the other Nordic countries in the first 90 days of their visa exempt period according to the Schengen agreement, they cannot claim the following 90 days visa exempt period for Denmark and the Nordic countries.[186]

Or any other Schengen country, as far as I understand. AFAIK, you can't spend 90 days in any Schengen country, and then spend the next 90 days in any other Schengen country, Nordic, or not. If that is wrong, that is important to know and could help me a lot, but AFIK that is fundamental to the whole idea of Schengen.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by mrm

From experience of my fellow sailors, even transiting Russian waters is a kind of a roulette. Sometimes there are no problems, sometimes you get boarded and stuff gets 'taken' (incl. money, foods). Hard to argue with armed vessel and its crew.. Not saying it will happen to you, but it might. Possibly a lot depends on vessel's flag..

Kaliningrad as a whole is a military area and an important one for Russians. Don't think you can just 'drop the hook' there.

If you find time to visit Gdańsk and want some local guidance, send me a PM.

BTW, unless your fuel system is old and has FAME-incompatible components (mainly rubber seals/o-rings) or has a lot of accumulated crud, there is nothing wrong with FAME. It is a very powerful solvent, so the inside of the whole fuel system is spotlessly clean, which is a good thing.

Thanks -- if I go to Kaliningrad, I will surely take time to visit Gdansk as well -- it's one of my long-standing cruising dreams to see that beautiful city. I'll let you know.

I have not heard of such improper behavior of Russian Coast Guards, and this sounds very bad. Please send links if you have any. There are no such reports in Noonsite or in the Cruising Association database. If it's really happening, then it should be reported and should be better known.

I know that my engine (a Yanmar JH3HTE) is approved for use of B5 biodiesel, but what is sold in Finland is B8 -- a stronger brew. My fuel system is clean (I clean out the tank every two years and just did it last year -- it's spotless), but problems are reported even with clean fuel systems. FAME dissolves rubber hoses, and my supply and return hoses were not made by Yanmar and I have no idea whether they will hold up. Dissolved rubber in your fuel system wreaks havoc with the injection pump and other components. Plus FAME absorbs water and is subject to ferocious diesel bug growth. I really just don't want to gamble with such problems; so I am leaning towards going into Vyborg to buy the nice, clean Russian fuel which has 0% bio in it.

[monte]

Denmark is special in that you can stay 90 days after staying 90 in other schengen countries. At least for Australians.


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[carstenb]

Originally Posted by monte

Denmark is special in that you can stay 90 days after staying 90 in other schengen countries. At least for Australians.


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I just spent some time on the Danish foreign ministry website and can't find anything that even alludes to this. Nor on the Danish ministry of Justice - they don't list this type of exception either. Both websites note that a Schengen visa is good for visiting for 90 of 180 days.

I'd really like to see a link to this information - it would solve a lot of non-european cruisers problems

Please post it


carsten

[Dockhead]

Mlya, I'm thinking again about the Finnish residence permit, which I can get quickly and easily (however, expensively -- the fee is 450 euros).

Why wouldn't it restart the clock for Schengen? In two weeks, I will be a legal resident of a Schengen country. Surely that allows me to travel freely around the Schengen zone where are are not even any internal border checks?

And when I leave Schengen, I will not be checking out -- there is no requirement to do so when you are leaving by a EU-registered yacht as mine is. I will just check straight into the UK when I get there. The next time I enter the Schengen zone, I will be doing it with a valid residence permit from Finland. Surely this will work ok?? If anyone anywhere asks any question, I just flash my residence permit?

[monte]

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visa_...alian_citizens
Scroll down to Denmark. May or May not be the same for your nationality


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[Dockhead]

Wow, the Schengen Agreement really creates some complicated problems.

Holders of residence permits in Schengen countries have the right to stay up to 90 days in any 180 day period in any other Schengen country. Which seems to mean that time you spend in the country of your residence permit does not count against the 90 days.

However, there are no borders inside Schengen, so no passport stamps showing when you passed between this or that Schengen country, so almost impossible to prove where you were. The fact that you were inside Schengen for more than 90 days doesn't mean anything in this case because there is nothing in your passport or in any database to show that you weren't in your own residence permit country.

I guess if some official boarded your boat for an inspection, and was really out to get you, he could use your boat's log, which is a legal document proving where the boat has been on what days. But I cannot possibly imagine how this could happen in practice. And why in the world would they care, if you have a residence permit?

And other than being boarded on your boat while in transit, I can't imagine where this issue could possibly come up. You don't get an exit stamp when you leave Schengen to go to the UK on a private boat. When you re-enter Schengen by plane, for example, there is absolutely nothing to show that there could be any possible problem.

Or am I missing something?


In the Netherlands, when I arrived from Belgium, there was a box in the harbormaster's office asking for reports to be filed for any boat which entered (even from other Schengen countries) with non-EU citizens on board. I obediently filed this form, and was very surprised when two armed border guards showed up on my boat the next morning. They were extremely friendly, but they thoroughly checked the boat's and my documents. They didn't ask anything about how long I had been in Schengen. Do any other Schengen countries require such reports when boats arrive from other Schengen countries? I had never heard of any such thing before.

[monte]

Yes. We are routinely boarded in most schengen countries and most marinas ask if there are non eu crew. Usually the immigration officials turn up soon afterwards. Some countries have immigration official desks next to the marina desk ie Portugal. Often they go through passports. Counting days since arriving in schengen and days to go and warning not to overstay. Portugal and France especially. Italy are more confused and Spain are more relaxed from my experience to date.


Nb. Boardings and inspections can vary depending on the flag you are flying and AIS signal transmitting, hence anyone with eu flag is less likely to experience the same as foreign flagged vessels.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by monte

Denmark is special in that you can stay 90 days after staying 90 in other schengen countries. At least for Australians.

Monte seems to be right!

And it seems to benefit not just Aussies, but Amurricans too.

There is something about it on the Cruising Association site, and there are even documents:





It looks like all the Nordic countries have this rule.

I guess it means that time allowed in Nordic countries doesn't consider time spent in non-Nordic Schengen countries? But do non-Nordic Schengen countries also accept this? Bleh, it's really complicated.

[carstenb]

Dockhead, I can tell you this. Last year I was gathering information for the Baltic Sea Cruisers association. ONe of the items was where can you check in and declare yourself (and goods etc).

After spending hours looking at website - I was unable to find anything.

I finally called the Tax and Customs office (the responsible entity). A very nice woman there told me she had no idea. She checked their website while I was on the phone and could not give me the information.

She actually called me back a couple of days later. Seems the question had intrigued her. She said it took a multitude of phone calls and a lot of searching, but she finally came up with a list of 4 places - none of them in harbours.

I have never heard of anyone being checked in a Danish marina. There aren't even the "turn yourself in" mailboxes the Dutch use.

carsten

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by carstenb

Dockhead, I can tell you this. Last year I was gathering information for the Baltic Sea Cruisers association. ONe of the items was where can you check in and declare yourself (and goods etc).

After spending hours looking at website - I was unable to find anything.

I finally called the Tax and Customs office (the responsible entity). A very nice woman there told me she had no idea. She checked their website while I was on the phone and could not give me the information.

She actually called me back a couple of days later. Seems the question had intrigued her. She said it took a multitude of phone calls and a lot of searching, but she finally came up with a list of 4 places - none of them in harbours.

I have never heard of anyone being checked in a Danish marina. There aren't even the "turn yourself in" mailboxes the Dutch use.

carsten

But what if you arrive from outside the EU? Surely there is some way to clear customs and immigration?

[carstenb]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

But what if you arrive from outside the EU? Surely there is some way to clear customs and immigration?

Dockhead - I asked the question - What if an american boat was arriving in Denmark straight from the US - i.e. no stopping in any other schengen or EU country.

For all intents and purposes - it is not posssible. There is no place you can find this information, and as my experience shows -- the Tax and Customs people don't know the answer.

I should mention that I was calling in my official capacity as Cruising Cosnsutlant for the Danish Sailing Association, so it was not just some nobody calling for information.

[dannc]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

...

I know that my engine (a Yanmar JH3HTE) is approved for use of B5 biodiesel, but what is sold in Finland is B8 -- a stronger brew. My fuel system is clean (I clean out the tank every two years and just did it last year -- it's spotless), but problems are reported even with clean fuel systems. FAME dissolves rubber hoses, and my supply and return hoses were not made by Yanmar and I have no idea whether they will hold up. Dissolved rubber in your fuel system wreaks havoc with the injection pump and other components. Plus FAME absorbs water and is subject to ferocious diesel bug growth. I really just don't want to gamble with such problems; so I am leaning towards going into Vyborg to buy the nice, clean Russian fuel which has 0% bio in it.

Biodiesel/FAME can also gell at higher temperatures in cold weather. Using a anti gell additive should prevent this from happening but it is an additional cost. I have heard many people running diesel trucks and tractors having clogged fuel filters when switching to biodiesel/FAME. The solvent quality of the biodiesel/FAME can clean out the fuel system and clog the filters. This seems to happen at heavier concentrations of biodiesel/FAME. There is also less energy in a gallon of biodiesel so you get worse MPG.

I do not run biodiesel in my truck or tractor. It is just not worth the cost or risk.

Later,
Dan