Anchoring in the Balearics

[Big Joe Bob]

The Balearics are fantastic for cruising, as all the 4 Major islands are so different.
A good swell predictor is handy, I use Passage Weather or Weather Track, as the northerly swell can be huge at times.

[David B]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

No, no, no, each country is different. Italy requires non EU citizens to clear in and check in at every major port and you'd better have your constituto when the coast guard checks you... Or you have problems.
Basically, you need to check.

"constituto"? Have not heard that term before. could you please advise.

Thanks,

David

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by David B

"constituto"? Have not heard that term before. could you please advise.

Thanks,

David

When you clear in, the official will give you a paper "costituto" to be signed at each major port you enter during your time spent in Italy.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

No, no, no, each country is different. Spain doesn't seem to care but will approach you and check at major ports like Cartegena and will possibly give you a look at Menorca. Italy requires non EU citizens to clear in and check in at every major port and you'd better have your constituto when the coast guard checks you... Or you have problems. Greece checks and they count the passport days according to some recent travelers, and the penalty is 80 euros per day over the limit. Croatia just very first and last port. Montenegro just upon entry and exit, but is non EU. Albania every port, non EU.

Believe it or not..... Zurich counted my passport days last year. The Swiss are part of Shengen but not the EU apparently.

Basically, you need to check.

That's right -- be careful with this. Every country is different. But even if you are an EU flagged boat like we are, you mostly have to declare that you have non-EU residents on board, even going between different Schengen countries. Doesn't make any sense, but I can confirm that what Ken says is true.

Also, the Swiss are the most rigorous in checking on Schengen days -- many people have fallen afoul of this in what they expected to an innocent layover in Zurich airport.

[SoundOfSilence]

Don't forget to visit Ses Illetes, Formentera. Everybody just anchor off the beach and it's free. Short dinghy ride to the town for shopping. Picture from this summer:



Cala Saona, Formentera:



Cala Conta and Cala Bassa are also lovely in Ibiza if you have small children who like beaches. From both you can take the ferry for shopping in San Antonio, there is also bus. Both get very crowded in July-August. This is from Cala Bassa:



There are many more, just take it slowly and try them out.

[David B]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

When you clear in, the official will give you a paper "costituto" to be signed at each major port you enter during your time spent in Italy.

Thanks - interesting.
When we cleared out of Sardinia in 2013 (leaving for Nth Africa to get out of EU) we were advised that we should have cleared in, and when I queried this, was told "it is a Sardinian requirement". Anyway, nothing came of it.

A week after arriving in Sicily (and not clearing in) from Malta in 2015, we approached the Coast Guard and Customs offices in regard to immobilisation. After a lot of discussion between them, we were advised (in relation to immobilisation) that we did not need to do anything until we returned next year. There was no mention of us not clearing in.

This year on our return to Sicily, we obtained immobilisation for the period we had been on the hard, but were advised it should have been done last year.

Later this year, when we were returning from Malta back to Sicily, we were stopped and boarded off the coast of Sicily by the Gardia Financia. After checking our passports (I guess they saw that we had flown into Sicily a few weeks earlier), ships papers, where we had come from, and where we were going to (further up the coast of Sicily), including our insurance 'blue card', they then did an inspection down below, we took 'happy snaps', shook hands and (once they saw that we were indeed heading in the direction we advised) headed off again.

On arriving at our destination in Sicily, again, we did not clear in. Next day more officers came along the pontoon looking at foreign flagged yachts, and we went through the process again, showing them the paperwork that the Gardia Financia guys had given us out on the water, saying that if we showed that, we would no longer be troubled. Well, that did not stop the whole process again, and this time they were not as friendly (land based makes them grumpy, or they are not sailors at heart ?). All was fine again, but one of them told us that under Shengen, we must be out by ... That was despite me telling him earlier when we were returning to Australia. No smiles, or anything from these guys.

As a note, and a warning, we bumped into another cruising couple a day later who advised that a number of yachts anchored out in the bay (Syracuse) had all been approached and fined EUR400 for not calling the port authority to say they were there. Just by chance we had called when we arrived, because we could not raise the marina. We were quizzed as to where we were from, how many persons etc, then they gave us the marina channel (the pilot guide info must have been out of date - and that may have saved us EUR400 !).

We were advised there was a new officer in charge at Syracuse, and he was busy collecting revenue to show he was there, with the result that the place had very quickly developed a reputation of the officers being "savage".

So we learned that we should be calling in to any actual port office as we approach, and as we are leaving - thankfully that lesson did not cost us the EUR400 it cost many others. We were also advised, that 'no response' even if logged in the ships log, was no excuse as one unfortunate found out. If you are not in their log, you are liable to be fined.

We learn something every time.