Gibraltar: Think Twice..

[yeloya]

On my trip to Caribbean I had some sail issues not solved in Marbella and called Sheppard in Gibraltar and had an appointment for next day. To make sure I also called Bay Marina and booked a berth for the same night. I arrıved just after midnight to the marina but I was told that I have to leave because I didn't have a visa. I had US + Schengen visas + internationally accepted seamanship book which doesn't require any visa in any country if you don't leave the port. (we were in turkish flagged boat with three people with turkish nationalities on board) I had to talk directly to the immigration officier and he kept on saying "this is Gibraltar" and nothing else..Noonsite is saying that "the people without visa may be allowed to stay if they come with their own boat" but apparently this doesn't apply. The officier said the only way is to hire an agent if we want to stay who quoted 500 Euros !! We said "good night" and left..
We went to La Linea half a mile further and stayed there for 14 Euros a night including water and electricity for my 44 ft catamaran. (Bay Marina had quoted 71 pounds + electricity and water to be metered) La Linea is a brand new lovely marina, very friendly, good english speaking people.
The people from Sheppard declined to come to La Linea saying that they were not allowed and the marina found another one in Linea who fixed the problem at probably half price that I would have paid in Gibraltar.
For fueling also Gibraltar doesn't make any sense anymore; I've paid 1,04 pound per liter, which is pretty much the same as in Spain. (1,2 euro/liter)
Spain had increased prices as a result of austerity measures, seems that Gibraltar is keeping up with them
In noonsite, I've read similar experiences and comments from other boats (without visa poblems) and had found exagerated. Well, it is not..

Cheers

Yeloya

[boatman61]

Gibraltar of old is long gone.. its on its own now and outside Europe.. much like the Channel Isles..
hence Turkey is outside any agreements it has with EU citizens..
Though I will say... Marina Bay prices were very reasonable when I was there last summer doing a couple of trips.. but it just has no character any more.
Having been there in post war heyday in the 60's and 70's while in the Navy.. and seeing it now.. hard to believe its the same place.. and it has become a lot more officious... used to be very laid back..
But it won't put me of stopping there.. to many favourable prices for sinners..

[atoll]

as turkish nationals,even though on a half million dollar yacht this is a problem you will encounter a lot in the "free world"!!!

though you are not alone,south africans,brazilians, etc have similar issues!!

hope the rest of the trip goes well.

[David_Old_Jersey]

Gib probably much the same as here in Jersey - worried about being seen as a backdoor into the UK / EU....so probably a little bit more stringent on the rules than other places.

[MacG]

Memories, yes ...... Sheppard, yes ....(good service) of the late ' 70s when I worked as sailing instructor at Holiday Club in Morocco (Cabo Negro - M'Diq).
I used to sail with Alain to Gib to buy whisky and cigarettes for the workers in the club as prices were unheard of.
We moored in front of Sheppards and got stuck due to an uprising Levante.
Good memories, but later on I used Benalmadena as my intermediate stop between Holland and the South of France.
I hate the Spanish coast between Cabo de Gata and Cabo Creus.

[simonmd]

Well, i'm in Gib' right now and they let me in so the standards can't be that high!!

Dont forget, Gibraltar is not part of the Schengen aggrement and so a Schengen visa is not valid here.

I question what you said about fuel, yes it's gone up but Gib is still the cheapest in Western Europe. Where on earth did you find fuel at EUR 1.20 in Spain?? I've lived in this part of the word for a couple of years now and have NEVER seen fuel that low. The average on the forercourt for cars is EUR 1.45 and is usualy higher in marinas.

[simonmd]

For the record, just filled up with 40 litres of diesel in Gib and it was 0.90p per litre, that's currently 30% cheaper than in Spain. In my mind, that's a saving that certainly IS worth bothing with. Not sure how you managed to get stung for 1.04, are you sure they didn't bill you in Euros?

[yeloya]

Well I checked my records: I've paid 0,955 pound per liter in Gib. I don' t recall exactly nut those days (just before the Christmas 2011) 1 pound was about 1,2 Euro. That makes roughly 1.146 euro per liter. In Palma de Maillorca I paid 1,29 euro per liter some 10 days before Gib. The differenece is 12,5 %, what I am told the difference was much bigger before. Due to the austerity measures I have seen recent price increases all the way from Greece to Italy and Spain.
To close the Gib discussion, althought I don'rt agree, after all every country has the right to apply the visa to some countrries at its discretion. If this is the law that's fine. But if you agree to pay 500 euro commission to the agency the law can be bypassed; this is an "official robbery". Secondly, seaman book is an international document and has to be accepted by every country. Actually I didn't have any problem in other country with this document. I could easily sail around Schengen countries without visa. But Gib said "this is Gib.." didn't accept it.
For me Gib=one hill,one runaway and a lot of monkeys and not only on the hill...
La Linea in my view is much more reasonable option, much better marina and better and cheaper services if you meed any.

Cheers

Yeloya.

[simonmd]

Well, it's good to hear that fuel in Majorca is that reasonable as i'll be heading East soon with that as one of my destinations! Currently, in the local Spanish coast, I can confirm that Diesel is 1.45 Euros p litre so like I said, Gib is still MUCH cheaper. You've only got to put in 100 litres and youve saved yourself the price of a nice meal for two in a restaurant.

As for the Visa problems you had, I can only sympathise. I understand your point of view totaly, seems very odd when you had the other paperwork but just as they said, "it's Gib". Being a well known tax heaven and duty free zone I guess they have to keep the paperwork 100% correct.

As for the comment about the place itself, again, I agree! Personaly I call it a 'tax free council estate'. The main attraction for me being the British thing, makes a change to be able to speak English everywhere, use your own currency and be able to shop without fear of buying the wrong thing as I couldn't understand the label on the product. I'd hate to be here permanantly however, 2 or 3 weeks is plenty for me and i'm looking forward to beginning my summers cruising once i've been antifouled next week (which is being done on the Spanish side.....).