Should A Non Eu Boat Sail Across The Atlantic To Sail The Med

[weavis]

Originally Posted by Alenka

Or put another way, Britain doesn't sign up to rules which have no real function. A three month restriction is this day and age has little logic.

As for Britain being a bad European we still pay the third largest amount into it's funds. Maybe things have changed but I seem to remember Poland takes out the largest amount of money!!

Poland does?
Im moving to Poland...

[Alenka]

ChuckR,

As you have come all this way it would be a pity for you to miss out on some of the worlds best cruising.

A few months in Greece and then move up north, or maybe over to Turkey, or a slow meander back to Tunisia.

I know Australians that have just spent almost 9 months in the spain and italy without a break and without question.

[TeddyDiver]

Originally Posted by Alenka

As for Britain being a bad European we still pay the third largest amount into it's funds. Maybe things have changed but I seem to remember Poland takes out the largest amount of money!!

Which countries are net contributors to the EU budget? / EU-Oplysningen

Depends of the year. 2011 GB was fourth largest net payer after Italy . Thou IMO percapita gives better perspective.

[robert sailor]

Aussi's are not dealt with as much zeal as Canucks and Yanks. I agree that the Med is a very special place we have really enjoyed it here but its a long way from the worlds best cruising in my opinion.

[Blue Crab]

Originally Posted by robert sailor

Aussi's are not dealt with as much zeal as Canucks and Yanks...

Betcha that will change when Admiral Putin decides to cruise the Med.

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by Alenka

Or put another way, Britain doesn't sign up to rules which have no real function. A three month restriction is this day and age has little logic.



As for Britain being a bad European we still pay the third largest amount into it's funds. Maybe things have changed but I seem to remember Poland takes out the largest amount of money!!

The UK actually has the best record of implementing EU directives diligently and comprehensively

Hence the UK is a model European, perhaps too good at it.

The UK didn't sign up to Schengen because as an island it has no land borders other then with the Republic of Ireland , and it wanted therefore to police those, Ireland wanted to join, but had no choice but to stay out of Schengen to preserve the common travel area, between it and the UK ( no passports needed etc )

It was nothing to do with 90 days or longer the uk was not bothered about that. In practice I hear that despite technically allowing 180 days to tourists both the UK and Ireland now give 90 days each.
Dave

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by Alenka

ChuckR,



As you have come all this way it would be a pity for you to miss out on some of the worlds best cruising.



A few months in Greece and then move up north, or maybe over to Turkey, or a slow meander back to Tunisia.



I know Australians that have just spent almost 9 months in the spain and italy without a break and without question.

Again Aussies have a better desk then the US visitors

[mhazlett]

My wife and I are US citizens and cruisers in our third year in the Med and have had no regrets. We are in Turkey and hold residency permits, which can be obtained for up to five year periods without the tax, application and other issues raised by residency in most Schengen countries. All of North Africa, the Middle East, including Tunisia and Israel, and around to Turkey are non-Schengen. Last summer leaving Turkey by boat we spent time in three non-Schengen countries, Croatia (although as an EU member it is supposed to join at some future point), Montenegro and Albania as well as 88 days in Greece before returning to Marmaris. In an earlier year, we spent a considerable period in Gibraltar where Spain can be entered without a passport stamp—indeed we could not get our passports stamped even when we later sailed into Spain. As best I could determine Gibraltar did not impose a time limit on US boats, although as an overseas territory of the UK I suspect a six month limit is supposed to apply. Morocco of course is also non-Schengen. We have several friends from the US who have spent nearly a decade based in Turkey without problem. The best cruising in the Med is clearly in the eastern Med where Schengen is not the problem it is in Italy and France. I have seen a number of American cruisers write blog laments about cruising in the Med without getting to the eastern Med. A good source on Schengen is at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schengen_Area . It is also important to note that Schengen applies to the people not the vessel and that Americans, Canadians, Aussies, South Africans, South Americans, and citizens of most other countries outside Europe are subject to the same or worse rules. Kiwis get the benefit of special bilateral agreements permitting longer stays in a number of Schengen countries. There is an unrelated VAT issue for the vessel at 18 months in the EU but that is easily addressed by a short trip out of the EU. Sv Pua’ena, Marmaris, Turkey

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by mhazlett

My wife and I are US citizens and cruisers in our third year in the Med and have had no regrets. We are in Turkey and hold residency permits, which can be obtained for up to five year periods without the tax, application and other issues raised by residency in most Schengen countries. All of North Africa, the Middle East, including Tunisia and Israel, and around to Turkey are non-Schengen. Last summer leaving Turkey by boat we spent time in three non-Schengen countries, Croatia (although as an EU member it is supposed to join at some future point), Montenegro and Albania as well as 88 days in Greece before returning to Marmaris. In an earlier year, we spent a considerable period in Gibraltar where Spain can be entered without a passport stamp—indeed we could not get our passports stamped even when we later sailed into Spain. As best I could determine Gibraltar did not impose a time limit on US boats, although as an overseas territory of the UK I suspect a six month limit is supposed to apply. Morocco of course is also non-Schengen. We have several friends from the US who have spent nearly a decade based in Turkey without problem. The best cruising in the Med is clearly in the eastern Med where Schengen is not the problem it is in Italy and France. I have seen a number of American cruisers write blog laments about cruising in the Med without getting to the eastern Med. A good source on Schengen is at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schengen_Area . It is also important to note that Schengen applies to the people not the vessel and that Americans, Canadians, Aussies, South Africans, South Americans, and citizens of most other countries outside Europe are subject to the same or worse rules. Kiwis get the benefit of special bilateral agreements permitting longer stays in a number of Schengen countries. There is an unrelated VAT issue for the vessel at 18 months in the EU but that is easily addressed by a short trip out of the EU. Sv Pua’ena, Marmaris, Turkey

Nice 1st post..
Thanks for relieving the growing hysteria...
A Belated Welcome to CF..

[svBeBe]

ChuckR -- I completely agree with your original post in this thread. We have been in the eastern Med after transporting up the Red Sea in April 2011. Turkey residency permits are extremely easy to obtain and very reasonably priced. But once you leave Turkey and start heading west it becomes too stressful and challenging to adhere to the Schengen 90-day limits. Removes all enjoyment of cruising. Hopefully this will be addressed and changed in 2015 with the new proposed 12-month tourist visa; but who knows if that will ever happen. For those of us here and now we must continue to adhere to the required 90-day-in/90-day-out scheme. (And please everyone, do not suggest that we non-EU people should fly beneath the eyes of authorities; that is illegal and we are not law breakers.) I would recommend the same as ChuckR stated, do not sail your boat over to the Med. Instead, fly over and charter boats in various locations and do land travel for the allotted 90 days. Return home or wherever you currently cruise and enjoy your own boat; then fly back over later for another 90-day stint in the Med or somewhere in Europe. Europe is wonderfully full of history and sites; just don't attempt to do it in your boat. It is not worth the hassle and stress of balancing weather and time constraints in so large an area as the Med. Just MHO; certainly there will be others who disagree. Usually those not facing these problems.

Judy

[Blue Crab]

Originally Posted by svBeBe

... Europe is wonderfully full of history and sites; just don't attempt to do it in your boat. It is not worth the hassle and stress of balancing weather and time constraints in so large an area as the Med. Just MHO; certainly there will be others who disagree. Usually those not facing these problems. Judy

Heh heh. Good one. Probably cheaper too and certainly far more flexible on what you can visit.

[robert sailor]

Like others we stayed in Turkey as well, met some wonderful people and wintered there. Great place for boat work and wonderful fresh food at wonderful prices but as others have said its a real pain in the butt to be on a short string when cruising places other than Greece and Italy. You can get good cruising weather for about 150+ days in the Med and 90 days flies right by pretty quick when your staying in fun spots or being held up by weather. If you leave Turkey to start cruising in May, which many people do, Yanks and Canadians have to be back out by the end of July. Maybe its just us or me but I like to see new stuff when I'm cruising, I don't like back tracking from a base in Turkey.

[BandB]

Originally Posted by DoubleWhisky

Most - if not all - countries of Schengen treaty have double system: Schengen Visas and country visas. Regulation regarding country visas vary from country to country. So it is to visitors choice - to obtain Schengen visa, which is available for convenience of quite short time visitors wishing to travel within EU (it is really good thing for most of the tourists), or to apply for separate visas from countries You want to visit. In the second situation You just need to ignore the Schengen and do it good old way, dealing with all countries You want to visit. More hassle of course, but please remember, EU (even Schengen members only) is still not one country. Joint Schengen visa is to accomodate most of tourists needs, but is not necessary and may be not so convenient to some. Anyway, nobody is forced to use it - it is not sole and only mean of entering the EU countries, it is a matter of convenience for most.
Multiple visas are unconvenient for travelling inside Europe by train or car (not many places to check - in, check out) but by yacht or by plane there is not a problem. This way You can stay in Europe for a very long time, travelling from one country to another. Of course - You need to adjust to the demands of separate countries, kinds of visas they are issuing and so on, but it is not different than for the rest of the world

This is the point others are missing. The Schengen Visa is a short term visa. It's basically the equivalent of a "Visa Waiver". It's purpose was to reduce issues for those visiting a short period. One can still obtain regular visa's to any of the countries. Most are fairly easy up to a year.

It's the same thing in the US. 90 days is a Visa Waiver. Longer tourist visas can be obtained and are all the time. Again, the 90 days and waiver was added to ease things for short term visitors.

We do still plan a European trip in a few years and we will get the appropriate visas to accommodate all. That may or may not require longer Visa's for parts of the time.

[robert sailor]

Well BandB you seem to have it all figured out but I don't think so.

[BandB]

Originally Posted by robert sailor

Well BandB you seem to have it all figured out but I don't think so.

Don't think what so? Don't think you can get longer tourist Visa's for European countries individually? Don't think one can alternately spend time in Schengen and non Schengen countries?

It's just as Double Whiskey stated. There are multiple types of Visas and those that may work for short term visitors may not for others. I just hope that no one is discouraged from visiting Europe or other parts of the world by Visa issues. Sometimes it's worth also turning to an expert in the field to get Visa assistance. Some of the visa and passport companies are quite good.

And I don't claim it is simple or straightforward. It must be carefully planned.