My Ireland and UK experience is dated - 2002 and 2003 but I will share it anyway.
We arrive in Ireland at
Baltimore, a very small town. We had to take a bus to a different town to check in with the Guarda (police). The process was that we were recorded on the police blotter. I noted the date, place and the page number in the blotter in my log book. We were never asked to prove that we had checked in. Ireland was a great visit.
On to Northern Ireland. Upon arrival we phoned customs. They checked us in on the
phone. They said we were officially in the UK and no further action was needed. Again we noted the particulars in our log. We then proceeded to
Scotland, Through the Caledonian
Canal and down the
east coast of
England, making many stops. Again, our status was never questioned, until going up the Thames to London.
While on our way towards London a
marine patrol
boat came up to us and a officer stepped aboard without so much as a "we are boarding you". Obviously they can do that in
England. They wanted our information. I got out the logbook and showed him the date, time and the officer's name that I spoke to on the
phone. I even noted in the log that the officer said no further action was necessary. The boarding officer said that that was incorrect but he accepted it because he was sure that was what I was told. He left me a form to fill out and send to them.
We arrived in Ireland in June and in London in late September or early October. In that time we went to many
anchorages and a few marinas. We were never asked about insurance until our arrival at St. Catherine's
Dock, where we were for the
winter.
We were often greeted and welcomed by the people we met along the way. These are great places to visit. I remember visiting the pub at the marina in Grimsby and we couldn't pay for our own drinks.