Boating Abroad

UK leaving the EU: From 23:00 UTC on 31 January 2020 the UK is no longer a member of the EU. However, the UK and the EU ratified a withdrawal agreement, which means that we enter a transition period during which the Union law is applicable to and in the UK, except where otherwise stated in the withdrawal agreement. In reality this means that the EU will treat the UK as if it were a Member State, with the exception of UK participation in the EU institutions and governance structures. The UK remains in both the EU Customs Union and the Single Market for the duration of the transition period. Goods with Union status remain in free circulation and can therefore remain in the UK or the remaining 27 EU countries with no time limit. Freedom of movement will continue to apply to nationals of the UK during the transition period, so there will be no restriction on how long you can spend in the EU. In other words, although the UK has left the EU, in day to day life, nothing really changes for the duration of the transition period.

If you are cruising the waters of another country, under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, that country is quite within its rights to ask you to comply with its applicable legislation, rules and regulations. This may include, for example, requiring the skipper to prove his or her competence for that role; carriage of local publications or regulations is also often stipulated.

It is important that you are aware of your obligations prior entering another country's territorial waters.