Trailing your boat abroad

[Sea Simon]

We were inspected leaving Plymouth and asked for ships papers and insurance. 
They confiscated two packs of declared out of date flares which was in fact convenient as they are now so hard to dispose of!  They were easily replaced in France.  They also inspected our gas inflated life jackets.  I believe there is a limit of 6 on the ferry passage.  There is also a limit of 5 liters of fuel. We declared our galley knives which were locked in the cabin. I have heard that they will confiscate multitool knives......

Leaving Roscoff was even easier, and returning to Plymouth, customs simply waved us through having perhaps noticed that we had gone the other way six weeks earlier.

Who (which officials) inspected what, where, please MD?
Eg HMRC in UK? Or French Douanes in Plymouth now?

[Llafurio]

...
Is the Eire > France/Spain ferry experience substantially  unchanged? ..

Yes. For EU citizens, it's free inner-EU transport without limitations whatsoever.

However, there are noticeably more open -and concealed- checks for illegal activities such as human trafficking and drugs. Also at irish ferryports.
And, because of the Common Travel Area of Ireland and UK, travellers on Ireland <> France ferries must now present a valid passport prior to embarkation, not just an identity card.

UK citizens arriving at irish ferryports from UK are being checked for goods exceeding EU import allowances. EU citizens may also be checked in this process, but are exempt from all import duties for goods purchased within the EU.

IMO, how Brexit got "done" is pitiable. We european citizens deserve better.

[Bill Rollo]

Graham - thanks very much.  I've read the RYA page which is helpful but not quite definitive!  Holland sounds like a good bet, but its a long way around if one wanted to go to the West Coast of France! I keep reading tempting accounts of adventures in the Charente so someone is going there. I'll persevere and report back if I find anything useful, BW Bill

[Matthew P]

It's over a year since trailing abroad was last addressed. Has anyone useful advice based on experience in 2023?  Are there new regulations for trailer construction or lighting? Any new documentary requirements?  Change in behaviour (good and bad) of people wearing peaked caps at borders?

Matthew

[Llafurio]

I was questioned by french border police first time ever last year on my return journey from Morbihan. That was while queueing up in Roscoff for the ferry back to Cork. Both are EU ports.
First, they only wanted proof of ownership, nothing about VAT. Apparently, some yacht by the name of "Homer" had been reported stolen, so I was suspicious. As I had no proof of ownership with me, they took photos of my boat to compare with photos of the stolen "Homer". When the photos did not match, at all, they asked for an insurance docket, which I also did not have on me. Then they decided I did not actually require insurance cover for the boat for leaving France aboard a ferry.
Finally, they cautioned me not to return to France on own keel without carrying proof of insurance.
I took that to heart of course.