Our first passports!
Yes, odd though it may seem we've simply never had the need or the desire to travel beyond the shores of these sceptred isles. But now the time has come ...
We plan to attend the big annual extravaganza that is Oostende voor Anker (that is Ostend at Anchor in English, although technically and to be pedantic the boats on show are moored, not anchored!) at the end of May and that means, yikes, travelling to foreign lands where they don't speak English as a first language and the beer is a funny colour and, to be sensible for a moment, a certain amount of paperwork is required
Life is made somewhat complicated for the British yachtsman travelling to Europe due to our rather half hearted approach to being a member of the European Union. Now leaving aside the politics of whether the UK is better off in or out of the EU, there can be no argument that when it comes to travel we tend to get a lot of the drawbacks with virtually none of the benefits
As we don't have a National ID Card, Brits need a passport to travel to Europe. OK, not a show stopper but it required a certain amount of research (long story but some of the info needed was not readily to hand), a deal of form filling, a not insubstantial wadge of cash, the assistance of our good friend Pat of "Laurin" to countersign the forms and a trip to Peterborough for an interview.
Actually, I have to say that I found the whole process relatively straightforward and Her Majety's Passport Office staff friendly, helpful and extremely efficient. Given the need to prevent identity theft and other illegal activities, that you have to go through a certain amount of hoop jumping to obtain such an important document is totally understandable.
With the delightfully traditional looking, and traditionally worded, books in hand I turned my thoughts to other matters pertaining to travelling to the continent.
Usefully, included within the envelope with the passports, was a handy guide to travelling abroad. This pointed me at the EHIC (or European Health Insurance Card) web site where in no time at all I had applied for this essential document which will provide for essential healthcare should we fall ill whilst the other side of the North Sea
However, the EHIC doesn't by any means cover every possible expense that might be associated with falling ill and the EHIC website makes it clear that travellers should also arrange travel insurance.
It does not, for example, cover the cost of repatriation to the UK. Nor, in another example, does it cover the cost of an ambulance in Belgium. It only covers 70% of medical costs in France, 75% in Belgium and so on. It may be a "must have" but it also smacks of being something of a false security blanket!
We do however have travel insurance through our Halifax Reward Account but I decided to take a look at the small print and therein I found a wee problem. The insurance covers us for the hazardous (their words, not mine) activity of sailing but only within "territorial waters". By international convention, ratified by the UK, territorial waters extend 12 miles from the mean low water line.
Crossing the channel from Dover to Calais (or Dunkirk as in fact we might skip Calais) is entirely within territorial waters. Crossing the North Sea back from the Netherlands to Harwich involves a good 60 miles, or about 15 hours, in international waters where our travel insurance does not apply
Now some might say I am a worrier, I would argue though that I am a thinker. I like to plan for every eventuality and then I can relax and enjoy myself in the knowledge that come what may I've got it covered.
And I positively do not like the idea as skipper that if one of us was taken ill some eight or ten hours outbound from a Dutch port I'd be worrying about the costs of turning back to the nearest assistance (or, for that matter, the consequences of accepting assistance from Dutch or Belgian rescue services)
Worse, if it was me that was taken seriously ill, that would leave Jane having to deal with a potential nightmare. I'm well aware, and very grateful, that a whole host of friends would rush to our assistance (as indeed would I to help them in the same circumstances). "Erbas" would be back across the North Sea and on her mooring in the blink of an eye, lifts, help, etc. etc. would be proffered on all sides and so on.
But none of that avoids the likelihood of racking up a fairly hefty bill. And the bottom line is that a bill of as little, for a given value of "little", as £4k or £5k would almost certainly force the sale of "Erbas" to cover it.
So a quick scout around turned up several one off and annual travel insurance policies for the sailing man, and woman. For about £50 to £60 I can obtain full cover of every eventuality and virtually ever cost associated with a medical emergency even in the middle of the North Sea.
It would not only cover any gap between what EHIC covers and the actual charges, it would fully cover the cost of repatriation, flying out replacement crew, and a whole raft of other potential costs too.
That's an awful lot of peace of mind for a just £60!
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