In port
VulcanSpirit
Richard & Alison Brunstrom
Fri 1 Oct 2010 21:18
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Portuguese maritime entry procedures are
incredible. One has to present oneself to the Maritime Police, the Immigration
Service, and the National Guard of the Republic, Fiscal Section. You have
to clear in and out of every island, even those in the same archipelago
like Porto Santo & Madeira. Exactly what the Republic is going to do with
laboriously recorded information like the colour of our sails is
beyond my understanding. In a Kafkaesque episode the Marina staff, acting on
behalf of the Maritime Police, retained our vessel registration document until
departure. No problem there, but then one has to walk over to the National
Guard office, where the first document requested is the original of the
vessel registration document. Bizarre. And this is part of the European Union's
Schengen system of which I am a passionate supporter. If we had been
smuggling people or drugs or running guns this labyrinthine system would
have done exactly nothing to prevent us. It seems all the more odd that if
you enter Portugal by land from Spain there are no entry procedures at
all. I'm told by fellow travellers that Greece is worse. I can't believe
it. But then I have to look at Britain's ridiculous drugs laws and accept that
the Portuguese, who have decriminalised, are light years ahead of
us.
Weather now beautiful, temperature 30 degrees and
sky cloudless; sitting on the terrace overlooking the azure blue Atlantic and
sipping a cold beer it all begins to feel worthwhile. But tomorrow back to
hard reality as we try to sort the sail out.
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