Paperwork, Regulations and Other Necessary Evils

One of the great attractions of travelling by boat is the freedom it promises. Cast off the ropes, point the bow towards the horizon and head off in search of adventure.

Unfortunately, before any of that can happen, there is paperwork.

And quite a lot of it.

When we first began planning our journey, we assumed that travelling from the UK to mainland Europe would be relatively straightforward. After all, people cross the English Channel every day and Europe's waterways have connected countries, cultures and trade routes for centuries.

Then we started researching what would actually be required to take a British-registered boat across international borders and through multiple countries.

The answer, unsurprisingly, was documentation.

There are documents for the boat, documents for the skipper, documents for the radio, documents proving ownership, documents proving compliance, documents proving insurance and documents proving that you have the right to be where you are. There are also documents which prove that the other documents are valid.

As our route expanded from a trip through France to a voyage stretching across much of Europe, the amount of research required grew with it. Brexit added a further layer of uncertainty, with regulations and requirements changing as negotiations unfolded and new agreements were implemented.

Fortunately, most of the information is available online, although it often requires a little patience and persistence to find it. Over time we assembled what we believe is a complete set of registrations, licences, certificates, insurance documents and travel paperwork needed for both the boat and crew.

Whether every official we encounter along the way will agree remains to be seen.

After spending years restoring Deux Poissons, countless hours sanding, painting, repairing and upgrading, I have little desire to meet a particularly enthusiastic official armed with an "Impounded" sticker and a clipboard.

For now, our approach is simple: carry the required documentation, keep records organised, stay informed about changing regulations and hope that our paperwork attracts less attention than the boat itself.

The adventure may begin on the water, but it turns out a surprising amount of it starts behind a desk.