WIN
The letter of the month wins a bottle of HMS Spirits Skipjack Rum, which blends oak-aged rums from four Caribbean islands with a unique mix of local spices for a perfect taste of the tropics. www.hmsspirits.com
Don’t be put off from cruising to France
My wife, Pat and I cruised to France before the COVID-19 pandemic and Brexit, and we went again this year. Our experience was very different to Paul Dale’s (‘Sailing to France after Brexit’, YM, October 2022). We found the arrangements reasonable and the French customs very professional, although we did do quite a bit of planning.
We entered France at Saint Quay-Portrieux using the special exemption given to Saint-Quay and Saint-Cast, which allowed British sailors to enter and leave from these two ports between 1 June-30 September. We emailed the required form to the marina, 24 hours before the voyage.
The marina then forwarded it to the local customs, who checked it and then sent it back. The marina then forwarded the approved form to us. This allowed the boat and crew to sail freely anywhere
