+x

 

Hasbun - 6/21/2020

+x

 

Bill Balme - 6/21/2020

with possible stops at non-Schengen countries limited to Morocco, Croatia and Turkey (without hitting the north African countries)

Our Schengen escapes in the Med were:

1 Montenegro,
2 Tunisia,
3 Turkey,
4 Israel,
5 Greek Cyprus.

6 Gibraltar can be used but it requires insistence to go to the Spanish/Gibraltar border and stand on the Spanish side until a supervisor agrees to give you an actual Schengen exit or entry stamp as the case might be —many a sailor have naively fallen for the non-Schengen square stamp routinely issued there, which is strictly for local use and which is not a valid rounded-corners Schengen stamp and which is not recognized by any other EU country. Most of the Spanish policemen at the Gib border crossing don’t even realize their boss keeps the genuine Schengen stamp locked in his desk, and so deny that a Schengen stamp exists, or that they have it, or that they can issue it. But if you hang around long enough the supervisor with the real deal eventually emerges.

7 Morocco we never needed to go to, so far.

8 Croatia we didn’t go on grounds of crowding, fee abuse at most _anchorages_, abusive border police with regard to points and times of entry and exit, and the fact we sailed there in a previous life. However, it is gorgeous cruising grounds and most cruisers report absolutely loving it there.

9 Many report lovely wintering in Turkish-occupied north Cyprus. We didn’t feel right supporting the occupation and in any event had no need to go there, but by all accounts the marinas are world-class.

10 Malta has been used by some as a Schengen refuge. No less than two boats of our closest friends have out-Schengened there in recent years, as the authorities were willing to stamp them out and let them stay in Malta for months. It’s a lovely place. Having said this, one or two people with whom we shared this were, for whatever reason, unable to get the same deal our friends got, and had to escape to Tunisia.