More on Red Diesel…

Scuttlebutt Europe carried the following letter outlining a reader’s treatment by Belgian authorities over his red diesel…

From Tim Brooke:

We recently have received a 500 Euro fine for having red diesel in Oostende, Belgium.

We had just the day previously competed in the EAORA Graham Wallis Trophy Race (6th July 2017) from Harwich to Oostende and were enjoying a lay day in Oostende before racing back to the UK on the following day.

At approximately 1500 local time I received a message from a member of the crew still on the boat that my presence was required. I promptly left the terrace of the Royal North Sea Yacht Club to return to the boat. On my arrival I found 2 uniformed and armed customs officers and 2 other officials who I later learned from the custom officers were ‘Officials from Brussels’. The Customs Officers proceeded to inform me that they needed to check my tank, I told them I had Red Diesel and had a receipt for it but that didn’t seem to make any significant impact. they then proceeded to pump a test amount out the tank and showed me that (low and behold) it was red diesel.

Then followed a lot of form filling and checking of papers (Ships Register, Insurance, Radio Licence and crew passports and ID) before producing a card terminal.

I believe that a couple of other yachts participating in the event also had their papers checked.

The Customs officers where friendly and courteous, but where very insistent that Red Diesel was illegal for pleasure craft and white diesel is easy to obtain in the UK.

The whole incident has obviously left a bitter taste and we won’t be returning to Belgium any time soon, and whilst I can’t speak for the East Anglian Offshore Racing Association there was a general feeling that they wouldn’t be returning to Belgium until this issue was resolved, with 3 races a year to Belgium with one scheduled in September to Oostende this could potentially be quite a significant impact to the competitors and organisers.

As these events have been running since my grandfathers time it would be a shame for them to changed due to this difference in laws.