Art Baxter, Carmel, IN
Subject: Wintering in Scandinavia

We are soooo happy to see that you are planning to visit and even spend wintertime in our our local cruising ground. Since 1985 the coast between Gøtborg and Lindesnes (most southern point in Norway) has been our local homewaters. After we got our beauitiful "little ship" N46 Regina III the "local" limits has been extended, to put it mildly. We especially has fallen in love with the western parts of Norway, fjords, as well as the extensive archipelago. We will be more than happy to share experience and suggestions if you are planning to include these areas in your itinerary, a thing we really would recommend when first coming to these areas.

A little worried of your concerns regarding Swedish winter harbour, I called the Swedish custom deparment, and they somehow confirmed these worries. Their "safest" suggestion was to put up tempoary VAT security, that is 25% of boat value, to be returnd when leaving again. Oughhh ???!!!

In Norway (Schengen member but not EU) on the other hand, we got new legislation in 2009 granting free temporary import of pleasure boats for tourist and people in temporary employment. No declaration, application or report required! Time period one year, extendable to two. Leaving boat behind while abroad allowed for up to 6 weeks a year is allowed. I called the Norwegian custom department as well, and they confirmed this, but recommended a written application or temporary declaration if planning to leave country with boat behind for a longer period.

We have an unused docking facility with water and power connection we would love to offer you for free use. You have given us so much entertainment, dreams and most of all boat recommandation, so this is simply more than deserved.

May, Knut and Pascal (ship dog).

Scott Flanders from Egret responds:
May, Knut and Pascal, thank you so much for your kind offer. We would love to meet you while in the area. Also, we very much appreciate the time you took to research Egret spending the winter in Sweden vs Norway. We will follow thru on this and will contact you directly. This simply reinforces how the boating community is so helpful and kind to each other.

In the meantime, Egret reached the Australian mainland today and will wait here in the small harbor of Portland for weather to pass. We both have a lot to see and do before winter of 2011. Perhaps Regina III, Egret and any wayward N's could pop over to Spitzbergen the following summer. We could have our own little N. Arctic Rally. Smooth seas to you, doggie biscuits to Pascal and clean fuel to Regina III.