GZ's Nansha brings 100 yacht owners tgt after new yacht policy with HK

Four-plus months after Hong Kong yachts have been granted access through the waters of the nine mainland cities in the Greater Bay Area without customs guarantee, Guangzhou's Nansha hosted an event bringing about 100 Hong Kong and mainland yacht owners together to share their experiences.

This yacht from Hong Kong made its maiden voyage to Nansha. It was the first vessel to enter on this day, clearing customs at Nansha Passenger Port in about half an hour.

This yacht owner said everyone on board was happy. The clearance process was smooth, but he still has not obtained his Home Return Permit due to procedural issues.

His friend and representative of the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club Adrian Pang said he hoped the clearance process would improve with better coordination between departments. As to whether he would be making regular trips to Nansha, he said he would need to factor in how attractive tourism resources are, and if it is cost-effective.

He said the clearance time was shorter than expected. Coming regularly to Nansha is still in the discussion stage. For example, for boat repairs, they would consider whether it is reasonable to sail for six hours to come up here, but long-term maintenance could be done here.

More than 10 Hong Kong yachts came to Nansha this time. This yacht arrived early, and had to wait a long time before it could clear customs.

This captain said they thought it would take eight hours to arrive at the port, but it only took a little more than six hours. Because they arrived earlier than their scheduled time with the mainland authorities, they had to wait. He hopes for more flexibility in the future. However, when they arrived and saw many people welcoming them, they were pleasantly surprised.

The organiser of the event, Commerce Bureau of Nansha District, said it had earlier adjusted the speed-limit in the Pearl River Estuary waters to shorten the northbound yacht voyage, and would continue to improve the process for Hong Kong yachts heading north.

This government representative said they hope to improve Nansha's yacht facilities and equipment, including planning and building yacht berths and temporary mooring points. In the future, besides Hong Kong yachts heading north, they hope Guangzhou yachts will head south, with more yachts passing through Nansha to Hong Kong.

On Saturday and Sunday, the shipowners will also visit Nansha Tianhou Palace and other tourist attractions to learn more about the tourism resources here.