In May of this year, the State Council issued the "Approval on Temporarily Adjusting the Implementation of Relevant Administrative Regulations in the Nine Cities of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area," temporarily adjusting the implementation of relevant provisions of the "Customs Affairs Guarantee Regulations" and the "Ship Registration Regulations" in the nine cities of the Greater Bay Area. In June, the Guangdong Provincial People's Government issued the "Guangdong Provincial Measures for the Administration of Yacht Free Travel to Hong Kong and Macao" (hereinafter referred to as the "Measures").
In the future, Hong Kong and Macao yachts holding temporary mainland vessel nationality certificates will be able to freely navigate within the nine mainland cities of the Greater Bay Area, including Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Foshan, Huizhou, Dongguan, Zhongshan, Jiangmen, and Zhaoqing, and conduct recreational activities in designated waters. It was also learned that the "Guangdong Yachts Going South" initiative is currently underway.
Implement a guarantee-free and "dual license" management model
According to relevant policies, yachts entering Hong Kong and Macao will be subject to a guarantee-free and "dual-license" management model, and six wharves in the Pearl River Delta, including the Nansha Port Passenger Terminal, will be designated as the first batch of ports of entry and exit for yachts. Meanwhile, the Guangdong Maritime Safety Administration has compiled the "Navigation Guidelines for Yachts from Hong Kong and Macao," which details several recommended routes and clarifies key points for safe navigation.
The key aspects of the formal implementation of this policy are the "two-license" management model and the guarantee-free policy.
The "dual license" management model refers to the practice where yachts that have legally registered their ownership and obtained valid local licenses in Hong Kong and Macau can apply for a temporary vessel nationality certificate with a certain validity period without canceling their existing vessel ownership registration.
Yachts from Hong Kong and Macao must submit an application for a temporary vessel nationality certificate before entering mainland waters. The maritime administration will issue the temporary vessel nationality certificate within four working days of accepting the application. The temporary vessel nationality certificate is valid for no more than one year. During the validity period of the certificate, the yacht may enter and exit the mainland multiple times, but each consecutive stay or cumulative stay in the mainland shall not exceed 180 days.
Meanwhile, after the implementation of the guarantee-free policy, the customs will exempt Hong Kong and Macao yachts entering and leaving the nine mainland cities of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area through independent travel from collecting guarantees.
In addition, Hong Kong and Macao yacht operators and passengers who meet the conditions for fast-track clearance can pass through the border inspection fast track; for Hong Kong and Macao yachts that have obtained temporary vessel nationality certificates, after entering the country, they are exempt from declaring to the border inspection authorities and from going through border inspection entry and exit procedures when moving berths in the nine cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area; they are exempt from applying for border inspection boarding and berthing documents and from going through boarding and berthing procedures.
The first batch of 6 designated passenger terminals for yacht entry and exit
Based on port functions and traffic capacity, Guangdong Province has designated six passenger terminals for yacht entry and exit as the first batch of ports (Nansha Port Passenger Terminal, Shekou Port Passenger Terminal, Shenzhen Airport Port Fuyong Passenger Terminal, Zhuhai Port Jiuzhou Port Passenger Terminal, Zhuhai Port Wanshan Port Guishan Passenger Terminal, and Zhongshan Port Shenwan Port Shengshi Yacht Club Terminal).
Meanwhile, Guangdong Province announced the first batch of designated waters for yachting and leisure activities: Area A is located in the waters near Dong'ao Island and Wanshan Island in Zhuhai, with an area of approximately 401 square kilometers; Area B is located in the waters near Sanmen Island and Aizhou Island in Zhuhai (southwest of Wai Lingding Island), with an area of approximately 113 square kilometers; Area C is located in the waters near Erzhou Island and Xidan Island in Zhuhai (southwest of Dangan Island), with an area of approximately 75 square kilometers; and Area D is located in the waters of Shenzhen Bay, with an area of approximately 12 square kilometers.
The "Hong Kong and Macao Yacht Navigation Guidelines" details 18 recommended routes from Tuen Mun, Fen Liu Kok, and the Macao border crossing to various ports, and specifies speed limits, communication monitoring channels, and safety precautions for each waterway. It is important to note that yachts from Hong Kong and Macao engaged in recreational water activities such as sea fishing must comply with local regulations. Personnel are prohibited from landing on Da Wan Shan Island, Bai Li Island, and Dan Gan Island, and are prohibited from launching or landing drones within 500 meters of these islands.
The Measures stipulate that yachts from Hong Kong and Macao should enter and exit through designated ports. When sailing in the waters of the nine cities in mainland China, they should moor at suitable mooring points, conduct water recreation activities within the designated recreational activity areas, and be managed in accordance with relevant mainland vessel regulations.
The Measures also stipulate that inbound yachts must sign a management entrustment agreement with a yacht club registered with the maritime administration agencies of the nine mainland cities. The club shall be responsible for the safety and pollution prevention management of the Hong Kong and Macao yachts under its management, and assist the yachts in obtaining temporary vessel nationality certificates, port entry and exit reports, customs and border inspection procedures.
Furthermore, the Measures clarify the legal obligations of Hong Kong and Macao yachts entering and exiting mainland ports, navigating, anchoring, and conducting recreational activities in mainland waters, as well as fulfilling their duties related to ship safety management and marine pollution prevention. The Measures also stipulate that after entering mainland waters, Hong Kong and Macao yachts must comply with relevant mainland laws and regulations when navigating, anchoring, and conducting activities. Those who violate these regulations will be dealt with according to relevant laws and regulations, and new applications will be restricted or refused.
Drivers do not need to exchange their yacht driving licenses for mainland Chinese licenses
Specific arrangements have been made for Hong Kong and Macao yacht operators who drive yachts into the restricted waters of Guangdong, regarding their licensing and assessment.
Hong Kong and Macao yacht drivers participating in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao yacht free travel program do not need to exchange their mainland yacht driving licenses. They only need to complete the learning of Guangdong Province's waterway navigation rules and safety management regulations on the online learning platform, and obtain the "Certificate of Qualification" uniformly issued online by the maritime authorities after passing the online examination. Then they can drive yachts to navigate the waters of the nine cities in the Greater Bay Area.
The "Certificate of Qualification" serves as a valid document for Hong Kong and Macao yacht drivers to travel freely in Guangdong Province. It is valid for five years, not exceeding the expiration date of their original Hong Kong and Macao yacht driving license. If they wish to continue sailing after the expiration date, they can reapply for the qualification test. This certificate is synchronized in real-time with the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Yacht Free Travel Information Management System, eliminating the need for Hong Kong and Macao yacht drivers to carry it with them while sailing in Guangdong, thus achieving information integration and simplified travel.
In addition, special attention should be paid to the following: After making a reservation, the yacht should be driven to the reserved port on the reserved date to complete the port entry procedures; during the voyage of Hong Kong and Macao yachts, the yacht should be operated by a registered driver; during the voyage in the nine cities of the Greater Bay Area, the vessel's entry and exit information must be reported to the mainland maritime administration through the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Yacht Free Travel Information Management System or the "Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Yacht Free Travel" mini-program, and the Automatic Identification System (AIS) of the vessel should be kept in normal working order; and the relevant management regulations of the mainland, Hong Kong and Macao should be strictly observed.
The "Guangdong boats heading south" initiative is underway
The reporter also learned that the "Guangdong boats heading south" operation is underway.
The Hong Kong Marine Department has commissioned the Nansha Seafarer Competency Assessment Demonstration Center of the Guangdong Maritime Safety Administration and the Seafarer Examination Center of the Shenzhen Maritime Safety Administration to conduct local knowledge examinations in Hong Kong waters. It has also recognized seven training institutions in Guangdong Province, located in Guangzhou, Nansha, Jiangmen, Zhuhai, Dapeng New District of Shenzhen, and Daya Bay of Huizhou, to provide relevant short-term training courses. In addition, Hong Kong is advancing the construction of an electronic business system and supporting measures such as relaxing restrictions on berth availability for visiting yachts, which
are expected to be officially launched by the end of this month.
Macau is also simultaneously improving its supporting measures to facilitate travel. Leveraging its free port advantages, mainland yachts can now complete the entire application process for visiting Macau virtually online. Furthermore, Macau has established immigration service stations in two yacht berthing areas, enabling "inspection upon arrival." In addition, several other optimized policies, such as exempting yachts visiting Macau solely for berthing from mandatory civil liability insurance, are continuously enhancing the attractiveness of mainland yachts visiting Macau.
Written by Zhang Zijun, Li Xindi and Liu Shiqiang, Southern Plus reporters
Co-ordinated by Peng Lin and Huang Shaohong
 Shi Qiang, Deputy Director of Marine, Joseph Chu (Vice Commodore RHKYC) and Benson Luk.jpg)