Hong Kong yacht owner warns he may skip return trips over bureaucratic burden

A retired harbour pilot who joined Hong Kong's inaugural cross-border yachting convoy to mainland China last week has warned he may not return unless bureaucratic procedures are simplified and costs reduced.

Alex Yu Chi-leung, 66, sailed his 50-foot wooden yacht Bowline from Causeway Bay to Dongao Island in Zhuhai under the new Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau individual yacht scheme, but said the administrative burden and shallow waters dampened what should have been a leisure trip.

"If the procedures are simplified, because right now they are too numerous, complicated and ambiguous, then I will come back again," Yu said. "If I have to do a massive round of work just to sail for one or two days, I might as well sail in Hong Kong".

The veteran mariner added that he would rather take a commercial ferry to Dongao for a holiday.

First voyage draws mixed reviews

Despite the hurdles, Yu scored the voyage 60 out of 100 and viewed it as a worthwhile test run. It was his first trip under the scheme, launched in June to allow eligible Hong Kong and Macau vessels to enter designated Guangdong waters for tourism.

Yu was among 139 participants aboard 16 yachts from Hong Kong and Macau that sailed to Dongao under the programme.

The scheme represents an attempt to boost cross-border leisure sailing in the Greater Bay Area, but Yu's experience suggests authorities must address operational constraints if they hope to attract repeat participation from Hong Kong yacht owners who can already access local waters with far less paperwork.

Source: South China Morning Post