First Guangdong yachts arrive in Hong Kong under new southbound scheme

Five Guangdong-registered yachts arrived in Hong Kong on Friday, October 16, as the first vessels approved under a new southbound scheme for mainland leisure boats. The crossing puts the new travel rules into use in a city already short of places to berth its own vessels.

Three boats came from Shenzhen, one from Zhuhai and one from Guangzhou, Hong Kong Free Press reported. They entered Hong Kong waters at about noon and berthed at Lantau Yacht Club in Discovery Bay. Marine Department vessels greeted them with a horn salute. Deputy Director of Marine Shi Qiang welcomed the skippers ashore, while Deputy Financial Secretary Michael Wong and Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan presided over a ceremony.

How Guangdong yachts can enter Hong Kong

Visiting skippers may seek shelter at Tai Tam Bay, Stanley Bay, Three Fathoms Cove, Repulse Bay and Tai O. The five designated anchorages can accommodate around 115 vessels in total, measuring up to 40 metres long, according to Hong Kong Free Press. The prospect of increased traffic at Tai O has raised concerns for the area’s vulnerable pink dolphins.

Director of Marine Wong Sai-fat told public broadcaster RTHK that authorities would monitor visiting boats and advise their skippers, according to Hong Kong Free Press. He said the department would issue a notification if a yacht entered a restricted area or its Automatic Identification System failed; patrol staff would be sent after a report. The Marine Department has also established examination centres in Guangdong and approved seven institutions to train mainland skippers. Nearly 300 had qualified to navigate Hong Kong waters by late September, according to Xinhua, as reported by Hong Kong Free Press.

Hong Kong’s mooring shortage and cross-boundary plans

Hong Kong has more than 12,500 locally registered yachts and boats but fewer than 5,000 moorings and dry berths, leaving an estimated shortfall of around 7,500, Hong Kong Free Press reported. The government plans hundreds of additional moorings through an expansion of Aberdeen South Typhoon Shelter and new marinas at Sok Kwu Wan and the airport’s Skytopia development. Those projects are expected to take at least five years and would still leave a gap between local supply and demand.

Hong Kong and Guangdong authorities signed arrangements for cross-boundary yacht travel in late September. China approved related exemptions from cross-border financial guarantees for Hong Kong and Macau yachts in May. Previously, owners seeking to cross the maritime boundary had to lodge a deposit and apply for a licence, a process Hong Kong Free Press said could take months and cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.