Red tape, high cost: can Hong Kong’s new yacht scheme chart a smoother course?
Retired harbour pilot Alex Yu Chi-leung sailed his 50-foot wooden yacht, Bowline, from Causeway Bay in Hong Kong to Dongao Island in Zhuhai under a new cross-border yachting scheme last week, but bureaucratic hurdles and shallow waters tempered the excitement of the leisure trip. It was Yu’s first voyage under the scheme, but it could also be his last unless mainland Chinese authorities improve…
Retired harbour pilot Alex Yu was among 139 participants who sail to Dongao Island in Zhuhai under the new cross-border yachting scheme last week. However, bureaucratic hurdles and shallow waters marred the leisure trip. The 66-year-old veteran mariner, who gave the voyage a score of 60 out of 100, believes the procedures are too numerous, complicated and ambiguous.
He would prefer to take a commercial ferry to Dongao for a holiday. The scheme, launched in June, allows eligible Hong Kong and Macau vessels to enter designated Guangdong waters for tourism. The largest cross-border flotilla to date, consisting of 16 yachts from Hong Kong and Macau, experienced hardware limitations such as only one yacht berth and propeller breakage.
Despite the issues, participants enjoyed the journey, describing it as stress-relieving and bonding time. However, the high cost and administrative requirements remain a challenge for some participants, who question whether the benefits outweigh the efforts.
Written by urgent.news from South China Morning Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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