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Kayaking to Macau from HK

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  1. #1

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    No vessel is allowed to enter Hong Kong waters without the permission of the Director of Marine. Not less than 24 hours prior to entering into Hong Kong waters, masters/owners/agents of visiting yachts/pleasure vessels shall apply in writing for permission by providing a Pre-Arrival Notification (PAN) to the Marine
    Unless your kayak is a registered vessel I don't see how it will be possible. You might get away with just doing it if you are a HKPR, afaik it's not illegal to just cross outside an official border crossing and they can't turn you back if you are PR. Not sure non-motorized vessels are even allowed in the Chinese part of the Pearl River Delta, there is a hell of a lot of traffic.
    Last edited by mrgoodkat; 04-12-2019 at 05:10 PM.
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  2. #2

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    Quote Originally Posted by mrgoodkat:
    Unless your kayak is a registered vessel I don't see how it will be possible. You might get away with just doing it if you are a HKPR, afaik it's not illegal to just cross outside an official border crossing and they can't turn you back if you are PR. Not sure non-motorized vessels are even allowed in the Chinese part of the Pearl River Delta, there is a hell of a lot of traffic.
    I don't think anyone would go out of their way to stop the OP from doing it if he or she insist on it. But you are right about the danger. Like getting killed by being run over by those jetfoils, the hydrofoil ferries that go between Sai Wan and Macau. They go at 40+ knots and a little kayak just barely floating above the waves will be hard to spot. Yes those vessels have radars, but modern kayaks are made with fiberglass, a composite material that is not very good at reflecting radio or microwave, especially for a small thing like a kayak. So those vessels will have a hard time seeing a little kayak in any case.
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  3. #3

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    FYI - This person kite-surfed from HK to Macau earlier in the year. So, it is possible to get there through a non-motorised transport (again, not sure what kite-surfing is .. and if she had escorts / safety team with her). Would have no clue how and so far out of my list of things I'm interested in, that I'll leave it to the OP to research further.


    https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/artic...rine-pollution

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  4. #4

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    Quote Originally Posted by Coolboy:
    I don't think anyone would go out of their way to stop the OP from doing it if he or she insist on it.
    I'd be worried that Marine Police will treat someone who isn't a resident as an illegal immigrant if they catch him/her crossing the border in a kayak. Same with ImmD, you'd have to register your arrival somewhere that handles vessel arrivals, and then they'd bitch about not having applied 24h in advance and having no permit from the Marine Department.

    PS: Imagine capsizing in that sewage they call the PRD
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  5. #5

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    Quote Originally Posted by mrgoodkat:
    I'd be worried that Marine Police will treat someone who isn't a resident as an illegal immigrant if they catch him/her crossing the border in a kayak. Same with ImmD, you'd have to register your arrival somewhere that handles vessel arrivals, and then they'd bitch about not having applied 24h in advance and having no permit from the Marine Department.

    PS: Imagine capsizing in that sewage they call the PRD
    Yes, if the OP didn't plan carefully his trip, that might be the result. Still, I don't know if there is any law that specifically forbade crossing in a kayak if the kayaker has all his or her papers in order. He would have to check with the Immigration Department on the procedures (if any) for this sort of thing. I mean, private motoryachts do regularly travel between HK and Macau, so there is an arrangement for travel in personal vessels.

    Agree on the sewage, the mainland factories do release nasty pollutants into the estuary. Although the amount and type of pollutants may vary by season.

  6. #6

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    If you are going solo, I don’t know what’s going to kill you first. Jetfoil or a container ship.


  7. #7

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    Curious to follow this. Hope the OP will update us.

    Those jet foils are a very serious hazard. They come up so quick on you...

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  8. #8

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    Hugging the bridge might lessen the conflict with the HK-Macau ferry, but remember, there are also the HK to Zhuhai, Zhongshan and Guangzhou ferries to watch out for.
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  9. #9

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    - try looking for Hillian Siu in the surfing community sites.

    The solo crossing will count on the support of a small team of five, who will travel nearby in a boat and offer assistance in an emergency.

    Simon Holliday, a Hong Kong resident who swam the crossing between the two regions a few years back, encountered an immigration issue upon reaching his Macau beach destination.

    Regarding the immigration issue, Siu said, “we are aware of the [bureaucratic] difficulties and our plan is in fact not to reach land in Macau but to jump back on the boat after reaching a defined ‘finish line’ and from there go with the crew to do a proper immigration check.”

    She said that, technically, the crossing will be done by boat. “But there is nothing that says that I can’t do a watersports activity during this boat trip.”
    Another guy by the name Simon Holliday has done an even scarier trip - swimming to Macau. You might be able to find him if he is still in HK.

    https://macaudailytimes.com.mo/adven...undraiser.html
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  10. #10

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    You could also contact the various outrigger clubs. They have experience organising support boats for races. They've also done at least one round trip to Macau, but suspect that was a one-off (it's not like it would be a particularly attractive route).


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