America to Europe 2011

Submitted by Evelyn Fincham

America:

All went well dropping off our motor home at the Jacksonville, Florida port, at the offices of K-Line, our shipping company.  The entire process took about an hour.  We actually were a day earlier than required but wanted to give ourselves leeway in case we had to have the propane tank purged (which we didn't), as is the case at some other ports.  We were required to use an escort ($35 for one hour) but this was actually a blessing.  The young lady who took me around was very helpful and told me a lot about the port and various lines that ship out of there.  She even climbed up on the overhead bed to close an upper window that someone left open. The ladder couldn’t be used because of the partition we put up between the coach and cab, so it’s a good thing she was athletic. 

Three different security personnel checked the coach.  One man told his partner to look under the bed to see if anyone was there.  The top was fastened down and so I had visions of them wanting me to take the screws out to see inside.  But they seemed pleased that it was closed so that no one could get underneath.  I said I thought the worry was people being smuggled INTO the country but they said it works the other way too sometimes. 

Europe:

Monday we took a 70 Euro taxi ride the 13 km to Zeebrugge. It took only a few minutes to pay the port charges at the shipping agent’s office and then we were off to the area where our vehicle was parked.  I had a scare in the port office when she couldn’t be found at first.  There are cameras in the office that can search all the lots but our vehicle was in a spot where the cameras couldn’t reach. 

The vehicle arrived unscathed. However, at some point thieves had gotten inside and had stolen many things.  The Oxygenics showerhead and even the wall attachment, much of our clothing, bicycle rack, step ladder, battery tester, voltage meter, picnic table, chairs, many kitchen items, etc., etc. 

I believe we can exclude the Jacksonville port and think the thievery happened in Zeebrugge.  But we don’t know.  Whoever it was methodically went through the RV and picked exactly what they wanted or needed. 

How did they get in when we had the front partitioned off from the back?  The Jacksonville port official refused to hold the coach keys in the event customs needed to get inside.  But he said if we didn’t leave keys in the cab and customs did need to look inside, they would break the door.  So I had to make a snap decision and tell him where the keys would be and they were found.  When we got to the vehicle, the coach keys were sitting on the passenger seat. 

We spent a few hours putting things back together and then stayed two nights in a small RV parking area next to a canal where I used up a box of Kleenex that the thieves were so kind to leave for me. 



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