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Palarran · 09-12-2010, 07:48

Boatman, I'm familiar with the clear in/out with St. Martin and St. Bart's as thats my normal sailing area. You do have to pay to anchor in St. Barts but not St. Martin unless you are in Marigot. St. Bart's goes by tonnage and some type of length x width calc so it is probably cheaper for most others.

It would still be interesting to know what defines a "cruiser"

Bash · 09-12-2010, 08:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by Palarran

It would still be interesting to know what defines a "cruiser"

My mother-in-law, in her dotage, belonged to a club that arranged discount cruising-line passages for senior citizens. They called themselves "cruisers."

**boatman61** · 09-12-2010, 09:04

Well that must be new as during my last spell out there in 07 I went over to St Barts a few times from Marigot and never got charged apart from a day rate on anchor in Gustavia....
Around at Nikki Beach... nothing... and the bay at the top NW end who's name escapes me was the same....

zeehag · 09-12-2010, 13:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by meyermm

I have noticed all of the respondents have avoided trying to defend the cost, around $800 just to get a US visa to spend one night in the states.
Not having been to that part of the world, Caribean, but from my knowledge they have economies based on tourism so charging an entry fee of $300 for one night is absurd as the writer would now but a fee never the less would be appropriate. Australian economy is not based on tourism and is not a third world country. Correct me if I am wrong but US citizens do not require passports to visit most of those places and a good deal of South America including Mexico. One of my crew a Canadian citizen remarked while cruising the Pacific that the locals had a much higher living standard than the Caribean citizens and as such he felt much safer and was not constantly having to worry about theft. I wonder why with the large amount of US tourism they are not doing better

"Correct me if I am wrong but US citizens do not require passports to visit most of those places and a good deal of South America including Mexico. "
you are WRONG. yes we need passports to visit ANY country outside usa.
WHAT us tourism-- remember -- 200,000 us citizens LOST THEIR HOMES last year-- LOL... many are going nowhere.

VirtualVagabond · 09-12-2010, 14:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by David_Old_Jersey

Methinks time to chill out

Anyone been watching the *Cricket

*For North American readers, Cricket is a game played in Australia...........by Girls Well, it is at the moment

DOJ,
That's just not cricket. More like a low blow...

VirtualVagabond · 09-12-2010, 14:25

Can anyone clarify the situation a bit?

$300 is being bandied around as being a fee to enter Australia and sail for a year.

My understanding is that the $300 is an AQIS pest inspection fee, if you arrive in normal business hours (with a suite and tie?).

Are there any other fees that visiting cruisers will be charged? Visas? What would be the total cost to any foreign sailor arriving here with a view to sailing Aussie waters for 6 months?

SurferShane · 09-12-2010, 14:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by SurferShane

So if you want to rip the place off then just ask me and I am sure I could do even better. Otherwise please blame the genuine cruisers over here doing their best to escape the bureaucratic BS.

Opps!

That was obviously meant to read please DON’T blame the genuine cruisers over here who are struggling with the same BS.

meyermm · 09-12-2010, 15:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by zeehag

"Correct me if I am wrong but US citizens do not require passports to visit most of those places and a good deal of South America including Mexico. "
you are WRONG. yes we need passports to visit ANY country outside usa.
WHAT us tourism-- remember -- 200,000 us citizens LOST THEIR HOMES last year-- LOL... many are going nowhere.

Zeehag - Many people in many countries lost life's savings homes etc due to the US and its banking system. Greed brought on the collapse but you may or may not be interested to know that our banks did not require bailing out, people here are not loosing their homes any more than normal. When you take out a home loan here you cannot just hand the keys in and walk away you are still responsible for the loan. Business has taken a downturn here particularly this year but overall the country is just fine. The drought that we have been having in many states looks to have broken so life is good. You still have avoided the $800 charge to spend one night in the USA. Just to help you a little no I did not like the inconvenience of loosing a days work not included in the $800. I had a choice go or don't go and no I did not bad mouth the US either its your country and I am not about to tell you how to run it, I had a choice

.

osirissail · 09-12-2010, 18:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by zeehag

. . . you are WRONG. yes we need passports to visit ANY country outside usa. . . .

Forget needing a passport to visit any country outside the USA - USA citizens need a passport to get back "inside" the USA. With the exception of the Mex/Can frequent crosser passport "card." For instance, you can get into the Bahamas with a drivers license but you cannot legally get back into the USA with a passport.
- - As far as the $800 to get a USA B1/B2, it is require because cruising boaters, etc. do not have the lobby/clout like major airlines have. So the Visa Waiver Program was set up to satisfy the international travelers by scheduled airlines. Everybody else must do the B1/B2 (or other visas like Crew, etc.).
- - As to the perceived reduction in cruisers out there cruising, it is being felt here in the Caribbean and more than a few islands are hurting as jobs are lost due to decreases in cruising boats showing up. Same with cruise ships, they are also less frequent.

savoir · 09-12-2010, 19:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by zeehag

"Correct me if I am wrong but US citizens do not require passports to visit most of those places and a good deal of South America including Mexico. "
you are WRONG. yes we need passports to visit ANY country outside usa.
WHAT us tourism-- remember -- 200,000 us citizens LOST THEIR HOMES last year-- LOL... many are going nowhere.

Far be it for me to act as interpreter for meyermm but if you insert "visa" in place of "passport" the post begins to make sense.

savoir · 09-12-2010, 20:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by VirtualVagabond

Can anyone clarify the situation a bit?

$300 is being bandied around as being a fee to enter Australia and sail for a year.

My understanding is that the $300 is an AQIS pest inspection fee, if you arrive in normal business hours (with a suite and tie?).

Are there any other fees that visiting cruisers will be charged? Visas? What would be the total cost to any foreign sailor arriving here with a view to sailing Aussie waters for 6 months?

The fee is $330 and that is the base fee. It can go up for all kinds of reasons termites, even if they are only of the alleged variety, being one. Others are dirty bottom, critters in the anchor locker, arriving at night etc. Here is the AQIS link

Operator Guidelines for vessels less than 25 metres - DAFF

There is no fee for customs or immigration on arrival nor is there any cruising permit style of fee. The basic visa can be bought over the net and costs $20 for three months. That might be long enough for most people.

Internet Visa Services Australia

If you want longer you can apply online for the deluxe model which gives 12 months max and costs $105 from outside Australia or $255 if you are in Australia and want to extend. You have to be from select countries to get this one. USA, Canada and EU are all in.

Tourist Visa (Subclass 676)

Anyone wanting a boat pratique longer than the personal visa might need their tapdancing shoes.

Those are all the fees that I know about. 6 months should cost $330 + $105 per person.

lawdawg · 09-12-2010, 21:15

I don't know how this turned into an Aussie bash. Every Aussie I have met traveling around the world have all been wonderful, helpful and fun-loving characters. I guess that having to spend a couple hundred bucks to get the 'privilege' of spending some time there seems very reasonable. How many people felt they did not get $300 in value of life experience from their visits there?

SurferShane · 09-12-2010, 21:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by lawdawg

I don't know how this turned into an Aussie bash. Every Aussie I have met traveling around the world have all been wonderful, helpful and fun-loving characters. I guess that having to spend a couple hundred bucks to get the 'privilege' of spending some time there seems very reasonable. How many people felt they did not get $300 in value of life experience from their visits there?

Thanks,

As I have been saying many of us Australians are heading to sea to avoid the cost and red tape that the politically correct landlubbing bureaucrats want to inflict on us all. For instance, in NSW land rate increases and car insurance and rego fees rival anything that they are attempting to charge incoming cruisers. Then I have had to pay the local council for the pleasure of parking my own car in front of my own house. To drive the said 4WD on beaches I need a separate license for nearly every other shire, one for a local aboriginal area and another for dedicated national parks.

If they can find something to charge us for over here they will!

savoir · 09-12-2010, 22:47

Countries with low cruising fees usually have high sales taxes so they get you either way. At least Australia has no annual property or use tax on boats.