Visas/liscensing?

[Street_Fighter]

Hi, I would love to live 'the cruising lifestyle' in the future (more than likely quite distant), but I'm just confused about sailing to foreign countries. I am a martial artist, and my destinations would more than likely be throughout asia. Can you just rely on the normal tourist visa for your stay in say Hong Kong? Do you need to obtain a special visa? What sort of documentation do you need to bring with you when cruising through foreign nations?

Also, as weird as this question is, it is a genuine grievance of mine; would it be possible to practice kung ** on a sailboat regularly? Would you get really nauseous? Would it pass? Is there enough room on an average 40' vessel? I know, it silly, but humour me, I know very little about this stuff.

Thanks

[Pura Vida]

Check out Jimmy Cornells website for general information on Asia. And I believe that my Sifu would have answered yes, certainly, but maybe not the way you are expecting to practice.
http://www.noonsite.com/

[Chuteman]

SF:
If You are an American citizen the US State dept is a resource....other nations have similar depts but info is helpto all in general
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_p.../cis_1136.html

Kung ** on Sailboat - sounds like a new Jet Li film. Depends when you practice ie; in port or at sea & how much space you need.

For me being down below for long period of time while the boat is at sea is a formula for losing all meals & bodily fluids. And if the boat is rocking & rolling, it may add new moves you were not planning.
In port. the bow area on most boats offer flat space........then again there's always the land or beach.

[Street_Fighter]

Thanks alot for the site. Thats great. It has a lot of information on it, I will keep fliping through it. Right now I'm living in hawaii, but I am a canadian citizen and will return there shortly. I will try to check out canadian gov site for info. I should have done that in the first place I guess ...

Pura Vida, so what style do you practice ? Ever train on a boat? I understand that I would have to be flexible in forms, and adapt some stuff, like I have to do already most of the time, to fit a smaller place. But, I get the impression that training while traveling would be a bad idea(?).

Thanks alot

[Pura Vida]

I started with Tae Kwan-Do. Back in the '70s when there was a dojo on every corner. After a while I gravitated to Tai Chi with a little Pa Kua added in because Sifu liked it. But it was the meditation and philosophy that changed my life the most. Now I'm just another old guy playing with Tai Chi when I need get rid of some stress. But anyway that's fodder for another forum. As for practice on a boat, I was taught that practice is what you do all day, every day, so while you may have trouble with certain forms due to the lack of space and motion, you will get better at them because of the lack of space and motion. Anyway I'm sure I'm singing to the chorus. I don't know your budget but there are a few flush deck boats that will give you pleanty of space to keep in shape. You may want to run it past your Sifu. Good luck

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by Street_Fighter

"...Can you just rely on the normal tourist visa for your stay in say Hong Kong? Do you need to obtain a special visa? What sort of documentation do you need to bring with you when cruising through foreign nations? ..."
Thanks

Each jurisdiction may have differing specific requirements for granting personal visas and cruising permits. In general, you will require:
- A boat licence, documentation, or registration information
- A complete crew list, with proper photo identification(s)*
- You may also require vaccination papers for pets.
* Either a birth certificate, citizenship certificate, or passport as proof of identity and citizenship.

[Steffen]

Does anybody know what "requirements" I would need to "meet/fill", if I, as a foreigner (Norwegian) bought a sailing vessel (49') in California and wanted to get a "Panama registration" on it.

I believe that the vessel is now registered in Oregon, but is docked in California. I live in Panama so I assume it would make life "easier" here (in Panama) if I had Panama flag flying from the mast. Would the USCG or someone else require that I get a "special/navigation" license or something like that while sailing in US waters? Do I have to pay California or federal taxes on purchase price for the vessel?? Any "Captains / Navigation license" required for sailing in US, Mexican or Central American Countries? Is insurence a must regarding (international) regulations? I would like to head soutwards asap, while paperwork for insurance may take some weeks to get done?
Any other questions I have forgot to ask??
Any info and advice would be very much appressiated .
Would there be a drawback sailing with a Panama-flagged vessel? If I pass the USCG safety inspection before leaving California, will this be enough or would I need other "international" (vessel)certifications??
Time frame for vessel registation/change of ownership etc., are we normally talking days or weeks for this to be done and what can I do, to be as prepared as possible.
Thanks again in advance for any help!

[nolatom]

Originally Posted by Steffen

Does anybody know what "requirements" I would need to "meet/fill", if I, as a foreigner (Norwegian) bought a sailing vessel (49') in California and wanted to get a "Panama registration" on it.

I believe that the vessel is now registered in Oregon, but is docked in California. I live in Panama so I assume it would make life "easier" here (in Panama) if I had Panama flag flying from the mast. Would the USCG or someone else require that I get a "special/navigation" license or something like that while sailing in US waters? Do I have to pay California or federal taxes on purchase price for the vessel?? Any "Captains / Navigation license" required for sailing in US, Mexican or Central American Countries? Is insurence a must regarding (international) regulations? I would like to head soutwards asap, while paperwork for insurance may take some weeks to get done?
Any other questions I have forgot to ask??
Any info and advice would be very much appressiated .
Would there be a drawback sailing with a Panama-flagged vessel? If I pass the USCG safety inspection before leaving California, will this be enough or would I need other "international" (vessel)certifications??
Time frame for vessel registation/change of ownership etc., are we normally talking days or weeks for this to be done and what can I do, to be as prepared as possible.
Thanks again in advance for any help!

Many questions, all reasonable. I only know the answer to a few.

If you're living in Panama, and will keep the boat there as a home port at least, then it may make sense to register under Panama flag. Contact the nearest Panama Consulate to get the info. They're a "flag of convenience" for international ships, so are used to dealing with ship sales and foreign nationals.

For a 49' sailboat, at least in the US, you do not need any captain's license unless you're carrying passengers (or freight) for hire. So to sail your own boat, you're good to go, at least in the US. Panama laws tend to mimic US maritime law, so maybe not there either, but you'll have to check. And if you're pleasure sailing, there's no inspection certificate required (unlike for commercial vessels carrying passengers or freight). Just a valid registration required. Your boat may be state-registered in Oregon, or may be federally "documented" with the Coast Guard. Either is "legal", though I'm not sure if a non-US national can own a documented US vessel. If so, you may want to go direct to Panama registration.

A courtesy inspection by the Coast Guard Auxiliary is nice to have for your own peace of mind, but not required. Bear in mind that you can be boarded for a safety inspection (in the US anyway, by the Coast Guard or by the Marine police of a state when in that state's waters) so you want to have all the required safety gear, but you want to have that anyway. Insurance is a very good idea, but not required unless you have a bank who lent you money who requires you to maintain insurance.

That's about all I know to tell you. Keep asking and you'll get the rest of the answers.

[dana-tenacity]

Kuk Sool Won, practice on the beach.