Beware of Entering Australia

I have just had a flood of letters concerning the new protocols that Australian Customs are using to clear in visiting or returning yachts. Huge fines and criminal records await those who don't know every new trick. Besides the "Bio-Fouling" issue new regs concerning entry notice and type of comunication apply. See the next TCP out in January for the full report but for anyone close to OZ... remember; 1, Provide not less than 96 hours or max 10 day notice to customs of intended entry, they will want to know exactly day/time. 2, Since vhf radio brings you too close for the window and they have just stopped responding to HF radio, you must phone or email your notice. If you call, get the officers name and write it down!!! If you email, CC your email to other parties to provide proof that it was sent! This is no joke, read the report when I get it out. 3, Either come in with a spotless bottom or ready to slip anyway. The boat will be inspected by Quarentine via under water camera and so far it appears they are being real shitty about it.

What has happened to my country!!?!?!

[northerncat]

i agree about the country bit and im a kiwi, it seems the last bastion of true freedom the ocean is slowly being regulated against
sean

[cat man do]

G'day Bob and Sean, it's becomming increasingly obvious that unless you drive a big ship and pay heaps in harbour fees, that you just don't count on the water anymore.

Apart from the Australian Volunteer Coast Guard who do a great job with the limited resources that they have, our maritime safety setup and Marine comm's. is fairly piss poor.

And we do seem to have an abundance of Nazi's out there doing not much to stop any real trouble, but sure as hell hassleing yachties minding there own bussiness.

If only they could use their powers for Goodness and nicety and punish the real evildoer's of the waterway's.

Dave

Greetings Sean and Dave
Hey, they are just protecting us from famous yachtsman Osama Bin Lugger..... OK, I have no idea what they are trying to do or at least nothing I'm willing to talk about yet. The only conclusions that come to mind make me sound like a raving paranoid... so I wait for some reasonable answer. Where is HST when you need him?

Cheers

[ssullivan]

Wow.... they push and push and push (in AU, the US, EU and seemingly all western civilization). I wonder how far they will get before we have uprisings - or have they succeeded in making us so whimpy that we'll pretty much take whatever comes our way?

Makes the idea of living in the desert under semi-law with tribal leaders like old Osama more and more interesting. Joking of course, but there is a small bit of truth there.

Will you post the full regs when they are out?

One thing Australia has is a long visa system. I had a 5 year visa from Australia. It's expired, but I was surprised at how long it was, given I was there for a couple weeks.

[soul searcher]

These Guys had a bad time getting into Au.Adventures of the Sailing Vessel SohCahToa . By the time I make it there I want be able to get in do air travelers give 96 hour notice?

Matt

[viking69]

I can understand the inspection of the hulls to stop unwanted critters coming in but the red tape is just bull****. I still think it is crap that it makes a difference what country you come from to how hard it is to gain entry to our country. It should be one rule no matter where you are from.

[GordMay]

Goto:
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...notice+arrival

[Pblais]

I wonder how far they will get before we have uprisings - or have they succeeded in making us so whimpy that we'll pretty much take whatever comes our way?

If the US Customs Agents and locals authorities can be used to hassle 18,000 workers at the Swift meat packing plants on just one day only to arrest 160 people accused of identity theft I think those limits already tell a lot. So tell me how it couldn't get worse? With that in mind if it never got worse than this it's still pretty bad.

Recreational boats are slow and don't shoot back. They are easy to catch and they have money you can collect and look good on TV. Pretty easy work I would say. An arrest is still an arrest made in most police systems around the world. Better arrest / conviction counts are always better on paper.

If they can't actually catch the people that need to be caught they at least can arrest and convict the people that break the law that they can catch. This is the new approach to the war on global terrorism. It's about doing the least that they can actually do but do it well, look good, and always able to say it's a first step. Recreational boats failing to follow customs regulations is the perfect answer when you look at it the way you need to.

[swagman]

Maybe I'm stupid, ignorant or both - but most of the offical bumps I've had in my life have been just fine. Only a very few ever went bad - and with hindsight - would have been easier to handle had I myself had more experience at the time.

But overall the vast majority - which of course never get talked about - were when the officials did do the jobs properly.

C'mon guys. In this period of good will to all men etc, lets not let a few new rules put us down. Oz has always been a conservative country - but fortunately it's larrikin population usually find their way around new rules to keep Oz the way they like it. A pretty free country.

So anyway - rather than moan and groan - all I'm suggesting is we spend a little more time in celebrating what most of us have already.

Freedom to say what or go where we want. A full belly. Blue seas. Fair winds. Loved ones. We'll all have different lists - but each will be almost endless - so maybe think about those over your New Year - and lets all have a good one!

JOHN

[mudnut]

Whats the big HooHar,the changes that have been mentioned dont seem that draconian and as far as the u/water camera goes,thats been around for a while and it is only/after all,a simple way to stop infestation of our waters from foriegn bugs and so forth.Society has been changeing rules/regs for eons to deal with world change so why do you think sailors are the only ones being singled out?Mountains from mole-hills.Mudnut.

[northerncat]

i disagree, its the thin end of the wedge, eventually you will not be able to build your own boat((health and safety) theres probably already places in the world where joe bloggs is not allowed to build a boat or sell said boat)) or you will need to have paid a small fortune to do thousands of hours of theory to go. its the old boil a frog slowly trick people dont complain if its only small incremental changes. just look at all the rules and regs that now control our lives on land. its illegal to criticise the governement, you can sue someone after they shoot you for breaking into their house, you trip on a piece of pavement and its not your fault its the councils fault they owe you big time. you cant drink rainwater from a tank without applying in triplicate to the council, if you dig a hole in the ground and put some concrete in it this needs council approval or theres a fine involved, i had a lot of fun as a child, a lot of the things i did as a child are now illegal, sa a teacher i now see the results of the xbox/tv generation and it aint pretty, what are my childrens children goin to be able to do
sean

[Boracay]

When I brought my boat I found the strangest collect of "safety" gear aboard, specially considering how little there was in the boat.
Ths gear included :
A disconnected SSB marine radio still with the price tag of $25 on it.
Orange lifebuoy, float and rope and a clip for it on the stern.
A complete set of navigation lights (mostly held on with duct tape) with the most confusing set of connections/wiring that I have ever seen.
Dan buoy and some sort of holder duct taped to the stern.
On my first inspection there was a life raft but that vanished.
It looked like the owner had had a visit from offialdom and had installed whatever thay requested, regardless of need/usefulness.
There was no toilet on board.
So I guess that you might be asked to comply with some archaic/outdated regulation if officialdom thinks they might have to go looking for you.
I would expect that a well presented/equiped yacht would experience few problems, othe than the odd surprise visit.
My experience in my travels round Oz is that there are many odd rules/enforcements/customs that are well known to the locals but seem set to trap the unwary tourist.

[AnchorageGuy]

The Australian Customs folks must have taken their training in Key West.

[cat man do]

Sean, Australia is one of those places where you can't build or sell a boat, unless you have a builders plate installed by a competant person.

MSQ headlines - Australian Builders Plate

Who is a competent person?
A competent person is defined as being a person who has acquired through training, qualification, experience, or a combination of these, the knowledge and skills to enable that person to competently determine and approve the information on a builders plate. Any person approving the information on the plate is assuming responsibility for the information on that plate.

What sort of idiot would hold there hand up for this ???


What type of boats need an Australian Builders Plate?
The Australian Builders Plate will apply to:

all recreational vessels

all commercial and fishing vessels that are exempt from registration under the Transport Operations (Marine Safety) Regulation 2004 that are constructed after 28 September 2006.


What type of boats are not required to have an Australian Builders Plate?

a second hand vessel
an amphibious vehicle
a canoe, kayak, or surf ski designed to be powered by paddle
a pedal powered boat
a rowing shell used for racing or rowing training
a sailboard or sail kite or other similar ship
a surf row boat
a hydrofoil or hovercraft
a sailing vessel
a submersible
an aquatic toy
registered commercial and fishing vessels


A bit of contradiction do you think!

Are'nt these recreational vessels?


this version appears to not be as brutal as the one that got sent to me 12 mths ago, but still seem's to have all the same contradictions in it.


Mudnut, not meaning any disrespect, but when you get a boat for yourself, see then if you still feel all this regulation is a good thing.

Do a bit of research as to how Australian marine comms. do'es, or do'es not work now, apparently in the interest of safer boating, but at the expense of boaties lives.

Dave