New Zealand Immigration Officer Making Wild Claims

[NoTies]

Originally Posted by RaymondR

Bit of historical perspective here. I wonder what the surveyors, and NZ bureaucrats, would have thought of the vessels the original inhabitants used to get to and settle the place, and also incidentally just about all the rest of the vast Pacific Ocean?

I wonder how many others died trying. We'll never know. 10%, 20%, 75%??

[Weyalan]

Originally Posted by boatman61

Damn right... OZ is the most expensive country I've ever visited... beer $7-$9/bottle (small).. Tobacco $30/25Gms... Rum $43/bottle... $3 for 1 bludi capsicum... no wonder I got charged $95 for 1 hrs labour... all the sod did was drive to a caravan shop in his lunch hour to get a gas solenoid for the boat... total cost... $182...
Welcome to Darwin 1st port of call
People are great tho'... apart from 1 or 2..

You are being a little selective there, cobber. Around here I pay
between $40 and $48 for 24 x 375ml bottles of my chosen / preferred beer... which works out at $1.66 to $2.00 per bottle. There are cheaper options, but I like what I like.

Can't comment on cost of tobacco, but I acknowledge that it is very expensive

I would expect to pay around $30 - $35 for a bottle of semi-decent rum (or other spirits).

There are plenty, and I do mean plenty, of decent wines for less than $10 per bottle (and cheaper still if you don't mind casks) and for a few dollars more, there are lots of really good wines.

I usually pay around $4 per kilogram for capsicum. $0.80 per kilo for spuds, $0.6 per kilo for onions. A side of lamb cost around $60-70 - that is less than $7 per kilo.

Sure; Australia isn't super-cheap, but it isn't as bad a some folks make out

[seandepagnier]

Still in opua.

I am grateful for the information about the court case sellers vs maritime inspector as it gave me insight and grounds for argument.

I went to try to clear out today, and was informed by the (customs and immigration) officer that I was "detained" After further inquiry it turns out he doesn't know whether or not he is allowed to detain me after all, so he is going to have to contact lawyers in wellington to find out, but in the meantime I should assume the detention is valid.

If this isn't abusing power I don't know what is.

He also stated that he is no longer taking a stance on the issue (I believe to cover his ass) and instead has pushed it onto the maritime inspectors who only he can talk to, and take an undefined amount of time to make up their mind.

I left and came back later as to give time to call them.. but they didn't call back, so no information, no clearance. But maybe tomorrow or next week or...

I explained that it is entrapment to allow someone to check in, but not check out. He suggested that I could leave new zealand by airline and just leave the boat here. I explained that this is impossible for someone who doesn't fly. Maybe he is the same sort of person who would try to convince a vegetarian to eat meat. Besides, even if you did fly, who would want to abandon their boat because he says so?

I also argued that since people legally leave by kayak for australia, since I have a kayak on the deck that is enough reason I can go. He said it was an interesting discussion but he was not interested in having it.

He asked if I had cleaned up my "mess" as 10 days ago when he saw the boat, it was covered in driftwood to dry in the sun and had a few dozen plants in containers. as well as 400 watts of solar. I don't consider this a mess, only wishing myself to see more boats that can utilize the sun as efficiently.

Going back to the inspection 10 days ago, the first thing he said to me was "Do you have any dope?" clearly his intention is to incriminate someone who has not broken any law, not to solve a problem or improve anyone's life. The inspector commented that my boat looked like a "rubbish dump" which I find insulting considering it was covered in plants driftwood solar panels, and a lot of dirt everywhere (try large scale gardening onboard) which I find beautiful, while white shiny boats to me are an eyesore.. (literally blinding) but I'm not rowing up to people and telling them that.

During this inspection, I asked for a 50 meter tow.. would take less than a minute, and would greatly please my neighbor. In the end I had to wait until after dark when the tide switched so I could scull.. but it tells me he has no intention of doing anything no matter how trivial to be helpful.

This guy has created many problems for me as well as complications for other people. He is also in violation of international law. Never would have happened in new plymouth as they were very helpful there while also closely following the actual rules.

Why am I still here? The weather. I don't care about clearance that much, but I don't want the next guy to have this problem. Latest updates don't look so good for leaving tomorrow morning anyway.. it is somewhat marginal as strong headwinds are expected next week. I want a better window.

[lateral]

"I went to try to clear out today, and was informed by the (customs and immigration) officer that I was "detained" After further inquiry it turns out he doesn't know whether or not he is allowed to detain me after all, so he is going to have to contact lawyers in wellington to find out, but in the meantime I should assume the detention is valid."

Ya gotta laugh! wot a plonker!When he asked if you had any dope., you should have said "nah, have you got any for sale?"Sorry mate, you have to be a little philosophical about this guy.
Some mothers have 'em.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by salticrak

boatie, when ya buggering off?

Hmmm... so my posts ARE getting to folk....
Get into Newark Monday evening... just hoping the boats there waiting... and ready to go... not still in Charleston...

[David_Old_Jersey]

Recent pics of boat would be of interest.......

....at least to us in the peanut gallery!

[lateral]

Originally Posted by David_Old_Jersey

Recent pics of boat would be of interest.......

....at least to us in the peanut gallery!

Why? Obviously he is not interested in entertaining the "peanut gallery"
& his garden is flourishing and driftwood dry.
BTW as for your dingy on Weds comment, check this.
Historic schooner disappears off NZ coast - National - NZ Herald News
No eprb but sar still went out.
The USCG are dropping monitoring 2182, bet we don't. Smoke that.

[Seaworthy Lass]

Originally Posted by lateral

BTW as for your dingy on Weds comment, check this.
Historic schooner disappears off NZ coast - National - NZ Herald News
No eprb but sar still went out.
The USCG are dropping monitoring 2182, bet we don't. Smoke that.

Fresh news about SV Nina:

Originally Posted by slipstreamcat

Hi for those that have shown intrest in the schooner Nina,my good mate phoned my today saying he had an update from NZ SARS they had got a call from Aussie SARS saying they had picked up an uncomfirmed call from NINA close to Lord Howe Island saying they should be in Newcastle port in approx 5 days.He said the family had been informed.
So what my mate & NZ Sars worked out about the 26th just about spot on Nina says a day early.Good outcome everybody.Cheers

EDITED TO ADD:
Apologies, this was not fresh. Slipstreamcat's post was dated the 20th June and was not confirmed.

[lateral]

Good news!

[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by Seaworthy Lass

Fresh news about SV Nina:

errr, I think that was in another thread (from the main Nina one) and posted last week.....so neither fresh (i.e. since the plane went looking) nor confirmed (no mention in the NZCG reports that even a possibility).

[valhalla360]

Something tells me NZ could care less about drawing in more floating gardeners, so short of him hiring a lawyer (fat chance), they got nothing to worry about.

[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by lateral

Why? Obviously he is not interested in entertaining the "peanut gallery"
& his garden is flourishing and driftwood dry.

Fair enuf, I mentioned the Peanut Gallery just to be clear why the request for boat pics was made (as if it wouldn't be already!).

BTW as for your dingy on Weds comment, check this.
Historic schooner disappears off NZ coast - National - NZ Herald News
No eprb but sar still went out.
The USCG are dropping monitoring 2182, bet we don't. Smoke that.

Not sure what "your dingy on weds comment" refers to Just in case you have not spotted it, another thread on the go about the Nina and the SAR.........this one I think more about prevention..........

[Captain Bill]

Now that you are officially "detained" why have you not contacted the US embassy/consulate?

[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by Captain Bill

Now that you are officially "detained" why have you not contacted the US embassy/consulate?

I don't think OP has been detained, - his boat has (albeit sounds like it only probably has until the right paperwork has been found!), therefore he can't clear out of NZ using her.

Give the US embassy a call, might be able to get a tow from the Gunboat they send - albeit IIRC US don't send them to NZ anymore as won't declare that no nukes onboard.

[barnakiel]

Originally Posted by David_Old_Jersey

Would that be the Jewish, the Catholic, the Protestant or even the Mormon 10 commandments? Of course ya could check the bible to see which 10 are in fact "correct". Oooops, I forgot..............

Different Versions of the Ten Commandments

I am surprised nothing about goats in any of them...........

Dave,

And somehow you think you are the only one who knows there are different versions of nearly anything around? C'mon, it doesn't take much reading for one who likes to read before they start discovering things are not exactly what we were taught at school.

I take you do not like religion(s). Neither do I. But it is one thing to like something or not, another thing to notice how the thing influenced, influences, the laws, morals and ethics of the world we are living in.

I do not like huge ocean waves that will knock my boat down. But rather than argue about the definition of 'huge wave' and get knocked down, I will make all efforts to steer my boat clear of such waves and take them at the safest angle when they hit my boat. Because you can not make those waves smaller by saying "I do not know which version of big waves you are talking about".

Drift for another forum methinks, or for a discussion of two disillusioned men over a glass of wine, or two. I invite.

barnakiel