Question for a Work of Fiction: Port Authorities—NOLA and Grand Cayman

[JBChicoine]

Although I’m writing fiction, I hate to ignore some of the less romantic aspects of cruising, such as dealing with port authorities.

The setting is in the spring of 1984. For reasons important to my plot, the boat in question, a 47’ Bermuda yawl, needs to arrive at the Southern Yacht Club (on Lake Pontchartrain) in New Orleans. In a few days, the boat will return to Grand Cayman where it is registered. The captain is Cuban-American residing in GC. Two additional passengers are US citizens. Whatever takes place at the port authority is not important to the plot, but I don’t want to ignore the issue, either, as it does affect the timeline.

My question is: Rather than motoring or sailing up the twisty-windy, busy Mississippi to the port authority in NOLA, could the boat gain clearance in Gulfport and then simply sail up the Rigolets to Pontrchartrain, reprovison, pick up its passengers, and report back to the PA in Gulfport where said passengers would have their passports stamped?

Once they arrive in Grand Cayman, how would all that work? From what I’ve read, they could check in by VHF radio, but it seems the passengers would again need their passports stamped. I understand that sometimes the customs officer might arrange a time and place to come aboard, even traveling by car to a private marina. Did they have authority to stamp the passport? Any information on how all that works would be very helpful.

Thanks,
Bridget

[Sea Dreaming]

Why not call the port and find out?
If you are looking for accuracy thats your best bet.
Sure, they will ask you questions. But that might lead to more authenticy and possibly new fiction threads too.

[tkeithlu]

Gulfport Mississippi is a port of entry and has a customs office.

[Stumble]

Coming in from off shore there is no need to check in anywhere. You would sail up the rigolets, or motor up the industrial canal to the lake. When you get a few hours out from the marina you call immigration/customs and they will typically send someone to meet you, or ask you to catch a cab to the airport to check in. It depends on how tight it's being run that week, but I have been told to check in sometime in the next two days, or wait on the boat until someone shows up. I have no idea why the difference.


Edit to add: no one ever sails up the Mississippi River. I am pretty sure it is illegal to sail on the lower Mississippi due to the at raffia seperation scheme, but even if you can do it, it would be pretty stupid. The current can easily exceed 5kn, there are all sorts of floating debris, and the amount of commercial traffic is immense.

All recreational traffic comes up the ICW, or thru the rigolets with the deciding factor being mast height. 67' is the maximum local knowledge height of the bridges thru the rigolets, the design height is 65'.

[JBChicoine]

Originally Posted by Stumble

Coming in from off shore there is no need to check in anywhere. You would sail up the rigolets, or motor up the industrial canal to the lake. When you get a few hours out from the marina you call immigration/customs and they will typically send someone to meet you, or ask you to catch a cab to the airport to check in. It depends on how tight it's being run that week, but I have been told to check in sometime in the next two days, or wait on the boat until someone shows up. I have no idea why the difference.


Edit to add: no one ever sails up the Mississippi River. I am pretty sure it is illegal to sail on the lower Mississippi due to the at raffia seperation scheme, but even if you can do it, it would be pretty stupid. The current can easily exceed 5kn, there are all sorts of floating debris, and the amount of commercial traffic is immense.

All recreational traffic comes up the ICW, or thru the rigolets with the deciding factor being mast height. 67' is the maximum local knowledge height of the bridges thru the rigolets, the design height is 65'.

All great information--thanks!

I'm curious about when the boat leaves, taking on passengers that will be sailing to Grand Cayman. Any idea what the procedure is when departing NOLA? Could they have their passports stamped at the port authority and then meet up at the lake and depart on the sailboat from there? Or would a customs officer be willing to meet them to take care of papers where they are moored?

[reed1v]

Nefarious folks simply ignore checking into anywhere. Famous drug merchant years ago traveled up and down the americas without bothering to go through customs, did not register his boats and vehicles, and thus left no tracking info. Before he screwed up, had a mega million dollar operation going for more than a decade.

[tdoster]

If you want to add some realism to your fiction. In 1984, that area was still recovering from Hurricane Alicia (TX and LA 1983), and that may affect your passage. And the most note worthy event in Grand Cayman in 1984 was the SS RHAPSODY was grounded off of George Town for 6 weeks and some of the old bars will still make you a "Rhapsody on the Rocks" today. The night she came free, it was not long after the mosquito plane flew over Seven Mile Beach that her horn blew and blew as everyone gathered on the beach to finally see her floating once again. The next morning the landmark that stood for 6 weeks was finally gone. Grand Cayman was something truly special in the 80's before...


I would go with your thought of checking in in Gulfport, then the logical entry from the Gulf into Pontchartrain or meeting the CG at the boat at the YC. As far as Checking back into GC on the return, I think the story would be accurate to include getting to the airport to clear in from anywhere but the port in Georgetown. Things were a little more fuzzy back then and most of the locals I knew travelled on a British Passport.

[SailRedemption]

Originally Posted by Stumble

Coming in from off shore there is no need to check in anywhere. You would sail up the rigolets, or motor up the industrial canal to the lake. When you get a few hours out from the marina you call immigration/customs and they will typically send someone to meet you, or ask you to catch a cab to the airport to check in. It depends on how tight it's being run that week, but I have been told to check in sometime in the next two days, or wait on the boat until someone shows up. I have no idea why the difference.


Edit to add: no one ever sails up the Mississippi River. I am pretty sure it is illegal to sail on the lower Mississippi due to the at raffia seperation scheme, but even if you can do it, it would be pretty stupid. The current can easily exceed 5kn, there are all sorts of floating debris, and the amount of commercial traffic is immense.

All recreational traffic comes up the ICW, or thru the rigolets with the deciding factor being mast height. 67' is the maximum local knowledge height of the bridges thru the rigolets, the design height is 65'.

I was born in 87' so I'm not fully sure, but in 84 there would have been just swing bridges in the Rigolets and the Twin Span back then had high rises for 65'....? Or was there a bascule bridge like highway 11?

See more @ redemptiverepair.com

[reed1v]

Originally Posted by SailRedemption

I was born in 87' so I'm not fully sure, but in 84 there would have been just swing bridges in the Rigolets and the Twin Span back then had high rises for 65'....? Or was there a bascule bridge like highway 11?

See more @ redemptiverepair.com

So you missed all the action! Back in the late 60s through late 70s the Caymans were "lawless" in many ways, especially the parties. Kind of like a giant Prospect of Whitby's without walls nor last call hours. Unfortunately by the 80s, the rich and famous got wind of the place and destroyed it, imho.

[Wallaby]

With so much research, how much will be left at the end?

I can't help thinking this exercise is headed towards research overkill, especially given the book is set in 1984. Does anyone actually remember check-in/customs procedures 32 years ago? A description of the people involved or some snappy dialog will usually draw more reader interest.

In writing my own books about murder and mayhem while cruising (see Neil Barry's Chicken of the Sea, Chicken Too, and Free Range Chicken), I did a great deal of research. Very little of it actually made it into the finished books.

How a writer's research contributes to plot, character development, a sense of realism etc. is really the issue. Too many books lecture the reader/dump unneeded facts because the writer is afraid to lose all his/her work. Weaving research so closely into the story that it belongs there, is really the key. Then, it makes the story both believable and interesting to read.

In my case, I used the research to develop a website for readers who wanted to learn more, everything from classical music to how to tie knots. A reader will quickly lose interest if the plot is overwhelmed by unnecessary detail.

For example, when my cruising family arrives in the Dom. Rep. there's interaction with some customs officials--a couple of days of research were reduced to about three words, though I learned how the process worked. Along the way I got lots of ideas and pictured the officials, and then I invented the rest.

Incidentally, I love the first paragraph of what tdoster wrote (#7). It's full of fun facts that build visual images and give character.

[JBChicoine]

Originally Posted by tdoster

If you want to add some realism to your fiction. In 1984, that area was still recovering from Hurricane Alicia (TX and LA 1983), and that may affect your passage. And the most note worthy event in Grand Cayman in 1984 was the SS RHAPSODY was grounded off of George Town for 6 weeks and some of the old bars will still make you a "Rhapsody on the Rocks" today. The night she came free, it was not long after the mosquito plane flew over Seven Mile Beach that her horn blew and blew as everyone gathered on the beach to finally see her floating once again. The next morning the landmark that stood for 6 weeks was finally gone. Grand Cayman was something truly special in the 80's before...

The SS RHAPSODY would be a really great detail! Alas, it seems she was pulled off the sandbar by April 2, a month before my plot timeline. I will certainly do a little more research on Hurricane Alicia though! Thanks for the suggestions!

Originally Posted by SailRedemption

I was born in 87' so I'm not fully sure, but in 84 there would have been just swing bridges in the Rigolets and the Twin Span back then had high rises for 65'....? Or was there a bascule bridge like highway 11?

I forget which bridges did what, but I thoroughly researched that also and wrote it, and subsequently forgot it!

Originally Posted by Wallaby

With so much research, how much will be left at the end?

I can't help thinking this exercise is headed towards research overkill, especially given the book is set in 1984. Does anyone actually remember check-in/customs procedures 32 years ago?

You're right about that! All this information is that part of the research iceberg, only the tip of which I'll use. I just hate to get sloppy or lazy with details.

Originally Posted by Wallaby

Incidentally, I love the first paragraph of what tdoster wrote (#7). It's full of fun facts that build visual images and give character.

I Agree!

Originally Posted by reed1v

Nefarious folks simply ignore checking into anywhere. Famous drug merchant years ago traveled up and down the americas without bothering to go through customs, did not register his boats and vehicles, and thus left no tracking info. Before he screwed up, had a mega million dollar operation going for more than a decade.

Excellent! I just happen to have a nefarious character, and he doesn't care about legalities. It's my law-abiding characters that want the information!

Thank you all for your input! Now if I can just find someone who recalls something about Grand Cayman's canals in 1984, I have a thread begging for input: http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...on-168954.html

[belizesailor]

Things were much more casual in the '80s. You may be looking at it through post 9-11 lenses.

[JBChicoine]

Originally Posted by belizesailor

Things were much more casual in the '80s. You may be looking at it through post 9-11 lenses.

Yeah, I think you're right and I appreciate your weighing in. I'm also a little OCD when it comes to detail, always nervous that I'll annoy someone who knows better! And in all honesty, I knew nothing of how all that works, and hate to overlook something as basic as gaining clearance in a foreign land.

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by JBChicoine

Yeah, I think you're right and I appreciate your weighing in. I'm also a little OCD when it comes to detail, always nervous that I'll annoy someone who knows better! And in all honesty, I knew nothing of how all that works, and hate to overlook something as basic as gaining clearance in a foreign land.

I've said this before, but will reiterate: I applaud your research efforts, and hope that you can successfully weave the facts into the fiction. I dunno if I am typical, but when authors drop clangers (wholly erroneous events, practices or devices) into their works, I really puts me off.

Because of my past work, I get annoyed when stories that involve nuclear terrorism are technically ridiculous. These sorts of things spoil the story for me, and now that I'm a long term cruiser, the same sort of reaction boils up when sea going stories fail the reality test.

So, JB, good onya for going the extra mile. I await your publication with hope and interest! And BTW, if you would like an old fart sailor's opinion of the technical issues of your story, I'd be glad to offer my services as a reader.

Cheers,

Jim

[JBChicoine]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

I've said this before, but will reiterate: I applaud your research efforts, and hope that you can successfully weave the facts into the fiction. I dunno if I am typical, but when authors drop clangers (wholly erroneous events, practices or devices) into their works, I really puts me off.

Because of my past work, I get annoyed when stories that involve nuclear terrorism are technically ridiculous. These sorts of things spoil the story for me, and now that I'm a long term cruiser, the same sort of reaction boils up when sea going stories fail the reality test.

So, JB, good onya for going the extra mile. I await your publication with hope and interest! And BTW, if you would like an old fart sailor's opinion of the technical issues of your story, I'd be glad to offer my services as a reader.

Cheers,

Jim

Ha! Your ilk is the reader I fear! So good to see you on another one of my threads...I may very well take you up on your offer!