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lovinlifebda · 20-06-2012, 08:05

We are Canadian liveaboards about to leave the dock behind for cruising the Caribbean. We are already ex-pats without a permanent address in Canada and intend to cruise full time with only visits home. I am sure there are experienced cruisers out there who have run into issues(that have nothing to do with sailing) they did not think of beforehand. One issue we don't have an answer to is what about when our drivers licence expires. Going home for visits requires a car rental, we won't have a licence. Does anyone have experience with a Canadian mail forwarder? Any advice on these issues or others you have had would be most appreciated. thanks

Yofy · 21-06-2012, 08:30

Fellow Canadians waving hello from over here in the Red Sea. Logistical concerns? Don't know how long you plan to be away for but health insurance and pension concerns are two that come to mind. Will you be keeping a permanent address in Cananda?

We have our mail forwarded by a friend. While we are very grateful for the help, we have had varying luck with this plan. Mail does not always arrive in time and even with the internet there are things that you need to get done on paper. Manny lost his driver's license because it wasn't renewed in time. We will have to deal with that on our next visit "home". It is my understanding that today you renew your license online in many provinces.

I would also advise talking to someone in your bank - Have a contact that you can email or skype if you need to. We have found that to be invaluable.

Otherwise, have someone keep photo copies of all your important documents - passports, birth certificates, boat registration, etc. If anything gets stolen or lost those copies will be important.