Aug. 2015 firearm check in experience- Isle de Providencia,Colombia

[natraps116]

Hi there all,

Another check in experience for the books.
As promised , here is my experience with checking in to Providencia with firearms .

When we arrived from hondoras we tried to hail the port captain , but to no avail. We read that you need an agent to check in so I went a shore and asked some locals where the agents office was. Turns out it is in a furniture/appliance store up the road. Mr bush was not in on that Saturday, so the lady manning the counter called him and he apparently called the port captain and immigration himself and they individually came to the store. The port captain filled out a basic entry form and the immigration man took our passports to the airport to be stamped and it was all over in about 20 minutes.

Once again, as honduras did, they did not even ask about declaring anything. After the port captain was walking away I called to him to talk to him. As he was getting on his scooter I explained I had arms aboard. He said ok, . I asked if i need to declare to someone. He said ok ,if i wanted to declare them to "hop on" his scooter. He took me to the local police station and I gave them a list of our arms. The captain was genuinely confused as to why we were there and why we were telling him about our guns. He kept asking if I wanted to bring them to shore, I kept repeating no. In the end he said, "your yacht is your home, we don't care if you have guns aboard. You need them out in the sea we understand " the after a pause he asked. "Would you like a permit to carry your hand gun on land in colombia?" I politely refused and said I was happy to leave them on board. He smiled and I shook hands with him and left. He gave me his cell number and told him to call him if I need assistance with anything.

Another good experience if I say so myself

https://youtu.be/ArKoZ-hnDOY

Sent from my SM-T700 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[micah719]

"your yacht is your home,"

Beautiful....if only this appreciation of "home" were more widely accepted. Buy that man a beer!

[natraps116]

Originally Posted by micah719

"your yacht is your home,"

Beautiful....if only this appreciation of "home" were more widely accepted. Buy that man a beer!

Yeah, he was pretty chill. The island is small so I've seen him since then. maybe I'll offer him one next time I see him

Sent from my SM-T700 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[exMaggieDrum]

Please keep us informed on how it goes in other ports/countries.

[Tetepare]

Try it in Canada and see how it goes. Or New Jersey.

[natraps116]

Originally Posted by Tetepare

Try it in Canada and see how it goes. Or New Jersey.

LOL THIS GUY ^^^^^^^^^

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by natraps116

Yeah, he was pretty chill. The island is small so I've seen him since then. maybe I'll offer him one next time I see him

Sent from my SM-T700 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

I think maybe your attitude more than anything else is what's making it so easy, try acting like the typical "Ugly American" and see how it goes

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by Tetepare

Try it in Canada and see how it goes.

I cleared Customs in Leftbridge not too long ago, with a 12 Ga. "riot" shotgun, short barrel,complete with folding stock and a couple of boxes of shells, being that I was going flying in the NWT, I believe it was considered a normal and intelligent thing to do. Canada has a list of several required items to be carried with you in that part of Canada, and while a firearm is no longer required, I believe it is recommended, all of the required items were well thought out and would be helpful in a survival situation.
Now I understand that under no circumstance a pistol or any kind of military firearm is allowed, but Canada seemed to be to be entirely rational and common sense in their laws and their enforcement.
I would assume maybe that if you were cruising in Bear country in Canada, you would be allowed to carry a shotgun? Surely it's not just airplanes that are allowed?

[Muckle Flugga]

Originally Posted by natraps116

Hi there all,

Another check in experience for the books.
As promised , here is my experience with checking in to Providencia with firearms .

When we arrived from hondoras we tried to hail the port captain , but to no avail. We read that you need an agent to check in so I went a shore and asked some locals where the agents office was. Turns out it is in a furniture/appliance store up the road. Mr bush was not in on that Saturday, so the lady manning the counter called him and he apparently called the port captain and immigration himself and they individually came to the store. The port captain filled out a basic entry form and the immigration man took our passports to the airport to be stamped and it was all over in about 20 minutes.

Once again, as honduras did, they did not even ask about declaring anything. After the port captain was walking away I called to him to talk to him. As he was getting on his scooter I explained I had arms aboard. He said ok, . I asked if i need to declare to someone. He said ok ,if i wanted to declare them to "hop on" his scooter. He took me to the local police station and I gave them a list of our arms. The captain was genuinely confused as to why we were there and why we were telling him about our guns. He kept asking if I wanted to bring them to shore, I kept repeating no. In the end he said, "your yacht is your home, we don't care if you have guns aboard. You need them out in the sea we understand " the after a pause he asked. "Would you like a permit to carry your hand gun on land in colombia?" I politely refused and said I was happy to leave them on board. He smiled and I shook hands with him and left. He gave me his cell number and told him to call him if I need assistance with anything.

Another good experience if I say so myself

https://youtu.be/ArKoZ-hnDOY

Sent from my SM-T700 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

I'm not much of a guns aboard guy myself, but I do love it when local authorities take this kind of attitude. I am for freedom, by and large, and being trusted and left alone is a good outcome. Nice story.

[Jon Eisberg]

Originally Posted by Muckle Flugga

I'm not much of a guns aboard guy myself, but I do love it when local authorities take this kind of attitude. I am for freedom, by and large, and being trusted and left alone is a good outcome. Nice story.

Well, if there is any 'trend' to be seen in his experiences thus far, it might be that the higher a particular country's ranking on the list of Murders by Firearms Per Capita of the world's nations, the easier the process of clearing-in with guns appears to be...

;-)

The attitude that prevails in Honduras, and Columbia, may not necessarily be representative of what lies ahead in the course of their circumnavigation...

[micah719]

Countries and populations aren't homogenous, efforts of the collectivists notwithstanding. The slumdwellers might be knocking each other off but the rural and island folk seem to be much more civilised. Detroit vs. Anytown (pop. 1256), anyone? Same here in Teutonia, in the big cities one had better be careful, but out in the countryside one is much safer. People in large groups are bad news.

[model 10]

Providencia is a unique place. It is probably one of the last places you would ever need a gun, unless you are a protestant. They have a monument for those poor people.

[iancoombe]

Thanks for the report and thanks to the other posters for not turning this into another firearms debate. We don't carry firearms but are interested in how your experience goes.
Cheers

[Jason Flare]

Originally Posted by iancoombe

Thanks for the report and thanks to the other posters for not turning this into another firearms debate. We don't carry firearms but are interested in how your experience goes.
Cheers

This is a firearms debate. It's just the kind of firearms debate that might happen at a gun club.


BTW what you are doing natraps is awesome. You're showing the way. Thank you.

[Pelagic]

I think it is great to get updates on changing local attitudes towards visiting yachts carrying small personal firearms.

The irony after 9/11 2001 was that the Federal Governments took that discretion away from the local police.

The goal to disarm everyone in an attempt to fight the evil ones has not worked!

I hope that local authorities can now be allowed to make their own judgement calls on visiting yachts and prevailing conditions.

I also hope that those who are against carrying firearms as a last defence will allow those good cruisers the option to recreate that international reputation of being responsible in their choice to do so.

Not interested in debating this.