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Old 03-10-2010, 15:02   #16
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Pacific is fine for either flag. Note the 15% tax if you come into Australia as someone pointed out.
if going through middle east tehn the Ausatralian flag would be marginally better, but the US Navy defends you better in the Gulf of Aden. Your bribes much higher in Suez.
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Old 03-10-2010, 15:18   #17
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Thanks folks, we'll flag her US, sailing out of Austin, TX - which will be a bit confusing for those that know US geography, but if the USCG is OK with it, then that's good enough for me!
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Old 03-10-2010, 15:35   #18
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Good point. How about you folks cruising under US flag in So. Pacific? Any issues?
Ann and I have been cruising in the South West Pacific since 1990 and have had one "anti-american" incident -- some rude shouting by a drunken lout in Whangaroa New Zealand. In the islands, we've been made welcome everywhere we've been.

We have always flown the US ensign AND an appropriate courtesy flag.

I think that you will be judged much more on your behavior than your flag.

I assume that you have dual citizenship. It is far better that you use the passport that matches your ships registry (whichever you decide upon), for it will make dealing with formalities easier.

One last thing -- in New Caledonia US passports get only a 30 day visa on entry while Aussies (and most other nations) get 90 days.

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Old 03-10-2010, 18:53   #19
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I assume that you have dual citizenship. It is far better that you use the passport that matches your ships registry (whichever you decide upon), for it will make dealing with formalities easier.

One last thing -- in New Caledonia US passports get only a 30 day visa on entry while Aussies (and most other nations) get 90 days.
Yes I do have dual citizenship, but my wife and kids are American and I have been living in the US for 21 years now.

Thanks for the info on New Cal, good to know.

Cheers.
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Old 03-10-2010, 19:52   #20
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I would say, fly your true colours, whatever they may be and remember you are more of a good will ambassador than officials appointed by your government.
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Old 04-10-2010, 04:11   #21
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Probably more important than the colour of the flag is having all the paperwork being 'squeaky clean'.
Having a registered owner but not being the skipper, but on board, or a USA address but another flag etc.
It may not be a problem in 'civilised' countries, but when someone zealous official wants to put some heat on you they love questioning inconsistencies.

Because I am legal, don't carry or use drugs, don't carry guns etc and my paperwork looks normal and I smile a lot we have never had any major problems. However, each new country clearing in is a potential problem. If the negotiation dance is stuffed up you risk losing your boat, or more easily still, having it destroyed when the customs officials decide to have a close look.

There was a classic case of a cruiser when he arrived in Australia Customs completely wrecked the boat. Some say the Customs people were jerk (and they sound over zealous) but we later found out that this guy had an attitude problem with authority and from Panama right across the Pacific he had run into problems with officials!
So from an attitudinal problem he bumped into some officials with an attitude problem had his boat was wrecked. He came out worse off, obviously.

I have long trousers somewhere on this boat... they get dragged out EVERY time we clear in. Not necessary in most places, but some places you will be turned away for inappropriate dress! LOL

The only Anti-American stuff we know to have occured to nice, decent people was recently in the Suez canal when the agent of one US boat said to the owner: "I hate all you Americans!" And that was their agent!! Neadless to say: Don't use Felix Maritime in Egypt.


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Old 04-10-2010, 04:37   #22
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OK, so what would you fly if you were a German and a Brit sailing on a Kuwait registered boat? I always assumed the Kuwait flag...
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Old 04-10-2010, 04:53   #23
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I assume that you have dual citizenship. It is far better that you use the passport that matches your ships registry (whichever you decide upon), for it will make dealing with formalities easier.
Id second that, On a pleasure craft especially a small one, having the boat registered in one country and the skippers passport another tends to invite inspection.

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Old 04-10-2010, 05:59   #24
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Thanks folks, we'll flag her US, sailing out of Austin, TX - which will be a bit confusing for those that know US geography, but if the USCG is OK with it, then that's good enough for me!
Not to get off subject (but, I'm gonna) how are you going to do that exactly? Well, not exactly, but generally?

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Old 04-10-2010, 07:28   #25
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OK, so what would you fly if you were a German and a Brit sailing on a Kuwait registered boat? I always assumed the Kuwait flag...
My understanding is you fly the flag of the country in which your boat is registered. The flag goes with the boat not with the owner or skipper.
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Old 04-10-2010, 07:37   #26
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My understanding is you fly the flag of the country in which your boat is registered. The flag goes with the boat not with the owner or skipper.
that's 100% correct--the ensign should match the documentation.
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Old 04-10-2010, 08:25   #27
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Also worth noting is that people will spot you as an American pretty quickly, or at minimum a white person from an affluent country (nations of which are generally speaking in agreement with each other politically anyway).

I've never encountered any anti-Americanism except for cultural missteps, but that's not necessarily because I am American. When I was in Europe in the peak of the second Bush administration (who was very unpopular in Europe) after a few minutes of polite conversation people would quickly probe you to determine which side of the war you were on.

Compared to the broad brush strokes that I've seen Americans use when looking at the rest of the world, I'm always blown away at how much other nations give us the benefit of the doubt and ask our beliefs before simply assuming them.
While cruising I always displayed the US Flag, no problem. I considered it a privilege.
I found that most long term cruisiers and all of the countries I visited were more open-minded and non-judgemental than 'dirt people' from the two North American countries.
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Old 04-10-2010, 08:40   #28
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Not to get off subject (but, I'm gonna) how are you going to do that exactly? Well, not exactly, but generally?
Do what? How is he going to show the home port as Austin, TX? Is that what you are asking?

The CG does not care in the least what city you choose as your home port to paint on your boat. They don't care if you have ever been there. They don't care if your boat has ever been there. They don't even care if "there" is a real place--you can invent a town, if you'd like. They just don't care.
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Old 04-10-2010, 09:03   #29
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I have been told its best to fly the flag of the nation that issued your passport. It will make customs clearances easier. Obviously you could be a nasty aussie who stole a yank boat or vice versa. In other words it shows that your not trying to hide anything. I am looking at buying a brittish flagged boat in the med. I am an aussie. Even though we share the same queen its still been recommended to my by our authorities that i get it registered as an aussie vessel.
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Old 04-10-2010, 09:22   #30
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I believe that most countries, at least in theory, require you to be a resident of that country in order to list your vessel on their appropriate registry. So, if you are a UK resident, you can register your vessel as a UK boat even if you are not a UK citizen. (Given the very relaxed regulation of yachts in the UK this has led to a significant number of UK addresses being used by nationals of other countries.) The enforcement of the residency requirement and the level of verification varies from country to country, and in the UK at least, varies between different registers.

It does make sense then to either have your passport and registry the same, or, if you are a permanent ex-pat, to be able to show your residency. If you have choices (eg because of dual citizenship) then you should look at (i) the regulatory regime and impact on your fit-out costs and decisions, (ii) the effect of freedom of movement where you intend to sail, of which perceived national hostility is only a small element and (iii) tax or other implications if you are deemed to have imported a vessel across a relevant boundary.

If you are thinking of cruising in Europe, it is important either to prove that VAT has been paid on the vessel or to arrange your cruising plans around the need to elave the EU after 18 months.
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