Risk of not checking in, new country / island

[StuM]

Originally Posted by wingssail

When the clerk in a store gives you too much change, do you give it back?

Yes.



Apart from the basic morality of it, the clerk is not paid much and is quite likely to have any "till underage" deducted from their pay. You're not stealing from some corporation, you're stealing from some poor working stiff.

[Auspicious]

Originally Posted by wingssail

When the clerk in a store gives you too much change, do you give it back?

Add me to the 'yes' column.

Originally Posted by wingssail

I don't think stretching the rules is OK.

However, what you talk about could be considered part of safe passage, "passage includes stopping and anchoring, but only in so far as the same are incidental to ordinary navigation or are rendered necessary by force majeure or distress or for the purpose of rendering assistance to persons, ships or aircraft in danger or distress".

Anchoring out of convenience or even to sleep because you did not choose to staff properly is neither force majeure or distress. Anchor on the bottom in territorial constitutes entry and requires clearing in.

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by wingssail

When the clerk in a store gives you too much change, do you give it back?

Was this a serious question??? Initial assumption was it must be rhetorical - because the answer seems obvious - i.e. YES (and always yes), who wouldn't.

Apart from the moral considerations, f you have enough money to own a sailboat, you don't need to keep the over-change.

But maybe YMMV

[quahauq]

tying to a mooring, anchoring in a bight, going to a pier by dinghy, beachng a dinghy to give your dog relief, all constitute observable behavior, even in the USA by USA vessels, even where one has every right to be at any time. A foreign flag will get REAL attention while appearing to be a local can get REAL attention as well. Some ranger might figure you're poaching shellfish so one better have plausible reasons to back up plausible behavior and be polite, or big trouble can arise. If you stray onto a secret torpedo range at 04 dark thirty like I did once, you get PT boats at 30 knots, blinding bright lights and lots of guns.

[quahauq]

not checking in can get your dinghy or oars confiscated so you might need to swim back to your boat!

[Gerrit Coetzee]

In St.Barts, customs came ti my boat after three days and told me I better come check in. This I promptly did. Arrived in St.Kitts , tried my luck , but after running on reef with broken anchor rode, had to go in for repairs and did check in.
Apparently a second person came after we checked in with similar circumstances and also got away Scot-free. The third sailor, a French Skipper sailing from Guadalupe to St.Barts were not so lucky. Spent 4 days in jail and €3000 fine later released.
So now I am pre-warned.

It depends on local conditions, some allow entery for refueling and leave within one day. St.Thomas and US requires custom clearance and reporting within 24hrs etc.

Proceed at own peril, but do check local requirements . (Not always sure where to get the information, but do check it out).

[wingssail]

Originally Posted by Wotname

Was this a serious question??? Initial assumption was it must be rhetorical - because the answer seems obvious - i.e. YES (and always yes), who wouldn't.

Apart from the moral considerations, f you have enough money to own a sailboat, you don't need to keep the over-change.

But maybe YMMV

I was trying to make an equivalence between being dishonest about checking in and being dishonest with a store clerk. If you would do one (fail to check in) does that mean you'd do the other? Then we know what kind of a person they are.

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by wingssail

I was trying to make an equivalence between being dishonest about checking in and being dishonest with a store clerk. If you would do one (fail to check in) does that mean you'd do the other? Then we know what kind of a person they are.

OK, that makes it clear - thanks for the explanation.

[sck5]

where to find requirements for checking in? Here: https://www.noonsite.com/

[Icarus]

Originally Posted by BBViper

Just wondering what the risk would be of sailing to a new country, for example a Caribbean island, and not checking in with customs/immigration, etc. Of not paying fees, going through all the paperwork. Just sailing up to a remote part of an island, hanging on anchor or even going to shore for provisions or restaurant. If no official found out and you moved on to the next island, much of a risk? Certainly if yo were 'discovered' there could be fines and possible confiscation maybe but what is the likelihood of being discovered?

Surely you cant be that inocent, if you get reported or found out there will be a fine , possible confiscation of your boat and maybe you'll get deported.
Not sure why you ask, its pretty obvious.
Just read the local imigration laws.

[Icarus]

Originally Posted by StuM

Yes.



Apart from the basic morality of it, the clerk is not paid much and is quite likely to have any "till underage" deducted from their pay. You're not stealing from some corporation, you're stealing from some poor working stiff.

Why asking a question like that on a boating forum?
Obviousely you give it back.
Hasn't your dad told you the basic rules of lifing in a comunity?

[NorthernMac]

Aside from the whole morals and respect thing

Risk v. reward

Shy of some crazy movie like clandestine job with a 7 figure payout, why would you risk all that trouble just to not check in? Juice just ain’t worth the squeeze.

[passage_paul]

"The Ugly American exits."

WOW...bigot much? dis bish wanna go make it political?

LOL...just looked at the date stamps... Im a bit behind on this...:/... comment still applies..

[lo2jones]

Warning: Sea Story, (true one)
During a delivery to Seattle We had the opportunity (with the owners approval) to go to Victoria on our way. That was great, but when we arrived in Port Townsend tired and hungry, the harbor master didn’t ask the usual, “Where are you arriving from?” Questions and directed us to a slip, not the customs dock. We went to a bar, then to dinner, then proceeded to return to the boat. About 100 m from the restaurant, it suddenly hit me, “OH ****! We forgot to check in.” I called the Customs office in Port Angeles, the closest open office on Sunday. I told the officer everything, including that one of the crew did not bring a passport, but had checked in at Victoria with a passport number his wife had texted to him. Of course he cussed me up one side and down the other. While we waited for him to arrive, we joked about “Top 10 things not to say to a pissed off customs agent.” He was much more forgiving in person, than on the phone. Okay, I wish I could say, “lesson learned,” but I just turned 65.

[Auspicious]

Originally Posted by lo2jones

While we waited for him to arrive, we joked about “Top 10 things not to say to a pissed off customs agent.”

I've found that fresh chocolate chip cookies or some brownies go a long way.