Alcohol and tobacco when world cruising

[Bligh-Tea]

Hi


How much alcohol and tobacco can you take on your sailing boat when cruising around the world?



When you arrive in a foreign port, do they search the boat? Do they ask about alcohol and tobacco on board? Are there limits?


If you don't bring it ashore, does it even matter?



Thanks.

[boatman61]

I tended to carry enough tobacco to last 1.5 times my estimate for a crossing.. alcohol was not such a priority, if I ran out I ran out.
I like a drink but can live without.. nicotine was another matter..
I remember running out a couple of times and searching the boat for 3 days convinced I stashed some somewhere..

[S/V Illusion]

Both are generally cheaper outside the US so this becomes a question of how long you are sailing.

As for “do they search”, it depends on who “they” are and where “they” are.

[skipperpete]

It’s a far more complex question than it appears, I lived in a Muslim country but alcohol was tolerated in most states due to the indian and Chinese residents, the problem arose on our duty free island with yachties heading south with large quantities of duty free alcohol, they were regarded as potential smugglers, there is a thriving smuggling trade both north and south of Langkawi with fishing boats ( fuel north,booze south) it got so bad that customs were present at liquor stores to record passport numbers and quantities purchased, they had weekly limits. Southbound yachts were occasionally boarded and questions asked. Going north was less of a problem but the sight of yachties wheeling trolley loads of beer and spirits past the customs office at Telaga hbr was very galling for the customs officers looking out over the marina and led to several confrontations. Leaving Langkawi by ferry or aircraft is far more strict and confiscation is frequent with an option to pay the duty if the quantity is small but no free passes.

[El Pinguino]

My experience suggests that unless you are carrying 'commercial quantities' they aren't much fussed...however...
10 years ago in FP the word was that a Brazilian boat had been inspected and had been found to have 300 bottles of wine aboard, duty charged and wine confiscated. Alcohol is expensive in FP.

That said I was asked the question on arrival in Australia 30 years ago, before I could answer the customs man followed up with ' I don't care how much you have just don't take any ashore'.
Since then never asked although have had two drug searches.
Chile for instance couldn't care less as alcohol is so cheap there only a mug would be smuggling it in.
https://www.jumbo.cl/vinos-cervezas-...res/destilados
Strange to relate prices in the supermercados are lower than at the airport duty free.

Re Langkawi. I recall that - 30 odd years ago - yachts would sail down from Phuket on a visa run and come back loaded to the gills with product for both themselves and all their chums on other boats.
Tristan Jones managed to 'unfriend' himself from the cruising community by writing a letter to the Bangkok Post (? or maybe the 'Phuket Bugle') drawing attention to the trade

[barnakiel]

Each country is specific.


We simply bought in the country we arrived at. But on one occasion we arrived with quite a lot of Caribbean rhum (which I like a lot, and which is very expensive in the EU) and the customs did nothing about it. I declared, but they never came to collect any fees nor did they check our boat.


I found this non-action by the customs odd. But perhaps today alcohol is their prime concern anymore ?


b.

[FlyingScot]

Like most things in life, it depends. There is a form or online entry for every country, and they will ask, whether they care or not, usually no as long as you don't appear to be a reseller. Most places are reasonably priced, so you won't have a need to smuggle them.

[skipperpete]

Originally Posted by El Pinguino

My experience suggests that unless you are carrying 'commercial quantities' they aren't much fussed...however...
10 years ago in FP the word was that a Brazilian boat had been inspected and had been found to have 300 bottles of wine aboard, duty charged and wine confiscated. Alcohol is expensive in FP.

That said I was asked the question on arrival in Australia 30 years ago, before I could answer the customs man followed up with ' I don't care how much you have just don't take any ashore'.
Since then never asked although have had two drug searches.
Chile for instance couldn't care less as alcohol is so cheap there only a mug would be smuggling it in.
https://www.jumbo.cl/vinos-cervezas-...res/destilados
Strange to relate prices in the supermercados are lower than at the airport duty free.

Re Langkawi. I recall that - 30 odd years ago - yachts would sail down from Phuket on a visa run and come back loaded to the gills with product for both themselves and all their chums on other boats.
Tristan Jones managed to 'unfriend' himself from the cruising community by writing a letter to the Bangkok Post (? or maybe the 'Phuket Bugle') drawing attention to the trade

Tristan Jones was unfriended for more than writing a letter. The evolution of Duty free in Langkawi started when the first Penang bridge was built, at that time Penang was the only duty free island but the bridge made smuggling hard to police so Dr Mahatir cancelled penangs status and transferred it to Langkawi , then put in a law that stopped Thai’s crossing in the morning and returning to Satun on the arvo ferry with a legal amount of duty free, this law was recently revived to deal with expats doing a one day visa run to Satun ( its now 72 hours between out and back in but I recently did a few one day commutes Langkawi to Singapore and they didn’t even mention the 72 hours)
Booze is fairly cheap now in Phuket and fuel and outboard motors are expensive but cheap in Langkawi so the smuggling still exists , just different products.

[Dockhead]

As Barnakiel said, every country is different and you have to research each one you plan to go to. Nearly all have some limit based on quantities per person on board. The EU has harmonized rules, see: https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizen...m#inline-nav-4 In some cases it's possible to have bonded stores which you can't get into when you're in the waters of the country where you declared them. BETWEEN EU countries the limits are looser: https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizen...h/index_en.htm.



Most countries are fairly relaxed if quantities are not ridiculous, but some are most definitely not and will count every bottle and every cigarette pack.


I don't smoke ever, and don't drink underway, but we like to drink in harbor. In many Nordic countries (actually all of them except Denmark), alcohol is incredibly expensive, so this issue comes up regularly. We sometimes lay in stores in Denmark, Germany, or UK harbors, or best of all, Helgoland, sometimes flirting with the limits. I've never experienced a bottle-counting inspection, but I've heard of them happening in countries like Norway.

[Bligh-Tea]

Thanks for all your answers everyone, very helpful.


So it seems there are no hard and fast internationally agreed upon rules or laws.


"In some cases it's possible to have bonded stores which you can't get into when you're in the waters of the country where you declared them."


This is a good idea, I could live with that, makes sense.



The reason I asked, was that a few years ago I took up pipe smoking! And I have found that these days, given how unpopular it is, it's very hard to find the tobacoo I like. I cannot just "buy in a shop at the country I arrive at" they simply wouldn't have it. So I'd rather take my own and make sure I have enough for a year or whatever.


In recent years, I have flown and lived in other countries and the rule is, no more than 200g of tobacco, so about 4 tins. This lasts a few months, then I'm out.


So if I were able to take a kilo or 2 of pipe tobacco, then I'd be all set!



But I'd hate some inspoector to seize it all because ... who knows.

[Windpilot]

I remember running out a couple of times and searching the boat for 3 days convinced I stashed some somewhere.. [/QUOTE]

I ran low on cigs on a return from Hawaii, 24 day passage, counted out 2 per day for the last week and then unexpectedly found two stashed packs four days before the finish.
You'd need to be a nicotine addict to understand the joy I felt and how wonderfull the ride to the finish was.
At least I hardly drink alcohol.

[Montanan]

How much alcohol?

To start the voyage: "Ninety-nine bottles of beer".


Importation of goods requires declaration with customs upon arrival to the country. Each country has its own regulations all of which are readily available online. Research the specifics before departing on your voyage to all of the countries one will be entering because one needs to know the procedures for clearing customs and immigration of each country. This should be a known not an unknown. Many countries provide for a specific personal amount of "vices" per person.

I recall when I was a bit older than toddler and we flew back to the USA from England around 1960 that my Dad had purchased 6 bottles of Scotch whiskey to bring into the States, one for each member of our family. I being the youngest at 3; yeah I was still on the bottle.

If a country forbids the importation of a good [whatever that may be] do NOT bring it in. Respect their laws and customs. I for one would not bring any alcohol into a Muslim country.

Do not be like the person who inadvertently brings in a few bullets that were left in their luggage into the T&C as one will spend considerable time in jail and incur a very large fine.

Just be sure to accurately declare when your boat is being inspected. They may confiscate the goods or levy a tax but at least one will not be breaking their law and thus not incur financial or criminal charges.

[DEAN2140]

While not relevant to your query, I remember when we went cruising in '89, we stocked up on wine, placing the bottles in socks to avoid breakage and stashing them throughout the nooks and crannies of the boat. We also took several cartons of cigarettes for barter and some Playboy magazines. Kent was the preferred brand in Mexico and netted us some great lobsters. The magazines didn't do as well.

[Bligh-Tea]

So... when you arrive in a country by boat... even if everything stays on the boat, you are still technically "bringing it into that country"?



Is a new boat arriving always searched by customs, or is luck of the draw? Kinda like being pulled aside in an airport to have you suitcase searched?

[Montanan]

One has entered a country when one anchors or moors and one then needs to fly the Q flag [yellow] until customs and immigration have arrived and cleared the vessel from it quarantine.

One can have the right of free passage in transiting through a country's coastal waters without stopping.