Fees? What fees?

[svfinlandia]

You are right about Annapolis being a very busy place, but this was well before the boatshow weekend and the mooring ball cost $30 per night all of the time.

[Wrong]

Originally Posted by boatman61

Become an EU Citizen... Med, Caribbean, F Polynesia.. we've got all the nice places..
you guys have just got Israel and the Middle East for a playground...

I concur in part. EU citizens do have control of the largest number of prime sailing destinations.

But. In many places, the nearer you are to popular E.U. destinations, costs are prohibitively expensive which contributes to an 'exclusive' character of the anchorages and facilities.

Otherwise, I envy E.U. sailors who may be able to stay indefinitely in French Polynesia and some Indian Ocean locations. What are the rules?

I'll take the dig regarding 'you guys' having only Israel and the Middle East graciously, reminding you that some E.U. members - notably France, the U.K., Germany and others - are there too. We share our playgrounds when necessary, even with lap dogs...

[lilyluck]

Hi,

I grew up in Vanuatu, and crossed the pacific last year on my Cape Dory 30, from LA to Brisbane, Australia, so here is my two cents.
My budget was pretty tiny, and I usually chose the cheapest option when stopping the boat. I agree the world is a bureaucratic place and there are often hidden fees, but I'd also like to paint a prettier picture that whats on this post so far.

Mexico: Check in fees in mexico were some of the most I paid, though not exorbitant. I don't remember the exact fee, but it was around $250 I believe. We stayed in a marina in Ensenada (one of the only on the trip) who did the paperwork for us and drove us to the offices.It was a simple procedure and took about an hour. I only stayed at two marinas, Ensenada and La Paz, and the berths were about a dollar a foot. There was however a check-out fee which we had to do before leaving La Paz, and I remember that being expensive too - maybe another 200$?

French Polynesia: You can anchor for free on any of the islands of the Marquesas and the Tuamotus. We checked in at Nuku Hiva, which was again simple and pain free. It was also free, other than the bond. The 'bond' is an issue in FP yes, but there are "ways" (they just wanted to see a ticket receipt, in lieu of the bond) and if you do pay it, you get it back, all be it in their currency.
Tahiti/Society islands: We anchored for free in these places too. No more check in fees or anything. We stayed a few nights on the dock in downtown tahiti (the huge/free anchorage out of town is not as pleasant) and again it was a dollar per foot per day.

We didn't stop in the cook islands so i cannot report.

Tonga: We anchored everywhere for free in tonga, and check in fees were minimal, 50$ or so. there are several dozen amazing anchorages.

Skipped fiji too! Partly because we had a cat on board and they require a large fee for a cat bond. Check in fees were quite expensive from memory, but internet/food/repairs are cheap there. This is just from other sailors reports though, not my own.

Vanuatu: Again, you can anchor for free anywhere in Vanuatu, including Port Vila (though we dragged at anchor here, the holding isn't great) where there are also moorings for 10$ a night or dock berths for more. Check in/out fees were reasonable, 150$ total for in and out i believe.

New Caledonia: Again our cat was an issue, she had to be quarantined for ten days (I know, i know, don't travel with pets!) but otherwise check in and out fees were free. We anchored also for free in Noumea, and all other anchorages in New Cal, one of my favourite stops of the trip.

Brisbane: Portal is currently on a secure mooring in the brisbane river, where I pay 10$ a night, with shore facilities included.

Some points of note: If you're anchoring in a small secluded bay with a local village on land, of course there may be other 'costs' involved, whether it be Kava for the Chief (a norm in Fiji) or rope/t-shirts/gear trades. The beauty of travelling by sailboat is you can have these exchanges with local people and personally i am happy to share/exchange whatever I can. Also, in the bigger towns it was very common to have the choice of moorings/a few dock spots/or anchorage. Aside from price savings, I always chose anchoring for the safety aspect - I don't like to blindly trust moorings and more than one boat was lost due to a mooring failure (whether the boats fault or not) during my crossing.

Also, as i said I was on a CD30 - she draws 4.5ft and we were often the smallest boat in the anchorage. That meant we would tuck right up front and there was usually a space for us. In noumea for example, where the bays were jammed packed, we found a spot right in the head of the bay in very shallow water and put out little scope. Perhaps if you were a bigger boat anchorages would be harder to find. On the other hand, you'd carry more chain and be able to anchor further out in deeper water.

So that's my two cents. Sailing the pacific IS paradise, and as much as I would love to keep thousands from flocking there, I also want people to experience it's beauty if they can, and to know there are ways of doing this trip on little money, even if you stop in the major ports sometimes. As a 26yr old on a 30ft boat, it was absolute paradise!

[Gerrycooper56]

The bond for French Polynesia we paid by credit card, it was also only for non Eu citizens and it was based on the one way flight to your passport country.
Paid in Nuku Hiva and returned in BoraBora - no problem.


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[Steadman Uhlich]

Lilyluck,
Thanks for adding those helpful detailed comments on your experience with the fees. I found them helpful and appreciate your addition to this topic.

[gjordan]

I am sure it has been mentioned before, but what are the fees for the Galapagos? Are moorings the only way you can stay in the Galapagos? I seem to remember conflicting (as always) information on those Islands. ______Grant.

[Rubikoop]

In March in the Galapagos we anchored. I flew in to get on a cat sailing to French Polynesia so I wasn't involved with fees there directly. I gathered from other boats that budgeting $1000 US gets you in the ballpark.


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[Gerrycooper56]

Depends where you go. I think Puerto Ayora was mostly anchoring (bow and stern) and was from memory free, back in 2007 that is.


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[Rubikoop]

Originally Posted by Gerrycooper56

Depends where you go. I think Puerto Ayora was mostly anchoring (bow and stern) and was from memory free, back in 2007 that is.


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Was the same 7 months ago.


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[Triumphant]

Originally Posted by Rubikoop

In March in the Galapagos we anchored. I flew in to get on a cat sailing to French Polynesia so I wasn't involved with fees there directly. I gathered from other boats that budgeting $1000 US gets you in the ballpark.

Third hand info I have hear is that it is cheaper to leave you boat on the main land and fly to the Galapagos to do the tourist bit as you have lots of restriction if you take your own boat. Also Fuel is much more expensive than on the main land

[SURV69]

what happens if one doesn't have enough money at departure time?

Or is the departure fee collected "with", the entrance fee?

[Jim Cate]

Re Mexican fees and procedures: The system is in a state of turmoil just now. See "Electronic Latitude 38" for details as they unfold. It isn't terribly expensive, but at this time, highly confusing.

Cheers,

Jim

[Rubikoop]

Surv 69, the majority of the fee total was collected at arrival.

Flying in from mainland cheaper? Perhaps. It probably depends if it's just two people or a large boat with 6. Airline tickets and hotel fees would go up quickly for a group obviously. No matter how you get there you are paying a $100/person parks fee. If you fly that removes the possibility of cooking onboard. I didn't find shoreside meals all that expensive compared to what I'm used to paying in the Virgin Islands but still much more than cooking your own. Either way to see much of anything you have to use a guide and pay for a tour. Most tours were in the $100/person range. If you get a group together you can frequently leverage a little better deal. Hotels seemed to go from many hundreds per night down to renting a room in a house with a shared bathroom for less than $50/night. Taxis were very cheap and the locals were generally very friendly and helpful. Buying fuel was a fiasco of people with their hands out and shorted amounts. Partially full jugs sold and pumped as full etc. The majority of the people I spoke with loved their time there but grew tired of the shenanigans. Some left early. A few really didn't even stop because they refused to pay to play the "games".


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[Wrong]

Rubikoop said:

"Buying fuel was a fiasco of people with their hands out and shorted amounts. Partially full jugs sold and pumped as full etc. The majority of the people I spoke with loved their time there but grew tired of the shenanigans. Some left early. A few really didn't even stop because they refused to pay to play the "games"."

On the entire subject of 'fees', it's good news when cruisers bypass destinations "...because they refuse to play the games."

Up until a week ago, I was laying loosly laid plans for a third trip south to Mexico and 'beyond'. Both of my 'near global' circumnavigations lasting 4+ years each, exposed me to 'the games'. So, it was in a dream when all of these experiences, with the associated anger, frustration and sense of helplessness against it all were recalled. Mexico was right there at the top, mordida and all.

Consequently, I'll not be making the third trip because of 'the games', growing worse all the time. The entire cruising experience is sullied by 'the games' casting a pall over what it means to cruise and be a cruiser. No more.