Is Cruising on the Decline ?

[meyermm]

Originally Posted by catty

There may be many reasons for this apparent decline in cruisers on the Australian coast. Customs and Australian officialdom in general, has been discussed to great lengths, on "the coastal passage" website, and may be of interest to some posters here.

Meyerman, are you referring to what is colloquially known as""Bums Bay" on the Gold Coast. This was very empty when we stayed for a few days last month. In the past it has been very congested with cruisers, but I notice there are large signs stressing penalties for those anchoring for more than 7 days, and only 24 hours is permitted on the Gold Coast side.Do you think the enforcement of these regulations has anything to do with the numbers?

Regards

Probably is all though the description does fit I have not heard it called that. As for numbers it was full a couple of months ago so it does fluctuate I will have a look around this weekend. Not sure how well the enforcement is I did hear pretty lax but maybe that has changed as there were some long term visitors, the house boats were the big problem.

[sailorboy1]

I had to go read the thread title because I was confused. Seems we are now talking about Austrailia instead.

So am I correct is understanding from all this that checking into Austrailia is $300? That's a big place and I would think you could keep yourself busy enough to justify. How is the cruising in Austrialia?

[meyermm]

Originally Posted by avb3

So from your perspective, it would be OK for Anguilla, Nevis, Antigua, Montserrat, Guadeloupe etc. all to charge $300 whenever you enter their waters, even though you may only be staying a day, a week or a month, but since you conceivably stay a year, that is OK and seems cheap, right?

Is the principle, from your point of view, the ability to stay a year cruising "in country", or does your principle change because of the size of the country?

Just askin', you know, as the saying goes, what is good for the goose should be good for the gander.

Or, looking at in another say, seeing we are talking geese here, maybe it is a great way to kill the golden goose?

Just sayin'.

I have noticed all of the respondents have avoided trying to defend the cost, around $800 just to get a US visa to spend one night in the states.
Not having been to that part of the world, Caribean, but from my knowledge they have economies based on tourism so charging an entry fee of $300 for one night is absurd as the writer would now but a fee never the less would be appropriate. Australian economy is not based on tourism and is not a third world country. Correct me if I am wrong but US citizens do not require passports to visit most of those places and a good deal of South America including Mexico. One of my crew a Canadian citizen remarked while cruising the Pacific that the locals had a much higher living standard than the Caribean citizens and as such he felt much safer and was not constantly having to worry about theft. I wonder why with the large amount of US tourism they are not doing better

[Pelagic]

Feral Cruisers Beware, Australia will only tolerate its own species of termites, so there is no use fuming about it.

Their new Tourism Slogan ::::

Crocodile Dundee says ….No Worries Mate…Fumigate or ***k >>>off !

[meyermm]

Originally Posted by Don Lucas

I had to go read the thread title because I was confused. Seems we are now talking about Austrailia instead.

So am I correct is understanding from all this that checking into Austrailia is $300? That's a big place and I would thibnk you could keep yourself busy enough to justify. How is the cruising in Austrialia?

You are correct but it seems the trolls are alive and kicking in the USA. The cruising is as it always has been good for most but the dollar parity I think is having an effect. Just out of interest The Great Barrier still has live coral and plenty of fish unlike a great deal of the FREE Pacific islands. Yes your right it is a big place just like the states so you will get your monies worth by the time you see just a small part of it. Some time ago I met an English girl who had spent some time in Australia who mentioned that she realised how big the country was when leaving for the UK by plane. Her comment was that after flying for four hours they were still over Australia.

[David_Old_Jersey]

Methinks time to chill out

Anyone been watching the *Cricket






*For North American readers, Cricket is a game played in Australia...........by Girls Well, it is at the moment

[SurferShane]

Originally Posted by Bash

Good point!

(If the traffic on this forum is any indication, however, there are still a lot of people getting bit by the cruising bug.)

Yeah, Especially if relationships and other factors deprived you of that dream house next to the beach

[SurferShane]

Originally Posted by Pelagic

Feral Cruisers Beware, Australia will only tolerate its own species of termites, so there is no use fuming about it.

Their new Tourism Slogan ::::

Crocodile Dundee says ….No Worries Mate…Fumigate or ***k >>>off !

Bastards have tried to exterminate me regularly but I am still out there doing my best to get my daily dose of salt water. Sure the F*** beats the heroin and cocaine addictions of the professionals I have been exposed to of late. Then the layman in my part of the coast is typically on ICE. What a beautiful place to decay when you could otherwise be out exploring new horizons. Just too easy for thee fools to lead these lifestyles under the protection of being “correct”.
And no, I don’t carry a gun, but this is a knife!

So if you want to rip the place off then just ask me and I am sure I could do even better. Otherwise please blame the genuine cruisers over here doing their best to escape the bureaucratic BS.

[meyermm]

Originally Posted by David_Old_Jersey

Methinks time to chill out

Anyone been watching the *Cricket






*For North American readers, Cricket is a game played in Australia...........by Girls Well, it is at the moment

Once every twenty years the poms (English) are allowed to win just out of common decency. We like to give them a little encouragement and it breaks the boredom. Anyone for tennis

[savoir]

Originally Posted by Pelagic

Feral Cruisers Beware, Australia will only tolerate its own species of termites, so there is no use fuming about it.

Their new Tourism Slogan ::::

Crocodile Dundee says ….No Worries Mate…Fumigate or ***k >>>off !

So how come the termite extermination guys didn't search Oprah's jet for stray bits of wood ?

Oprah isn't totally plastic, is she ?

[simonmd]

Originally Posted by David_Old_Jersey

Methinks time to chill out

Anyone been watching the *Cricket






*For North American readers, Cricket is a game played in Australia...........by Girls Well, it is at the moment

PMSL!! This thread is getting too funny, stop it!

Back to the original question then, the answer is maybe.....

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by David_Old_Jersey

Methinks time to chill out

Anyone been watching the *Cricket






*For North American readers, Cricket is a game played in Australia...........by Girls Well, it is at the moment

$300 to cruise a country filled with hairy women wearing 'boxes'.... and your complaining.... where have the "True Seamen Gone...'

[jackiepitts]

Originally Posted by meyermm

Correct me if I am wrong but US citizens do not require passports to visit most of those places and a good deal of South America including Mexico.

Consider yourself corrected. US citizens must have a passport to visit South America including Mexico.

[Palarran]

Originally Posted by avb3

So from your perspective, it would be OK for Anguilla, Nevis, Antigua, Montserrat, Guadeloupe etc. all to charge $300 whenever you enter their waters, even though you may only be staying a day, a week or a month, but since you conceivably stay a year, that is OK and seems cheap, right?

Is the principle, from your point of view, the ability to stay a year cruising "in country", or does your principle change because of the size of the country?

Just askin', you know, as the saying goes, what is good for the goose should be good for the gander.

Or, looking at in another say, seeing we are talking geese here, maybe it is a great way to kill the golden goose?

Just sayin'.

Anguilla does charge a ton. It costs around $100 for a cruising permit for ONE DAY if your going to leave Road Bay. You have to pay that every time you enter. So, over a year period, I'll probably spend $600 just to purchase cruising permits. St. Barts costs about $30 per day to anchor or to use an inner harbor mooring ball. I think it's completely ridiculous to think countries shouldn't charge for the use of their natural resources simply because they are filled with water.

There where some comments about cruising in the United States and it being cheap and easy. I'm surprised it's easy for a foreign flagged vessel but the cruising permit is cheap. I think the problem for the United States is that the municipalities are blocking off the "free" anchorages thereby forcing people to pay for the use of the area. I don't think many of the local land owners really care about the right of a transient cruiser. They care about their property value.

I'm all for the goose/gander thing. I do disagree about the golden goose. It seems that you have to get an egg from the goose every once in a while to make it a "golden" one.

[boatman61]

Actually... if you clear into St Martin on the French Side you don't have to pay for St Barts... its the same Admin... but then again it could be coz I'm an EU gypsy...