Sailing to Australia / New Zealand Area ?

[cat man do]

Originally Posted by GordMay

It is clearly a minimum of 96 hour's notice.
“The Master of a vessel arriving in Australia is required by law to give notice of impending arrival not later than 96 hours before arrival.” means at least 96 hours prior to arrival (96 to infinite ), and would allow an earlier notification (5, 6, or more days).

Fair enough Gord, but It could be worded much better.

I would'nt go as far as saying it is clearly anything.

If I ask someone to turn up at my place NO LATER than 5.30 pm, that mean's to turn up before 5.30pm.

They could say, we need a MINIMUM of 96 hour's notice, vessels giving LESS THAN 96 hour's notice could face blah blah blah.

A lot of travellers have less than perfect understanding of the english language.

Let's not even go into the fact that there is no foreign language facility on the site.

How easy would that be.??

Dave

[hellosailor]

All seems to be a tempest in a teapot.

Tranlsated into Australian, I believe that's:

"A tempest in a billy." Or don't you folks say tempest, either?

[Alan Wheeler]

Yeah but Dave, we have the English language perfect down here. It's you yanks that have the wrong english ;-) :-)

It's storm in a tea cup by the way.

[viking69]

Well i am not sure on the laws for coming to Aus.... cant be bothered reading them but i do cruise around a fair bit on the queensland coast and i meet a fair few people who have made it in and not to many horror storries yet. yes it may be a bit of red tape but if you persist and follow their rules you should be fine.

[hellosailor]

"It's storm in a tea cup"
Ah, Wheels, that pains me. There's no fine appreciation for alliteration, no gift of the Irish, and to demote it to a tea CUP of all things. You'd better declare war on the US quickly, so we can give you some foreign aid.
< G >

Of course we have the wrong English. If they'd let Franklin handle the negotiations with England, we'd have retained full and exclusive rights to the language, and forced the UK to revert back to Saxon. And perhaps, if he'd been having a real gouty day, Gaelic for that matter.

We were just too damned generous with old George Rex. And I get a sad belly-laugh out of seeing how England has changed, with Karma bringing back all the peoples they tried to "civilize" in all the corners of the earth, to Merry Olde England.

[44'cruisingcat]

Originally Posted by hellosailor

All seems to be a tempest in a teapot.

Tranlsated into Australian, I believe that's:

"A tempest in a billy." Or don't you folks say tempest, either?

To most people it probably is. Unless they happened to be sent to jail I suppose. Or were down $4000 in fines, $15,000 in prosecution costs and $40,000 in personal legal costs.

And all for doing exactly as directed by the Australian Consulate in Noumea.

[cat man do]

The fines being imposed on yachties is totally disproportianate when compared to the fines imposed on large corporations.

Yachties life plan's get shut down while the big boy's get an insignicant fine imposed on them for the same offence.

Power Customs Services Pty Ltd Shipping Air & Sea Freight Customs Clearance

SHIPPING COMPANY BREACHES CUSTOMS ACT
A shipping company, Swire Pacific Offshore Pty Ltd, has been fined $2,500 with $2,867 costs in Hobart Magistrates Court for two offences under the Customs Act. The company admitted in court on 2 March that it failed to report to Customs the impending arrival into the Port of Launceston of one of its vessels and that it also failed to provide a crew report to Customs

Dave

[cat man do]

Getting back to the wording as in post 31, and Gord's comment's earlier


Originally Posted by GordMay
It is clearly a minimum of 96 hour's notice.
“The Master of a vessel arriving in Australia is required by law to give notice of impending arrival not later than 96 hours before arrival.” means at least 96 hours prior to arrival (96 to infinite ), and would allow an earlier notification (5, 6, or more days).


If you were to look in the last copy of "TCP" page 8 there is a letter that is apparently from Mr Simon Latimer, "Director Customs Corporate Communication's".

There is a section "What are reporting requirements for yacht's."
And it say's

"These report's are required under the Customs Act 1901 and must be communicated to Customs within prescribed time periods before the vessels estimated time of of arrival at their first port in Australia as follows:

If the voyage exceed's 96 hours - not later than 96 hours, or
If the voyage is less than 96 hours - not later than 72 hours, or
If the voyage is less than 72 hours - not later than 48 hours, or
If the voyage is less than 48 hours - not later than 24 hours, or
If the voyage is less than 24 hours - not later than 12 hours."


Again I say, that to me that say's if the voyage is to be longer than 96 hour's in duration, you have to give a MINIMUM of 96 hours notice.


This site also back's the 96 hour minimum up.
http://www.dimia.gov.au/sea/ships/en...-australia.htm
Before arrival in Australia

As a general rule, vessels are required to provide passenger and crew reports no later than 96 hours before arriving in Australia. These reports are available electronically from Customs.


So, just as well you were'nt comming into Australia, Gord, you may well have been the next victim.

Dave

[Steve Pope]

I think, if my memory serves, according to one of the original articles in T.C.P. the time frame was a minimum of 96 hours (4 days) and a maximun of 240 hrs (10 days).

[mudnut]

Hey all,just want to say that I do understand the gravity of what this 96hr ruling means and the difficulties that it impose's on people comming to OZ.It IS so totally screwie.Even I can understand that.If it all keeps getting refered back to those few incidences then that would imply that they are few and far between.

I'm not doubting the problems you all have had within OZ waters with customs and fisheries department personel.Those thigs are happening every day.I for one would like the fisheries people to police the sand pumping pier at the southport seaway a bit more as well,I've seen the undersize fish being taken nightly.Sadly there is incompetance in all departments.I hope nobody thought I was attacking their first hand knowledge or intelligence,I wasn't.Maybe a lobby group is the answer.Mudnut.

[hellosailor]

What is the literacy rate among Customs officers and government bureaucrats in Oz?

""These report's are required under the Customs Act 1901 and must be communicated to Customs within prescribed time periods before the vessels estimated time of of arrival"

Note that the terms refer to the ESTIMATED time of arrival (ETA) and nowhere is there a referece to the ACTUAL time of arrival. Indicating that at least in 1901, someone understood that one's arrival might not occur as estimated.

[sailorm]

While I sailed from the Pacific NW down to Central and South America and then across to Easter Island, Pitcairin, through many Polynesian Island and ultimately to New Zealand: all of as a single handed grandma, a lot of my cruising friends did start from the E Coast of the USA or South Africa. It's perfectly possible and a great deal of fun as long as you watch your seasons. Since I took a long time doing it I stayed in sheltered or safe locations during hurricane season. Further detail? Find me on Antique Sailor or sailorm@charter.net

[roverhi]

If the horendous fines for violating the 96 hour rule are really happening, Australia would be a definite don't go there. Have sailed for years without a radio and don't intend to change. As far as Email, etc., doesn't work without sat phone or an HF radio and very expensive modem, neither of which I'm likely to ever have. Setting all that aside, what about the boat that has all that equipment but loses it in a severe dusting on the way south. Willing to lose your boat simply because you couldn't phone ahead?? The penalties are apparently so severe, not worth the risk.

Until the OZ customs change the rules and make viable accomodations for cruising sailboats, I wouldn't be found anywhere near there.

I doubt that these rules have anything to do with the Neo Cons, btw. Those are more the type of regulations of an zealous socialist bureaucrat. Of course the socialist paradises are more likely to stand you up against a wall and shoot you than just a large fine.

As far as getting into the US, it's easier to just sail in and don't tell anyone than to do it officially. Just ask any of the 30 million or so that have already done it.

Aloha
Peter O.

[Boracay]

Now you have considered Customs and Immigration requirements check out what AQIS wants...

I really like the bits about keeping receipts and the special log book.

[cat man do]

Originally Posted by Boracay

Now you have considered Customs and Immigration requirements check out what AQIS wants...

I really like the bits about keeping receipts and the special log book.

I like these bit's

What can I do to help?

Before you leave your last port for Australia:

1. Keep all ancillary gear and internal seawater systems clean of marine pests and growths; and
2. Clean your vessel’s hull within one month before arrival; or
3. Apply antifouling paint within one year before arrival; or
4. Book your vessel in to be slipped and cleaned within one week of arrival.

Could you even be able to get your vessel pulled out within the week?

Do all the clear in areas have a facility to get a Multihull with a 7 metre beam out?

If the purpose of this is to prevent foreign googlies from being in our water's, wont being parked somwhere waiting for 7 day's to come out, give said googlies plenty of time to get off and do what they do?

And most important, does this happen to big ship's as well? I doubt that they have to be cleaned within 1 month before arrival or be slipped within 1 week after arrival.

I'm sure they have much more crap on the bottom than a little yacht.

Dave