Do I have to clear in clear out?

[DockDoc]

Sailing from St Maarten stopping to pick up one additional crew in Puerto Rico. All crew and boat USA documented.

Headed to the Bahamas for a week or two before heading to the Chesapeake bay.

If we just anchor and have a water taxi bring him to the boat, we never set foot on land, and depart as soon as he is on board do we have to clear in and out?

[JPA Cate]

Yes. It's part of the price we pay for cruising. Some places it may take the better part of a day, and others, less than an hour, including waiting. Homeland Security really prefer for you to dot the "i's" and cross the "t's", if you know what i mean, and other countries have their regulations, as well.

Ann

[belizesailor]

Some places will clear you in & out at the same time for just such short stops. Dont know if PR will.

[billknny]

Originally Posted by DockDoc

Sailing from St Maarten stopping to pick up one additional crew in Puerto Rico. All crew and boat USA documented.

Headed to the Bahamas for a week or two before heading to the Chesapeake bay.

If we just anchor and have a water taxi bring him to the boat, we never set foot on land, and depart as soon as he is on board do we have to clear in and out?

YES! YES! and YES!

Do not try to short circuit the process of clearing in/out out of any country. It could be argued that the chances of getting caught are not large, but the consequences of being caught at an illegal landing can be truly disastrous. It matters not a bit the reasons for your failure to clear in, if you did not clear in, you ARE guilty.

Now, with the USA, you do not need to clear out, and if your next stop is going to be the Bahamas, they understand USA procedures and will not expect to see a zarpa from a boat arriving from the USA.

If you are a USA flagged boat and don't have the CBP ROAM app, you really should have it--and use it. It makes clearing in a piece of cake, assuming you or your crew are not on some watch list. We arrived in the USA from the Bahamas last week, and it took 15 minutes, with no call, no inspection, no visit, no video conference, nothing. Of course we have both been "trusted travelers" with the CBP for many years so that tends to make things run pretty smoothly.

Now, if you can get the water taxi to meet you more than 3 miles off shore...

[StuM]

Yes, as a general rule: in any country, you cannot pick up or drop off ANYTHING from land or from a local vessel in territorial waters without first clearing in.



(Strictly, that include buying a fish from a local fisherman on your way past).

[masonc]

You would be guilty of human trafficking, not something you want you want to be accused of.

[chuckr]

YEP -- we have sailed into and out of a lot of countries and some multiple times. As above chances of getting caught might not be huge but if caught the downside is huge. The worse check in /out was in Puerto Rico and we have been to 47 countries. Homeland Security really dragged us over the coals for no reason - just because they could.

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by chuckr

YEP -- we have sailed into and out of a lot of countries and some multiple times. As above chances of getting caught might not be huge but if caught the downside is huge. The worse check in /out was in Puerto Rico and we have been to 47 countries. Homeland Security really dragged us over the coals for no reason - just because they could.

Good point. Especially in USA waters, I think it best to follow the book...cruisers often get heavily hassled by USA authorities even when there is no violation. Getting caught in violation right up front would not likely result in a pleasant life experience.

[John_Trusty]

Don't take the internet's word for it (although all the answers above appear correct and the judgment sound), look up the regulations and advice from the people who will be giving you stuff in some backroom in PR - https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/det...tering-the-u.s.

It's pretty clear, as stated on this web page, that both anchoring and bringing on a crew member are considered legally "entering the US":
If your boat has anchored or tied up, you are considered to have entered the United States. No one shall board or leave the boat without first completing customs processing, unless permission to do so is granted by the CBP Officer in charge. The only exception to this requirement is to report arrival. If it is necessary for someone to leave the boat to report arrival to CBP, he or she must return to the boat after reporting and remain on board unless instructed otherwise. No one who arrived on that boat may leave until the CBP Officer grants permission to go ashore. A report of arrival into the United States should be made to the CBP office nearest to your point of entry.

For more information, you may visit our website on reporting requirements for Pleasure Boaters in the Caribbean and for a list of Pleasure Boat Locations.

For questions or inquiries, please contact the NVMC 24/7 line at 1-800-708-9823 or 1-304-264-2502 or send an email to sans@nvmc.uscg.gov

[RobinScurr]

The technical part being missed, as I understand it, is that when you drop an anchor, you are "Landed" and must check in. If you pass through another countries waters, without any stops, you are a "boat in transit" and can do so without clearing in/out.

We see this in the Great Lakes when passing through Canadian waters ... you may start at a US port and stop at another US port, while passing through Canada without clearing in/out. You cannot start and stop at the same place however, while crossing over/back without clearing in ... the St Clair river and the St Marys river are good examples where you can/are going to cross the border, but without stopping no clearance is required. Passing through the Canadian Lock in Sault Ste Marie also does not require a clearance, as the Canadian/US governments do not consider temporary tying up within the lock chamber as being "landed."

Of course, you can be stopped and boarded at any time, in any location.

[grantmc]

Originally Posted by DockDoc

If we just anchor and have a water taxi bring him to the boat, we never set foot on land, and depart as soon as he is on board do we have to clear in and out?

When posters ask this question I am filled with amazement, especially someone so obviously from the US.

[chuckr]

By the way we did do a stop in Bloody Bay Jamaica after a 5 day crossing from Colombia. It was late afternoon and we knew we could not make a port with immigration and customs before dark so went in and dropped hook and flew our Q flag. The Jamaican CG came along side and asked some questions and we told them we would move tomorrow and check in they said ok man if you want to spend an extra day or so that is ok. I asked if we could go ashore and he said yea man and enjoy but go check in soon. We did as he asked.


Now say that we also have a very long sail this summer when we leave Egypt - currently in Israel (Israel is like WOW) - as our next stop is 4-800nm away depending on the wind. We will go to either the end of Sicily or bottom of Crete. If Sicily we will head up through the Messina Straits and check in someplace north of there. If in Crete we will bounce up the coast of Greece without landing or stopping in any port or harbor and again to the Straits and then check in.
Our issue Schengen as we want to sail north Italy, France, north Spain before leaving the EU and to Morocco, Gib and Canary Isl which may also be Schengen - can not get a good read on Schengen in Canary Isl.


The difference we do not intend on leaving the boat nor take anyone on or have anything or deal with anything on land. Drop hook sleep, get refreshed and leave.

[The Apprentice]

Chuckr...
The Canaries are Schengen...
Cheers

[chuckr]

Originally Posted by The Apprentice

Chuckr...
The Canaries are Schengen...
Cheers

Yea -- not sure how strict they are. We will save some time before we head there but as always it depends on the wx when we leave to get there and once there leave to head across.

[DockDoc]

Thanks all.
I am a trusted traveler and I have the CBP roam app, but have never used it.

This will be my first time A. owning the boat I am on, and B. sailing out of waters I am checked into. Every other time I have always chartered and sailed within the territorial waters of the country I flew into.

I am sure right about now the PR officials are feeling real warm and fuzzy towards the US...

I am considering having the one crew fly to St Maarten just to avoid the hassle.

Cheers and thanks.