Firt Lauderdale Arrival Procedure?

[BobH260]

We are also a foreign flagged vessel sailing in south Florida.

I think if you go in at Ft Lauderdale you will have to go to the airport to clear. The person you deal with there may not be accustomed to dealing with cruising permits etc.

Many cruisers come in from the Bahamas at Lake Worth, (Palm Beach). There is a good anchorage to port as you come in, across from Peanut Island. It is a short dinghy ride to the customs office. They clear a lot of boats and know what all the rules are. They have a good reputation for good service and advice.

The address is, 1 East 11th Street, Riviera Beach, (561) 848-6922. The office is on the 3rd floor if I recall. The only issue may be finding a dinghy dock. If you go north of the cruise ship dock at the back of this building there is a municipal Marina there, they will charge you to leave the dinghy there. It is a good walk south back to the customs office. There was a new Marina facility under construction last spring that is closer but it was under construction and they would not allow us to enter, it may be open now.

Good luck, Bob

[roetter]

We just came to Ft. Lauderdale 2 weeks ago from the Bahamas. Canadian flagged vessel with Canadians on board.

There is no clearing out of the Bahamas. You just leave.

I tried to call the 1-800 numbers with my Canadian Rogers phone and kept getting the message "This toll free number is not available for your calling area". There is no toll number available. In the end I used my data connection on the phone, connected via hotspot to my laptop and called using Skype. I did all this after we anchored in Lake Sylvia. You have 24 hours to show up in person - all persons on board, not just the master. Same procedure last year (then with a German and one French person). Both times we went to the cruise ship center by car. Easy parking there. They never came to or on the boat..


Rolf

[sestina]

Last time I cleared into Ft. Lauderdale in 2011 it was rather confusing to say the least.

The coastguard didn't know what we had to do, as well as having such a thick hispanic accent they were pretty unintelligible. The Home Land Security launch we hailed didn't know what we had to do either...

Eventually got the right advice from a Sherrif's boat. Anchor in Lake Sylvia, go ashore and call the appropriate number, then a taxi ride round to the cruise ship dock to clear.

Be warned procedures have probably changed. The actions of the authorities in Florida are about as predictable as those of a maiden in the throes of her first love.