Mid night clearing in

[capn_billl]

This might sound like an odd question for someone who has cleared into several countries (Always during business hours).

But now I'm doing more overnight, and multiday passages down the Thorny Path, I'm very likely to arrive in someone's waters well after 5pm.

What is the usual procedure?

Stay offshore?

Drop Anchor with the Yellow flag, and wait until 8AM?

Try to get a Customs bureaucrat out of bed in the middle of the night?

Varies by country?

[boatman61]

Drop anchor and fly Q.. or as in Vanuatu pick up quarantine buoy, hoist Q and wait..
Noonsite helps with these things..

[SailingHarmonie]

It varies somewhat by country.

We haven't touched EVERY country in the Caribbean, but we haven't yet seen one where arrival at Oh-dark-thirty required an immediate checkin...

...with the exception of Barbados. Arriving boats there need to contract port control on the radio, and are directed to proceed directly to the commercial dock, NOT go to the anchorage. It's a real PITA. But most cruisiers don't go there without a good reason, for good reason!

For every place else, just have everyone stay on the boat until the captain completes formalities to get cleared in. Some places are more uptight about this rule than others, but you really don't want to push it. Do not go touring until you are official.

[capn_billl]

Sounds like Barbados is a trip better done in daylight.

Thanks for the replies.

So best is call port authority on radio, and see what they say?

[Zanshin]

On most of the Caribbean islands, hailing on the VHF will not get any response at all. Especially out of hours.

Just anchor, fly the "Q" flag, don't go ashore. The next morning, complete the formalities. They'll ask you "when did you arrive?" and just tell them your arrival time. I had them charge me "weekend rates" because I'd arrived on Sunday night and cleared in on Monday morning (that was the BVI), or charge an extra day of park fees for Falmouth Harbour in Antigua, but not once was there any questioning about my actions.

[Ded reckoner]

The procedure depends on the country. As mentioned, the yellow Q flag should be flown and, if anyone goes ashore, it should only be the vessel master until you clear in. If you intend to anchor out and check-in, you might as well anchor out overnight. The time to check-in on anchor tends to be much longer duration than if you are in a marina. If you are in a marina, notify the marina during working hours about your arrival plan, and they will work with you and customs & immigration how to proceed (e.g. whether everyone needs to stay on the boat, or if the master may come off). If customs & immigration will see you after normal business hours, which isn't uncommon, you should expect a higher fee structure.

[Zanshin]

Many countries will prohibit you from going to a marina before clearing in. I believe that the BVI currently has US$10,000 fine for doing that. I've also never noticed a difference at customs between clearing in while the boat is at anchor or at the dock. Here's a picture of my clearance paperwork folder for the past couple of years, just to show that I've done this a time or two in the Caribbean

[SailingHarmonie]

Originally Posted by capn_billl

Sounds like Barbados is a trip better done in daylight.

Thanks for the replies.

So best is call port authority on radio, and see what they say?

The requirement for calling port authority upon arrival is, in my experience, unique to Barbados.