Sending a zodiac to port in foreign countries.

[jordanbigel]

Originally Posted by ScienceSailor

They can enter past 48nm and take over your ship because you wanted to do a supply run with RIB? Please explain the legality of this and why it's so upsetting to the authorities. I don't see how what I'm considering is in the least bit illegal or 'upsetting'.

Originally you posted you would deploy the zodiac at the 24nm line - now you say 48nm?

I am not sure if anyone has mentioned this yet, but even 24nm in a Zodiac dinghy (let alone 48nm) seems daunting to me, assuming we are talking about the open ocean here. Unless the conditions are excellent, this sounds super risky to me.

[jordanbigel]

Originally Posted by ScienceSailor

Wow that reply sounds straight of reddit, where bringing the subject of firearms on board (firearms that are legal to own and conceal in certain states in the US of A) led to my banning for quote 'incitation to murder and kill innocent civilians in international waters'. The hysteria has spread to private forums I see.

Yes, yes, You certainly got me. I registered with my real name and IP address to run drugs, and kill people wildly shooting my AK47 from the hip while dodging RPG shots from the US coast guard. That's the truth.

That, or maybe, just maybe, here in the real world on planet earth, I'm someone who seeks out to obtain autonomy at sea by de-residencing, something that's legal happens every day on land, and is not to keen to custom officers of certain countries to help themselves to 'souvenirs' or straight up ordering the crew to cook bacon (both are documented on various websites including this one).

Have a blessed day.

Wow. Just wow. Overreact much? What hysteria? One guy made up a fantastical story about drug running - how is that hysteria? Who even knows if he was serious. One guy.

I've cleared in and out of 3 dozen countries and not once did customs officials help themselves to my stuff or order me to cook them food. In fact, in 80% of cases, no one ever comes on board. Maybe you are a bit paranoid?

Have you ever cleared into a foreign country on a boat? I can count on one hand the number of places someone came on board, actually I can only think of 3.

But sure, this has been "documented" in that it has happened on planet earth at one time or another, in certain ports.

So, where are you going? Which atoll(s)?

[boatman61]

Only place I have been required to cook food was the Panama Canal.. and they got Spag Bol not bacon.. the 4 linesmen who were required to assist in the transit from E to W.. breakfast was fruit and cereals with soup and sandwiches for lunch.

[Fore and Aft]

What is the legality of being boarded out at sea? Say the authorities get suspicious when the Zodiac is loaded with a ton of fresh food and decide to follow it out to the mother ship. When arriving they find a boat crowded with refugees. Or what if the Zodiac driver is arrested and admits there's a ton of coke onboard? There's lots of scenarios and everyone begs the question why take the tender and not the mother ship to shore?!
Cheers

[Knotical]

Since we still don't know OP's intent the only thing I can deduce is there's something in the mothership that he does not want to reveal or risk - fair enough. However, if the officials get suspicious, impound the Zodiac and detain its captain you will have to bring the mothership to them, unless you just decide to leave them to their fate.

For being autonomous, I can't think of a reason how sending in the Zodiac for a supply run is any more autonomous than bringing in the mothership.

Technically, you may be in international waters but if they decide to pursue or harass you what will you do? Can you afford to piss them and neighboring atolls off?

I just don't see the point, please explain.

[Knotical]

I guess Fore and Aft had similar concerns and he beat me with his post

[Uncle Bob]

Sounds remarkably like a sovereign citizen that really doesn't get out much.

[Sailor 99]

I think about the only way you could attract more attention would be to run a flag up the mast saying "Free Drugs"

If it worked once I would be surprised. You can bet you would also attract the attention of criminals who might have a big motor yacht or an old fishing boat that can keep up to and pass your yacht and which they don't mind using to disable your yacht. Then to get rid of the evidence you and your yacht disappears, even if they find nothing.

Your plan reminds me of one by McAurther Wheeler, he of Dunning and Kruger fame. They did a big study based on the antics of Mr Wheeler and concluded that some some people should not be making the decisions they are making because they simply don't have the skills. Unskilled and Unaware they called it. You should look up Mr Wheeler and read it.

Yours is a McArther Wheeler class plan. If if I was going for a ride on your yacht and you told me that was the plan I would get off as soon as I could, even if I had to swim a mile to do so, because it is going to end badly and everybody on the yacht will share your fate regardless of their knowledge of the plan.

You know some people are really really smart in an area or even many and kind of blind in others. The trick is actually knowing that and playing your hand like that. In other words being aware of your own short comings. We all have those short comings.

Your handle is ScienceSailor and it makes me think you could very well have spent most of your career as the smartest guy in the room. One of the dangers the really smart guys run into is that they come to think they are always the smartest guy in the room and that is not true.

At least 10 people here have said "what are you trying to hide". In fact that is the only response you have received. Even the dumbest most incompetent check in person on the remotest island is going to ask you the same thing and then the jig is up.

Your tender skipper will be arrested and forced to take a bigger vessel back out to your mother ship and then your done. Don't think being out of their waters will help you. Even if your not doing anything wrong they are going to make your life so miserable that you will never think of even going to sea again.

They will take your fine yacht in tow into a rough pier and they are going to tear it into so many pieces that you will never get it back to the condition it was in. It will be suitable to be a derelict. If they don't find anything they will be even more pissed off.

Don't be McArthur Wheeler.

[Sailor 99]

Originally Posted by Uncle Bob

Sounds remarkably like a sovereign citizen that really doesn't get out much.

Yes very true. Even as he goes to prison and they are slamming the cage shut he is screaming about his rights and how the Federales can not do this to him.

Those guys make McAurther Wheeler look like a genius.

[alctel]

I don't really see many dinghies I'd trust to run over 24 miles of open water in, or is that just me

Also is the main boat just chilling out there sailing in circles or what, too deep to anchor

And as others have said, I cannot think of a more surefire way to get flagged as running weapons/drugs

Still not clear on what exactly the point is either, even if for whatever reason (it sounds like some sort of confused sovereign citizen kinda deal) you never want to take the big boat into land, what are ya going to do when a storm rolls in?

[TomM]

Originally Posted by Dark Horse

Yes very true. Even as he goes to prison and they are slamming the cage shut he is screaming about his rights and how the Federales can not do this to him.

Those guys make McAurther Wheeler look like a genius.

Hopefully the video will be posted to YouTube! I love a good sovereign citizen video.

[JBsurfin]

Originally Posted by ScienceSailor

Let's assume I do everything by the book up to the point where I am about to enter the 24nm line, at which point I leave the boat behind with a skipper on board.

I then board a zodiac and comply by ALL rules and regulation of the country I'm about to enter. Passport with valid visa (when required), Port Clearance certificate, etc.

Would i need to provide the following :

Boat Registration certificate
Boat insurance policy
“Free Pratique”
Ship’s stamp (in some countries)
MMSI number, and proof of AIS (where required)

... For the boat or for the zodiac? Either or both? If both, what is the exact legal requirement for forming a virtual 'tether' between the boat and the zodiac? Is it about MY legal status as a person and owner of the ship? What if i sent someone else instead of me? (say, on a supply run)

The question IS relevant in the context of small atolls that have complex, if not nearly infinite sets of rules and regulations because they are not interdependent but obey usually laws descending from old colonial rules.

Thank you.

25nm.. Must be a big size zodiac. Good luck

[Cwens]

Consider an alternative version of the OP's question that may come across as less nefarious:


"I am cruising. I'd like to make a resupply stop. I have things on my boat (a shotgun, a case of booze) that are legal in some countries but not in others, and that I can't legally bring into the territory where I want to stop. Is it legally and practically feasible to leave my boat outside that island's territorial waters and clear in and out with my tender for the resupply run?"


I don't know if the answers would be any different, particularly the answers about not arousing suspicion, but maybe don't assume the worst here?

[FlyingScot]

Originally Posted by ScienceSailor

Let's assume I do everything by the book up to the point where I am about to enter the 24nm line, at which point I leave the boat behind with a skipper on board.

I then board a zodiac and comply by ALL rules and regulation of the country I'm about to enter. Passport with valid visa (when required), Port Clearance certificate, etc.

Would i need to provide the following :

Boat Registration certificate
Boat insurance policy
“Free Pratique”
Ship’s stamp (in some countries)
MMSI number, and proof of AIS (where required)

... For the boat or for the zodiac? Either or both? If both, what is the exact legal requirement for forming a virtual 'tether' between the boat and the zodiac? Is it about MY legal status as a person and owner of the ship? What if i sent someone else instead of me? (say, on a supply run)

The question IS relevant in the context of small atolls that have complex, if not nearly infinite sets of rules and regulations because they are not interdependent but obey usually laws descending from old colonial rules.

Thank you.

I think you fail to grasp what it is like to ride in a dinghy that far and how much fuel it will consume. Me and a buddy rode up from the mooring field in Bonaire to the National Park. I can tell you we used over 5 gallons of fuel and the ride back was wave jumping and exhausting. Keep in mind this was in the lee of Bonaire, not pure open ocean.

One piece of advice is to blend in. Doing things that are suspicious, regardless of legality, will get you the attention you are trying to avoid.

I think a lot of people assume sailing is being truly free. It’s nothing like that at all on some levels. So many laws, paperwork, rules and procedures to follow when transitioning from one country to the next. You will be tracked as much or more than ever. You need to be ready to show your paperwork..

At least that’s my limited experience.

[Knotical]

Originally Posted by ChrisOwens

Consider an alternative version of the OP's question that may come across as less nefarious:


"I am cruising. I'd like to make a resupply stop. I have things on my boat (a shotgun, a case of booze) that are legal in some countries but not in others, and that I can't legally bring into the territory where I want to stop. Is it legally and practically feasible to leave my boat outside that island's territorial waters and clear in and out with my tender for the resupply run?"


I don't know if the answers would be any different, particularly the answers about not arousing suspicion, but maybe don't assume the worst here?

See the 1st paragraph in post #20