Immigration check in via phone/internet

[AA3JY]

Just did a three day passage from the Bahamas...so very tired..had no luck with Customs and their on line ROAM app ..wanted online video conferencing..but getting errors..tried to make phone contacts with nearest immigration and customs office here inJax..they’re off checking in people on a cruise linner.. just received a notice on line we’re not permitted back in the US.. have no car to straighten this mess out..currently in Sisters Creek tied up to their public dock..anyone nearby with car to help us so we can back in the US legally?

[Snore]

I had a similar problem clearing into MD. Submitted my stuff when we can by Norfolk. Made Annapolis and still has not been cleared. I ending up calling port of Baltimore. And they cleared us.

Seems ROAM is only monitored Mon-Fri 9-5 up there.

[sck5]

I once checked in at Beaufort NC from Bermuda and asked the customs guys about how lax things were - It would have been possible to bring anything/anyone in on my boat and they would have been long gone by the time Customs got there. One of them said "Oh we know what boats are out there and where they came from. If you looked questionable you would have been boarded before you got here". Not sure how accurate or uniform this is but it is what they told me.

[AA3JY]

Now I can (partially)see why illegals don’t bother with being legal...

Now proudly flying our pirate flag..

[sailcrazy]

We've had issues with the android checkin process to, and ended up going in in person to accomplish checkin. Turns out we tried to do in enroute BVI to USVI, and must have not quite been over the boundary (or so we were told). Tried it again checking into Culebra from USVI (yes I know, both are US possessions, but checkin is required). It took about 20 minutes after we input all the data, but it (finally) came back cleared! Not a very impressive system!

[Peterbreit]

Try calling the office in Fernandina Beach or St. Augustine. They were very helpful to me. They are not as busy, I guess... give them your passport numbers, etc.

[Captain Puget]

Try twitter ... seems to work for the president 😉

[Peterbreit]

You can also take the ICW (International waterway, so you are legal, I guess) north to Fernandina Beach. it's no very far. If you haven't been there you will find a mooring field or the Municipal marina, which is going to be rebuild, I think it silted in... From there it is a very pleasant walk to the Customs office. But call ahead to make sure it is open. Lovely little town. Good luck.

[bluedotvoyages]

We had an amazingly simple checkin KeyWest from Cuba-Grand Cayman. And this was on a Saturday night at around 4 pm. We think here is what helped make it easy.


We all had TSA precheck and Global Traveler status, so were preverified.
We checked OUT of previous ports.
We used the video conferencing closer in to get better cell signal.
We were on AIS most of our trip.

[Yellowjacket]

ROAM failed (Android) crossing from Canada into US in the Pacfic Northwest. Kept getting error that I did not have location turned on, but I did, both at the operating system level and the app had access. Yes, rebooted phone. Determined that focus on phone made for a hazard to navigation and gave up. Checked in at kiosk at port of entry, waited for CBP agent who came down and checked my passport, just like the old days.

[hellosailor]

"You can also take the ICW (International waterway, so you are legal, I guess)"
Uh, no. That's IntraCoastal Waterway, it is very much domestic waters well inside the three-mile limit.
Our borders are SO porous, except where extensive resources are used. And meanwhile officialdom tries to pretend they are omnipresent...and they forget who funds their paychecks. A nasty farce it so often is.

[Vasco]

Originally Posted by AA3JY

Just did a three day passage from the Bahamas...so very tired..had no luck with Customs and their on line ROAM app ..wanted online video conferencing..but getting errors..tried to make phone contacts with nearest immigration and customs office here inJax..they’re off checking in people on a cruise linner.. just received a notice on line we’re not permitted back in the US.. have no car to straighten this mess out..currently in Sisters Creek tied up to their public dock..anyone nearby with car to help us so we can back in the US legally?

First are you US citizens? Second do you have the local boaters option? Third have you tried the 800 number ?