new customs clearing procedures

[Pascal]

i saw this in the miami herald...

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Recreational U.S. boaters returning home from foreign ports may no longer have to go to an immigration and customs office for a reentry interview.

On Friday, U.S. Customs and Border Protection launched a program that gives boaters the option of registering in advance with the agency, thus eliminating -- in most cases -- the requirement to visit a passport control office after every visit to a foreign port.

It removes one step from the current process: Boaters have to call an 800 number to announce their arrival, then they have 24 hours to report in person to a passport control officer for a face-to-face interview. The only places to go for those interviews in Miami-Dade and Broward counties are the Port of Miami-Dade and Port Everglades.

''The problem is, that process can be a real pain in the neck for people who dock far away from the ports and then have to get in the car and drive for the interviews,'' said Jennifer Connors, a Customs and Border Protection spokeswoman.

With the new process, boaters can complete a one-time registration with their local U.S. Customs and Border Protection office. They must present proof of citizenship or legal permanent residence and submit identifying details about their vessels.

Boaters are given a personal registration number when they sign up for the Local Boater Option program.

After registering, boaters arriving from foreign ports will still have to call an 800 number to connect with passport control officers. The boaters will give their registration numbers over the phone and, in most cases, they will not have to report in person after arriving back in the United States.

''We can still require that boaters come in for an interview, but for most of our honest boaters who we've been seeing all these years, it'll be a relief not to have to go through that process,'' Connors said.

Every person aboard an incoming boat must have a registration number in order to bypass the interview process after docking, Connors said.

Part of the reason the agency decided to start the new program was because U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials did not want boaters to stop reporting in after foreign trips or visits with other vessels, as they are required to do, Connors said.

''We didn't want people to stop calling us at all just because part of the process was an inconvenience,'' Connors said. ``That wouldn't be helping to secure our borders at all. We need to know the comings and goings on our shores.''

To enroll in the Customs and Border Protection's Local Boater Option, set up an appointment by calling 800-432-1216 or 800-451-0393.

 

[Freebird]

Thank goodness! I plan to do some major island hopping when I get FREEBIRD back up and running again. This was a source of concern and confusion that will hopefully be neither after this change.

I asked this question on another thread, but I'll ask again. Should I decide to document my 58 in the Bahamas, will that change the trip fees they charge and/or the customs situation both here and there when I go back and forth from FL?

I don't have a problem with sales tax, so that would not be a factor. Would I be better off to use Kingston, TN as a home port and forget about using the Bahamas or FL for that matter? Truth is, I don't know where the heck I'll eventually end up!

 

[thoward]

''We didn't want people to stop calling us at all just because part of the process was an inconvenience,'' Connors said. ``That wouldn't be helping to secure our borders at all. We need to know the comings and goings on our shores.''

Great geal for us butt.....Our boarders are now secured by the honor system? I wonder if the terrorist was going to call ahead and go to the interview under the old law . I get a kick out of the nonsence lawmakers come up with. They broke multiple laws leading up to the act so lets add a few more and maybe they will not break these.

Enforce the existing laws and sentencing.

True story: I have an inlaw who has issues to say the least. He usually does not have 2 nickles to rub together. He has no home and no car but rents a room from a buddy. He did not pay child support. Michagan came down got his butt denied bail and put him in jail for 1 year(not the 1st time on the same charge). A rapist convicted at the same time got out before him. To top it off they will not lower his child support.

 

[thoward]

FB I would document the boat and I would most likely put it out of TN. Insurance is a bi&%^ down here. You will want to make sure they will give you Bahamas coverage or at least a binder for the trips.

If I recall the fee is $300 for the Bahamas for up to 6 months but I think you can only go back and forth 1 time within 90 days if you do more than that you buy another. Someone will correct me if I am wrong on this one...

 

[thoward]

Here is the info

Entry Fees:
Vessels up to 35 feet: $150.00*
Valid for two entries during a 90-day period.

Vessels over 35 feet: $300.00*
Valid for two entries during a 90-day period.

*Listed entry fees apply to vessels with four persons or less. The fee covers the cruising permit, fishing permit, Customs and Immigration charges, and the $15.00 per person departure tax for up to four persons. Each additional person above four will be charged $15.00 departure tax. If you plan to stay longer than 12 months, special arrangements must be made with Bahamas Customs and Immigration. Regular hours for Bahamas Customs and Immigration Officers are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. Officers are on-call during holidays and weekends. There is no overtime charge.

 

[CARL GUZMAN]

I can remember several nights pulling in from Bahamas in Liqurdale and haveing to call in my boat . One time I called from the ICW they said call us again when you get to the dock dose'nt make too much sence if you where comeing in with a boat load you would'nt be calling at all..So we called then I had to drag all of my tired guests in the three cars and hed to Port Everglades with the convoy of hungry tired people and kids short on sleep .. ( with all our paper work ) I think they changed the law because they where tired of seeing us over there at 11:00 pm right before closing

 

[Freebird]

FB I would document the boat and I would most likely put it out of TN. Insurance is a bi&%^ down here. You will want to make sure they will give you Bahamas coverage or at least a binder for the trips.

If I recall the fee is $300 for the Bahamas for up to 6 months but I think you can only go back and forth 1 time within 90 days if you do more than that you buy another. Someone will correct me if I am wrong on this one...

Thanks for the info and the subsequent listing of fees for the Bahamas. I'm good as far as insurance goes until I've been in FL for one year. I confirmed with State Farm that I am covered in the Bahamas and Abacos as well as Tortugas. My current rate is based on being a resident of TN. If the boat stays in FL, I will have to pay a higher premium.

As for these fees, sorry to be redundant, but would these fees still apply if the boat were registered in Bahamas, or would I have to be a resident Bahamian to avoid them altogether?

 

[thoward]

When we talked to the locals they told us that there was a fairly high tax on the import of boats/cars. State Farm will not cover you down here! We have the 43' Egg and all our cars with them but they will not cover anything over 50' or $100k.

I guess my point was you only spend $300 for the permit and increase it to 1 year for $500. You would save more just being able to keep your TN documentation. I can tell you I only found one company to cover my boat down here and we pay about $5k and that only insures the boat to $150k. I venture to say insurance is that high in the Bahamas as well.

If you "charter" your boat it becomes a writeoff....I am sure you know this stuff but it may draw an answer from someone with more knowledge

 

[Angela]

Randy,

You mentioned documenting your boat in the Bahamas. With US documentation, your hailing must be a US city/state or territory. If you want to remove your boat from US documentation (assuming it's in US documentation now) and place it in registry in the Bahamas, you'll probably need to form an international business corporation based in the Bahamas to own the boat since you are not a Bahamas citizen. That said, I did not research whether a US citizen can document a boat in the Bahamas once it was removed from US registry since I wasn't going to own the boat personally. But, I do know you can't have a Bahamian hailing port on a US vessel. There may also be issues as to whether the boat can ever come back into US documentation once removed to another country which may affect the boat's future attractiveness when you want to sell her - but I don't have the definitive answer on that - just heard bits and pieces about that.

If you go the route of Bahamian registry, then for keeping the boat in the US beyond "x" number of days, you'll need an international cruising permit from the US. This is what I learned when I researched this scenario carefully when trying to figure out how to avoid Florida sales tax, and I looked at several different countries where I could establish a foreign corporation to "own" my boat.

Insurance doesn't care where your hailing port is - it's a matter of where your boat is and for how long it's been there at the time of any potential claim. Insuring the boat in Tennessee on the cheap and keeping it in Florida is playing with fire. If that was a safe thing to do, we'd all be doing it, but it's not. If you have a disasterous claim and State Farm (or whoever your insurer is) finds out the boat has never been to TN and that it's been in Florida for the past 10 months (or 10 years; whatever the duration is), they may very well deny the claim, despite what your agents may be telling you. Insurance companies look for any excuse to say "CLAIM DENIED" these days, and the scenario that I understand you to have is a perfect climate for that development. Just understand what your risk is and make your decisions based upon that. I would never trust an agent saying you're fine with the boat being in Florida and having TN coverage just because you're home is there - ultimately, it is not up to the agent to interpret your intentions or whether a claim is paid - agents sell policies any way they can. Best to read the fine print of every inch of paper of your policy, endorsements and dec sheet. If it doesn't specifically say what's covered and where...it's NOT. If something bad happens, your testimony of "well, I intended to move the boat to TN..." won't save your a$$, even if the boat doesn't run and you could not get it home.

 

[Freebird]

Thanks again for the additional info. I've heard the same thing about State Farm not offering insurance on my size/price/age Hatt to FL residents.

However, my agent assures me this will be no problem. I can only assume it has to do with the fact that I will be maintaining my TN residency status.

Go figure.

 

[Angela]

Thanks again for the additional info. I've heard the same thing about State Farm not offering insurance on my size/price/age Hatt to FL residents.

However, my agent assures me this will be no problem. I can only assume it has to do with the fact that I will be maintaining my TN residency status.

Go figure.

I'd get that statement in writing and then confirm it with someone at State Farm who actually makes those decisions - the agent doesn't make those decisions, but the assurances sure do "sound nice." If the agent refuses to put that in writing specifically....well, then you know what you should do.....

In all my years of dealing with insurance companies on claims, I've never known "residency" to have anything to do with coverage. There are two insurance companies known for not paying claims. When I get a case where the insurer is one them, I rarely bother with pre-suit because it's just a waste of time with them. Guess which ones those two carriers are? I'd be concerned and get it in writing if I were you.

 

[Paul45c]

All of the documentation issues notwithstanding, I think this is great news about the call-in thing being reinstituted; that's the way it used to be, except you never had to preregister before save and except for having the customs sticker for the boat that you renew each year.

As for us being less safe border/security-wise, I don't think this changes anything. The new-old method of having to appear at an immigration office was also on a voluntary basis, too.

NOW, the big issue is to get all your passengers pre-registered. I'm wondering what happens if just one or two of your crew are not preregistered. Does that mean the captain has to go down with the two of them? I caught heck one time by letting the crew report themselves to the immigration office instead of going down as a group.

 

[Freebird]

Ang, thanks for the additional info. You must have been typing at the same time I was responding to thoward.

I fully understand and appreciate the ramifications of less than up front insurance scenarios. I discussed that with my brother on several occasions as he maintained a TN address and driver's license despite the fact he had lived and worked in FL for over 2 years. As you pointed out, I told him he would be screwed if he ever had a serious claim. It is common knowledge that insurance companies are not "a good neighbor", they are out to make money. They will do everything in their power to deny a claim if it is not legitimate, and rightfully so.

In the case of my 58TC in FL, I had every intention of bringing it back to TN when I purchased it. Unfortunately, a barge crashed into a lock rendering it inoperable, and my starboard engine took early retirement. Both these incidents are well documented, so I may have a loophole that has allowed me coverage.

I did have my agent follow up with the home office when the hurricaine was threatening the Gulf coast a few months ago. I told him I had decided to leave the boat in FL, and I asked that he confirm how long I could leave it there without the requirement of some sort of rider. He assured me there was no problem for up to one year after the date of purchase. I've had State Farm for over 30 years now, and I've always received good service from them on the rare occasion I filed a claim.

It may however be prudent to receive something in writing to the effect of what has been promised verbally. I don't need any more problems in my life right now. As for the Bahama registration scenario, the boat is not currently documented. However, it sounds like it would be more trouble than it would be worth to pursue that issue. I'll just pay the fees and bitch about it like everybody else.

 

[CARL GUZMAN]

some bad agents will tell you your fine just untill they get there commisions check then there story may change and they will tell you , well maybe we should change insurance