Phuket

marc26 · #1 26-05-2005, 04:10

i was laying around yesterday and daydreaming. my dream if i ever won the lottery is to get a mini-yacht and just travel around the world on it to different countries. then i was thinking, how do they control customs and things like that if you travel by boat. do you have to go through a cetain point and they check your passports or do they jusy check randomly. like i said its a dream, not reality, but then got me wondering about the laws. so if anyone knows this stuff, i was just wondering

aussie dollar · #2 26-05-2005, 04:16

Go to customs (sometimes they meet you )when arriving in port if no customs go to harbourmaster.
they check passports and also check boat for foodstuffs drugs guns etc
guns must be on manifest.
usally pay a harbour fee for berth,some countries (thailand included)require a deposit of so much funds while there.

marc26 · #3 26-05-2005, 04:38

thanks cliff, although i know nothing about boats, that would be my dream, travel around the world, docking at all the countries your interested in

aussie dollar · #4 26-05-2005, 04:49

would be good plenty of books on it,havent done much cruzing only racing.
but weather conditions and pirates can be a problem.
all through the pacific and i guess asia u can get a ride sometimes free just go to local yatch club and look on notice board.

jimholio · #5 26-05-2005, 05:10

I dont know much about sailing, but i read that there are ALOT of pirates around Asia.

Jonas · #6 26-05-2005, 05:17

Hi Marc26

Nice to see that you are happy to be home in US again , and start to have some daydreams that i belive we all have !
But dont you think its better to win on this lottery before you start to get plans for what you should do with this money ?????
For me i should be really disappointed if i dont win some money .

But its a really good dream your have !!!!!

ashley · #7 26-05-2005, 09:50

Hey Mark:

As far as I know you would have to contact the port of entrance before entering the country. Be it the coast guard or what not by radio. I know that last year when Tiger Woods got married and was on his honeymoon in the Carribean he and his wife were on a boat that did not make the necessary arrangements when entering a country (Costa Rica, I think) and they were turned back. It was a mistake on the captains part for not sending notice in advance. They were delayed for a several hours. It was supposedly a big deal with customs and immigration etc. A lot of illegal smuggling of drugs and people on boats so everything must be planned ahead.
Good dream by the way. I used to think of that also, until I saw Open Water. Freaked me out about being in the middle of the ocean all alone!

Good luck with the biz by the way, its a good idea!

Cheers,

Ashley

LivinLOS · #8 26-05-2005, 10:59

I was going to do some cruising time (couple of years) when I met my first wife which screwed that one..

Check out crewseekers.co.uk lots of berths available for shared costs etc if you have a little sialing skills.. Theres a good book on sailing hitchiking / sea gypsey detailing the movements and popular ports.. The ARC rally always needs people in the Autumn and many after crossing the atlantic and doing the caribian head through the canal and into the pacific..

marc26 · #9 26-05-2005, 22:38

this is just a daydream guys. but it got me thinking about the laws and such. i actually was going to be a deckhand on a huge sailboat in a regatta in samui in january before the tsunami came. i met the family that owned the boat, and they were gonna pay everything, but then the tsunami came and that got cancelled.

LivinLOS · #10 27-05-2005, 01:14

If you have any experience I knew a boat that did kings cup each year...

Tho for me racing is work.. I would prefer cruising..

marc26 · #11 27-05-2005, 06:00

sefton, thats why if you read back, i never mentioned sailing. if i had my pipe dream, it would be a mini-yacht, no sailing involved. although to go out for a couple weeks in a regatta would be a fun experience, with some work involved.
when i was in prep school, i had a host family that took care of me and they had a huge sailboat and i hated going out sailing and working my ass off

river · #12 27-05-2005, 07:35

You can get them almost fully automated now one or two guys can sail a relatively big yacht.

LivinLOS · #13 27-05-2005, 20:32

Except that all gets very dangerous... Have an electrical problem.. battery problem... Storm coming etc... You are in real danger..

A lot of the modern electronics (GPS mapping SW etc) that makes sailing life easier means many sailors now dont have the skills to use a sextant and other essential needs in case of trouble..

Personally powerboats and motor yachts dont appeal to me at all, the diesel, then noise, the limited range, etc... Sailboats just feel right somehow..

Captain · #14 27-05-2005, 21:20

I agree. Sailboats have a bigger authonomy than motoryachts. To go fast from one place to another a motorboat is OK. Long trips are done by sailboats.
Sailing without electronics would be no problem for me. Still know how to handle a sextant (I used it 2-3 times a day to take a position, be it a starfix or a noonposition), although calculating would be a bit rusty.
I you sail from one country to another, you have to pass immigration. And don't stay too long in the same country with your boat, or you may have to pay import duties on it (if they don't confiscate it). So prepare for a regular Phuket - Pulau Langkawi run.