Can i just sail into any Caribbean island on my boat or do i have to have permission or go to a certain...?

Question

location that is not along the outside of the island along the beach but inside the island? how would i get my boat there?

Do i have to have documents or something to just come there on my boat?

i want to buy a boat and travel around the Caribbean’s and visit islands but i dont know if i can even do this.

please let me know anything you know about doing this, it would be appreciated

Answer 1

Hi you do have to have paperwork and you do have to be inspected by customs and immigration which ever of the islands you intend to visit . and do keep a log of your travels some times they want to see where you have been . you need to contact customs by radio and let them know you are waiting for them they will then tell you either ok to proceed or wait while we inspect you and your boat .mail me if you need real details and or advice .Colin

Answer 2

You will at least need a passport because if you are seen or if the police just decide to ask for your passport and you don't have one, you will get into trouble. Although many people have gotten away with doing this, but it's a little harder now a days. Plus they sometimes have International Interpol people out in boats looking for people who think they can get away with this kind of thing. You should at least bring ID, birth certificate, and another form of identification with you if you don't have a passport. If you have a passport you should have no problems.

Answer 3

having lived aboard my boat and cruised the Caribbean the last 30 years:

Most of the Caribbean islands are independent countries; when you sail up to an island you have to go to a "port of entry", usually the main port ......indeed sometimes the only port on the island, and check in with Customs and then Immigration. Procedures vary form island to island but generally you are given permission to stay a short period of time.....30 to 180 days. You can then travel around the island.

You have to have a valid passport from the country you are a citizen of, and some sort of title / registration for the boat.

When you leave you go back to Customs and Immigration and "clear out"...

they give you papers stating when you left. You show those papers at the next island country you enter.

Some islands only have one or two areas you can anchor your boat; sometimes this is because of the geography, sometimes some areas are nature preserves.

There are several hundred yachts doing this as I write from St Tomas; so yes cruising the islands is very popular.

Two good sources of information.......the Doyle cruising guides to the Caribbean 3 volumes, available from Pilothouse Books in Philly or Landfall Navigation in Conn;

Caribbean Compass, the monthly newspaper for people sailing the Caribbean....www.caribbeancompass.com