# Cruising permit question



## magnusmurphy (Jul 7, 2000)

As some of you know, we've bought a boat in Rhode Island and registered this previously US registered vessel as a Canadian flagged vessel.

We're arriving at the end of the month to cruise down the coast to the Chesapeake to Great Bridge and will then continue later in the Fall further South.

I suddenly had this thought: Since the boat is already in US waters and we arrive through an airport, How do we "check" the boat into the US? Probably a silly question but I'm just wondering. Where do we obtain a cruising permit, if such thing is required (Is it and how long will it be good for?). I read about some Canadian person writing in the Bluewater Cruising Magazine who's had some difficulty in Florida with this permit issue.

Any information will be appreciated.

Magnus Murphy


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

If you bought the boat via a broker, might be worth asking him about it.


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## T34C (Sep 14, 2006)

I think I'd go straight to the source and call the Coast Guard.


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

*Cruising Permit - Boat purchased in US and then registered in Canada*

This question is really for Magnus, as I read that you were in an identical situation having bought your boat in RI.

We recently purchased a boat in Boothbay Harbour Maine and are registering the boat in Canada. We plan in leaving Boothbay Harbour in a few weeks heading south, through the ICW.

I would greatly appreciate if you could let us know if you needed a sailing permit and if so, how did you obtain it?

Many thanks,

Robert.


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## Omatako (Sep 14, 2003)

I don't know if different rules work in different states or whether Canadians warrant different attention to South Africans or New Zealanders and I have posted this elsewhere:

We came from New Zealand (I'm South African, my wife is British, curious mix, I know) to the US, bought a boat in California, immediately de-registered it from the US register via the customs office in San Diego and as said in the other thread, the only limitations that I was aware of were the original limitations of my visa which allowed me to stay in the US for 3 months.

At no time did any authority even mention the phrase "cruising permit" to us. Up until reading this thread I was unaware of the requirement for such a permit and if it is a requirement, I find it interesting that none of the authorities we had to deal with mentioned it.

But as T34C said, maybe run it by the CG or maybe Customs or Homeland Security to be sure.


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## killarney_sailor (May 4, 2006)

*you go to the local customs office*

I am Canadian and bought a boat in CT. When I got my Canadian registration completed I went to the customs office at Port Newark, NJ. around Christmas time. This office is in the middle of a huge container port and they processed the cruising permit after getting over the shock of a pleasure craft owner showing up in the winter time.


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

*Cruising Permits*

We were told by the Portland maine CBP officer that we needed to sail to Canada (Yarmouth NS or St-Andrews NB) before they culd issue us a cruising permit. Since both those ports are in the opposite direction from where we are planning to go, we will avoid Portland and apply for our permit in Newark.

Thanks for the info.


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## ebs001 (May 8, 2006)

It has been my experience that every time you ask about a cruising permit you will get a different answer. I have heard of a coup[le of Canadian boats being fined $5,000 for not checking in with CBP when travelling with a Cruising Permit. We went to the CBP office in Brunswick, Ga when our permit had expired and they sold us a Cruising Decal which we used ffor four years. Then after going to the Bahamas this winter we were able to get a new Cruising Permit in Fort Pierce Fl. The guy there who seemed to know what he was talking about said Cruising Decals were for US flagged boats only but was going to allow us to continue cruising with the Decal until I told him it had expired. If you cannot get a Cruising Permit, apply for a Cruising Decal on line through Homeland Security and if anyone asks tell them that's what you were issued. Since nobody seems to know what's right they also don't know what's wrong. If you do get a Cruising permit be sure to check in if you change Cruising areas. CBP offices have literature to let you know when and where you have to check-in.


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## killarney_sailor (May 4, 2006)

*It would be laughable if it was not so annoying*



ebs001 said:


> It has been my experience that every time you ask about a cruising permit you will get a different answer. ... We went to the CBP office in Brunswick, Ga when our permit had expired and they sold us a Cruising Decal which we used ffor four years. Then after going to the Bahamas this winter we were able to get a new Cruising Permit in Fort Pierce Fl. The guy there who seemed to know what he was talking about said Cruising Decals were for US flagged boats only but was going to allow us to continue cruising with the Decal until I told him it had expired. If you cannot get a Cruising Permit, apply for a Cruising Decal on line through Homeland Security and if anyone asks tell them that's what you were issued. Since nobody seems to know what's right they also don't know what's wrong. If you do get a Cruising permit be sure to check in if you change Cruising areas. CBP offices have literature to let you know when and where you have to check-in.


On the Great Lakes it is standard for Canadian-registered boats over 30 feet to have customs decals. When you check-in at one of the video phones they ask for your decal number. I had a decal when I went to the Port Newark office to get the permit and they had never heard of a foreign boat with a decal. Seems to vary at every spot.

You are supposed to cheque in by phone when you move to a new customs district (how you are to know when you have done this is never made clear). You can call 1 800 973-2867 and they will connect you with your local district office. Again, every district office seems to operate differently. Responses vary from 'why are you calling us if you have already checked into the country?' to asking for a copy of body registration and cruising permit to be faxed to them. At least when you talk to them you can ask where the new district starts. BTW, the 1 800 number does not work if you are calling from a Canadian cell phone - has to an American cell or a landline.

We will be heading south in two years time. I really do not know procedure to follow. I will renew my decal though since it shows you are at least trying.

Bruce


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## Vasco (Sep 24, 2006)

ebs001 said:


> The guy there who seemed to know what he was talking about said Cruising Decals were for US flagged boats only but was going to allow us to continue cruising with the Decal until I told him it had expired. If you cannot get a Cruising Permit, apply for a Cruising Decal on line through Homeland Security and if anyone asks tell them that's what you were issued. Since nobody seems to know what's right they also don't know what's wrong. If you do get a Cruising permit be sure to check in if you change Cruising areas. CBP offices have literature to let you know when and where you have to check-in.


There is no such thing as a cruising decal. It is a customs decal and required on planes and boats over 30 ft. if they enter the US. This is required for US boats too if they leave US waters and return. The only thing this decal does is exempt you from clearing in charges. One thing is true though and that is that most US Customs and Border Protection personnel know very little about what's required for cruising boats. Most of their experience is from airports and few of them know the regulations for sailboats. The fact of the matter is that when cruising in the States all foreign boats require a cruising permit.


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## Yofy (Aug 15, 2007)

Some years ago when we lived aboard in Canada, we cruised south from Ontario Canada to the Bahamas on a 27 foot sailboat. When we cleared into the the US in New York State, we requested a cruising permit. We were denied one because our boat was under 30 feet and we "didn't need a permit". We were stubborn and the customs guy actually drove down to our boat in the pouring rain to explain again why he couldn't give us one.

Almost a year later, coming back to the US from the Bahamas, we had a heck of a battle with US customs in Fort Pierce. They wanted to fine us and even when we gave them the New York State officers name and number they didn't care. We finally were given a permit with a warning.

If I were you, I'd do whatever I could to get a permit before I went south.


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

*Cruising Permits*

Thanks for the advice.

We intend in making our request for the permit in the New York NY or Newark NJ.

Hopefully it will be smooth sailing with the CBP officers.


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Hi guys,

Very intereesting tread...

So how and where coud I apply for a cruising permit ?

Is the a web site where I could apply in advance of my planned trip ?

Thanks


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

*Cruising Permits*

We ended up applying for ours in Morehead City NC and it was issued to us without problem.

Suppose you have to meet the right person, in the right place at the right time. There appears to be quite a bit of inconsistency regarding the manner in which the regulations are interpreted by the different CBP personnel.

Good Luck!


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## wysailor (Sep 28, 2009)

Sorry about reviving an old thread, BUT does anyone have any experience with a US citizens NOT being able to obtain a cruising permit on a foreign flagged vessel over 30 ft. I have obtained two over the years moving between US, Canada and Alaska but now they say they can not issue any more. Is there a place to go for recourse or hearing on the matter. Three different agents gave three different excuses.

1) US citizens can not own a foreign vessel and operate in US Waters - Flatly false 

2) One agent confiscated our vessel documentation and gave us a form 1300 

3) Another agent made us purchase a Customs Decal and offered us a 2 month permit to head to Mexico

We quickly moved the boat back to Canada where the US dollar is golden and we can stay at least one year (or longer with repairs) until we sort things out.

Any one out there with other experiences and results?


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## hellosailor (Apr 11, 2006)

I thought ICE, and not the USCG, made and set the rules for Cruising Permits.

And as such, the only reliable way to get a legal answer is to WRITE to ICE (who also have a web site) and obtain a WRITTEN REPLY by mail, on their letterhead, stating their requirements. Preferably a reply citing the US code (US Code (USC) or Code of Federal Regulations (CFR)) that set forth the policy as well.

No matter how far a local, inexperienced, corrupt, or plain dumb agent wants to tell you anything else, a formal written reply citing the actual regulations will shut them up.

Bearing in mind, of course, that these regulations _are _subject to change from time to time.


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## TQA (Apr 4, 2009)

This is taken from Noonsite.



> Cruising License:
> 
> Certain countries are eligible for a cruising license (see below), which exempts them from having to clear in and out at any subsequent US port after official entry has been made. This exemption however may not apply everywhere and it would be wise to obtain additional written proof of the current requirements at the point of entry.
> 
> ...


The issue about arriving direct from Cuba is one that is yet to be resolved. Boats were denied permits in 2014.

A Finnish boat coming South on the Eastern Seaboard spent over $5,000 on hire cars/taxis and numerous phone calls all while complying with the rule about getting a US $35 'Zarpe' each time they moved. The relevant office is almost never on the waterfront and finding the office AND getting someone who will issue the Zarpe can be challenging.


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## killarney_sailor (May 4, 2006)

Dealing with US Customs people is a bit of a lottery. While they generally are quite pleasant to deal with rules knowledge and interpretation vary enormously from officer to officer and district to district. The craziest one we encountered was that you had to call into Customs every day you moved when on the north shore of Long Island Sound (New England district) but not on the south shore (New York district).


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## hellosailor (Apr 11, 2006)

Customs are like any other US (and many other) agencies. Some are hard working and intelligent. Some are bastard nephews who were given a job for life. Some are inept, some corrupt, some just outright mean. (Police departments that do psychological screening on recruits pretty much all say that distinguishing between a good recruit and a thug and bully is a damned hard job.)

Which is why it ALWAYS pay to get the rules cited, and to print and carry a copy of the citation in case you need to go over it with someone. And sometimes, someone actually gets demerits in their permanent folder, and sent out for retraining.

But every one of those agencies will pretty much tell you the same thing: The verbal opinions of their minions are not and do not carry the weight of law, and sometimes may not be correct.


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## bvander66 (Sep 30, 2007)

T34C said:


> I think I'd go straight to the source and call the Coast Guard.


Nothing to do with the coast guard, strickly a CBP item, need to viait them and explain sit, with passport and vessel documentation. Recommend BOS as well.
Cruising Permit good for max 1 year, but can get for less time if you want. Can leave anytime before it expires, but it needs to be expired by 15 days before you reenter US.


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