USCG Documentation in The Caribbean?

jorgenl · #1 (**permalink**) 08-08-2007

Hello,

The Admiral and I are thinking about taking a sabbatical in a few years time and head down to the Caribbean for a 1-2 year cruise.

Now to my question; is it necessary to have the vessel documented with the USCG to cruise in the Caribbean or is a State (VA) registration and clean title enough documentation?

The reason for asking is that in order to document a vessel with the USCG you have to be a US Citizen. I am a permanent resident (Green Card) and so is the Admiral.

Freesail99 · #2 (**permalink**) 08-08-2007

Depends on where your going. For the Bahamas it is not needed. But you will need a passport.

jorgenl · #3 (**permalink**) 08-08-2007

Tentative Plan would be to do the ICW down to Florida with a few hops outside and then across to the Bahamas and follow the Thorny Path down Island, maybe spend the Hurricane season in Trinidad and then back home again. Pretty much what most people seem to be doing.

Plan B would be to do a shorter trip just to the Bahamas and back.

Passport? Got plenty of them

camaraderie · #4 (**permalink**) 08-08-2007

You need boat documentation from the US or some other country if you want to cruise the entire caribe. State registration is not sufficient.
You might try flagging the boat in your home country OR in one of the island nations that specialize in "flags of convenience" (Cayman Islands, BVI's etc.)
I know this topic has been discussed extensively here before so do a search for more info.

jorgenl · #5 (**permalink**) 08-08-2007

Cam

Thansk for your advice.

I did search the forums and found another thread that deals extensively with this subject.

I guess my options are:

1. Only go to the Bahamas
2. Purchase the boat here in the US then at some point in time register it in for example the BVI, do the cruising, and if possible re-register it in the state of VA upon return.
3. Purchase a boat already in the Carib, BVI?, do the cuising and then sell it.
That does not give me a chance to get use to the boat, it's systems and do necessary re-fits before heading off.

I am a citizen of Sweden and also Australia so registration in either of those two countries may be an option but does not seem very practical...

camaraderie · #6 (**permalink**) 08-08-2007

Can either one of you become a US citizen and solve the problem that way?
As you say...all the other options are a real pain. Good luck!

USCGRET1990 · #7 (**permalink**) 08-08-2007

It takes forever to become a "Legal" citizen these days.

jorgenl · #8 (**permalink**) 08-08-2007

Cam

You have to be a permanent resident for a minimum of 5 years before you can apply to be a US Citizen. I am not quite there yet...

Besides, I have already got 2 citizenships and I will never give up my Aussie one...

tdw · #9 (**permalink**) 08-08-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by jorgenl

Cam

You have to be a permanent resident for a minimum of 5 years before you can apply to be a US Citizen. I am not quite there yet...

Besides, I have already got 2 citizenships and I will never give up my Aussie one...

Jorgen,
Can a US citizen hold dual nationality ? I know that in the land of Oz it used to be illegal but I believe the rules have been relaxed in the last year or so and an Australian citizen can now hold dual citizenship.

jorgenl · #10 (**permalink**) 08-08-2007

tdw,

I think a US Citizen can hold dual citizenships, but I am not sure. I am not a US citizen, only a Green Card holder (legal immigrant).

As far as I know, Oz has allowed dual citizenships for a quite some time, and as I said, I will never give the Aussie one up. I left Qld 10 years ago, and although I like it here in VA as well, I miss Oz every day. I am definetely coming back one day. In the mean time I will try to get some coverage for the Rugby World Cup here in the States...

Cheers