Tonight we’re celebrating after a stressful week or two negotiating with US customs to get our 11 boxes of stuff across the border and down to us in Oriental. Despite providing more paperwork than we would have if we were buying a house the shipment was still denied at the border at the end of last week. Essentially they were having a hard time believing that we do actually intend to leave their fine (and aledgedly very free?) country, rather than stay here illegally. I have a degree of sympathy for the work of immigration officials, actually that’s a lie, I have no sympathy for them they bring it upon themselves. In this case we had faxes from three different companies in the states evidencing our case and the boxes were full of sailing stuff. There clearly isn’t much critical thinking going on up there if their assessment is that we intend to stay on dry land. What compounded our frustration was that last week we were issued a cruising licence by customs in Morehead City and the officers at the Canadian border still didn’t budge.
After two failed attempts Dennis managed to take the boxes in two trips and clear them through customs himself – our hero! Until today it looked like we were going to have to buy all the stuff again which would have been a financial disaster, so we’re both relived to have cleared this substantial hurdle.
Such a contrast to the experience we had in Morehead trying to get our cruising licence. We walked in, explained our situation, provided papers that proved we owned the boat and were in Sailcraft getting essential repairs and they were very happy to work with us. I’d like to say that we’re both done with borders for a long time, but this is actually what we’ll be dealing with on a monthly basis for the entire trip. Not least when we reach the Bahamas in a couple of weeks!
Otherwise we’re plodding along slowly, but it’s starting to come together. Keli has been doing a beautiful job painting the bottom with anti-fouling to keep the little sea creatures off, and we’ve buffed the hull and waxed it to make it shine nicely. Our new prop shaft arrived today and will be fitted tomorrow. I’ve nearly reassembled the engine and will finish changing the fuel filters tomorrow and then move on to installing our new GPS and radar system. Not riviting news for the blog I’m afraid, but we hope to be back in the water on Thursday and aim to set sail towards the end of next week so things should pick up from there.
Wed 7th January, 2009
at 2:15 pm
My lasting impression of US customs will be the last time I went to Canada and were flying via Detroit. First their was the unscheduled stop in Shannon so we could get off the plane fill out the form — that every other country in the world seems to let you fill out while in the air — so that we could all get back on the plane again. No extra passengers, no change of pilot or crew, no explanation. Next there was the official who threatened to not let us back on the plane. This, obviously, was because we filled out the form exactly the way he had just told us to. I might add that this happened not once but twice! Our unimaginable crime was that we were driving straight over the border and out of their country as soon as we arrived and so had no US address to add to the section. As I said it wouldn’t have been so bad if when asking for clarification the official didn’t first say “ignore that bitâ€. Then, after we queued to go through the gate, send us to the back of the queue saying to “state we were simply passing through†along with the first threat to not get back on the plane. Finally, after queuing again having stated the above he lost it completely saying we needed to state the address in Canada that we were staying at, along with another threat. This point was definitely the closest I’ve seen my dad to punching someone! After all that we did get through. Though Vic nearly didn’t for simply having the audacity to be travelling with my family while not, as yet, being a member of it. I think the now famous (in our family anyway) line “GET BEHIND THE YELLOW LINE!!â€.
I think the thing that got me the most was not the just the sheer incompetence, ignorance, and unprovoked aggression of the officials but that by stopping unannounced in Ireland and demanding a Canadian address they assumed some form of authority in, or over, other sovereign territories.
Sorry, rant over but what do you expect when you bring up american customs! The rest of them will be a breeze compared to this, even our experience of the chaos that was entering Mozambique was easier than that!
Mon 12th January, 2009
at 8:03 pm
Keli and Stu,
Katie and I enjoyed our visit with you Sunday evening and wish you all the best on your voyage. I truly enjoyed meeting you and sharing time together – and I know Oreo did too and I believe she just wanted you to recall she was hiding under the boat every time she barked
Safe travels,
Corry
corry.platt@mindspring.com
Fri 16th January, 2009
at 11:00 pm
Hi KeliandStu,
I’m relieved to hear your boxes are cleared and on their way. Please don’t judge the US by our customs or motorcycle leather fetishists.
Big hugs.
Wed 28th January, 2009
at 5:55 am
Hi Stu and Kel, Cheers for the picture of the Mahlonator on the site. Even if I wasn’t by a lucky chance his dad, I’d say he was a keeper. Glad you’re well and pushing on. Are you missing any treats? Let us know. Bahamas must be looking good just about now. News from the Heineken Cup, with the quarters set, the French in tatters and Munster through and looking at ease. Curious to know what you’re reading at sea. Love and bye for now, Hardy Andrea and Mahlon “Munster” Francesco