The BVI's, a word of caution

[Simi 60]

Originally Posted by endlesspursuit

Yea but we don't grab the crew and demand ransom money. Maybe we should start.

You just take their children and put them in cages.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-06-...-cages/9880192

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by Simi 60

You just take their children and put them in cages.

Naw just force them to eat grits and biscuit

[endlesspursuit]

Originally Posted by contrail

i will make one more comment for those who do not understand that we are talking about SHORT distances here! Sounds like many folks think we are talking "Blue Water". You can swim between St John and Tortola, in the area we are talking about. It's a prime drug and people smuggling zone, although most of the drugs and people are enroute to the USVI. I have been stopped here by the USCG and boarded and checked. The Covid restrictions here have been well publicized for months, on CF (thank you, Montanan), Noonsite, and the BVI Government Facebook page. Any competent cruiser will know that rules need to be checked and where to check them. I can't imagine any fair minded persons thinking of the Frances Drake Channel or the BVI part of the narrows as anything other than the most interior of waters, unless they also think the Hudson River, New York Harbor or the Chesapeake are international waters. The Greater SF Bay, including the South Bay and San Pablo Bay stretch around 60 miles. End to end the BVI and its waters are less than that. Except with only eight ventilators and maybe twice that number of beds in the Covid ward, so two charterboats worth. Oh, and a total of 73 total Covid cases and a single death, since this started, with over 20% of the population tested. Which means we certainly know how to keep Covid out. The USVI, by comparison, across that narrow border, has about 20 times the cases and deaths, with 3.5 times the population.



In an area that small, and with guns, drugs, and people smuggling in the mix, it is not unlikely that, if interdicted, you might be taken to a shore side base for inspection. It is not unreasonable for the authorities to anticipate an illegal entry, even though you haven't "not entered yet". Those who have been here.....care to guess how many people go to White Bay on JVD, from St. Thomas, or the Willie T, from St. John, without bothering to enter? It is not unreasonable for the authorities to be a bit heavy handed by not wanting to board a boat that might well be armed, or to turn away a boat that may well have drugs, and simply escort it to port to be dealt with there. Remember, this only happens to boats who are already in violation. Sort of like the police pulling over a car that has been weaving through traffic, and being on guard for the worst.



I would ask that those who do not understand all of this to take a step back and look at it with a different set of eyes. Perspective is a marvelous thing in the way it totally affects the way something is seen. To simply whine that "they did not know", or "why were they just not let go" is, indeed a very self centered and entitled point of view. Using the word "unconstitutional", with no knowledge of the other country's constitution is revealing, and not in a good way. Threatening to withold one's dollars in the future is certainly one's right and privilege, but it conveys absolutely no respect for others.



Cruisers, sad to say, have a worldwide reputation for being cheap and disrespectful of rules they don't like. I was one of them. Who hasn't confided in another cruiser as to where there is a faucet that is not locked, never mind the cost to the owner of the faucet, or which washing machine gives back its coins? Who hasn't had a friend that snuck into a marina berth at night and then left in the morning before the office opened on the theory that "no one is using it". True story: As a cruiser, I was once hired to manage what was, at the time, and maybe still is, the most profitable marina on the West Coast of North America. As they said to me, "we need someone who knows his way around all of our rules, and you are that person!" When those rules became my job to uphold, I learned the ugly side of cruising, very, very sad to say.



A final word on the $20,000 penalty imposed by the BVI...which will, by past experience, be "negotiated" down to something less. The BVI, and many other small countries without adequate resources for enforcement, often overcome that handicap by enforcing randomly and very severely. It works. About ten years ago, an unlicensed fisherman from the US (who had previously been observed playing it very fancy with the borders for fishing) was apprehended in the act of fishing and trying to flee. He was fined $50,000 and spent time in jail. End of problem, for many years. When captaining charters, I would tell that story to guests who wanted to fish, but had not obtained a license. Guess what, they changed their minds. Very effective, but you don't get in trouble unless you are in violation. It is not always better to "beg forgiveness" than to ask!

So the US boarded your boat. Did they impound it and fine you? Its easy to brag about cases when you can just close the island. Try that with 330 million people. And the 2 couples fines from the boat have not been reduced and they are demanding cash from the captain. What would you think if the US started doing that to your charters? Maybe we should. Just to keep it fair since everyone knows about the line, right?

[endlesspursuit]

Originally Posted by Simi 60

You just take their children and put them in cages.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-06-...-cages/9880192

First don't believe the lamestream media. Obama started that. But so you really know the kids we have are brought over by others, not their parents. They are held for their safety. Child traffickers are the real problem. And this intel comes from sources on the boarder, not some lying news actor.

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by endlesspursuit

So the US boarded your boat. Did they impound it and fine you? Its easy to brag about cases when you can just close the island. Try that with 330 million people. And the 2 couples fines from the boat have not been reduced and they are demanding cash from the captain. What would you think if the US started doing that to your charters? Maybe we should. Just to keep it fair since everyone knows about the line, right?

I understand neither of those fined were on innocent Passage

[Simi 60]

Originally Posted by endlesspursuit

First don't believe the lamestream media. Obama started that. But so you really know the kids we have are brought over by others, not their parents. They are held for their safety. Child traffickers are the real problem. And this intel comes from sources on the boarder, not some lying news actor.

Who cares who started it, why wasn't or hasn't it been stopped?

If you think taking kids away from parents and locking them up in cages is for their safety, you really have some serious issues your self.
Seek professional help.

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by endlesspursuit

First don't believe the lamestream media. Obama started that. But so you really know the kids we have are brought over by others, not their parents. They are held for their safety. Child traffickers are the real problem. And this intel comes from sources on the boarder, not some lying news actor.

Good god man. It’s you who are completely under the control of the zombie crack pot media

The reason children were forcibly separated from their parents was a decision to prosecute those parents and detain them. Since this process could not be applied to children , the result of this policy was to forcibly separate families

This has nothing to do with either unaccompanied minors or child trafficking, unaccompanied minors are also present. ( for other reasons )

Do you simply parrot everything these crack pot alt right lunatics are saying to you.

Open your eyes. The separation of more then 2000 children was a direct result of a change in policy ordered by Trump.

[Auspicious]

Originally Posted by endlesspursuit

Well I don't know when or if you have ever been to the Bahamas but when we come in from the north sometimes you can't make it to a port of entry before dark. So the custom is to anchor and not go ashore anywhere . Next morning head to port of entry. Quite common method as you never navigate Bahamian waters at night.

I'm very familiar with the Bahamas. I frequently come from the North as my preferred US launch point is Norfolk. That means either heaving to off North Man o' War Cut to wait for light or going to Nassau (all weather/all hour). Heaving to is generally my preferred tactic.

Custom or not, anchoring on the Banks for before checking in is illegal. The RBDF has been directed to roust such boats in the past and people have been fined. Not hard to find as the "custom" is also to anchor just off the dashed routes on the Explorer charts.

[Montanan]

Originally Posted by endlesspursuit

Its a BVI money grab. Here in Florida we run far offshore to fish and come back, no problems. Too bad your in the democrat run state of Maryland.

Really don't need to invoke politics to a maritime quarantine issue. BTW, just to not be misleading, the Governor who placed the Covid-19 orders in Maryland is Larry Hogan, who happens to be a Republican.

[Jason Flare]

Originally Posted by Montanan

Really don't need to invoke politics to a maritime quarantine issue. BTW, just to not be misleading, the Governor who placed the Covid-19 orders in Maryland is Larry Hogan, who happens to be a Republican.

Ironic post is ironic.

[contrail]

Originally Posted by endlesspursuit

Yea but we don't grab the crew and demand ransom money. Maybe we should start.

Are those the words you use when the police arrest someone who is then fined?

[gonesail]

Originally Posted by endlesspursuit

Yea but we don't grab the crew and demand ransom money. Maybe we should start.

sounds like a great way to start paying down the national debt .. that and actually enforcing the US borders .. you know .. to combat the virus

[Simi 60]

Originally Posted by gonesail

sounds like a great way to start paying down the national debt .. that and actually enforcing the US borders .. you know .. to combat the virus

Pay per view watching trump being dragged out of office.
Debt paid off in minutes.

[Old fella]

Originally Posted by Simi 60

Pay per view watching trump being dragged out of office.
Debt paid off in minutes.

Ha ha ha, yeah, kicking and screaming, you can just picture it can’t you.

[Joli]

There two elderly couples who wondered into BVI waters are still in custody 11 days later. They probably don't have $20,000? The border opens in 4 days, think they'll let them go?

It's interesting to here the comments from the residents of St Thomas about BVI residents going to Red Hook to shop. They say most don't bother with customs. Maybe that'll change?