Crew Available: Please, take us to NZ from Fiji!

[CaptHotelIndia]

Hello,
This is a plea to anyone who can take my girlfriend and I into NZ. We are not New Zealand citizens or residents but I have heard accounts of foreigners coming across the border as crew, with Kiwis. I posted this request a couple months ago and have had some wonderful feedback including a possible opportunity which I am optimistic about. Nothing is set in stone yet through and I just wanted to ask around again, in case the avenue we are pursuing falls through. Please contact me to chat any time. :-)
We were in NZ in March 2020 preparing our Lagoon 470 to head up to Fiji...but weren't able to stay and are desparate to get back to our home now. We are in our 30s, wonderful cooks, and more than happy to polish stainless and clean bilges. :-) We can be ready to come aboard any time after the 9th of April.

Please drop me a line if you can help us, or know of anyone could.
Much appreciated,
David and Brey
SV Saltimbanques Des Flots

[Compass790]

You realise the quarantine bill will be about $5000NZ ea? Even if you allowed entry.
Different rules for the rich tho so a superyacht would be the thing to crew on if you want to save 10k.
good luck.

[Boatguy30]

Sea arrival rules are same regardless of yacht size. Unless they have made changes recently.

[Compass790]

Originally Posted by Boatguy30

Sea arrival rules are same regardless of yacht size. Unless they have made changes recently.

No they arent, " superyachts" allowed to quarantine onboard. Unless they made changes recently

[CaptHotelIndia]

Hi Compass
Currently, time at sea counts toward quarantine so we would not have to do the full course at a facility on arrival to NZ. Thank you for wishing us luck, we know there is a lot stacked up making this difficult, and have been working through it to try to get back to our lives.
Much Aloha

[Boatguy30]

It had been 12 days at sea the next 2 could be onboard. If less than 12 had to go to quarantine to make 14. In our case customs disregarded our prior agreement with them for SSB reporting and they sent us to the Grand Millennium for 13 1/3 days. Glad we didn’t have to pay!

So I’m really unsure about the super yachts, but really they should have to do more than 14 anyway as such a large crew it is easy to have 1 person that’s infects the other crew, but recovers and tests negative and the others are not yet symptomatic on test day. This happened in Australia and why Australia added the 14 days onshore regardless of vessel size or voyage length.

Anyway, will look at it all again in a few months as quite seriously looking at heading to Fiji in June

[CaptHotelIndia]

Boat guy,
Thank you for the info, that had been my understanding regarding the 12/ 2 days scenario. I'll PM you, love to hear some more details of your experience.

[stinkpots]

Originally Posted by CaptHotelIndia

Hello,
This is a plea to anyone who can take my girlfriend and I into NZ. We are not New Zealand citizens or residents but I have heard accounts of foreigners coming across the border as crew, with Kiwis. I posted this request a couple months ago and have had some wonderful feedback including a possible opportunity which I am optimistic about. Nothing is set in stone yet through and I just wanted to ask around again, in case the avenue we are pursuing falls through. Please contact me to chat any time. :-)
We were in NZ in March 2020 preparing our Lagoon 470 to head up to Fiji...but weren't able to stay and are desparate to get back to our home now. We are in our 30s, wonderful cooks, and more than happy to polish stainless and clean bilges. :-) We can be ready to come aboard any time after the 9th of April.

Please drop me a line if you can help us, or know of anyone could.
Much appreciated,
David and Brey
SV Saltimbanques Des Flots

Private yachts and small craft
Arrivals on superyachts and pleasure craft are not exempt from the current border closure. Departures will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.

New Zealand waters are all water within 12 nautical miles of our coastline.

NZ's border is currently closed to almost all travellers to help stop the spread of COVID-19. Effectively, the NZ border is closed for all but essential travel. Only NZ citizens and residents, as well as some other specified travellers, are permitted to enter NZ without having to apply for an exception.

Visa waiver crew (including Australian citizens not resident in NZ) travelling on superyachts and pleasure craft are not exempt from the closure of NZ’s border, and current immigration instructions state they must be refused entry permission unless they meet one of the exceptions.

More information on current immigration policy, including the process to apply for an exception to the border closure can be found on Immigration New Zealand’s website.

Download the Vessels arriving in New Zealand Guide (PDF 205 KB).

Yachts and small craft
Each person aboard must have:

A valid passport, certificate of identity or other travel document
A visa (if required). For more information visit www.immigration.govt.nz
Evidence of funds of NZ$400 per month, if living on board a yacht
An outward ticket (or evidence of of sufficient funds to buy an outward ticket) if departing by commercial transport.
Before you arrive
You must send us an Extended Notice of Arrival at least 168 hours before you arrive in NZ and also complete the Advance Notice of Arrival at least 48 hours before you arrive in NZ waters.

Extended Notice of Arrival
The Extended Notice of Arrival is an important document that all vessels coming into New Zealand will need to completed and sent to us at least 168 hours before arrival In New Zealand waters.

The form can be downloaded and submitted to: yachts@customs.govt.nz.

Advance Notice of Arrival
The NZCS 340: Advance Notice of Arrival (DOC 284 KB) form will need to be completed and set to us at least 48 hours before you arrive in NZ waters.

The form can be downloaded and submitted to yachts@customs.govt.nz.

Before arrival into NZ, you are required to complete:

Form C1B: Inward Report (Small craft) (PDF 231 KB)
Ministry for Primary Industries MPI: Masters Declaration
Passenger Arrival Card (PDF 1660 KB) for each person on board.
NZCS 337: Border Cash Report (DOC 332 KB) (if applicable) if anyone is carrying NZ$10,000 or more in cash or equivalent, you must declare it on this form
Note: the Passenger Arrival card is a sample only and cannot be presented to Customs or MPI staff.

Download the Arrival Pack (PDF 1.78 MB) that contains important information on your arrival into New Zealand.

If anyone on board has or is suspected of having an infectious disease, you must fly the international Q flag and notify health authorities.

When you arrive
When you arrive in NZ waters, tell us by calling Maritime Radio on 1 of these frequencies:

4125 kHz
6215 kHz
VHF Ch16.
You must report to a Customs port of entry.

Where to arrive
You must arrive at an authorised port of entry, where you will be met by Customs and Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) officers, and you can’t let any people or items off the craft until we have cleared you.

https://www.customs.govt.nz/covid-19...d-small-craft/

[stinkpots]

Be careful not to deliberately break the rules, this is what happened to one crew. Their yacht was also confiscated

Covid 19 coronavirus: German crew who entered

The 16-metre yacht Anita arriving in Opua on Friday afternoon escorted by New Zealand Customs patrol vessel Hawk V after the German crew arrived in the country unlawfully. Photo / Supplied

The crew of a German yacht who sailed into New Zealand breaking the country's Covid-19 border restrictions are still being held in police custody while they continue to wait for a flight home.

A Warrant of Commitment hearing took place today with the court granting INZ permission to detain the crew until Friday.

The crew, aged in their late twenties to early thirties, were intercepted by NZ Customs on Friday afternoon as they headed into Opua.

NZ Customs had been alerted that the boat was still planning to breach New Zealand's border restrictions after being denied exemption Visas by the Ministry of Health.

[CaptHotelIndia]

Thank you Stinkpot,
I have no intention of breaking any rules.

[Boatguy30]

No doubt everyone has heard of the Germans, but what of the Dutch backpacking couple that for visas sailing in aboard a foreign flagged but kiwi owned 45’ monohull in November?
And why post a paste of info no doubt anyone with a yacht currently in NZ has read many, many times?

There’s certainly a way, actually I believe GrantMC was planning to sail back to NZ after cyclone season from Fiji???

[Scotty Kiwi]

Originally Posted by Compass790

No they arent, " superyachts" allowed to quarantine onboard. Unless they made changes recently

I thought I heard Mr Busfield interviewed on RNZ yesterday saying they were lobbying for the regulation to be changed to allow superyachts to quarantine onboard, not that it's allowed now. Did I mis-hear?

I'm only checking because it may affect the OP's decision.

[CaptHotelIndia]

Yes, I have been in contact with Grant. He is at sea as we speak. Details aside, it wasn't an option for us to join him. I very much appreciate the positive attitude. Some days it is all I have to cling to. I have a good understanding of the safe and legal options for us. We are just looking for that opportunity.

[CaptHotelIndia]

Hi Scotty,
We unfortunately haven't made any connections with a superyacht -yet- but would be more than happy to take that opportunity, should it arise. :-)

[David B]

Originally Posted by CaptHotelIndia

Hello,
This is a plea to anyone who can take my girlfriend and I into NZ. We are not New Zealand citizens or residents but I have heard accounts of foreigners coming across the border as crew, with Kiwis. I posted this request a couple months ago and have had some wonderful feedback including a possible opportunity which I am optimistic about. Nothing is set in stone yet through and I just wanted to ask around again, in case the avenue we are pursuing falls through. Please contact me to chat any time. :-)
We were in NZ in March 2020 preparing our Lagoon 470 to head up to Fiji...but weren't able to stay and are desparate to get back to our home now. We are in our 30s, wonderful cooks, and more than happy to polish stainless and clean bilges. :-) We can be ready to come aboard any time after the 9th of April.

Please drop me a line if you can help us, or know of anyone could.
Much appreciated,
David and Brey
SV Saltimbanques Des Flots

Have you made contact with Jason and Nikki Wynn?