Bareboat crew list question

[Dtm67]

Hello, we are bareboat chartering with sunsail out of tortola this week. Having chartered there several times before, we are going to head farther afield and plan on clearing into the USVI. My question is this...we have four american citizens joining us for a few days during the portion of the trip in the USVI. They will be off the boat before we head back to the BVI. Do we need to have them added to the crew list ahead of time? Is there a coast guard requirement around a crew list? When we chartered in the Med, it seemed to be a requirement over there (could be mistaken....). But what about here? Thanks!!

[Rubikoop]

No, no and no. Answers to your three questions.

[Zanshin]

At the risk of being repetitive, I just wanted to ask if all of the people on the charter boat that are sailing from the BVI to the USVI and back are U.S. citizens or LPRs? If not, be aware that they will need a visa in their passport in order to enter via sailboat - the ESTA visa waiver doesn't apply.

A very easy workaround is to have any non-Americans take the ferry from the BVI to the USVI, or if they are flying to the BVI via the USA they will have a stamp in their passport with a remain-until date past the sailing trip to the USVI and thus are already legally "in" the USA for that duration.

I'm anchored in the northern coves of St. John at the moment and it is wonderful here!

The clearance papers from the BVI to the USVI will contain all the people aboard the vessel when leaving. When returning to the BVI from the USVI you don't need to clear out and the BVI is used to boats arriving with no exit papers from the USA; so the entry documents will reflect the number and names of the people actually aboard when returning from the USVI.

Just remember to pay the park fees and to ensure that your holding tanks are closed and that you empty them only when more than 3 miles offshore (or use a pumpout in the USVI, they don't exist in the BVI).

Unless you have a shallow draft boat, in which case you can anchor inside while clearing in, you should take a mooring ball just around the corner at Caneel Bay and then dinghy in - don't tie up at the customs dock but at the dinghy dock to the far left as you enter the bay and walk to the Customs & Immigration building.

[Dtm67]

Thanks zanshin...very helpful! We plan on spending a good amount of time on St. John this go around. Any recommendations on anchorages and dive spots?

[Hud3]

Just to be clear, US CBP requires all parties on your boat to report to their office in person to "be inspected", as they like to put it. So no crew list, just the people themselves.

[Dtm67]

Makes sense...thanks!