Permission to Leave Australia

[Nicholson58]

Originally Posted by chrisr

tim

despite some incredibly stupid advice given here by a.n.other, NO you cannot leave on your own boat, unless you apply for and are granted permission

no harm to ask, and it may help to give undertakings about quarantine, not returning etc etc...but don't hold your breath.

btw, even if you decide to break the law and successfully sneak out, you will be arrested at your first port of call when you do not have a port clearance

cheers,

How nice the US. Not only may we leave, we are not required an exit document. Passport to re-enter. This sometimes causes problems entering Caribbean countries from US ports. Officials not familiar with this sometimes refuse to believe the fact. If you wish a Zarpa you need to hunt down a coast guard or border agent to write one. Most don’t know what you are talking about.

[bevcory]

I can vouch for how difficult it is to leave Australia. One friend, a medic, was able to leave after going through all sorts of loopholes, to fly to Suriname for International SOS. Another, a mine engineer, took 3 applications to return to West Africa. Maybe some people would consider that non essential, but he needed to relieve the Mine Manager who had been on the mine for 5 months, in a very remote and yes, dangerous place.
I am also in the Caribbean (Bocas del Toro, Panama) on my boat, and can confirm it is difficult to move around. We are in curfew at night, full lockdown on weekends, and must ask for permission to move our boats within in the archipelago. You cannot fly into here, or many places in the Caribbean. As for the Med, a friend is making a lucrative business, with merchant seaman papers, of moving yachts from areas where people are not allowed, to areas where they are. Whilst I understand your frustration, hang in there. You are in a country with medical services, have a job (?) and have a home (?).

[joelhemington]

Originally Posted by kbmanufacturing

Hi All
We were planning on buying a Catamaran about now and sailing the Bahamas/Caribbean from October 2020.

However, the Australian Government does not allow 'most' people to leave the country at the moment. So our plans are on hold.

I have already arranged leave from work for 2021 and the kids are a good age to go now, rather than wait another year.

I was thinking about writing a letter to try and seek approval. (If its worth cruising atm is a question for another time and Im sure changes from week to week)

Has anybody been granted approval and is able to give me some pointers about how to form a compelling argument to allow the travel.

(I did see the news article about a wealthy business man being granted permission to go over seas for "business" and to also to buy a boat.)

Regards
Dave

You know Dave, there are plenty of good cats available already in the Caribbean and it'd be a very long and hopefully boring haul across the Indian Ocean and around the Cape just to get to the Caribbean - could eat up half your year waiting for weather windows and all. While no one knows how long this Covid shut down will last, it's a good bet the Caribbean nations will open a lot sooner than Australia as their economies are more heavily dependent on the cruising trade. Wait until the first of the year (or possibly sooner) to buy your boat in the Caribbean and enjoy all the different islands. Should you find that your new boat needs upgrades it'll be a lot easier to do in the Caribbean than the Indian Ocean (where there's 6,000 nm of nothing). Even if Australia let you leave, where would you go with everybody shut down?

[caffel]

I've sailed the full Indonesian archipelago both ways and westerly across the northern Indian Ocean (Cocos Keeling to Chagos and Seychelles.) & have a good friend who went straight from Perth to Reunion.
The Indian Ocean is not a good place for a shakedown cruise. After just two days out, you cannot get back.
Aussies rules notwithstanding, I'd say your real decision point or question will be when you can get a sailing permit to enter Indonesia or your first planned destination? And that's likely to be one of the questions you'll need to answer when you file for permission to leave.
Sounds like a good trip, though. Just keep the passages short at first.

[LAGO]

Stay here I reckon. There is nothing worse than being sick overseas. At present there is a waiting list of 4+ weeks for Aussies to return home and then go into two weeks quarantine that you pay for. The countries you might sail to or transit through are pretty much out of control for COVID. There are plenty of nice boats for sale/sail in Queensland.

[Larry Florida]

Just read another new post wherein a gent wants to set out to open sea with a broken rudder. And this post off into the COVID unknown. Seems both of these OPs may someday wish they were back where they started.

What's the hurry?

[kbmanufacturing]

Originally Posted by joelhemington

You know Dave, there are plenty of good cats available already in the Caribbean and it'd be a very long and hopefully boring haul across the Indian Ocean and around the Cape just to get to the Caribbean - could eat up half your year waiting for weather windows and all. While no one knows how long this Covid shut down will last, it's a good bet the Caribbean nations will open a lot sooner than Australia as their economies are more heavily dependent on the cruising trade. Wait until the first of the year (or possibly sooner) to buy your boat in the Caribbean and enjoy all the different islands. Should you find that your new boat needs upgrades it'll be a lot easier to do in the Caribbean than the Indian Ocean (where there's 6,000 nm of nothing). Even if Australia let you leave, where would you go with everybody shut down?

Yeah, I would be buying in the Caribbean. Or the Med if there was a really good deal. My fall back plan would be to buy in Australia and sail the Queensland coast. Then if boarders did open, head over to Fiji or similar.

[NevilleCat]

I see nothing in the OP that specifically says he wants to leave on his own boat.
It could be read as wanting to fly to Caribbean, buy a cat and sail around thru 2021.

[Alan Mighty]

The Channel 9 Entertainment Press today carries a story with the latest statistics about those of us applying to leave Australia.

Seems the ABF and its newish internet application procedure has improved the situation some.

See: https://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/lif...28-p55qfu.html

[38South]

We have our Cat on the hard in St Augustine Fl which at the moment provides some difficulties as we are still in the Hurricane box. I was planning on moving to Georgia or the Carolinas to get above 30.5deg for insurance purposes. At this stage it is highly unlikely we will see the boat until mid next year, I doubt CBP will give an exemption to leave OZ to move the boat. I follow Mikes Weather Page on FB and stay abreast of what is happening but none the less I am still nervous. no insurance for a named storm and no way to move the boat out of the way. Still there are others worse off than me so I will just sit tight and wait and hope for the best. Panama is looking a long way off at the moment.

Cheers
Rick
Lagoon 380 - "38 South"

[chrisr]

Originally Posted by 38South

We have our Cat on the hard in St Augustine Fl which at the moment provides some difficulties as we are still in the Hurricane box. I was planning on moving to Georgia or the Carolinas to get above 30.5deg for insurance purposes. At this stage it is highly unlikely we will see the boat until mid next year, I doubt CBP will give an exemption to leave OZ to move the boat. I follow Mikes Weather Page on FB and stay abreast of what is happening but none the less I am still nervous. no insurance for a named storm and no way to move the boat out of the way. Still there are others worse off than me so I will just sit tight and wait and hope for the best. Panama is looking a long way off at the moment.

Cheers
Rick
Lagoon 380 - "38 South"

hmmm...can see only 2 options 1) pay a delivery crew 2) take your chances

either way, we feel for your pain...

cheers,

[redneckrob]

Originally Posted by 38South

We have our Cat on the hard in St Augustine Fl which at the moment provides some difficulties as we are still in the Hurricane box. I was planning on moving to Georgia or the Carolinas to get above 30.5deg for insurance purposes. At this stage it is highly unlikely we will see the boat until mid next year, I doubt CBP will give an exemption to leave OZ to move the boat. I follow Mikes Weather Page on FB and stay abreast of what is happening but none the less I am still nervous. no insurance for a named storm and no way to move the boat out of the way. Still there are others worse off than me so I will just sit tight and wait and hope for the best. Panama is looking a long way off at the moment.

Cheers
Rick
Lagoon 380 - "38 South"

Even if you could fly over it seems like the trip costs would be comparable to just hiring someone to move the boat for you? Doesn't really seem like there is any real issue here that we couldn't pretty easily overcome, I'm happy to help you find a delivery captain if you don't have any way to find one yourself.