Traveling thru countries in the caribbean

[Dave Chapman]

this is gonna sound dumb but I'm a newbie wanna be ..... if you are just traveling thru a country .... say Bahamas ... and the only stop you make might be a nite of rst and or a meal .... do you have to buy a cruising permit?? thanks in advance

[Sondor]

Depends on how lucky you're feeling?

Seriously though, the answer is absolutely yes if you stop for a meal on shore.

I'm sure others will chime in w/ more detailed and helpful answers if necessary. Having never been down Bahama way, I'm not sure if you need to buy a cruising permit if you just sail through their waters non-stop for example. The answer being more curiosity than reality as I can't picture a scenario where I'd realistically be just "passing through" the Bahamas w/o making so much as a stop.

[Sand crab]

Noonsite has the check in procedures for every country in the world.
Noonsite.com — Noonsite
Countries are real big on wanting to know who has entered. And that goes for just about all of them.

[GRIT]

Passing through does not require a permit, try to stay a few miles offshore so your intentions are clear. After a maximum of 12 miles offshore, you're in international waters. In some places, much less.

We passed through from Puerto Rico in 2008, no stops. We were on our way to Canada via the USA.

If you stop, or even anchor within a country's territorial waters, then it is generally (for the naysayers, there are exceptions...) required that you check into the country. Otherwise, you may be mistaken for a smuggler, or some other undesirable.

Cheers, and if you have the chance, go to the Bahamas. They're beautiful!

Paul.

[Zanshin]

The UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea) has specified something called the "Right of Innocent Passage". See Section 3 of UNITED NATIONS CONVENTION ON THE LAW OF THE SEA for the letter of the agreement.

There are various interpretations here and on the web on how this affects passage through waters. If you touch the ground (i.e. anchor) in the USA then you need to clear in, for example.

[AnchorageGuy]

It depends on the country and how rigid they are on enforcing regulations. Many boats pass through the Bahamas and stop to anchor before moving on. There is probably no problem as long as you don't touch shore. I say probably because their law states that you check in at the nearest port of entry immediately upon entering Bahamas waters. You will have to do your homework on each individual country you plan to only pass through and weigh the consequences of not checking in. They can be as little as being chased out or as severe as seizure of your boat. You plan to cruise, so slow down and enjoy each country you pass through. If your in a big hurry, catch the next flight out. Chuck