FAQ - What about check-in rules & regs?

We are asked frequently how we know what to do when we check into each new country. The answer is … we don't know until we do a little research. We've discussed the question of check-in procedures before, but it's worth re-visiting. Even if we've checked into a country in the past, we still check to make sure there haven't been any changes. As I'm researching what to see and do in each country, I also check to see what the check-in procedures are. All countries require proof of citizenship (passports) with at least 6 months left before expiration. All countries require boat documentation and clearance papers from your last port. For sure, you'll complete at least one or two forms when you arrive, sometimes many more … in duplicate, triplicate ... sextuplicate even.

“Advance” is the critical word when it comes to learning about check-in procedures since some countries require advance notice of arrival. Australia, New Zealand and Fiji come to mind as countries which require you to notify them officially of your arrival date with associated stiff penalties if you do not comply. Additionally, not every port in every country is a POE (Port of Entry). It's easy to check what the requirements are on-line, download necessary forms and make the appropriate notifications before you leave your last port. Many countries have yacht check-in procedures clearly stated on-line, but Noonsite is an excellent place to start looking for updated check-in procedures.

Customs and Immigration … sometimes in the same location, usually not … are most often first on the list for check-in although some countries like New Zealand and Australia have biosecurity checks right on the quarantine dock before anyone else is allowed aboard and before you're allowed to debark. Customs checks in your boat; Immigration checks on the crew (you!). Then there's Port Authority or the Port Captain and perhaps the Navy (like in Chile) and/or maybe a Health official. If you have pets, even more specific rules apply. Chile, for instance, also requires an e-mail or radio call to the Chilean Armada upon entering their territorial waters and daily thereafter until you reach your point of entry. Hard to know this if you haven't checked out the requirements in advance. Check it out before you go.

Also, things change. Rules and regulations are “fluid”, so it's important to check just before departing your last port. An example of inadequate prep was our recent arrival in Trinidad. We hadn't checked into Trinidad in more than a decade, but I had a fairly recent cruising guide on board and I thought this would suffice. What I didn't realize was that it was necessary to pull up to a specific dock at the Crews Inn Marina for completing all check-in procedures. My bad! Luckily, I was able to email Gentry from the boat. She looked up the procedures for Trinidad on Noonsite, emailed them to me and we complied accordingly.

You can't be expected to know all the rules/regs for every country, but you are expected to learn about them before you go and then follow the rules. Some countries and officials are lax and forgiving; some are not. Some officials are sticklers for detail. The idea of checking-in to a foreign country always seems a bit daunting in the beginning. It's a dragon, of course, (and usually a drag), but once you handle it a couple of times, it just becomes a part of your cruising life … and another story to share.

FAQ - How do you meet people in a new port?

I was reading Women Who Sail on FaceBook the other day and one woman who was just beginning her sailing adventure asked “How do you meet people?” She was concerned that since she's a bit of an introvert, it would be hard to meet people when constantly sailing into new and unfamiliar ports. She got an overwhelming response … all positive.

Quick answer: It's easy … you can't avoid meeting new people!

Longer answer:

There are so many ways to meet people when you're sailing into a new port that it's hard to enumerate them all. Here are some tips.

• Check out the anchorage for familiar flying burgees to identify other boats that belong to your club, like SSCA or OCC and for instance.

• Knock on a hull. When we arrive in a new anchorage, if we're in the mood for socializing, we dinghy around to other boats to introduce ourselves and say hi … maybe invite folks aboard for sundowners. If we don't make the effort to knock on hulls, it's not unlikely that someone will knock on ours with the same intent.
• If you're in a marina or head to shore in the dinghy, there's always someone on the dock to chat with. It doesn't take much to start up a conversation.
• Listen to the local morning net if there is one and find out what's happening in the area. There's nothing like an evening potluck get-together or a rousing game of dominoes to introduce yourself to new folks.

• If you're a SailBlogger, you can check on-line to see who is close to you and make the effort to get in touch.

Interestingly enough, however, most of the responses were targeted at meeting other cruisers, not the locals. Though we enjoy meeting other cruisers, quite honestly, we could do that anywhere. If cultural experience and local interaction is what you're searching for, you might have to wander a little farther than the local dinghy dock.

• Make an effort to visit the local yacht club, community center, tourist info office, and/or the local chandlery to see what's going on and what you might become involved in. If none of these exist, try the school. Teachers are always interested in showing off their classes and usually welcome newcomers with open arms.

• Determine if your club or organization sponsors a cruising host or port host in the area and contact them for an introduction to the area, as well as an immediate local contact.

• The local fresh market is a great place to meet people since everyone turns out for this social community event. Chat up the green grocer and other customers. Ask about veggies and fruits that are new to you. A conversation will start up almost immediately.
• Got a special skill? Know how to fix solar panels, generators, etc? The more remote you get, the harder it is for locals to find help for maintaining and/or repairing equipment. If you offer your services, you can be assured of a warm response and many thanks from your new local friends.

• Just walk through town, smile and say hi. Interact with the community. When people find out you're from “the boat anchored out there”, you're bound to attract local attention.

We've found in our experience, locals were as interested in meeting us as we were in meeting them. It's not a one-way street by any means. They, too, are curious and happy to share their hospitality and cultural differences.

FAQ - Do you cook any differently when you're on a passage?

I do the bulk of the cooking aboard … in port or at sea. I'm asked frequently how our menus differ and how my cooking practices change when we're at sea. Quite honestly, the weather and what we have available in the ship's larder dictate what we'll have for meals and how much cooking I'll do. That said, meals are always an occasion when we're at sea. It's usually a time when we're awake and have a chance to keep each other company.  

The first couple of days out are sometimes the roughest. I make a passage soup or meal before leaving port. If I'm not feeling well and up to cooking when it's meal time, there's always something ready to eat. If we're feeling okay, it's a lazy day for the cook.

In general, we eat lots of smaller meals while we're at sea. We usually have a granola bar with our morning cuppas. Breakfast is yogurt (I make it in advance), home made granola and fruit or, if it's cold, sometimes oatmeal. If it's particularly calm, we might have pancakes or French toast, but this is a treat, not a usual. Lunch can be a sandwich (grilled cheese, grilled cheese and tuna) or a wrap or soup.

I try to have lots of fruit aboard so we can munch on apples, pears, nectarines or whatever is available at the local market that will hopefully keep for a longer voyage. Fruits don't require cooking which make them ideal for the cook. Long-lasting veggies include cabbages, potatoes, carrots, butternut squash and onions. They all swing in the hammock until they're used.

Dinner is most always a hot meal. I list the possibilities and David usually decides what he's in the mood for. (I obviously only list the choices that I'm in the mood for, too.) We have about 10 different menu options that are easy to make and easy to clean up after and we tend to alternate through them as we go, always leaving room for some imagination if the spirit moves me. Cottage pie, chili and pasta with homemade sauce all top the list although we tend to avoid “spicy” if the seas are up. Rice is a common side dish.

We usually eat in the cockpit and our meals are almost invariably served in big wooden bowls. It's easier to contain the contents and nothing rolls off the plate when we rock and roll. Plus, wood is a good insulator against heat if you're holding the bowl in your lap.

If David catches a fish, we have fish for the next couple of days until it's gone. We try to have one or two meatless meals during the week … omelettes or Fettucine Alfredo, for instance. Remember, I can chicken and mince (turkey burger), so the meats are all cooked in advance. They keep for years without refrigeration and they're always ready to add to any recipe.

Once I'm feeling okay and the weather's conducive to being in the galley, there's no limit to what I can whip up. Ingredient availability is always an issue, but I've become particularly good at substitutions. It's important to be resourceful when you can't just jump in the car and go to the store for the ingredient you're missing.

David's a bread maker and, if we're on a longer passage, he'll often have bread rising when I get up for my morning watch. He's even tossed a pizza a few times. I make coffee cakes, scones, cupcakes and brownies quite often. Baking on passage is not a problem although on occasion we've had cakes that have quite a list to them.

So … long answer to a short question … once we've got our sea legs, it's business at usual unless the weather's bad. Then, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are on the menu. Otherwise, it's eat … eat … eat!