FAQ - Do you carry guns aboard?

If the #1 most frequently asked question relates to storms we've encountered, the #2 question is “Do you carry guns aboard?” And the response is “No”. Our answer is usually met with raised eyebrows and a bit of disbelief. “Well, you're Americans. We thought for sure you'd have guns!”

The question of guns aboard is a topic of discussion between fellow cruisers, too. After discussing weather, destinations and boat problems, firearms aboard usually creeps into the conversation. Some folks think it's necessary; others disagree. Most cruiser we know, American and otherwise, do not carry guns aboard. We have several reasons for not carrying firearms.

First of all, unless the pirates are small time amateurs, they'd probably have us outgunned. If they threaten with guns and hold us at gunpoint, we might have a chance of getting out alive unless we draw guns, too. If we're outnumbered and outgunned from the start, our chances diminish significantly. We'll either have our own weapons used against us or be shot for resisting. If the pirates are small time operators, they've probably got knives and we'll take our chances with the machetes we have aboard.

There are also practical reasons for not carrying guns aboard. Most countries do not allow firearms to be brought into their country. One of the requirements of entry is to declare all guns aboard. Firearms are usually confiscated and kept by the authorities until the boat departs. If the boat moves from port to port as we'd usually do while cruising, the guns are left at the first entry port. It is the owner's responsibility to pay for transport of the guns by proper authorities from one port to another OR the boat must return to the original entry port. Easy, if it's a small country, but a bit more difficult in Australia or South Africa. By the way, most yachts are robbed or boarded while in marinas or at anchor. Since most countries confiscate firearms, the guns would not be available when you needed them.

All that said, we do carry a flare gun aboard. Most countries will allow a flare gun if the boat is foreign-registered and it is allowed in their home country. We think there would be some slim possibility of using a flare gun against an attacker. Some countries do not even allow flare guns aboard and they, too, must be declared and will be held until departure.

There is an exception to our no-gun philosophy and that would be any trip to the high northern latitudes where wildlife (and I'm talking polar bears) might be an issue. Most cruisers we know that have ventured to the Arctic have carried shotguns aboard, primarily to deter big, dangerous critters from boarding uninvited.

So far, so good. We've never needed a gun for protection in our 16 years aboard and hopefully, never will.

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.