Unless rules have changed in the last couple of years, you will need a visa
for the US in your passport, if you clear in to a US port on a sailboat. The
rules are not the same as if you enter by aeroplane. As a EU citizen you
don't need a visa if entering by plane, but you do if you clear into an US
harbour on a yacht.
Some years back we cleared into St Thomas (US Virgins) and were fined 100$
or more, because one of crewmember (out of the nine EU citizens) did not
have a valid US Visa in the passport.
Not really a problem - but another thing to be aware of.

Peter S/Y Anicula

"Colin" skrev i en meddelelse
77.135...
"Jim B" wrote in
:
Jim I keep my Canadian registered vessel in Florida, and as far as I know
the rules should be the same for a British registered vessel. I assume we
are talking about non-commercial use here, no paid charters etc. All you
need is a license to cruise US waters, it's good for 12 months from date
of
issue (Issued by US Customs), for Canadian boats there is no charge for
the
license not sure if thats the same for you. When the permit expiries, you
can get a new one issued for another year provided you can prove that at
some point in the past year you have left and reentered US waters, and
were
outside US waters for I think its 10 days or 2 weeks I cant remember for
sure. So a two week trip over to the Bahamas once a year takes care of
that
requirement. If you do not leave US waters and remain over 12 months US
customs consider you to have imported the vessel and import duties become
payable. You may not use your vessel for any comercial use, nor attempt to
sell the vessel while in US waters on a cruising permit.

If your boat was built or ever documented in the US, and you can prove
that
duties were paid, then you can have US customs change the vessel to duty
paid status. You will still need a annual cruising permit, but will no
longer need to leave US waters once a year, and will be able to sell your
boat in US waters.

You should check all this out with US customs to make sure it applies to
your situation, and that the rules have not changed. Finding the right
person at US customs really helps (several times I have been told by
someone in customs that the person I talked to a few weeks ago in customs
did the paper work wrong, or did not know what he was doing etc).

Hope this info helps you out

Colin.

Maybe, instead of selling, I should move my Oyster 406 sailboat to
Florida.

Can anybody point me to a site, or give me information, on the
limitations, legal requirements and costs of keeping a British
registered ship in Florida?

I don't need information on mooring or running costs, just the legal
requirements.

Many thanks . . .

--
Jim B, Yacht RAPAZ,
Sadly, for sale:
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/jim.bae...cification.htm
jim[dot]baerselman[at]ntlworld[dot]com