The Bahamas cruising permit, one of the craziest ideas ever but I still find it hard to complain about it as the Bahamas only tax is import fees. So, the permit for my boat was about $150 the first year. With the boat in the yard over hurricane season I didn't get back till it was expired. Other cruisers told me horror stories of having boats impounded and getting thrown out of the country for such an inadvertant thing and they all advised me to NOT talk to any authorities but to sail to another "Port of Entry" and pretend I was just coming in and then pay only $150. Seemed like WAAAAAY too much trouble to me so I chanced it and went to talk to Customs and explained my situation.
Basically, they were nice about it. Told me I shoulda gotten in touch sooner but as there seemed no intention of trying to get away with anything, they allowed me to pay my $500 for the next year and that was that.
Now, I either pay another (and final) $500 or I pay the import duty on my boat. If I pay only $500, I can only stay another year which would involve sailing back to Fl and then returning to the Bahamas, a real PITA. So, I ask, what is the import duty, answer, 10% of the boats value. OK, a 1981 28' S2 has a NADA value of $10,000 so I am paying $1000 and can now keep her in the Bahamas indefinitely.

On Jun 9, 1:18*pm, Frogwatch wrote:
The Bahamas cruising permit, one of the craziest ideas ever but I still find it hard to complain about it as the Bahamas only tax is import fees. *So, the permit for my boat was about $150 the first year. *With the boat in the yard over hurricane season I didn't get back till it was expired. *Other cruisers told me horror stories of having boats impounded and getting thrown out of the country for such an inadvertant thing and they all advised me to NOT talk to any authorities but to sail to another "Port of Entry" and pretend I was just coming in and then pay only $150. *Seemed like WAAAAAY too much trouble to me so I chanced it and went to talk to Customs and explained my situation.
Basically, they were nice about it. *Told me I shoulda gotten in touch sooner but as there seemed no intention of trying to get away with anything, they allowed me to pay my $500 for the next year and that was that.
Now, I either pay another (and final) $500 or I pay the import duty on my boat. *If I pay only $500, I can only stay another year which would involve sailing back to Fl and then returning to the Bahamas, a real PITA. *So, I ask, what is the import duty, answer, 10% of the boats value. *OK, a 1981 28' S2 has a NADA value of $10,000 so I am paying $1000 and can now keep her in the Bahamas indefinitely.


Very confusing.. Arn't you glad it's not worth a quarter million? But
anyhow, I suppose that's bargain unless they decide to change the
rules somewhere down the line.....