Planning to Cruise Internationally on Your Own Boat

International cruising. Bureaucracy. Legal requirements. Passports. Visas. Boat documents. Pet documents. Checking into foreign countries. Checking out.

Ugh! How do you learn about international cruising? Do the rules change from country to country?

I’ve found it’s best to start learning several months before you plan to leave one country for another. Some requirements, such as visas or pet requirements, can take a while to complete.

We use a combination of several resources. I cannot stress this enough: do not rely on any one source by itself. Check when the information was last updated, and be aware that things can change at any time, literally right up to the minute you check in. Now that we have that out of the way, here are some of my favorite sources of information about international cruising on your own boat.

Noonsite

Noonsite provides up-to-date information on nearly every country. Learn about its marine facilities. Use the “Formalities” section for relevant information about legal requirements. Noonsite checks Information with the relevant authorities, and it should be up-to-date. Much of the other information is provided by other cruisers and it’s usually recent. Again, always check dates.

Noonsite General Documents You Will Need (an overview; not country specific)
Noonsite Details by Country (choose country and then you can select various ports in the country for further specifics)

Noonsite also provides detailed information about cruising routes, lists of cruisers’ nets (ham, SSB, VHF), piracy reports and avoidance techniques, and more. Poke around in their menus and you’ll be amazed at the resources.

Official Country Websites

Most countries have websites with their legal requirements spelled out. Often, they’re written for tourists arriving by air or land (or even cruise ships). You may need to dig around to find information for cruisers , arriving by private boat. While it’s not bad to check these sites, Noonsite and cruiser-to-cruiser information may be more applicable.

Cruising Guides

Cruising guides for virtually any area will inform you of the legal requirements for entry, the duration of stay, and other relevant details. However, be cautious. Printed information becomes outdated almost as soon as it comes off the printing press. Be especially careful when using older cruising guides (not just for legal requirements but also on details of where to check in. We once walked three miles in the wrong direction when the port captain’s office had moved since a guide was printed. We try to have at least two, if not more, cruising guides for any area we’re going. Different authors tend to cover things in varied ways, and with different emphases.

There are also many PDF cruising guides available, created by other cruisers. Many are exceptionally good, but check when they were researched and written, as well as what other cruisers think of them and their accuracy.

How do you know what cruising guides to buy? I usually ask for recommendations from the other sources listed below. You can also Google “name of place” + cruising guide. Out-of-date and out-of-print ones often still have a great deal of good background information about a place, but shouldn’t be relied upon for navigation or legal details.

Active Captain (and other crowd-sourced information)

Active Captain and other crowd-sourced data can be some of the best international cruising information you’ll find, but again, try to verify what you’re told. Instead of looking just at the average number of stars that a particular place gets, read the actual reviews. Check who is providing that “local knowledge” and so on. And if something strikes you as being off, double and triple-check with other sources. AC is pretty well vetted for accuracy, but not all crowd-sourced information is.

Information from Other Cruisers

Cruisers have always shared information. Three and four hundred years ago, ships sighting each other in the middle of the ocean would drop sail and row to each other to trade what they knew of the route ahead. Today, with the internet, there are so many sources of cruiser information that it can be like trying to drink from a fire hose. The problem isn’t in finding information, it’s knowing what information is reliable. This is one reason that we start researching early and compare one source to another. In the various groups, it’ll become apparent who gives solid information and who may tend to exaggerate or repeat what a friend of a friend may have said, and not what they have experienced firsthand.

The Boat Galley reader, Liz, recommends one either source of good information, hiring an agent. An agent can take care of the entire check in and check out process for you for a fee. They also offer advice, local knowledge, and referrals. An agent can be particularly helpful if you don’t speak the language of the country you’re visiting. Although Liz says they prefer to be hands-on, they have found that the cost of hiring an agent in some locations has been less expensive than bribes they might have been asked to pay.

If you decide to look for an agent’s help, recommendations from cruisers who have used their services will help you make the right choice.

Of course, The Boat Galley also offers detailed information about visiting the Bahamas in the Get Ready to Cruiser the Bahamas course. Not only does it feature detailed information about checking in, legal requirements for pets, and more, it shares information on how to get there, including information on planning your Gulf Stream crossing. In addition, you’ll find other information from cruisers online.

Facebook Groups

Facebook groups have sprung up for almost every cruising area in the world, and I won’t try to list them all here. Some are very active with lots of detailed and highly accurate information. Others are primarily armchair cruisers who talk about things they’ve only heard about and not experienced. The worst ones have disintegrated into political rants, photos of hot bods, or other less-than-helpful genres. Since most require you to join to see posts, you won’t necessarily be able to tell which are the useful ones before you join; I simply quietly leave the ones that I don’t find helpful. One that I find exceptionally good is Women Who Sail (WWS). Yes, you do have to be a woman, but “sail” is broadly interpreted to include motorboats. WWS covers virtually every aspect of boating and cruising, including the legal requirements and social expectations of visiting foreign countries.

To find groups, do a Facebook search on terms such as “sailing” (yes, even if you’re a powerboat), “boating” or “cruising” and the name(s) of places you’re interested in. Usually, once you’re in one, you’ll find out about others.

Forums

There are lots of cruiser forums out there. Unfortunately, many have gotten a reputation for being inhospitable to newbies, either making fun of questions that are asked or derailing any serious discussion. The concept of a forum is great and they are much more easily searched than either the Yahoo or Facebook Groups, it’s just much harder to find good info on them. That said, I’ve often found good info on Cruiser’s Forum and the SSCA Forums.

Final Thoughts on International Cruising in Your Own Boat

Hopefully, with these resources, planning your overseas cruise is less daunting. Remember, start early and double check your information. The work ahead of time ensures you’ll have a stress-free and enjoyable visit.