Wondering where you can print out a document, get something notarized, or get a shipment once you’re cruising away from your home area? I get these questions frequently, and have two frequent recommendations for cruisers in the US:
UPS Stores: These provide pretty much all the “office services” a cruiser could ever need:
- Printing – email documents to the store and have them printed, or use their computer to print something from the internet
- Notarizing
- Faxing
- Package shipping (and packaging) – AARP members get a discount on UPS shipping, too.
- Package acceptance – generally $5 (you do not need a mailbox with them). Will sign for packages from any shipper and keep them securely until you pick them up. Check with the individual store for weight limits and number of days that they will store items as well as how they want items addressed.
Amazon Hubs: If you’re buying items on Amazon and don’t have a local address such as a marina to send them to, you can have them shipped to an Amazon Hub. Note that you have three days from delivery to pick items up or they will be returned. Details here.
Even though we’re at a marina that accepts deliveries, packages are left in an insecure location. We’ve never had anything lost, but I do have high-value shipments (new laptop, watermaker, or injector pump, for example) shipped to the local UPS Store.
See more options for getting packages in this article. And here’s an article on getting mail.
Here’s your “Quick Start” to everything you need to know when living on a boat:
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