Public Discussion Forum

OK, I'm not trying to spark a civil war here...really. But the notion of cruising from the East Coast to the West Coast has me thinking about all of the restrictions on the West Coast. The recent threads about Customs and boarder crossings has me comparing that to going to the Bahamas. The Bahamas rules are very simple and for the most part common sense. I never had to throw my eggs overboard when crossing the Gulf Stream, in either direction. And I've never paid more than $3.50/gallon for any significant volume of diesel. I paid less sales tax on my 57 Selene than I would pay on an average used car in CA. And I've never been required to pay property tax on my boat.

The East Coast has more marinas, coves, safe harbors and anchorages than you can count, and the costs are pretty reasonable once you get north of Stuart, FL. My first boat was docked in Newport Beach, CA (at the time I think it was the most expensive harbor along the whole eastern shore of the Pacific Ocean). The West Coast anchorages are pretty limited until you get to the PNW, and then the season is pretty short. Where would a full time cruiser go during the late Fall to early Spring months?

I am strongly considering cruising to the West Coast and stopping in Costa Rica, the Sea of Cortez, Channel Islands, then north to the PNW and Alaska. But I'm afraid of the costs of transient dockage, taxes, restrictions on living aboard when at the dock, etc. So please, help me understand how I can continue our gypsy lifestyle while cruising on the West Coast.

Richard Nye

Untethered, 57-22

https://forecast.predictwind.com/tracking/display/MV_Untethered/

Maybe some day I will make it to the PNW (as it is just breathtaking) but in the meantime I have plenty to explore from Maine to the Bahamas on the East Coast.  Go Knicks by the way.

From our home on the Chesapeake Bay, we departed aboard Shangri-La, 5388, for southern latitudes in November of ‘21. Although we flew home during hurricane season annually for around five or six months, Shangri-La never left the Eastern Caribbean until her return in April ‘25, being stored on the hard in Chagauramas, Trinidad during the rainy season. During our last year or two in the EC we visited 27 different countries, enjoyed many different cultures and people, spoke and ate French, Spanish, and a little British, toured, fished, hiked and biked above ground and swam and dove beautiful underwater sites innumerable times. We celebrated local holidays from Carnival in Trinidad and Martinique to Christmas in Saint Martin and Tobago, to Montserrat, which actually celebrates Saint Patrick’s Day, and Easter in the Bahamas and the Dominican Republic. I can’t imagine having better access to more diversity than our home base on the East Coast has provided. With Shangri-La OE 6047 being completed at present and arriving later this summer, we plan to go south again in the fall, visiting some favorite places in the EC before maybe crossing to the Western Caribbean to explore Central America, Sea of Cortez, and South America as far south as Ecuador. Or maybe we will cross the pond and see Europe.

In our travels on the East Coast and in the EC we almost always anchored out in calm and protected anchorages, which are plentiful and readily available (except Florida). Customs and Immigration in the EC was always manageable, if genuinely maddening from time to time, usually because it was time for the local officials to enjoy a drink, a meal, a vacation or a siesta. In some locales now, clearing in and out is almost automatic with online systems providing convenient and easy services. And some places (think the French islands) they just don’t care. Once when I sheepishly cleared into Martinique three or four days late, having arrived and partied until visiting C&I was going to be easy, the official scoffed and said “No worry Monsieur. You are in France now; no one is coming for you.”

We hope our travels going west (or maybe east) will provide experiences as rich and rewarding as those we have enjoyed from our home on the East Coast. From our perspective, I believe most of the benefits we receive from our cruising experiences, and otherwise, depend on our outlook and mindset going in.

I do know one thing for sure - Nobody ever made me toss good eggs overboard!

Jack ;)

Jack Burgess, Shangri-La 6047

Being in aviation we deal with customs routinely. With that experience I can say that by and large customs agents are professional and good at their jobs. But there are the occasional ones whose wife yelled at them going out the door or who are just having a bad day and you are the unlucky recipient of that stress.

We’ve had agents that couldn’t be nicer and really don’t care about the random stuff the passengers somehow brought on board that absolutely shouldn’t be there and we’ve had ones who yell and threaten us with jail time because William and Will can’t be the same person even though everything else absolutely matches and William’s is 6 years old, has a more than valid passport, and cannot be a terrorist.

Do your best to follow the rules, be humble, and generally it’s a non-event. Not a relaxing event though.

Dan and Bethany Moore

Blue Phoenix - 2008 Selene 59-17

Somehow this thread got off track. When Joseph Cain posted to it, it started another parallel thread, and this one migrated to the customs topic. Trying to get the train back on the tracks.

Have any of you seen this book? I bought it before buying my boat in Virginia. I expected to buy a boat on the West Coast. The book looks very helpful although I haven't looked through it in detail.

My main concern with the West Coast is all the rules, laws, formality and taxes. We've grown accustom to the freedom of anchoring where and when I want, the small towns and simple life on the East Coast. The two things that impressed me the most about the Bahamas was 1. the sense of freedom you get here (freedom from ridiculous rules, freedom to anchor where you want, etc.), and 2. how wonderful the Bahamian people are.

I've lived in Southern CA since 1993. With more people, comes more rules. I feel like I'm always looking behind my back because I may be breaking some law I don't even know exists. The other thread about Customs and Boarder Crossings triggered me. In the Bahamas I go to the most pristine beach you can imagine, and there are no other footsteps. In the U.S. (and Canada) the first thing you see is a long sign that says, "No dogs, No littering, No alcohol, No campfires, No, No No....".

It looks like going from Newport Beach, CA to Anacortes is about 1200NM. Very doable. Maybe our plan should be to winter down in CA from, say, Nov - Apr and then cruise up to PNW and Alaska in the summers. I'd also like to explore going up the Columbia River.

Richard Nye

Untethered, 57-22

https://forecast.predictwind.com/tracking/display/MV_Untethered/

This thread is jinxed somehow. 18 posts and only 10 are on the original thread (this makes 11).

Marya - I agree California doesn't have much to offer EXCEPT the Channel Islands of which Catalina is my favorite. The diving is spectacular, and the hiking is great too. Nothing like having a buffalo milk on the deck in Two Harbors looking out over the ocean after spearfishing in the kelp.

Our highlights on the East Coast were Maine and the Bahamas. Too bad they are so far apart. But there are many little towns and big cities along the way. Another highlight was spending a month at the Capital Yacht Club in D.C. We walked to all the museums, buildings and monuments. Another was anchoring in Boston Harbor on a holiday weekend overlooking the city lights at night. Oh, and anchoring under Lady Liberty's feet looking out at lower Manhattan with a Manhattan in hand.

We don't have diesel heat, but I think I will need to look into adding that for the West Coast. We also don't have rigging for flopper stoppers which I think would be helpful in the West Coast swell. Maybe West Coasters can comment on that.

I agree with Jack that the East Coast anchorages are plentiful, but you have to be comfortable touching the bottom at low tide. It's just mud bottom in the Chesapeake anyway. We bought the boat in Urbanna, VA and returned there annually for the Oyster Festival and to see old friends (Greg & Glenda, Barry & Robin). I think we paid around $500/mo for the slip, water and power included. It was a short walk into the quaint Chesapeake town of 500.

I always thought it was very cool that we could go into nice vacation areas and anchor for free (well, after you buy an expensive boat and pay to fuel it and maintain it). A small B&B in Maine is $500/night. I was less enthusiastic when the slips cost more than a decent hotel room.

Richard Nye

Untethered, 57-22

https://forecast.predictwind.com/tracking/display/MV_Untethered/

Not jinxed Richard - HIJACKED!

Yeah, there is some muddy bottom on the Chesapeake Bay. Better have an anchor wash down system. And lots of water that looks like open water that isn’t. But you are correct, it is all soft. Only damage typically done is to one’s ego. And there are literally hundreds if not thousands of anchorages just on the Chesapeake and its tributaries. On our little Yeocomico River just behind where we live on the Potomac, I can count more than 25 protected anchorages in beautiful settings.

Jack :)

Jack Burgess, Shangri-La 6047