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Puerto Rico C & I Heads Up!
#160014
04/30/2018 11:09 PM
04/30/2018 11:09 PM
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Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 304 Rockford, Michigan
aarpskier
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Posts: 304
Rockford, Michigan
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From April 18-28 we followed Don Street's route from St Thomas to Culebra to Vieques to St Croix to St Thomas. Longer trip report to follow later. For now ...
On April 19, following suggestions on this forum, I called PR C&I when 4 miles east of Culebra to check in the boat and 6 crew. Our intended destination for the night was Culebrita. I was informed by the agent who answered the phone that I could not check in by phone until we were anchored in Ensenada Honda. I explained that that was contrary to information I had received, and I attempted to persuade him to let us check in from current position. He refused, so we proceeded to EH and drove in circles for 20 minutes while I called him back and completed the check-in. In fairness, the second call went very well, and he only asked for the names and birthdates of the crew because he could get the passport numbers and expiration dates from his computer.
Did I say the second call went well? Hmm. It did until the C&I agent asked for our Puerto Rico cruising permit number. I knew we needed that, but confirming that our boat had the annual decal (it didn't) or getting the permit for our trip had simply slipped my mind. Clearly my mistake. The agent directed me to proceed to the Culebra airport where I would have to pay $28.85 and then call him back so our check in could be completed. He allowed, however, that the phones to the C&I office in Culebra were down, so he could not guarantee that anyone would be in office when I arrived. I elected to go rogue, abandon our attempt to get to Culebrita, and instead proceed downwind to Carlos Rosario for the evening. I reasoned that we were going ashore in Puerto Real in Vieques in two days, and I could just pay the fee then. Nope! The next morning, on our way around the west and north side of Culebra en route to Culebrita, I finally answered the third call from PR C&I. The agent said she hoped I was still in Culebra, because the check-in could not be completed without our cruising permit number. She also directed me to go to the Culebra airport C&I office. After much discussion, she finally informed me that I could simply go online and get the permit, and then call her back. Fifteen minutes later, we were finally in the good graces of C&I!
So, (1) if you plan to try the offshore check in method, build an extra 1-2 hours into your schedule in the event you talk to the same agent I did, and (2) make sure you have your cruising permit / decal number available when and where you check in.
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Re: Puerto Rico C & I Heads Up!
[Re: aarpskier]
#160083
05/01/2018 09:07 PM
05/01/2018 09:07 PM
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Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 1,422 New Jersey, USA
DanS
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Posts: 1,422
New Jersey, USA
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Did I say the second call went well? Hmm. It did until the C&I agent asked for our Puerto Rico cruising permit number. I knew we needed that, but confirming that our boat had the annual decal (it didn't) or getting the permit for our trip had simply slipped my mind. Assuming you were on a charter boat, and assuming the charter company knew of your plans to head west, I'm a little surprised that the charter company didn't make sure you had the necessary permit. Anyway, hope it was a great trip! Dan
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Re: Puerto Rico C & I Heads Up!
[Re: BaardJ]
#160212
05/04/2018 06:19 AM
05/04/2018 06:19 AM
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Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 1,277 Saint Thomas, USVI
CaptainJay
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Posts: 1,277
Saint Thomas, USVI
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It does seem the C&I process may have changed post-Irma and Maria as the officer didn't want to take any of our info until we could confirm we were in Ensenada Honda. That said it was probably a 30 minute turnaround with PR and Culebra C&I. This has always been the rule. Just not always enforced. Ensenada Honda is the port of entry.
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Re: Puerto Rico C & I Heads Up!
[Re: aarpskier]
#160215
05/04/2018 07:59 AM
05/04/2018 07:59 AM
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Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 1,951 St. John, USVI
RickG
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Posts: 1,951
St. John, USVI
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We've called in before and were scolded to wait until we had anchored n Ensenada Honda. We use SVRS and have still had to give them all of our information over the phone. We usually get a callback from the C&I person at the Culebra airport "Yeah, those guys have no clue about SVRS. I see your float plan right here. Here is your confirmation number."
Anyone use the ROAM app yet for USVIs, SVIs or PR?
Cheers, RickG
S/V Echoes, 2003 Beneteau 423 Grenada
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Re: Puerto Rico C & I Heads Up!
[Re: cruzan1]
#160948
05/16/2018 05:10 PM
05/16/2018 05:10 PM
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Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 304 Rockford, Michigan
aarpskier
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Rockford, Michigan
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Culebrita, ... is designated as daytime use only. Mooring and anchoring only allowed during the day, no overnights. DPNR has been historically pretty lax on enforcement but that seems to be changing. In April 2018, we spent a very pleasant overnight in Bayo Tortugas, Culebrita. (There were a couple of other charter / cruising boats there as well.) We did so on the basis of (A) reports from several members of this forum; (B) a suggestion in "A Cruising Guide to Puerto Rico 2.0 by Frank Virgintino (2012) page 123; (C) reports from multiple persons on cruisersforum.com;, and, (D) posts / blogs by many professionals, for example photograph John Peltier (2013) www.jmpeltier.com/2013/04/08/culebrita/, Carol Kent Yacht Charters (2016) www.carolkent.com/cruising-and-diving-in-the-spanish-virgin-islands/, and www.zerotocruising.com/one-day-and-night-on-culebrita. Given what is obviously a common practice, what is the source for your comment, quoted above?
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Re: Puerto Rico C & I Heads Up!
[Re: aarpskier]
#161065
05/18/2018 11:58 AM
05/18/2018 11:58 AM
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Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 292 Fajardo
cruzan1
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Traveler
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Posts: 292
Fajardo
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My first source would be the actual management plan that was set in place by the US Dept of Fish and Wildlife for the refuge - the relevant sections are below. Second source would be the writing on the morning balls - DAY USE ONLY Third source is the DPNR meeting that I attended in San Juan last month.
Culebrita, Luis Pena and the adjacent cays are all inside the refuge boundaries.
The Commonwealth will inspect and oversee development and management activities on the lands conveyed to them on Culebrita. The Commonwealth agrees to enforce the land use restrictions as outlined in this Cooperative Management Agreement. III. OPERATIONAL PROCEDURES The Commonwealth will comply with the following opera tional procedures: 1. Only daytime use (1/2 hour before sunrise to 1/2 hour after sunset) shall be permitted on beachfront areas and use will be restricted to hiking, picnicking, swimming, and similar recre ational activities. These beachfronts have been identified as essential habitat for the hawksbill turtle and as such must receive full and absolute protection in accordance with the provisions of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended, and the laws of Puerto Rico. Human disturbance such as, but not limited to, nest robbing, inter ference with the progress of the young in reaching to such an extent as to significantly disrupt essential behavioral patterns, which include, but are not limited to, breeding, feeding, or sheltering; significant environmental modifica tion or degradation which has such effects is included within the meaning of "harm;" (CFR 50, Chapter I. Part 17.3).
2. Boats shall not be anchored in the intertidal zone or left on beachfronts during nighttime hours (1/2 hour after sunset to 1/2 hour before sunrise).
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Re: Puerto Rico C & I Heads Up!
[Re: cruzan1]
#161251
05/21/2018 12:06 AM
05/21/2018 12:06 AM
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Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 304 Rockford, Michigan
aarpskier
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Posts: 304
Rockford, Michigan
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Culebrita, ... Mooring and anchoring only allowed during the day, no overnights. I'm with Captain J and BaardJ on this one. The regulatory language you quoted refers only to "land" with respect to its limitations to day use. There is nothing in that regulation that prohibits overnight anchoring. And, while many (but not all) DPNR buoys are marked for day use in Culebra and Vieques, that is certainly not how they are used. We had two other boats for company on such "day balls" at Playa Carlos Rosario the night before our Culebrita stop.
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