Traveltalkonline.com Forums


BVI Cruise Schedule TTOL Sponsors BVI Travel Calendar
Forum Statistics
Forums39
Topics38,433
Posts310,101
Members26,538
Most Online2,218
Jan 21st, 2020
Top Posters(30 Days)
RonDon 115
pat 42
Todd 40
jazzgal 40
Member Spotlight
Posts: 21
Joined: July 2022
Show All Member Profiles 
Today's Birthdays
ecco, OceanDrop, vincent
Who's Online Now
31 registered members (cbf, Travel Talker, Uksimonusa, RatmansWife, jeepers, Mark2dBVI, jaxon60, Memphré, magpie, Midsouth, TravelHat, eightzerobits, GeorgeC1, sugarae, xrayman67, LINNY, SXMScubaman, Standrea, ericlut, SXMBND, 11 invisible), 991 guests, and 80 spiders.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Rate Thread
Sailing from Tortola to St John - CUSTOMS #197904
06/18/2019 10:58 AM
06/18/2019 10:58 AM
Joined: Jun 2019
Posts: 4
F
FirstTimeSailor Offline OP
Member
FirstTimeSailor  Offline OP
Member
F
Joined: Jun 2019
Posts: 4
Hi there - 12 of us are sailing around the BVI this coming July. I would love to visit St John but one of our group members claims that customs via sailboat will be awful. Any insight as to what customs entails - to/from the BVI from the US? I would hate to be that close to St John and not visit.

BVI Sponsors
Re: Sailing from Tortola to St John - CUSTOMS [Re: FirstTimeSailor] #197926
06/18/2019 01:00 PM
06/18/2019 01:00 PM
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 3,003
S
sail445 Offline
Traveler
sail445  Offline
Traveler
S
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 3,003
I never heard of it being awful.
It’s actually friendlier then anywhere in the Caribbean.
It’s a simple process just grab a mooring ball outside the harbor and bring everyone to Customs with their passports and the boat papers.

Re: Sailing from Tortola to St John - CUSTOMS [Re: FirstTimeSailor] #197955
06/18/2019 03:01 PM
06/18/2019 03:01 PM
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 385
Florida
R
rfrimmel Offline
Traveler
rfrimmel  Offline
Traveler
R
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 385
Florida
Agree, it's fairly simple. Dress appropriately, have your papers and passports ready and be respectful and it should go quick.

Re: Sailing from Tortola to St John - CUSTOMS [Re: FirstTimeSailor] #197980
06/18/2019 06:45 PM
06/18/2019 06:45 PM
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 631
BaardJ Offline
Traveler
BaardJ  Offline
Traveler
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 631
It is straight-forward to clear into St John (after you first clear out of the BVI).

- While you're home, download and complete CBP Form I-418 Crew List and as much of the CBP Form 1300 Vessel Entrance Form as you can (you can finish filing out the vessel info once the charter company gives you the ship's papers).

- Grab a mooring ball near Lind Pt, St John. Dinghy with entire crew into Cruz Bay. Take the north channel past the yellow National Park Service building and tie up at the NPS dock (do not tie up at the commercial wharf).

- From the NPS dock, turn right at the main road and walk 100 yards to the CBP trailer just inside the iron gate on your right side (opens at 10:30 am).

- Usually takes less than 5 minutes to clear-in my crew.

- Cost = $0 except a small surcharge on holidays.

- You do not need to clear-out of the USVI when returning to BVI.

- Returning to BVI, you will need to clear-in - typically, Great Harbour, JVD or West End, Tortola. Only the ship's captain needs to report to C&I. Rest of crew stays onboard. This should take less than 20 minutes.

- You'll need to fill out the same immigration form for each crew member as you filled out when you first ferried/flew in. In addition, there is a ship's manifest & crew list form to be filled out. The ship info is similar to that you put on the CBP Form 1300 and your charter company should have the info.

- The BVI customs processing fee is ~$20. I do not know if you will need to re-pay the $10/person Environmental Tax that you paid on your initial entry. You'll also have to pay the $6/person/day BVI cruising tax for remaining days in the BVI.

Re: Sailing from Tortola to St John - CUSTOMS [Re: FirstTimeSailor] #198025
06/19/2019 09:18 AM
06/19/2019 09:18 AM
Joined: Jun 2019
Posts: 4
F
FirstTimeSailor Offline OP
Member
FirstTimeSailor  Offline OP
Member
F
Joined: Jun 2019
Posts: 4
Thank you all so much. It is one fun hater that claims that the customs process will be terrible. Even after I communicated this advice he was like "Wellll....." I think I will just toss him overboard. We haven't left and I am already over him ha ha ha ha.

Re: Sailing from Tortola to St John - CUSTOMS [Re: FirstTimeSailor] #198026
06/19/2019 09:26 AM
06/19/2019 09:26 AM
Joined: Jun 2019
Posts: 4
F
FirstTimeSailor Offline OP
Member
FirstTimeSailor  Offline OP
Member
F
Joined: Jun 2019
Posts: 4
He literally just sent us news articles "specific, credible Iran threat against US forces triggered carrier deployment, sources say" and "Gulf of Oman tankers attacked." I am beginning to think he doesn't understand we will be in the Caribbean and no where near the middle east. I am so frustrated.

Re: Sailing from Tortola to St John - CUSTOMS [Re: FirstTimeSailor] #198029
06/19/2019 10:06 AM
06/19/2019 10:06 AM
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 1,277
Saint Thomas, USVI
CaptainJay Offline
Traveler
CaptainJay  Offline
Traveler
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 1,277
Saint Thomas, USVI
Originally Posted by FirstTimeSailor
He literally just sent us news articles "specific, credible Iran threat against US forces triggered carrier deployment, sources say" and "Gulf of Oman tankers attacked." I am beginning to think he doesn't understand we will be in the Caribbean and no where near the middle east. I am so frustrated.


To quote RickG "if they whine at home they will whine more in the islands" you do not need that kind of negativety in your life. Go to St John and leave him home. St John is by far the nicest island in the Virgins.

Re: Sailing from Tortola to St John - CUSTOMS [Re: CaptainJay] #198038
06/19/2019 11:06 AM
06/19/2019 11:06 AM
Joined: Jun 2019
Posts: 4
F
FirstTimeSailor Offline OP
Member
FirstTimeSailor  Offline OP
Member
F
Joined: Jun 2019
Posts: 4
Right? I absolutely agree. If he doesn't want to go so bad, he can stay on the boat or not go at all. I am really MAD. I can't believe we would completely ignore most of the most beautiful islands in the Caribbean because he is worried about Iran and Omar.

Re: Sailing from Tortola to St John - CUSTOMS [Re: FirstTimeSailor] #198113
06/19/2019 08:32 PM
06/19/2019 08:32 PM
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 631
BaardJ Offline
Traveler
BaardJ  Offline
Traveler
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 631
You will have the St John national park anchorages and beaches all to yourself in July. Well...I'll be there on Cuvée from July 9-19, but don't tell anyone else.

Re: Sailing from Tortola to St John - CUSTOMS [Re: FirstTimeSailor] #198754
06/27/2019 01:18 PM
06/27/2019 01:18 PM
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 528
Ohio
jagmansr Offline
Traveler
jagmansr  Offline
Traveler
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 528
Ohio
We just got back from the BVI and spend 3 days at St John. We have the ROAM apt and our cat is registered with the current annual sticker so we check in by my iPhone. This is the second time we have used ROAM to register with US Customs. IT is so nice and easy. We were in StJohn on a Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Only had to share anchorages all three nights with 3, 4 and 6 other boats. IF you do go to the USVI, remember if you check back into the BVI on a Sunday, BVI charges an extra fee of $20. For the 2 of us, fees leaving the BVI were $5 and checking back in on Monday was $10. Also, if you have a Senor pass for the US Parks, the mooring fees are $13 as opposed to the full price of $26.

Re: Sailing from Tortola to St John - CUSTOMS [Re: FirstTimeSailor] #198809
06/28/2019 10:42 AM
06/28/2019 10:42 AM
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 396
Pacific NW
S
snmhanson Offline
Traveler
snmhanson  Offline
Traveler
S
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 396
Pacific NW
Tell him he can stay shore-based in the BVI while the rest of the crew enjoys St. John. Drop him at Scrub and tell him you’ll be back in a few days. Or, I suppose if it really becomes a sticking point everyone who wants to do St. John could take the ferry over for the day while the stick-in-the mud sits on the boat at Jost alone - though that doesn’t seem very fair to everyone else. Who’s the acting captain of the boat?


Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.6.1