Clearing in for Spanish Virgins

Is a US flagged vessel sailing from STT to Culebra required to check in with C and I upon arrival? Seems all I can find on the subject doesn't include US to US transit.

Yes you have to clear into Customs from the VI because the VI is a Free Port.

You also need to have a US Customs Decal from DTOPS or you will be required to go to the airport and pay a fee. Assuming you have the decal and US passports all you need to do is call in to (787) 729-6600. Enjoy your trip.

Last December I sailed my boat from the BVIs to Culebra with a stop in STT. When I checked in at Cruz Bay (coming from Tortola) the US Customs Office told me that I did not have to check-in at Culebra. He did suggest that it might be "nice" if I made a courtesy call to customs there and let them know that I arrived.

Maybe they changed the rules or the Custom agent is misinformed.

You got bad info and lucky. The rules have not changed we deal with this on an almost weekly basis with the charter boats. Coming from the USVI you must clear into Puerto Rico/SVI's. If the boat is us flagged, has the customs decal and US Citizens on board this can be done on the phone. If not you have to go in person at the airport in Culebra. The fine is a maximum of $10,000.

Thanks for pointing this out to me. It is frustrating to have this conversation with customs officer and still get it wrong.

For anyone who wants to read it from the source here is a link:
PR and USVI procedures

Calling in often works. The number we call is 877-529-6840.
Turns out this gets you someone in the customs office Puerto Rico, not Culebra.

BTW, if you're wanting to stay at Culebrita, don't wait to call from Tortuga Bay, because the high hills surrounding it cut off cell service. We call when we're about two miles east.

Last August we had some highly suspicious foreigners aboard (Canadians!) and US Customs made us come into Dewey and prepare to be boarded (at 4:15 pm, LOL). So we called their bluff and dropped a hook in Dewey. When we called them they said it wouldn't be necessary, after all, for them to come and check us out. (Probably too close to quitting time.) So we beat feet back to Culebrita, but this detour costed us 2 hours of afternoon beach time.

So it turned out that our Canadians had driven across the border to the US and then flew to the USVI. Canadian border patrol failed to mark their passports, so there was no record of them crossing the border into the US. This caused a little bit of grief...

We sailed from STT to SVIs in October. You do need your DTOPS # to check in. We filed a float plan via SVRS, but still has to call in. They called back in two hours with a confirmation #.

Cheers, RickG

For those arriving without the Customs Decal ( Canadians) you then have to go to customs office (?airport?) .... Is that correct? Do all aboard go or only the skipper? And do you also,have to call ahead? Thanks. Probably should go through the effort together a decal.

Go ahead and get the decal before you go. We went last year and didnt know about the decal. Walked to the airport to do the check in and the officer would not talk to us until we called CBP and purchased a decal over the phone. Then when that showed up on his computer we were able to check in. Went back in Dec 15 and called in with decal number and passport info. All went smoothly.

Twanger,

Not trying to cause any trouble but I'm wondering if it's ok to call from Culebrita as it is not a designated inspection site?

On the cbp website mentioned above it states:

The Master of the vessel must report arrival via telephone immediately upon arrival to a designated inspection site within the jurisdiction of Puerto Rico (including Vieques and Culebra) and the US Virgin Islands.

beerMe - a calculated risk. It's only an hour from Dewey if they want to do an inspection.

I tried from Culibrita and did not know I was supposed to be in Dewey. The officer on the phone asked me where i was and I told him. He then instructed me to sail to Dewey and call him back. That was ok with me as we headed to the Dinghy Dock after the clear in process which is up there as one of my favorite bars in the islands anywhere.

For any Canadians reading this and wondering, Canadians don't check in with Canadian Customs when leaving Canada to enter the US but rather we checkin with US Customs and Immigration officials as we cross the border, regardless of whether we are crossing by air, land or sea. In the case outlined below, it would have been the US immigration officials that decided not stamp the traveller's passport upon entry to the US. Not uncommon though, esp on land crossings, for them to not stamp the passport.