TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums British Virgin Islands Advice on clearing customs between BVI & USVI

Last year we cruised in the BVI & USVI. Last year our skipper dropped us off at St Johns and did not want to clear customs. If he wasn't dropping us off at St Johns I don't think we would have exited BVI through customs at Jost Van Dyke. I clearly go the impression from him that if we were cruising around and wanted to stay a night is USVI waters - such as Salt Pond Bay in St. Johns - he would not be clearing customs.

My question is: do most people follow the "proper" protocol by clearing customs when hitting destinations between BVI and USVI OR is it common practice to do this without the time spent clearing customs?

I'd say most people follow the rules. Not following them is the easiest way to get your boat seized.

Was this a term charter or a day charter? Did you depart from the BVI or the USVI? There was a time when day charters from the USVI would play fast and loose with the rules. But since 9/11 and given the recent antipathy between the two territories, anyone who doesn't follow the letter of the law is plum crazy.

Is it just me or does anyone else find it annoying when people refer to St. John as St. Johns?

maybe because one is in Antigua and one in the USVI

I believe the capital of Antigua is called St. John's. I was there years ago before I started visiting the VI. There is also a town in Canada called St. John in New Brunswick that many people refer to as St. John's. I live in the New York City area but didn't attend St. John's University.

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Saint John got around. He's got Saint John in New Brunswick (we spell it out here to avoid confusion) as well as St. John USVI. There's St John's Antigua, and also St John's Newfoundland too.

Many stories locally of people flying to the wrong city. I remember meeting a bunch of Honduran(?) soccer fans in a hotel bar here in Saint John NB who should have flown to St John's NL to watch their team play Canada in a world cup qualifier.

I live in Saint John NB and still always call the USVI island St John's for some reason. Finally, I leave this tuesday for a delivery from St John USVI to Antigua where I'll be going to St John's. Most confusing.
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Any professional Captain risks his livelihood, license and vessel if they ignore the simple rules of C&I on International voyages.
I commonly meet charters on vacation in a rental boat who flaunt the law either through nonchalance or pure ignorance - I can only hope they don't ever have to suffer the consequences.
With all the modern computer innovations an incident involving this transgression will result in all persons involved having a red flag on their passport and a series of hassles at any US border crossings for quite a while as I understand it.
It is a basic rule worldwide to clear C&I when entering another country.

I and most people refer to it as St Johns in the plural state even though it is technically St John.
I can't see why it would frustrate anyone. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/toast.gif" alt="" />

Even in Jan 1999 before all the craziness we took the dinghy to clear customs in Virgin Gorda the second it opened after we sailed all night from St. Croix. Why not follow the rules?