Miami, Florida - Offshore

This time of year, many boaters will be making the short, easy crossing to the Bahamas. For some it may seem like a harrowing experience, but for others, it can be a funfilled, exciting , family trip, that will be remembered for years. The closest of the Bahamian islands is Bimini, which is located only about 55 miles from Miami. In a fast boat, it can be a short ninety minute ride. To make your trip enjoyable, a few rules need to be followed. You will be traveling to a foreign country and their laws may be different than ours. When traveling by boat, upon approach to a port of entry, it is necessary to fly a yellow quarantine flag. This flag can be taken down after clearing customs. In Bimini there is a customs office on North Bimini, just north of the landing pad for Chalks Airlines. In South Bimini, located inside the lagoon at the Bimini Sands Hotel, there is also now, a Customs Office. You must present a passport, or Birth Certificate. They will no longer accept a drivers license. When checking in with customs, you will need to purchase a fishing license if you are going to do any type of fishing. This license cost $100.00. After you clear customs you are free to do just about anything you would normally do legally here in the United States. If it’s not legal in the states......it’s probably not legal in the Bahamas. The Bahamians have strict fishing laws, and you will be given a copy of the rules when you clear customs. Their waters are beautiful, and their people very friendly. However, as anywhere, you can always be confronted with a bad experience. I have heard over the past few years that the Bahamas is “not like it used to be”. Not true. Follow their rules, enjoy their hospitality, and especially take in all beautiful water and aquatic life it has to offer, and you experience the vacation of a lifetime. The following is an excerpt from the Bahamas Consular Information Sheet dated March 29,2000 CRIME INFORMATION: Visitors should exercise normal caution and good judgment when visiting The Bahamas. Although violent crime is on the increase, most incidents take place in parts of Nassau or Freeport not usually frequented by tourists (the "over-the-hill" area in Nassau, the Lucaya area in Freeport). Hotel guests should always lock their doors and should never leave valuables unattended, especially on beaches. Visitors should store passport/identity documents, airline tickets, unused credit cards and extra cash in hotel safes, and avoid wearing expensive jewelry, particularly Rolex watches, which have been targeted increasingly by criminals. Visitors should not travel alone on deserted areas of beaches or poorly-lit areas at night. The loss or theft abroad of a U.S. passport overseas should be reported to the local police and the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate. A lost or stolen U.S. birth certificate and/or driver’s license generally cannot be replaced outside the United States. U.S. citizens may refer to the Department of State’s pamphlets, , and for ways to promote a more trouble-free journey. The pamphlets are available by mail from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402, via the Internet at , or via the Bureau of Consular Affairs home page at . CUSTOMS REGULATIONS: Bahamian customs authorities may enforce strict penalties concerning temporary import or export of firearms without appropriate permission. Tourists who arrive by private boat are required to declare firearms to Bahamian customs and to leave firearms on the boat while in The Bahamas. Penalties can involve heavy fines, lengthy prison terms, or both. For further information on firearms in The Bahamas, please contact the Embassy of The Commonwealth of The Bahamas in Washington, D.C., or The Bahamas consulates in New York or Miami. CRIMINAL PENALTIES: While in a foreign country, a U.S. citizen is subject to that country’s laws and regulations, which sometimes differ significantly from those in the U.S. and may not afford the protections available to the individual under U.S. law. Penalties for breaking the law can be more severe than in the U.S. for similar offenses. Persons violating Bahamian laws, even unknowingly, may be expelled, arrested or imprisoned. Penalties for possession use or trafficking in illegal drugs in The Bahamas are strict, and convicted offenders can expect jail sentences and heavy fines. SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES: Boaters should be aware that long-line fishing in Bahamian waters is illegal. All long-line fishing gear is required to be stowed below deck while transiting through Bahamian waters. Fishermen should be aware that stiff penalties are imposed for catching crawfish (lobster) or other marine life out of season or in protected areas. For further information, including entry/exit requirements, U.S. citizens may contact the Embassy of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, 2220 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20008, telephone (202) 319-2660 or The Bahamas consulates in Miami at telephone (305) 373-6245 or New York at telephone (212) 421-6925. Additional information is available on The Bahamas’ Tourist Board web site at or telephone (800) 422-4262.