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any foodstuffs on board. And sometimes additional of cials were through the trip we noticed these fees mounting and switched to to have records of our clearance paperwork in case we have to
involved, such as local police or Coast Guard of cers.credit and ATM cards without foreign transactions fees.surrender them at the next port, or we must ll out paperwork

We research in advance the clearance requirements and fees, In New Zealand and Australia, where we’d be for many brought by of cials who clear us. And for organizing all that
then contact local of cials to con rm our understanding of the months, we opened local bank accounts. Both countries have paperwork, a binder with A4-size divider pockets is quite useful.
rules. This is particularly important when traveling with pets. A good online nancial infrastructure and local accounts simpli ed
Going Local
record of this correspondence smoothed our entry on several merchant transactions. We also got better foreign-exchange rates
occasions. In some countries, the process is time-consuming, when wire-transferring a larger lump-sum to the foreign account Typically the rst things we do after clearing into a new country are

because of cials are located throughout town and have to be instead of piecemeal through an ATM.to purchase a local cellular data SIM card and obtain local currency.
visited in the appropriate order to obtain clearance from each. Since James is working full-time, we’re heavy satellite communications
In the South Paci c, where yachts of all sizes regularly clear in Surface Mailusers. This is between 100- and 1,000-times more expensive than

and out, a ourishing agent business supports visiting yachts and We lived aboard for a few years while still in Seattle and set up cellular data, so we only use it where Wi-Fi and cellular are unavailable.
ef ciently handles the process for a reasonable fee. We never a UPS box near our marina. This gave us a real address, not a The two approaches to international cellular data are to buy

needed an agent, but retaining one could save hours of time and Post Of ce Box, which worked for all couriers. The UPS box an international plan in your country of origin or use an unlocked
frustration and is a good value when the cost is suf ciently low.worked well for mail in addition to packages of all shapes and GSM phone and buy cellular data in the country you are visiting.
Generally the clearance process has gone most smoothly sizes. Where possible, we set up all our accounts to be paperless, We found that purchasing local SIMs was the better performing

in countries with well-documented entry procedures, such as reducing the amount of mail that we receive and allowing us and more economical approach. We both have unlocked
New Zealand, Australia, and St. Helena. We found agent support to handle things remotely. We also requested that mail-order Android phones and have so far been able purchase local cellular

particularly helpful in French Polynesia, Tonga, Fiji, and Vanuatu, companies remove us from their catalog mailing list.data SIM cards in nearly every country we’ve visited. Unlimited
where the clearance process was less clear, more cumbersome, or When we left Seattle, we kept the UPS box and it continued communications plans in any form, whether Wi-Fi or cellular,

had special requirements for pet entry. Overall, Fanning Island was to work well for us. Any surface mail we get just goes there. If are rare. Even Wi-Fi normally is metered at many international
our most dif cult entry, and South Africa was the most dif cult we’re expecting something or it’s been a while, UPS will forward locations, especially in remote islands.
country to exit. We had to clear out of each South African port as the mail to wherever we are for a reasonable price and discard Before leaving Hawaii, we purchased small amounts of local

we moved within the country, and spent nearly a day meeting their any catalogs or advertising yers on request.currency for the countries we’d be visiting in the South Paci c to
paperwork requirements before being allowed to leave the country.handle any clearance fees. Except for Fanning Island and Aneityum
Getting the Goods
Most countries issue a visitor visa or entry permit when you in Vanuatu, local currency was available from ATMs everywhere we
arrive, some bounded to no more than 90 days. Australia was While in New Zealand, we needed to replace our house battery cleared through. Something we had not considered before leaving
the only country we visited that required a visa be obtained prior bank. Sourcing the batteries yielded some interesting surprises.was foreign transaction fees on ATM and credit cards. Partway

to arrival. Before leaving Hawaii, we also got six-month multi-
entry visas for New Zealand, as we’d be staying there at least that

long. New Zealand gives visitors a three-month visa that can be
renewed if you leave and return, but we didn’t want to be forced International Pet Travel Tips
to leave the country on a 90-day schedule.
For traveling with pets, we recommend Where There Is No Pet Doctor by David Lavigne.
Separate from immigration limits, all the countries we visited
had restrictions on how long a foreign boat could be in the country We bought it mostly for medical purposes, but it turned out to have an excellent
section on preparing a pet for international travel. For example, from it we learned
without tax implications. These limits were generally quite long
and had little impact on our trip decisions. Both New Zealand and that the microchip Spit re had was U.S.-speci c. Countries such as New Zealand now
Australia, for example, issued 12-month temporary import permits, have scanners that will read a U.S. chip, but the scanners in many countries won’t

and we were able to extend the Australian permit for a second year.detect it. We got Spit re an international chip to be on the safe side.
We buy courtesy ags for every country we expect to Most countries we visited wanted to see the paperwork recommended in the

visit and spread them out in the pilothouse in preparation for book, but so far only Hawaii, Vanuatu, and New Zealand have cared to scan the chip.
swapping with our Q ag once cleared through. Several of cials After a couple of scares where a veterinarian’s scanner malfunctioned, we bought our
commented that they appreciated our showing respect for their
own scanner, a Datamars Micromax. It’s good insurance for just over $100.
country by having the appropriate ag on board.Cat litter can be a problem both to stow and to obtain, particularly in the South Spit re on deck in French Polynesia.
Our printer/scanner gets heavy use during our travels. Often
Paci c. The Tidy Cat Breeze System takes up little space compared to standard clay
in preparation for clearing in or out, an online document needs
to be printed and lled out, signed, and submitted online or litter and doesn’t track or produce dusty footprints. We can get three to four months
presented in person. The ability to scan, email, and photocopy out of a bag of pellets and a week out of each pad—we left Hawaii for the South Paci c

documents is also essential, so we recommend adding an all-in- with about a two-year supply that doesn’t take up much space. We stow used pads
one printer/copier/scanner to your equipment list. We also wantinside a plastic container in an outdoor locker and dispose of them ashore.

You can nd more tips on cruising with cats here:
http://mvdirona.com/2010/06/cruising-with-cats/
Above: Taking delivery of a 2-cubic-meter pallet on the Gold Coast,

Australia. When you only shop twice a year, it’s a big one.
Middle: Purchasing a local cellular data SIM card at Digicel in Port
Vila, Vanuatu. We have unlocked Android phones and have so far

been able purchase local cellular data SIM cards in nearly every
country we’ve visited.
Right: Roger Phillips of Biosecurity Vanuatu giving Spit re an
examination before we depart for New Zealand. Not surprisingly, New

Zealand was the most di cult country to enter with Spit re. Part of
the entry requirements was that he be treated for parasites by a local
veterinarian and inspected by a government veterinarian at the port
prior to our arrival.

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