Murky 1 Posted December 7, 2009 Share Posted December 7, 2009 One thing's for sure - you would choose a plane rather than a boat if you were trying to smuggle lizards in your undies. Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted December 7, 2009 Share Posted December 7, 2009 So we have two camps here. I suspect the larger camp are those who think it is an expensive waste of time and a dangerous incursion against personal freedom. And those who watch Fox News. Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted December 7, 2009 Share Posted December 7, 2009 Knotme mentioned Ag and Fish.Are knot the fisheries inspectors a good example of what we want?I have never heard of them harassing yachties.From what I have seen on TV those guys have a lot of potentialy violent "customers".Yet the fish guys dont go after Steve Pope to justify their jobs.They have guts.They also seem to be intelligent and use the mark1 eyeball and mark1 nose to identify probable offenders.We should demand this standard of performance from all our "officers". Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted December 7, 2009 Share Posted December 7, 2009 An intrusion into personal freedom. Where did that one come from? From one who is often leading the charge against stuff like that I don't see that happening in this case. It's knot like the US where you get 10 guys jumping on your boat completely unannounced at 3am. Or Aussie where similar thing happen. I just don't see how 1/2 dozen guys, if they are all in the same place at the same time, are a threat to our personal freedoms or expensive. We have more to fear from Saatchi & Saatchi and the likes of those sorts. The dudes are there for Border Control duty. That's why there is often Customs and Bio-security together. Link to post Share on other sites
Steve Pope 243 Posted December 7, 2009 Author Share Posted December 7, 2009 Read todays Latitude 38 for offshore cruisers take on the Orion checking them out at Minerva reef and their yacht boarding off the B.o.I. Definitely stepping things up a notch. Link to post Share on other sites
Murky 1 Posted December 7, 2009 Share Posted December 7, 2009 Interesting reading. ...They launched their RIB and dropped off two Customs guys who were both very friendly and explained that they weren't going to clear us in but instead were paying us a courtesy visit. Sorry but I think this kind of stuff is just going to #$%& people off. "We are not going to provide you with any sort of service and you will still have to go through this same rigmarole all over again a couple of miles down the track but how about you stop for a while and let us have a good old gander over your boat." I was trying to walk away from this thread. Maybe I should put myself on ignore, that should work... Link to post Share on other sites
shanson 0 Posted December 7, 2009 Share Posted December 7, 2009 Interesting reading....They launched their RIB and dropped off two Customs guys who were both very friendly and explained that they weren't going to clear us in but instead were paying us a courtesy visit. Sorry but I think this kind of stuff is just going to #$%& people off. "We are not going to provide you with any sort of service and you will still have to go through this same rigmarole all over again a couple of miles down the track but how about you stop for a while and let us have a good old gander over your boat." Agreed, they were there why the hell not check them in? SHANE Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted December 7, 2009 Share Posted December 7, 2009 Aaaggh!Its enough to make a bloody bishop burn his bible. Link to post Share on other sites
Murky 1 Posted December 7, 2009 Share Posted December 7, 2009 Can't wait till the other Government departments hear about it: "Hi, we're from... - the IRD, you are scheduled for a tax audit next month but this is a courtesy visit, please stop what you are doing and start pulling out invoices and receipts. But you will still need to go through the audit next month as well." - Land Transport NZ, your WOF is still good for another week but this is a courtesy visit, please pull over to the side of the side of the road while we climb all over your car. But we won't issue you a new warrant, you'll have to go to a testing station for that." No-one row over to my boat to pay me a courtesy visit over summer, courtesy just became a dirty word to me. Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted December 8, 2009 Share Posted December 8, 2009 It's here and I'd suggest here to stay. So do you want it NZ style or Aussie/US/Spain and the many others style? The choices are pretty clear cut. A courtesy visit or something more resembling the Armed Offenders Squad taking out a P Lab at 4am. Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted December 8, 2009 Share Posted December 8, 2009 BaaaaaaBaaaaaaBaaaaaa Link to post Share on other sites
shanson 0 Posted December 8, 2009 Share Posted December 8, 2009 I was actually thinking about this on my cruise around BOI last year. We saw all the boat flying NZ flags and I realised that, I have no flag, no passport and very little ID to actually prove I was allowed to sail in NZ waters. Off to buy my new flag! That'll stop them boarding me! SHANE Link to post Share on other sites
Murky 1 Posted December 8, 2009 Share Posted December 8, 2009 A courtesy visit or something more resembling the Armed Offenders Squad taking out a P Lab at 4am. Here is what happens when P is seized. There are photos of the product in the paper, people go to court and Customs makes sure that the world knows about their success. Then the peasants feel happy about paying their taxes to fund the good guys from Customs. Six in dock after $4m in P found at airport Still looking for the headline that says: "$4m in P found on cruising yacht". To me, a better parallel is this: It has been a while since I have travelled overseas but I remember that when the airport was busy, there were Customs officers roving in the arrivals hall. If they approached you and checked your trolley, they would mark it on your arrivals card and direct you to a priority queue. That way, they cleared the backlog faster, passengers didn't get double-checked, the same job still got done but everyone was happy. Otherwise you are going to get a cruiser saying: "Now I understand that this so-called courtesy visit provides no benefit to me and in fact holds me up, so if it is not mandatory, I am going to decline your kind offer and carry on to Opua while there is still daylight. But please feel free to come on board with the rest of your friends at that point and share your courtesy with us then." Finally I am sure that when the AOS do storm a P lab, they need something more substantial than just the fact that it happens to be a house on a street. Which is the equivalent of the cruisers in the Latitude 38 article. Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted December 8, 2009 Share Posted December 8, 2009 If I saw an unmarked vessel speeding toward me while sitting peacefully at anchor, full of armed men, no ID or markings, Maybe I would get on the VHF ch 16 and put out a mayday. Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted December 8, 2009 Share Posted December 8, 2009 Search, arrest, and detention You have the right not to be subjected to * unreasonable search or seizure * arbitrary arrest or detention. Also,if we are legally here we have the right to freely go anywhere in NZ.But does this apply to NZ water? I wonder if I can find any relevant Admirality law. Link to post Share on other sites
Murky 1 Posted December 8, 2009 Share Posted December 8, 2009 Squid, do you think there is sufficient interest in this topic that perhaps Customs' official mouthpiece should be invited to comment on the following: 1. The introduction of a new pre-clearance "courtesy visit" inspection at sea for arriving yachts which does not count towards the official clearance procedures 2. Inspections of NZ-flagged and registered yachts, without apparent cause, by personnel in unmarked craft who do not identify themselves as a matter of course. With the holiday season upon us, I believe all cruisers and members of NZ yacht clubs would be very interested to hear about their obligations and how they can - at the very least - minimise the intrusion. Given that other Government departments send clubs extensive printed information on how to avoid the dreaded sea squirt, put on life jackets and not crash into each other, I would have thought that this subject might have justified a quick wee note on a Christmas card from Customs. Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted December 8, 2009 Share Posted December 8, 2009 Murky whats this about NZ flag and registration?If you are a Kiwi and the taxes are paid on your boat why should it be flagged and registered?It hasnt been necessary before and I dont believe it is necessary now. Link to post Share on other sites
Murky 1 Posted December 8, 2009 Share Posted December 8, 2009 'Twas a reference to a comment in Steve "Mr Maungaturoto"s original post: My rego No. was on the stern, they didn't look I don't think it is central to the debate but I am interested what criteria they use when determining who gets a visit, and therefore how it might be avoided. Link to post Share on other sites
Grinna 2 Posted December 8, 2009 Share Posted December 8, 2009 Don't think it is necessary to register a boat, unless you are heading offshore. Theoretically I suppose, NZ flagged vessels with registrations are capable of international voyages and are therefore potential drug traffickers. Maybe they target yachts with registration. Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted December 8, 2009 Share Posted December 8, 2009 I think a few things, many more than that and it just hurts too much, and at the moment the few things are - Murky has a lack of will power As do I The comment I made about AOS raids was meant to high lite the difference between assorted countries methods. Take a boat to Aussie and you'll see what I mean. Read about the goings on off the coast of the US and you'll see what I mean. These visits are far from new and have been going on for many years. As far as I've heard no-one is being searched, seized or arrested without warning or cause. So no one is in favour of the cute little dogs at the airport either then? All they do is a courtesy visit..... unless you are breaking the laws of the land. Must have read a different article in Latts today. In the one I read a cruiser was told before hand some lads would be popping over for a quick chat. Where's the article where the cruiser got a visit from the storm troopers? I've had it happen before a few times. Nothing to worry about if you aren't dodgy and in fact often a nice change in daily life after a week or 2 at sea. I will admit that on occasions they could have rephrased the questions better but that could just be my authority issues issue. I'd far more prefer a few dudes in a rubber dingy than a decent sized gunboat with manned BIG guns pulling up alongside like one did to us off Malaysia. Now that is a frightening experience. Understandable no lip with thrown at them. Link to post Share on other sites
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