So you’ve got your boat, or you’ve chartered a yacht, and you are ready to set sail. But where to? Are the restrictions on where, when, and how you can sail? Can you sail anywhere you want?
You can sail anywhere you want as long as you comply with the regulations and requirements of the territorial seas that you are passing through. These include the necessary sailing certifications and boat and passenger safety requirements. You will also need to meet the specific country’s immigration requirements if you pass through their port of entry.
Let’s take a look at everything you need to know about where you can sail to and the different requirements you might need to prepare for your trip.
Can you sail anywhere you want?
Although it is technically possible and legal to sail anywhere, well almost anywhere, there are many factors to consider that you would need to take into account that would apply to different regions or territories that you enter. These may also vary depending on the specific territory.
Let’s look at some of the important factors to consider now:
Licenses and Certifications
You might be required to have specific licenses or sailing certifications, depending on where you plan to sail.
Sailing around the U.S., for example, and even going down to the Caribbean, has no requirements. You might only need to prove your experience by showing your sailing resume and answering some technical questions if stopped by any authorities.
Sailing outside of the U.S., however, would require you to have specific sailing certifications like the RYA Day Skipper Practical, International Certificate of Competence (ICC), ASA 103, 104 or above, depending on the country or region.
Safety Requirements
Each country or region that you sail to will have their own requirements in terms of boat and crew safety standards, and you need to ensure that you are aware of these requirements for every place to plan to sail to and that you comply with them accordingly. For the most part, they all just follow a minimum international safety standard. Still, knowledge is power, and better to be prepared than to have your journey cut short because of non-compliance in this matter.
Visas
Now this is the most critical point that would affect the outcome of your sailing endeavors and where you can and can’t sail to.
The countries you sail to or territories you enter might require you to have a preapproved visa before entering. This is not universal and dependent on a few factors like your country of origin, nationality, country’s passport or passports that you hold, etc.
This is the part of your journey that would need to be planned thoroughly and ahead of time to ensure that you comply will all the necessary requirements.
How do I know where I can and can’t sail?
Knowing where you can and can’t sail to all comes down to doing your homework.
You would need to plan your journey ahead of time and contact all the relevant countries, ports of entry, etc. on your route to find out what requirements each respective stop on your journey has to comply with them and arrange any documentation needed ahead of time.
There is a website you can visit that will give you most of this information, but always check for yourself as well, as sometimes this information can change, and websites might not always be updated accordingly.
Visit noonsite.com to check for specific requirements per region, country, or port of entry, when planning your journey.
Is it legal to sail around the world?
As mentioned at the beginning of this article, it is entirely legal to sail around the world, as long as you have a boat that complies with the necessary safety standards, you have the required sailing certifications, and you have the visas required to enter any and all place you plan to sail to and enter.
How far away from the coast is international waters?
The United Nations Conventions of the Law of the Sea of 1982 defined “territorial sea,” which is the area of coastal water extending around a coastal state, as 14 miles (12 nautical miles) from the baseline of that coastal state.
This territory belongs to and is subject to that specific coastal state’s laws and regulations, but they usually allow all foreign ships to pass through the space in transit.
All areas outside of the territorial seas are considered international waters.
Do you need a passport in international waters?
The short answer here would be no, but once you enter a territorial space or any country’s port of entry, you might be required to show your passport or visa, depending on one or some of the many factors we mentioned earlier in this article.
Do you need visas to sail around the world?
As mentioned earlier in this article, this is a crucial part of your sailing journey around the world or any specific destination for that matter.
The destinations you can sail to and countries you can enter on your trip would depend on whether you require a visa to enter that particular country. There are no exceptions to this rule when sailing and entering through a different point of entry into the country; if you usually require a visa to pass through the immigration of the country you plan to sail to, then you would need a visa when sailing there as well if you plan to enter the country.
Besides entering countries, you don’t need a visa to just pass through countries’ territorial seas.
Do private yachts go through customs?
This, again, is another situation where it is conditional upon many factors, depending on the country you are planning to sail to.
In general, however, you would be required to go through the Customs and Immigration of a country when entering with a private yacht. The yacht would be required to go through customs for everything to be checked and declared, while all people on board the yacht will be required to go through immigration and meet whatever immigration requirements that particular country may have.
The same goes for the U.S., where you would be required to inform U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the U.S. Coast Guard of your arrival, and all passengers aboard the yacht would be required to clear immigration before being allowed to enter the country. Non-US citizens would need a visa in this case, which has to be arranged and approved prior to arrival.
Can you be stopped in international waters?
Any state can essentially stop you while sailing on international waters, as long as your flag state does not object to it. Your flag state is the country where your boat is registered. So if your boat is registered in the U.K., then the U.K. is your flag state.
Countries normally cooperate in this manner, especially if there is a suspicion of a crime, which is not a situation you will hopefully find yourself in.
Best places to sail to in the world
Now that you have all the knowledge of where and how to find out where you can sail to, let’s take a look at some of the best places in the world to sail to for some inspiration and get you on the way to your next amazing sailing holiday.
Greece
Greece is a great sailing destination with loads of islands, beautiful waters, beaches, harbors, bays, and more, making this an ideal sailing adventure.
Some of the spots worth checking out are the Ionian (Captains Corelli’s Kefalonia in the south and Gerald Durrell’s Corfu in the North), the Cyclades with islands such as Mykonos, Ios and Santorini, the Dodecanese islands, and many more.
Sicily, Italy
Sicily is home to the fantastic Aeolian Islands just off of its north coast, boasting some beautiful beaches, locations for swimming and relaxing, sweet little waterfront towns, and of course, the mouthwateringly delicious Sicilian cuisine!
The Grenadines, Caribbean
A chain of 32 islands off of the coast of the West Indies, the Grenadines are known for its unspoiled beaches and clear blue waters with picturesque scenes that you might recognize from the Pirates of The Caribbean movie franchise.
Zanzibar, Tanzania
An island that can be found in the Indian Ocean, rich in history and known for its trade past with the Arab world. Many great places to discover and sites to visit with rich cultural landmarks and activities all around.
The British Virgin Islands
The British Virgin Islands offers some of the best beaches, coves, and secluded spaces across the various islands for you to discover. Onshore you will also find some great resorts, restaurants, and hiking trails.
Conclusion
In conclusion, yes, you can pack your bag, get your boat, and set sail off into the sunset to any destination that your heart desires, provided you have the required documents to go there.
Bon voyage!