In these days of heightened security, ignoring protocols can have dire consequences. According to a report on Noonsite (www.noonsite.com), forwarded to CW by Jimmy Cornell, the two crew of a German yacht, Atlantis, have been taken into custody for not clearing in with officials in the Republic of Kiribati. Detained for several days now, they face hefty fines and the possible loss of their boat. The pair were sailing to Vanuatu from the Marshall Islands when they decided to stop at Butaritari without first clearing in at an official port of entry.
Says the Noonsite report: “The North Pacific country has adopted a zero tolerance stance toward yachts that stop without clearing in and completing formalities. This strict policy is now being applied by several Pacific nations following a number of incidents involving cruising yachts that have failed to follow the usual procedure of stopping first at an official port of entry before being allowed to land.”
