liveaboard in USA - brits

[pelicanpete]

Maybe they got it wrong 3 or 4 years ago? How much fish can you buy for $15 in your hometown? For $15 then, as for $300 now you can pull as much fish out of "their" ocean as you like for a whole year (well, there are limits, true, but it's still a pile of fish!). The Bahamas covers an 100,000 square miles so no shortage of cruising/fishing ground. You can go to Cuba instead, like you said, but how much extra fuel will you use on the trip (assuming the need to motor-sail) or if you're a motor boat, how much then? A heck of a lot more than $300 for the round trip I'm sure, not to mention wear and tear on the boat for the longer trip.

As a 'selling job' I concede the Bahamian Government probably did a bad job. So bad, I ended up importing my boat and paying 42% duty on it's value i/o staying on a cruising permit, so it's cost me dearly, too. But I do get fed up hearing all the 'wingers' out there moaning about $300, when boating (of the type we see here) is not a poor man's game. A meal for 4 in a decent 5 star restaurant stateside, with tip will cost $300. One night eating in the restaurant or a whole year in the kitchen! What'll it be?

PelicanPete

<hr width=100% size=1>It's more important to be liked
than like to be important.

 

[Keith]

the only people that are going to profit from this is the govt, the family islands are getting squat out of it, if the govt wanted to protect there fishing, they should have gone for a bag limit instead,this in my honest opinion is an ill advised peice of legislation that will do nothing to protect the fish stocks, and come 2005 and the ftaa, what then?.......keith

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[pelicanpete]

If it isn't the govt who gets taxes, I don't know who else does? Every govt the world over 'spends' the money it collects so the Bahamian govt is no different than any other. True, the out islands don't feel thay get a fair share but they're not all separate little countries and have to live with the policies of the govt they elect. Abaconians realised this years ago and have done huge amounts to help themselves become more independant of govt handouts.
When the FTAA takes effect, the cruising fee may be scrapped altogether but the Bahamas may see income tax, VAT(sales tax), etc. etc. $300 cruising fee or income tax? Mmmm, that's a hard one to decide!

BTW, there are laws limiting what, when and how visitors can catch fish. And for the month of Jan (def) & Feb (i think) there is a ban on catching or selling any Nassau grouper.

Anyway, it seems we've wandered way off the main subject of "Living Abaord". I've enjoyed our chat and wish you a Happy New Year. This is Pelicanpete signing off...

<hr width=100% size=1>It's more important to be liked
than like to be important.

 

[whisper]

Re: VAT and importation relief.

I think that you can "shop around" provided that
a, The boat is over 7.5m o'all length.
b, You do actually take delivery in the country that you have chosen for VAT purposes.
This is the info we got when we imported a boat from Denmark last year.

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