This will be a quick note on our customs experience this year. We cleared at Bedwell Harbor, the scene of my serious tongue lashing two years ago for having wayyyy more alcohol on board than I declared, and more than I even knew I had thanks to my crew of 4 other 40-somethings each of whom had brought wine, liquor, and beer on board. That experience was my "scared straight" turning point. Now I meticulously inventory and declare everything.
This year was different. it had to be the most streamlined checkin ever. Maybe they figure they have us on file now, or maybe crossing with your family sets off fewer warning flags than five 40-somethings.
I was asked for my vessel registration number, after which they indicated they had the whole family already on record and didn't even ask for passport numbers, dates of birth, or anything.
On the subject of alcohol, they did not ask about the quantity, which was a first. The question was simply "is it staying on board the boat?"
Apples and potatoes are still verboten, which was expected.
On a tangential note, after transiting Cattle Pass we had the pleasure of a little on the water interrogation courtesy of the young men at US Homeland Security. As I was preparing flapjacks in the galley and Elizabeth was keep a less-than-sharp lookout, a DHS patrol boat snuck up on us and alerted us to their presence with a quick "bloop" of their siren. there are many things on the boat that can set off alarms and we don't get to hear them often, so sounds like this usually freak us out. After determining the source of the alarm was our tax dollars at work, we went through a rapid fire Q&A session before being released to go about our business. Thanks for keeping us safe. Right.
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