United States

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==U.S.A. (NORTH AMERICA CRUISING GUIDE)==
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{{IsPartOf|Northern America}}
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{|id="mp-right" width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="1" style="vertical-align:top; background:#fff5ee; border:1px solid #fa8072;"
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{{TOC block}}
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! <h2 id="mp-itn-h2" style="margin:0; background:#ffe4e1; font-size:120%; font-weight:bold; border:1px solid #fa8072; text-align:left; color:#000; padding:0.2em 0.4em;">HELP! The whole North America section is lagging behind in development.</h2>
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{{infobox country
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|-
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| lat= 39.69898|lon=-100.82015
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|style="color:#000;"| Your assistance is required to develop these pages into a useful resource. Bring out the hidden "cruising guide writer" in you and share your information here (in the true cruising spirit) for all who follow in your wake.
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| zoom=  
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|}
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| image= United States-CIA WFB Map.png
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An online cruising guide for yachts sailing around North America.
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| imagewidth=
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{| class="infobox bordered" style="width: 25em; text-align: left; font-size: 90%;"
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| imagetext= USA
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|-
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| flag= Flag of the United States.svg
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| colspan="2" style="text-align:center; font-size: large;" | '''U.S.A'''
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| capital= Washington D.C.
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|-
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| language= English
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| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" | [[Image:Usamap.gif|300px| ]]<br>U.S.A<br>''Click for larger, clearer view''
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| currency= US Dollar (USD)
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|-
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| timezone= Atlantic: UTC-5, Gulf: UTC-6, Pacific: UTC-8, Alaska: UTC-9, Hawaii: UTC-10.<br> (DST observed except for Hawaii and Arizona)
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| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" | [[Image:Usaflag.png|104px| ]]<br>Flag
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| dsttimezone=
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|-
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| code= +1
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! Capital:
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| notes=
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| Washington D.C.
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| news=
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|-
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| altname= United States of America
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! Language:
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}}
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| English
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{{Note}} This World Cruising Wiki cannot hope to cover all the sailing activities and regions in the U.S.A. This Wiki does however attempt to cover the U.S. ports and areas that may be of interest to world cruisers.
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|-
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! Currency:
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| US Dollar
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|-
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| colspan="2" style="font-size: 2" | More notes about the country
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|}
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==Background==
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''For cruising see individual regions''
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'''Note''': This World Cruising Wiki cannot hope to cover all the sailing activities and regions in the U.S.A. This Wiki does however attempt to cover the U.S. ports and areas that may be of interest to world cruisers.
+
-
The background and history about the country is best observed on [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States Wikipedia]
+
==Charts==
 +
; NOAA
 +
: Chart No 13003 - Cape Sable to Cape Hatteras
 +
: Chart No 11009 - Cape Hatteras to Straits of Florida
 +
: Chart No 411 - Gulf of Mexico
 +
: Chart No 501 - West Coast of North America
-
Some notes about cruising/sailing in the region?
 
-
 
-
==Climate & Weather==
 
-
Submit the climate and general weather details
 
-
 
-
Sources of weather forecasting here:
 
-
* [http://www.wunderground.com/ Weather Underground]
 
-
* [http://www.weather.gov/ National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)]
 
-
* [http://www.sailflow.com/ SAILFLOW] Weather Where You Sail
 
-
 
-
===Charts===
 
''See the various ports listed below''
''See the various ports listed below''
-
===Special Navigation Notes===
+
Chart sources:
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Any navigation notes here.
+
* Paper NOAA [http://www.landfallnavigation.com/printondemand.html "print-on-demand" charts] (up-to-date within last 2 weeks) - about $20 each<br/>
 +
* [http://www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/mcd/Raster/index.htm RNC Raster files] of NOAA Navigation Charts (free - updated weekly)
 +
* [http://www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/mcd/Raster/download_agreement.htm Free Download of NOAA RNCs] Info and agreement page
 +
* [http://www.agc.army.mil/echarts/inlandnav US ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS Inland navigation charts] These cover the middle of the US, Mississippi River and tributaries, for the most part.  The list includes free ENC charts and downloadable paper charts to print.
-
===Local Radio Nets===
 
-
''Also see [[HF_Radio|Cruiser's Nets]]
 
-
*
+
==Weather==
 +
Weather in the United States of America (USA) ranges from tropical to arctic.  There are many resources available to assist with planning before you get out on the water.  These sites below generally cover weather for all fifty states and territories.
-
==Arrival/Departure procedures==
+
; Weather Forecasts, Advisories, and Warnings:
-
04/28/2007) Pursuant to 19 CFR 4.2, operators of small pleasure vessels, arriving in the United States from a foreign port or place to include any vessel which has visited a hovering vessel or received merchandise outside the territorial sea, are required to report their arrival to CBP immediately (see 19 U.S.C. 1433).
+
: [https://www.weather.gov/ NOAA - National Weather Service] - [https://www.weather.gov/marine/ Marine Weather Services]
 +
: [https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/ NOAA - National Hurricane Center & Central Pacific Hurricane Center]
 +
: [https://www.sailflow.com/ SailFlow] (Weather Where You Sail)
 +
: [https://www.wunderground.com/ Weather Underground]
-
The master of the vessel reports their arrival at the nearest Customs facility or such other place as the Secretary may prescribe by regulations. These reports are tracked in the Pleasure Boat Reporting System. Pursuant to 8 CFR 235.1, an application to lawfully enter the United States must be made in person to a CBP officer at a U.S. port-of-entry when the port is open for inspection.
+
; Current Weather Conditions:
 +
: [https://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/ NOAA - National Databuoy Center] (realtime wind/wave data)
-
'''Reporting Requirements'''<br>
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==Passages==
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CBP has designated specific reporting locations within the Field Offices that are staffed during boating season for pleasure boats to report their arrival and be inspected by CBP. The master of the boat must report to CBP telephonically and be directed to the nearest Port of Entry to satisfy the face-to-face requirement, or report to the nearest designated reporting location along with the boat’s passengers for inspection.<br>
+
{{Green|List popular passages/routes, timing, etc.}}
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<font color="red">'''Important'''</font>: See [http://www.customs.ustreas.gov/xp/cgov/travel/pleasure_boats/boats/pleasure_boat_overview.xml FULL REGULATIONS] on the official website.
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*  
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Also visit the [http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/pleasure_boats/boats/pleasure_locations/ U.S. Customs and Border Protection - Locations] webpage. This gives all the details for the various ports of entry in the U.S.
+
-
 
+
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'''Notes''':
+
-
* Qualifying recreational U.S. boaters returning from foreign ports may not have to go through an in-person re-entry interview under a new program launched by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The '''Local Boater Option''' program gives boaters in Tampa, Miami, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands the choice to register in advance with the agency, eliminating in most cases a requirement to meet with officials after every foreign visit. To enroll in the '''Local Boater Option''', set up an appointment by calling 1-800-432-1216 or 1-800-451-0393.
+
-
* Foreign flagged vessels are required to report their movement from one port of call, or one berth, to another. Even if a foreign flagged vessel, including those from Canada, have entered the USA legally, and cleared customs properly, THEY MUST NOTIFY US CUSTOMS - HOMELAND SECURITY if they move their vessel from one place to another. Even if the vessel is moved just from Port Everglades to Miami, for example, or even from the city of Fort Lauderdale berths on New River to Bahia Mar, the boat owners MUST notify US Customs - Homeland Security IMMEDIATELY, OR BE SUBJECT TO A $5,000.00 FINE! While it would appear, at least so far, that the enforcement of this provision is lax in some ports, a crackdown could result in some very expensive cruising for Canadians, or boat owners from other countries. It appears that this Department of Homeland Security Requirement is NOT well known among foreign cruisers.
+
*  
*  
-
==Immigration, Visas & Customs==
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==Communication==
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===Immigration===
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===Radio===
-
The best source for information regarding visas is the [http://travel.state.gov/visa/visa_1750.html US government pages - Visas]  
+
* Generally speaking, channel 16 is monitored on [[VHF_Radio|VHF]].
 +
* With [[DSC]] being required equipment on commercial vessels, many ships are now only required to monitor channel 13.
 +
* HF frequency [http://www.14300.net 14.300MHz] is monitored almost continuously by a US-wide volunteer network of amateur radio operators.
 +
* There are also many radio nets throughout the day.  ''See the [[World_MM_Nets|World Maritime Mobile Nets]]'' page for a more complete listing.
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===Customs===
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===Cellular===
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The best source for Customs & Clearing information is the
+
There are four main cellular providers in the United States that provide a variety of data, talk, and text (SMS & MMS) services.  They are (in alphabetical order):
-
[http://www.customs.gov/xp/cgov/home.xml U.S. Customs and Border Protection CBP.gov]
+
* [https://www.att.com/wireless/ AT&T Wireless]
 +
* [https://www.sprint.com/ Sprint] (Recently merged with T-Mobile)
 +
* [https://www.t-mobile.com/ T-Mobile] (Recently merged with Sprint)
 +
* [https://www.verizonwireless.com/ Verizon Wireless]
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==Health & Security==
+
===WiFi===
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Submit any health warnings/information and any security details here.
+
Many marinas offer free WiFi to their customers.  It is usually beneficial to have some sort of external antenna so you can obtain a better signal while at the dock or in an anchorage.  A directional antenna is always best for signal strength but doesn't work well if you're swinging around on an anchor.  Newer wireless networks are using 5GHz access points, in addition to 2.4GHz access points.  The 5GHz access points allow more bandwidth for users meaning faster throughput for you.  If you have a dual-band device, you might be able to try both bands while at anchor or at pier side to determine what gets you the best signal and the best throughput.
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==Ports & Popular Stops==
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==Navigation==
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====East Coast====
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{{Warning}}All buoyage follows the IALA-B "red-right-returning" rule, so keep red, conical-topped, even-numbered "nuns" to starboard and green, cylindrical, odd-numbered "cans" to port when entering a port. The outermost buoy will be marked with the lowest number.
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'''''Also see:'''''
+
-
* [[Canada]]
+
-
* [[ICW|Intracoastal Waterway (ICW)]]  (Norfolk, VA to FL) (Has data)
+
 +
Often, there will be a seabuoy ("safe water buoy") just seaward of that lowest-numbered buoy that is striped red-and-white and with a two-letter label (such as "MR" for Merrimac River entrance). Navigate to it before attempting to enter the port.
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* [[Charleston]]
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When encountering buoys cruising along the coast between ports, the convention is that when sailing around the continent in a clockwise fashion, one should also keep red buoys to starboard, (to avoid isolated hazards between the buoy and the coast).
-
* [[New York]]
+
-
* [[Philadelphia]]
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* [[Portsmouth_US|Portsmouth]] (New Hampshire)
+
-
*
+
-
*
+
==Entrance==
 +
Pursuant to 19 CFR 4.2, operators of small pleasure vessels, arriving in the United States from a foreign port or place to include any vessel which has visited a hovering vessel or received merchandise outside the territorial sea, are required to report their arrival to CBP (Customs and Border Protection) immediately (see 19 U.S.C. 1433).
-
''Please sort the pages below into the headings above (by edit -> copy/paste the Wiki coded links intact.)''
+
The master of the vessel reports their arrival at the nearest Customs facility or such other place as the Secretary may prescribe by regulations. These reports are tracked in the Pleasure Boat Reporting System. Pursuant to 8 CFR 235.1, an application to lawfully enter the United States must be made in person to a CBP officer at a U.S. port-of-entry when the port is open for inspection.
 +
'''Reporting Requirements'''<br />
 +
CBP has designated specific reporting locations within the Field Offices that are staffed during boating season for pleasure boats to report their arrival and be inspected by CBP. The master of the boat must report to CBP telephonically and be directed to the nearest Port of Entry to satisfy the face-to-face requirement, or report to the nearest designated reporting location along with the boat’s passengers for inspection.<br>
 +
<font color="red">'''Important'''</font>: See [http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/without/without_1990.html FULL REGULATIONS] on the official website.
-
* [[Grant]]
+
Also visit the [http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/pleasure_boats/boats/pleasure_locations/ U.S. Customs and Border Protection - Locations] webpage. This gives all the details for the various ports of entry in the U.S.
-
====Gulf Coast====
+
'''Notes''':
-
* [[Panama_City_Florida|Panama City]]
+
* Qualifying recreational U.S. boaters returning from foreign ports may not have to go through an in-person re-entry interview under a new program launched by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The '''Local Boater Option''' program gives boaters in Tampa, Miami, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands the choice to register in advance with the agency, eliminating in most cases a requirement to meet with officials after every foreign visit. To enroll in the '''Local Boater Option''', set up an appointment by calling 1-800-432-1216 or 1-800-451-0393
-
* [[Port St Joe]]
+
* Foreign flagged vessels are required to report their movement from one port of call, or one berth, to another. Even if a foreign flagged vessel, including those from Canada, have entered the USA legally, and cleared customs properly, THEY MUST NOTIFY US CUSTOMS - HOMELAND SECURITY if they move their vessel from one place to another. Even if the vessel is moved just from Port Everglades to Miami, for example, or even from the city of Fort Lauderdale berths on New River to Bahia Mar, the boat owners MUST notify US Customs - Homeland Security IMMEDIATELY, OR BE SUBJECT TO A $5,000.00 FINE! While it would appear, at least so far, that the enforcement of this provision is lax in some ports, a crackdown could result in some very expensive cruising for Canadians, or boat owners from other countries It appears that this Department of Homeland Security Requirement is NOT well known among foreign cruisers
-
*
+
-
* [[Carrabelle]]
+
*
*
 +
===Customs and Immigration===
 +
====Customs====
 +
The best source for Customs & Clearing information is the
 +
[http://www.customs.gov/xp/cgov/home.xml U.S. Customs and Border Protection CBP.gov]
-
==MARYLAND==
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====Immigration====
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* [[Annapolis|Annapolis]]
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The best source for information regarding visas is the [http://travel.state.gov/visa/visa_1750.html US government pages - Visas]  
-
* [[Baltimore|Baltimore]]
+
 +
===Health & Security===
 +
Submit any health warnings/information and any security details here.
-
----
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==[http://www.cruiserswiki.org/wiki/Category:Islands_-_American External Territories]==
 +
* [[American Samoa]]
 +
* [[Guam]]
 +
* [[Hawaii|Hawaii (State)]]
 +
* [[Northern Marianas|Northern Mariana Islands]]
 +
* [[Puerto Rico]]
 +
* [[US Virgins|US Virgin Islands]]
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====West Coast====
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==Berthing==
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* [[Neah Bay]]
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{| class="wikitable" style="margin: 1em auto 1em auto;"
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* [[Astoria]]
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|+
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* [[Coos Bay]]
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'''US COASTAL PORTS/STOPS (BY STATE, CLOCKWISE)''' 
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* [[Port Orford]]
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|- bgcolor="#ABCDEF" align="center"
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* [[Brookings]]
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|'''NEW ENGLAND (N-to-S)''' || '''MID-ATLANTIC (N-to-S)''' || '''SOUTHEAST (N-to-S)''' || '''GULF COAST (E-to-W)''' || '''PACIFIC (S-to-N)'''
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* [[Crescent City]]
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|-
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* [[Fort Bragg]]
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|id "NEW ENGLAND" valign="top"|
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* [[Los Angeles|Los Angeles (Long Beach)]] (Has data)
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: [[Maine|Maine (ME)]]
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* [[Monterey]]
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: [[New Hampshire|New Hampshire (NH)]]
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* [[Olympia]]
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: [[Massachusetts|Massachusetts (MA)]]
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* [[San Diego]] (Has data)
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: [[Rhode Island|Rhode Island (RI)]]
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* [[San Francisco]]
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: [[Connecticut|Connecticut (CT)]]
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* [[Santa_Cruz_USA|Santa Cruz]]
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'''''Also see:'''''
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|id "MID-ATLANTIC" valign="top" |
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* [[Mexico]]
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: [[New York State|New York (NY)]]
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* [[Canada]]
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: [[New Jersey|New Jersey (NJ)]]
 +
: [[Pennsylvania|Pennsylvania (PA)]]
 +
: [[Delaware|Delaware (DE)]]
 +
: [[Maryland|Maryland (MD)]]
 +
: [[Washington, DC]]
 +
|id "SOUTHEAST" valign="top"  |
 +
: [[Virginia|Virginia (VA)]]
 +
: [[North Carolina|North Carolina (NC)]]
 +
: [[South Carolina|South Carolina (SC)]]
 +
: [[Georgia State|Georgia (GA)]]
 +
: [[Florida State|Florida (FL)]]
-
----
+
|id "GULF COAST" valign="top"  |
 +
: [[Alabama|Alabama (AL)]]
 +
: [[Mississippi|Mississippi (MS)]]
 +
: [[Louisiana|Louisiana (LA)]]
 +
: [[Texas|Texas (TX)]]
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{| class="wikitable"
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|id "PACIFIC" valign="top" |
-
|+
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: [[Hawaii|Hawaii (HI)]]
-
US COASTAL PORTS/STOPS 
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: [[California|California (CA)]]
-
|-
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: [[Oregon|Oregon (OR)]]
-
|valign="top"| [[Maine]] <br/>[[Massachusetts]] <br/>[[Rhode Island]] <br>[[Connecticut]] <br/>[[New York State]] <br/>
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: [[Washington State|Washington (WA)]]
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|valign="top"| [[New Jersey]] <br/>[[Virginia]] <br/>[[North Carolina]] <br/>[[South Carolina]] <br/>[[Georgia State]] <br/>
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: [[Alaska|Alaska (AK)]]
-
|valign="top"| [[Florida State]] <br/>[[Alabama]] <br/>[[Mississippi]] <br/>[[Louisiana]] <br/>[[Texas]] <br/>
+
-
|valign="top"| [[California]] <br/>[[Oregon]] <br/> [[Washington State]] <br/>[[Alaska]] <br/>
+
|}
|}
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===Offshore Islands===
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'''''Also see:'''''
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* [[Bahamas]] (Has data)
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* [[AICW|Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway (AICW)]] (Norfolk, VA to Key West, FL) (Has data)
-
* [[Hawaii]]
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* [[GICW|Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (GICW)]] (Brownsville, TX to Ft. Myers, FL)
-
*
+
* [[Okeechobee_Waterway|Okeechobee Waterway]] Trans [[Florida State|Florida]] (E/W)
 +
 
 +
==Transportation==
 +
{{GreenText|List transportation to other countries, etc.}}
 +
*
 +
*
-
==Cruiser's Friends==
+
==Friends==
Submit details/contacts of cruiser's "friends" that can be contacted in advance or on arrival - who can offer information and assistance to our cruising "family".
Submit details/contacts of cruiser's "friends" that can be contacted in advance or on arrival - who can offer information and assistance to our cruising "family".
*  
*  
-
==Links to CruiserLog Forum discussions==
+
==Forums==
-
Links to discussions on the CruiserLog Forum
+
List links to discussion threads on [[Cruising Forums|partnering forums]]. (''see link for requirements'')
-
*  
+
* [http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/tags/usa.html US Sailing and Cruising Discussions on Cruisers Forum]
*  
*  
-
===External Links===
+
==Links==
* [http://www.perrimarinesalesltd.com '''Perri Marine Sales'''] - Internet Marine Sales, Same day delivery.
* [http://www.perrimarinesalesltd.com '''Perri Marine Sales'''] - Internet Marine Sales, Same day delivery.
-
*  
+
* [http://www.cimaboattransport.com '''Over land boat transport, Sail and power - up to 45', CIMA Boat Transportation'''] Tel:  (941) 639-2606
-
*
+
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States Wikipedia - United States]
-
==Personal Notes==
+
==References==
-
Personal experiences?
+
-
*
+
-
 
+
-
==References & Publications==
+
Books, Guides, etc.
Books, Guides, etc.
-
*
 
-
*
 
-
*
 
 +
''''' Atlantic Coast:'''''
 +
* [http://www.landfallnavigation.com/embassyguide.html MapTech "Embassy" Crusing Guides] If you can only afford one, this is it. (MapTech makes NOAA's digital charts and provides a free raster chart reader based on their navigation software. They also sell paper "ChartKit" books by region.)
 +
** New England Coast
 +
** Long Island Sound to Cape May, NJ
 +
** Chesapeake Bay to Florida
 +
** Florida
 +
* [http://www.landfallnavigation.com/waterway.html Waterway Guides] (Also good, especially for upscale marina-hopping, but fewer ports and marinas covered.)
 +
** Northern
 +
** Chesapeake Bay
 +
** Atlantic ICW (Intra-coastal Waterway)
 +
** Southern
 +
* plus
 +
** [http://www.landfallnavigation.com/-bsecm.html Guide to New England Marinas] book + CDROM (Excellent resource, but listed dockage rates are outdated and low)
 +
** [http://www.landfallnavigation.com/-ben012.html Cruising Guide to the New Engand Coast] (Excellent sailors' background supplement to "New England" Embassy Guide or "Northern" Waterway Guide. Covers Maine to NY, including Hudson River, but its marina coverage is thin.)
 +
*** (Its author Roger Duncan wrote [http://www.amazon.com/Coastal-Maine-Maritime-Roger-Duncan/dp/0881505552/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1258997415&sr=1-2 Coastal Maine], an in-depth maritime history from earliest explorers to present.)
 +
** and
 +
*** [http://www.landfallnavigation.com/-ben001.html A Cruising Guide to the Maine Coast] (Outstanding detail from local authors, cove-by-cove and island-by-island.)
 +
*** [http://www.landfallnavigation.com/mainecoast.html Visual Cruising Guide to the Maine Coast] Pictures (color aerial photographs + charts) worth a thousand words.
 +
<br/>
-
{{Guide1}}
+
''''' Gulf Coast:'''''
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{|id="mp-right" width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="1" style="vertical-align:top; background:#f5faff; border:1px solid #a3b0bf;"
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''''' Pacific:'''''
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! <h2 id="mp-itn-h2" style="margin:0; background:#cedff2; font-size:120%; font-weight:bold; border:1px solid #a3b0bf; text-align:left; color:#000; padding:0.2em 0.4em;">Cruising Wiki Navigation</h2>
+
 
-
|-
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|style="color:#000;"| | [[Cruising_and_Sailing_Wiki_by_CruiserLog|HOMEPAGE]] | [[World Cruising Guides|Wiki Contents]] | [[North America]] |
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{{Comments}}
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|}
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*
 +
 
 +
{{page useable}}
 +
 
-
[[Category:Regions]]
+
{{Contributors|[[User:Lighthouse|Lighthouse]], [[User:JeanneP|JeanneP]], [[User:Haiqu|Haiqu]]}}
-
.
+
[[Category:Countries]]

Latest revision as of 17:05, 24 April 2020

World ▶ Northern America ▶ United States

Contents

United States
39°41.939'N, 100°49.209'W Chart icon.png
United States-CIA WFB Map.png
Magnify-clip.png
USA
Flag of the United States.svg
Magnify-clip.png
Flag
Capital Washington D.C.
Language English
Currency US Dollar (USD)
Time zone Atlantic: UTC-5, Gulf: UTC-6, Pacific: UTC-8, Alaska: UTC-9, Hawaii: UTC-10.
(DST observed except for Hawaii and Arizona)
Calling code +1

Note: This World Cruising Wiki cannot hope to cover all the sailing activities and regions in the U.S.A. This Wiki does however attempt to cover the U.S. ports and areas that may be of interest to world cruisers.

For cruising see individual regions

Charts

NOAA
Chart No 13003 - Cape Sable to Cape Hatteras
Chart No 11009 - Cape Hatteras to Straits of Florida
Chart No 411 - Gulf of Mexico
Chart No 501 - West Coast of North America

See the various ports listed below

Chart sources:


Weather

Weather in the United States of America (USA) ranges from tropical to arctic. There are many resources available to assist with planning before you get out on the water. These sites below generally cover weather for all fifty states and territories.

Weather Forecasts, Advisories, and Warnings
NOAA - National Weather Service - Marine Weather Services
NOAA - National Hurricane Center & Central Pacific Hurricane Center
SailFlow (Weather Where You Sail)
Weather Underground
Current Weather Conditions
NOAA - National Databuoy Center (realtime wind/wave data)

Passages

List popular passages/routes, timing, etc.

Communication

Radio

  • Generally speaking, channel 16 is monitored on VHF.
  • With DSC being required equipment on commercial vessels, many ships are now only required to monitor channel 13.
  • HF frequency 14.300MHz is monitored almost continuously by a US-wide volunteer network of amateur radio operators.
  • There are also many radio nets throughout the day. See the World Maritime Mobile Nets page for a more complete listing.

Cellular

There are four main cellular providers in the United States that provide a variety of data, talk, and text (SMS & MMS) services. They are (in alphabetical order):

WiFi

Many marinas offer free WiFi to their customers. It is usually beneficial to have some sort of external antenna so you can obtain a better signal while at the dock or in an anchorage. A directional antenna is always best for signal strength but doesn't work well if you're swinging around on an anchor. Newer wireless networks are using 5GHz access points, in addition to 2.4GHz access points. The 5GHz access points allow more bandwidth for users meaning faster throughput for you. If you have a dual-band device, you might be able to try both bands while at anchor or at pier side to determine what gets you the best signal and the best throughput.

Navigation

Warning: All buoyage follows the IALA-B "red-right-returning" rule, so keep red, conical-topped, even-numbered "nuns" to starboard and green, cylindrical, odd-numbered "cans" to port when entering a port. The outermost buoy will be marked with the lowest number.

Often, there will be a seabuoy ("safe water buoy") just seaward of that lowest-numbered buoy that is striped red-and-white and with a two-letter label (such as "MR" for Merrimac River entrance). Navigate to it before attempting to enter the port.

When encountering buoys cruising along the coast between ports, the convention is that when sailing around the continent in a clockwise fashion, one should also keep red buoys to starboard, (to avoid isolated hazards between the buoy and the coast).

Entrance

Pursuant to 19 CFR 4.2, operators of small pleasure vessels, arriving in the United States from a foreign port or place to include any vessel which has visited a hovering vessel or received merchandise outside the territorial sea, are required to report their arrival to CBP (Customs and Border Protection) immediately (see 19 U.S.C. 1433).

The master of the vessel reports their arrival at the nearest Customs facility or such other place as the Secretary may prescribe by regulations. These reports are tracked in the Pleasure Boat Reporting System. Pursuant to 8 CFR 235.1, an application to lawfully enter the United States must be made in person to a CBP officer at a U.S. port-of-entry when the port is open for inspection.

Reporting Requirements
CBP has designated specific reporting locations within the Field Offices that are staffed during boating season for pleasure boats to report their arrival and be inspected by CBP. The master of the boat must report to CBP telephonically and be directed to the nearest Port of Entry to satisfy the face-to-face requirement, or report to the nearest designated reporting location along with the boat’s passengers for inspection.
Important: See FULL REGULATIONS on the official website.

Also visit the U.S. Customs and Border Protection - Locations webpage. This gives all the details for the various ports of entry in the U.S.

Notes:

  • Qualifying recreational U.S. boaters returning from foreign ports may not have to go through an in-person re-entry interview under a new program launched by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The Local Boater Option program gives boaters in Tampa, Miami, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands the choice to register in advance with the agency, eliminating in most cases a requirement to meet with officials after every foreign visit. To enroll in the Local Boater Option, set up an appointment by calling 1-800-432-1216 or 1-800-451-0393
  • Foreign flagged vessels are required to report their movement from one port of call, or one berth, to another. Even if a foreign flagged vessel, including those from Canada, have entered the USA legally, and cleared customs properly, THEY MUST NOTIFY US CUSTOMS - HOMELAND SECURITY if they move their vessel from one place to another. Even if the vessel is moved just from Port Everglades to Miami, for example, or even from the city of Fort Lauderdale berths on New River to Bahia Mar, the boat owners MUST notify US Customs - Homeland Security IMMEDIATELY, OR BE SUBJECT TO A $5,000.00 FINE! While it would appear, at least so far, that the enforcement of this provision is lax in some ports, a crackdown could result in some very expensive cruising for Canadians, or boat owners from other countries It appears that this Department of Homeland Security Requirement is NOT well known among foreign cruisers

Customs and Immigration

Customs

The best source for Customs & Clearing information is the U.S. Customs and Border Protection CBP.gov


Immigration

The best source for information regarding visas is the US government pages - Visas

Health & Security

Submit any health warnings/information and any security details here.

External Territories

Berthing

US COASTAL PORTS/STOPS (BY STATE, CLOCKWISE)
NEW ENGLAND (N-to-S) MID-ATLANTIC (N-to-S) SOUTHEAST (N-to-S) GULF COAST (E-to-W) PACIFIC (S-to-N)
Maine (ME)
New Hampshire (NH)
Massachusetts (MA)
Rhode Island (RI)
Connecticut (CT)
New York (NY)
New Jersey (NJ)
Pennsylvania (PA)
Delaware (DE)
Maryland (MD)
Washington, DC
Virginia (VA)
North Carolina (NC)
South Carolina (SC)
Georgia (GA)
Florida (FL)
Alabama (AL)
Mississippi (MS)
Louisiana (LA)
Texas (TX)
Hawaii (HI)
California (CA)
Oregon (OR)
Washington (WA)
Alaska (AK)

Also see:

Transportation

List transportation to other countries, etc.

Friends

Submit details/contacts of cruiser's "friends" that can be contacted in advance or on arrival - who can offer information and assistance to our cruising "family".

Forums

List links to discussion threads on partnering forums. (see link for requirements)

Links

References

Books, Guides, etc.

Atlantic Coast:

  • MapTech "Embassy" Crusing Guides If you can only afford one, this is it. (MapTech makes NOAA's digital charts and provides a free raster chart reader based on their navigation software. They also sell paper "ChartKit" books by region.)
    • New England Coast
    • Long Island Sound to Cape May, NJ
    • Chesapeake Bay to Florida
    • Florida
  • Waterway Guides (Also good, especially for upscale marina-hopping, but fewer ports and marinas covered.)
    • Northern
    • Chesapeake Bay
    • Atlantic ICW (Intra-coastal Waterway)
    • Southern
  • plus


Gulf Coast:


Pacific:


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Names: Lighthouse, JeanneP, Haiqu


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