Customs Requirements & Communications

We arrived Richmond VA .  The plane was a beechcraft 1900D - an 18 seater with an outhouse at the back - Air Canada's smallest...getting us ready for our own accommodations on Tango. Staying at the Hampton which has free wifi.  I used google phone (free calls Canada and US) to phone the pre-arranged taxi I had organized to delay our pick-up till later this morning...first we will have to go over to the customs offices (not open till 8am) to apply for and obtain a cruising license for the boat for the US which will allow us to minimize clearing in and out procedures and fees  between US Ports ...I think...reporting requirements are somewhat fuzzy  http://www.noonsite.com/Countries/USA/?rc=Formalities with some of my research saying you have to report in/out of every port/ others indicating not...I printed out the legislation before I left which indicates the former assumption.  Boat is supposed to arrive  in Deltaville by noon and we will meet it and splash it there. 

Communications:
We took a Rogers roaming package for my cell for emergencies -- it is $15 month and 35 cents per minute in the US and 1.25 per minute in the Carribean (Pirates!).  We will use free google phone (I tried it) or skype or our majicjack (a telephone set is on the boat- phone number is  226 444 9248) when we have a wifi connection. We may still buy a cheap us phone. We will also blog as much as we can. We have a VHF radio on the boat for communicating with other boaters in range (line of sight to 25 mile), coast guard, bridge operators, marinas and what not - it has an oops button:) for mayday calls which we don't plan on using.  Many cruisers also get a SSB radio which are expensive (about $1800) but give more  frequencies, much longer distances(globally through the ham network) and communications options (make emergency radiophone calls, send emails from anywhere with a service subscription, receive weatherfax reports etc...they also require another license if you intend to use them other than just monitor...I will see how we do with the VHF and talk to other cruisers before investing in this.  Finally, there are EPIRBs (cost about $700 and up) which are emergency radio beacons that will communicate your exact position to search and rescue if activated (such as when they hit the water when your boat is sinking.  Not really mandatory  for coastal cruising but I may get one in Florida.