When doing research on the topic of bringing a private boat to the US we found a walkaround suggested on Noonsite. By sending an ESTA application and enter the US by ferry or plane (ferry from Br Virgin Islands to US Virgin Islands) you get a 3 months tourist visa and can then reenter US waters on your private boat. Satisfied with this solution we later received several reports about cruisers being denied entry to US waters and when sending out an inquiry on the topic to different cruisers forums we received several warnings on using the walkaround. We tried to contact the US embassy in Bahamas(where we would be entitled to apply for a B1/B2 visa) which was impossible.

Sending an inquiry to the US CBP the waiting time for an answer was endless. In the meantime we were looking for alternatives and found the Dutch Antilles (The ABC islands) the best option. Situated just north of Venezuelan/Colombian coastline they are all out of the hurricane belt but it would mean heading south from Antigua and cruise through the Windward Islands and then cross the Caribbean Sea just north of Venezuela. We decided that if we got a clear answer from the CBP that the walkaround with a tourist visa in the passport was considered legitimate,we would continue heading for the US.We would also investigate the option of applying for a B1/B2 visa on the US embassy in Bahamas.