Tanajura and His Journey to the U.S. Maritime

Factsheet 4×1

Date: 11/08/2012 to 13/08/2012

Where we were: Cartagena de Indias - Colombia

Why? Temporary export of Tanajura to the U.S.

Time devoted to bureaucratic processes and preparations: 3 days, adding all.

Filled Tire : treatment of Colombian. All the people with whom we interact are quite solicitous and sympathetic, ever bothered to help us and make us spend as little time as possible with all procedures. It is worth mentioning that even the guards who toured the car were friendly!

Flat Tire : have gone to the harbor (it was far from where we were) a toa, at 8am, because of incorrect information given by an employee.

Tanajura and His Journey to the U.S. Maritime

After we researched very, considered and discussed what would be the best way to send Tanajura, Send decidindo just-the, by navio, Cartagena (Colombia) for Seattle (U.S.) - More information about our difficult decision that you can find here, our post about all this!

Because this whole process is very bureaucratic and full of details, we will try to tell here step by step so that everyone can know how it works!

Well, our first day of work was pretty intense. We woke up early and went to the company Naves Colombia, working with shipping and would be who would take care of the boarding Tanajura. Arriving there we were very well served by Luz Elena that, although it was not very well informed about our case by our agent, foi sympathetic and patient. We would like explained all procedures and gave us a two-page document containing all the instructions for next steps, seemed a gymkhana!! Saímos of e…..estava given to start!!

Task 1 - Objective: Request authorization to export the vehicle. Duration: 1h30 (duration times include displacements from one place to another). We entered the Tanajura and headed to a place that took xerox, because we would need some documents. Then we went to the DIAN (Colombian customs) provided with copies of: driver's license, Document entry Tana in Colombia, car and passport document. This task was easy, just took a while for us to meet, but nothing fairer, enter the building and everyone was celebrating winning the first medal of another of Colombia in London Olympics (Mariana Pajon, BMX)!!

Task 2 - Objective: Register of us in port. Duration: 3h. We had to request a pre-authorization on Port Society (company that manages the port) for, on the day that the car was dispatched, a person driving the car could enter. Since the port is a controlled area, This person must have a record. Another important thing is life insurance, every visitor that enters the port must have a valid life insurance and submit it at that moment when the record does. In our case we do not need to buy because our travel insurance (that e World Nomads) was enough for the required port. As we near the lunch hour we had to wait a little longer than normal, but everything went well and we were able to enjoy a good Colombian coffee while waiting.

Task 3 - Objective: Delivering a clean and empty Tanajura. Duration: 6h. The night before we had to take all our valuables and clothes that would use during the nearly 30 days without Tanajura. Since it is our home, spend a little time doing it reasonable. After all, plus we take our things we had to reorganize many other, to make sure that nothing would be on the inside of the car (where people who would handle the car would have access). Besides, took her for a bath, since tinha that be delivered clean. Then the next day we headed to the terminal to deliver the Tana! Once there everything went well and she was in a courtyard, awaiting some surveys and boarding. Shortly thereafter we went to the police department counternarcotics, which is also within the terminal and there deliver some documents to request a date survey. To this survey is mandatory for all cars that are exported from Colombia. When we got there we discovered that we would have written a letter of responsibility on the car and that, because it had not at hand, would have to return the next day to ask for survey. Conversation will, conversation comes, managed to convince the police to let us use a computer these same, to write and print a letter! In the end everything went well and still ended up using the computer's police chief!!

Task 4 - Objective: bureaucracies and final settlement of payments. Duration 2h. We returned to the Port Society to pay the invoice for the documents and some port procedures. Moreover, to inform them the time that the police had agreed with us to our survey of narcotics. They confirmed the time, which would be the next day at 8am, and gave us a document to deliver to police.

Task 5 - Objective: Perform a famous narcotics vistoria. Duration 4h. We came to the door to 7:30 am, well in advance to avoid any unforeseen! That surpresa! After everything has been so sure something had to go wrong, everything was going too well!! It happens that when we got there the police said the police the previous day (informed me that there was the time when the survey was conducted) havia be fooled, the survey could not be made at 8am, would be just to 14h. After much insistence unsuccessfully, back to the hotel! Finally, às 13h40, were there back to the survey and then yes it worked, Gustavo entered the port (a person can only enter by car) and headed for the Tanajura to begin withdrawing ALL things from inside the car, Bucket, tents and cabinets! Yes, this survey is famous precisely because of this, the police make you take absolutely everything from the car and has a reputation for being quite implicants! Well, in our case we did not have any problem, quite the contrary, the guards were not fans of Brazil and made me take everything from car! Cabinets, for example, or I had to empty. He said they were clothes and they would get all dirty if I had to put them on the floor! They agreed, analyzed to see if there was any background or false wall in closets and released to lock them. That is to say that they are fairly strict with regard to inspection, Some examples: led the refrigerator to pass a scanner, experienced one of the remedies to see if there was drug, examined until the cap of the glass of olive oil to see if there was nothing hidden inside, etc.. Once the survey they delivered a paper release and everything was right.

Task 6 - Objective: Finalizing procedures. Duration 1h. After parking in the courtyard again Tana (after inspection) and hand over the keys to her port personnel, we turn again to the Naves Colombia, deliver all the paperwork that accumulated with these procedures and ready, tínhamos completed all tasks, a treasure hunt ended havia!! Now it was only expected to board the ship Tanajura!!

Procedures finalized, Tana no porto, ready to ship and we look forward to start clearing the end of the summer in the United States!!