International Waters

If you are sailing in international waters , outside any countries jurisdiction , minding your own business, not trying to enter into any country , are you required by any laws , to be restricted or governed by any bureaucracy ??

Trouble is you are a citizen of somewhere as is your boat but more importantly you have to leave from somewhere and you have to come back in somewhere so if you set off and murder your wife mid ocean or exchange a ton of drugs mid ocean one or more of the port you left from, the port you eventually come back into or the country of your/your boats nationality are likely to have something to say about it.

Governments are incredibly inventive, dishonest and corrupt so if they want to get you even if they don't have actual jurisdiction. You only have to look at Julian Assange to see this. Might is right.
The pirate radio stations off the UK in the 60s and 70s are an interesting read as well.

Hi MAGNESIUM.
Your first post was .
If you are sailing in international waters , outside any countries jurisdiction , minding your own business, not trying to enter into any country , are you required by any laws , to be restricted or governed by any bureaucracy ??

Then posted Larsen's story.
RE:"criss-crossed the Indian Ocean and the Western Pacific for seven years, from Australia to Madagascar and Japan, covering a total of 45,000 miles."

He obviously entered foreign ports.

If you can believe that the Japanese Coast Guard, Marine police, Port Authorities, Customs would let a vessel or person enter or transit their territory with " no papers or reg", think again.

Every document that you can imagine (or have never imagined) is absolutely necessary.
Madagascar would be the same if not worse.

Bottom line is you need documents.

Gary

Interesting question, if intending to leave overseas you must have a Australian registered ship and depart from a clearance port.

But if you intend to sail to an overseas Australian territory, let's say Lord Howe Is it's my understanding you don't have to clear Australia. Once you get out of Australia's exclusive economic zone (EEZ) 200Nm of then the right of hot pursuit ceases as long as you didn't do anything wrong and aren't being chased. There is a gap between Lord Howe Is and mainland Australia EEZ so then you are intentional waters. Extraterritorial jurisdiction gives government the authority to extend its laws beyond its borders. Some Australian criminal laws apply to Australians even when you're overseas. so if none of that fits your relatively free. But reading yachting websites some countries Navies will board you on suspicion eg USA.

so you are kind of free

What Law Applies In International Waters?

Ramona, your correct, no gap between Lord Howe and the mainland.

The opening statement was 'out of jurisdiction' effectively that means out of the EEZ as that is the area of more surveillance for most countries. If you depart from NT it's a long way until you reach international waters, Indonesia claims a large EEZ and Territorial Sea.

I'm not any kind of expert in this, I just think it's interesting and somewhat understandable desire to escape modern society.