Visit our Popular Forums

DeeBee · 06-01-2021, 18:17

I'm going to be sailing around the great lakes (US/Canada border). How does check-in work for some simple cases?
US-flagged ship...
* anchor just off Canadian coast for the night.
* pull into a marina for gas then leave
* pull into a marina to unstep the mast, then leave

... there are more potential situations. are there rules that people use?
I'm assuming there are "rules of thumb" and there are "the laws" I'm not sure how closely they match.

I want to follow the best practices for what most cruisers do.

NaClyDog · 06-01-2021, 18:22

You must follow one of the reporting options listed in the link below... every time you enter Canada.

https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/travel-v...pb-pp-eng.html

Reporting exceptions are also listed there.

AiniA · 06-01-2021, 18:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeeBee

I'm going to be sailing around the great lakes (US/Canada border). How does check-in work for some simple cases?
US-flagged ship...
* anchor just off Canadian coast for the night.
* pull into a marina for gas then leave
* pull into a marina to unstep the mast, then leave

... there are more potential situations. are there rules that people use?
I'm assuming there are "rules of thumb" and there are "the laws" I'm not sure how closely they match.

I want to follow the best practices for what most cruisers do.

All three of your examples you need to have checked into Canada. Don't try to play with the rules, it isn't worth it.

Mike OReilly · 06-01-2021, 18:27

Rules of law is you must clear in for all your examples. Rule of thumb is, if you don't clear in, you'll be in breach of the rule of law.

DeeBee · 06-01-2021, 19:35

Thank you all for your quick responses. I'm actually pleased that is the right answer. Here is the summary from the Canadian Border website, careful of the double negatives...

If you enter Canadian waters, you are not required to present yourself and report your goods to the CBSA if you:

do not land on Canadian soil and do not anchor, moor or make contact with another conveyance while in Canadian waters
do not embark or disembark people or goods in Canada
If at any point during the transit you come to port, anchor, moor or make contact with another vessel, you must report to the CBSA immediately.

You may do so by calling the TRC using a cell phone from your location in Canadian waters if you meet all of the other conditions for an exception.

Bellinghamster · 06-01-2021, 19:58

Last I checked, the US/CAN border is closed to non-essential traffic due to COVID and you are not even allowed to enter Canadian waters (at least true in BC, not sure if it's the same in the east) let alone anchor, etc. There have been a couple boats on the west coast who were nabbed by Candian coasties and fined quite heavily for just crossing over the line.

see https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/travel-v...pb-pp-eng.html

Tomodore · 06-01-2021, 20:06

Also keep in mind the return to USA waters without checking in with Canadian officials. We were boarded by homeland security just on the US side and had Canadian clearance numbers they could check. Not much of a sense of humor with those guys.

sv_pelagia · 06-01-2021, 20:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bellinghamster

Last I checked, the US/CAN border is closed to non-essential traffic due to COVID and you are not even allowed to enter Canadian waters (at least true in BC, not sure if it's the same in the east) let alone anchor, etc. There have been a couple boats on the west coast who were nabbed by Candian coasties and fined quite heavily for just crossing over the line.

see https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/travel-v...pb-pp-eng.html

Actually, the Canadian Coast Guard does not do the "nabbing".... that's the job of the RCMP and/or Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA).

Mike OReilly · 06-01-2021, 21:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeeBee

If you enter Canadian waters, you are not required to present yourself and report your goods to the CBSA if you:

do not land on Canadian soil and do not anchor, moor or make contact with another conveyance while in Canadian waters
do not embark or disembark people or goods in Canada
If at any point during the transit you come to port, anchor, moor or make contact with another vessel, you must report to the CBSA immediately.

You may do so by calling the TRC using a cell phone from your location in Canadian waters if you meet all of the other conditions for an exception.

Exactly right. If you are just transiting through Canadian or American waters it's considered an Innocent Passage. But if you do any of the above, you are considered to have entered the country, and must immediately present yourself to customs.

Canada uses a telephone system for initial checkin. And being registered with NEXUS or for remote areas, the Remote Area Border Crossing (RABC) program, can facilitate the crossing. In most cases you'll be cleared through on the phone, but the officers always have the right to direct you to a physical port of entry.

As others have said already though, at this point the border is closed to non-essential travel. Hopefully that will change for the coming sailing season, but that will likely depend on the vaccine rollout in both countries.

Dave Lochner · 07-01-2021, 08:43

The easiest way to clear in US waters is with the ROAM app. Enter all the requested data in the app and then contact US CBP before landing. They will either clear you by text message, a video chat, or direct you to a designated port to clear in person. It is also helpful to have a NEXUS card, however, you will not be able to get a NEXUS card until the boarder opens up as you have to visit both the US and Canadian NEXUS offices.

redhead · 07-01-2021, 08:53

Since we live just yards south of the border and cross multiple times a week in a non-covid year we have a DTOPS decal for the boat for re-entry to US and NEXUS for ourselves in both directions.

We call in to either border authority and after giving NEXUS numbers the Canadians will ask a few questions about the boat and give you your number. The US authorities know the boat details from DTOP info. We've never been asked to proceed to a land base for inspection but I've heard others have even with NEXUS.

I also think (emphasis "think") that the more often you cross and the more consistent the info you give either side, the less they question you. I have everything written down, even the dog's vaccination details, and as they ask I have the answers right in front of me.

The more information you have at your fingertips, the smoother it will go in both directions, at least that's been my experience.

hamburking · 07-01-2021, 08:54

20 years ago, pre-9/11, I would have said don't bother checking in. But these days they take it very seriously. Check in every time.

I live in Kingston Ontario, so crossing the border is very real to us here. I've seen the coast guard and police boats checking everyone. They'll go to the (Canadian) parks islands and check every boat, especially US boats.

When I cross, I go to either Cape Vincent (customs office) or Clayton (video phone). Coming back into Canada its just a phone call.

If you have to anchor, because its a long trip (and you are a slow sailboat), or you can't get a dock, do your best to report in if you have cell service.

It's worth repeating...they are very serious about this and the penalties are significant.

Obviously the border is completely closed to pleasure boats right now. Last summer most marinas were open to seasonal customers only...no transient dockage. Because of this (and the pandemic in general), the island anchorages were jammed packed like I've never seen before. I went to the beach at Thwartway Island (Leek) last summer on a nice day, and there were AT LEAST 100 boats there in a bay that maybe sees 5 on a busy day usually. It was so busy in fact, that we just left...not worth the risk.

Dave Lochner · 07-01-2021, 09:34

I failed to mention it earlier, the Canadian CBP will allow you to call in 4 hours before arrival if you have a NEXUS card. When you call in they expect you to arrive in a designated port of entry within those 4 hours.

The last time we entered we were anchored off Waupos Is and reported by cell phone. They would not allow us to enter until we had arrived at a Port of Entry, so off we went in the dinghy to Waupos Marina which is a Port of Entry. I believe the specific concern was our lack of itinerary, we said we'd be anchored a day or two and then sail somewhere else. On an earlier trip, we were cleared while anchored across the river from Collins Bay Marina, they allowed us to clear as we told them we were headed to the marina on the next day.

NaClyDog · 07-01-2021, 09:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave Lochner

I failed to mention it earlier, the Canadian CBP will allow you to call in 4 hours before arrival if you have a NEXUS card. When you call in they expect you to arrive in a designated port of entry within those 4 hours.

The last time we entered we were anchored off Waupos Is and reported by cell phone. They would not allow us to enter until we had arrived at a Port of Entry, so off we went in the dinghy to Waupos Marina which is a Port of Entry. I believe the specific concern was our lack of itinerary, we said we'd be anchored a day or two and then sail somewhere else. On an earlier trip, we were cleared while anchored across the river from Collins Bay Marina, they allowed us to clear as we told them we were headed to the marina on the next day.

It's called CBSA - Canada Border Services Agency.