Yankee in Canadian waters

S

seaman-recruit

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Mar 7, 2011
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Downriver/Lake Erie
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I live just south of Detroit and plan on getting back into boating this summer. Back in the day, if you were just dropping the hook in Canadian waters (no plans to go ashore) there was no (strictly enforced) requirement to call in advance to communicate travel intentions, have passports, etc. Is that still the case or have things tightened up as I suspect.
 
Our forces have guns now...

Can't load them yet though. Still waiting for Government Legislation first...:lol:


In Lake Huron, US boaters can drop anchor in Canadian waters without reporting. You can swim and stand on the bottom, but you are not allowed to walk to shore or have any Canadian board your vessel. You don't have to report upon returning to the US either.

We've seen some rules relax in the last year - at least for Canadians visiting US waters. At one time, we were not allowed to drop anchor without calling in and needed NEXUS even to do that!

Anyone from the area in question want to add anything??
 
"We've seen some rules relax in the last year - at least for Canadians visiting US waters. At one time, we were not allowed to drop anchor without calling in and needed NEXUS even to do that! "

So what's required now? I haven't been in US waters since 1990.
 
I can anchor and fish 1/2 mile offshore in Canadian water, do it all the time, and there is no problem. If I anchor near the beaches, I call in, even if I have no intention of going ashore. I didn't call in once when doing that, and the OPP made an example out of us for all nearby to see, and it was no fun. They used it as an excuse to rifle through everything on the boat, and I mean everything.
When visiting Canada by boat, call 888-CAN-PASS, have your registration number handy, names and birthdates of all aboard, and know what you are allowed to have on board (booze, fruits, etc). After you go once,they have a data base on your vessel and they know who you are, so they won't ask for personal info again unless there's someone new on board. They give you a report number, and you display that on your boat while in Canada. Sometimes they will send a pair of customs agents to your vessel. They have done this several times to us, but usually only when we are in a marina.
When returning back to the states, we call in from a video phone at the marina, have your passport, nexus or enhanced drivers license with you.
If you like to carry protection aboard, make sure you leave it home if there is a chance you may visit our neighbors to the north.
 
I disagree. Things have become much worse. CBSA (Canada Customs) visited our marina last year and told us that the rules had changed (laws don't change, but "requirements" do)... We were told that even if we Canadian boaters crossed the invisible border line, and then returned to Canuck waters without having dropped anchor or any contact with the bottom or land whatsoever, that we were REQUIRED to report on arrival back at our dock.

We're NEXUS holders for 8 years, and report always. This development, however, is a joke.

The Niagara River is now the Rio Grande North, with cameras, infrared cameras, microwave transmitters, and constant patrols.

I, for one, think it is a complete waste of taxpayer money.

But, I only have but one voice and one vote.
 
PS: In my sig picture, the land on the right is Canada, the land on the left is the USA...
 
Amazing the differences in enforcement from one are to the next. I usually wait for a few weeks each spring before venturing over that invisible border line. By that time the word is usually out as to what the requirements will be for the season.

Each year seems to be different. :smt013
 
All these B.S. requirements you guys are talking about boils my blood! It's not our northern neighbors costing us!!! These Mexicans cost us in so many ways, yet......never mind I am going to work on boat and try to forget I read this thread!
 
Thanks to all that responded. I think I better read a few boring government web sites to get the latest requirements.:smt089 Hey...... maybe I can just obtain dual-citizenship to keep them confused! :smt001
 
It may seem confusing but there is a general pattern to the border treatment of U.S. and Canadian citizens. For fifteen years we boated out of Canada and visited the U.S. on our Great Lakes summer vacations to Michigan, Ohio, and New York. We never had a problem because we had done our homework first with I-68 forms and later Nexus cards (make sure that everyone on board has them). Now we base our boat in the U.S. If you answer the questions of CSBA or Homeland Security as asked, and have your documentation ready, there are no issues. Some agents even have a sense of humour. They are looking to bust the "bad guys", not you.

Sometimes the questioning seems a little aggresive on the American side if there's an international event going on or if it's early in the season. Sometimes the car crossings really back up but it's within a general pattern. The Canadian side treats us more consistently it seems though.

One thing I will agree with however is the high degree of monitoring on the St. Clair River (similar to the Niagara River) that is more visible on the U.S. side. Cameras and patrol vehicles sitting near the border. Perhaps there must be some threat to either nation's security that justifies it. I heard one story that a surveillance balloon was launched on the Michigan side around Port Huron a couple of years back. When the folks in Sarnia saw it they lined up on the Canadian shore and "showed the other cheek" to the American interruption of their privacy. I don't know how true that is, but it makes for a good story.
 
When we got our Nexus cards we had the "rules" regarding boating explained by both US and Canadian customs officers. We were told venturing into US waters is fine as long as we don't anchor or tie up. So travelling up and down the St Claire river on either side is apparently OK - and so far has been for us.
However last summer we came down from Lake Huron and under the Blue Water Bridge on the US side of the invisible line before swinging into Sarnia. Our friends travelling just behind us took the same route and got stopped by US customs and had to hand over all their papers - while drifting in a 5 knot current. Seems that it might depend on who is patrolling at the time.
 
Canadian in Yankee waters
Had a fun experience on May 24/Memorial weekend. Left Grosse Pointe in the morning and checked into Canada Customs at Sarnia after paying a painful tax bill on our new to us 52 Sedan.
Fantastic day with Lake Huron almost like glass, we headed north out the main shipping channel to the second last buoy and then set the Autopilot for Port Elgin, Ontario.

Ran at 22 knots for about 30 mins and then noticed an "interesting" looking big inflatable with decals on the cabin sides. (We were in US waters at that point by about 1.5 miles) Kept runnning and eventually saw flashing blue lights etc, slowed down and were boarded by four guys. They worried about our dogs, and navigation cameras, called into check passports, inspected everything down below and then asked what "state" we were going to and why we had stopped in Sarnia, Ontario.

Thankfully water was calm for the inspection raft up mid lake. Nice guys, from Florida, and early in the season so figure that they learned the relevant geography over the season.

Only wished later that we had given them a better chase and got some pictures!
 
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Fynder,

Sorry we missed you last spring. I should have told you that if you fly the red and white, stick to the right side, lol. Funny though because most of the vessels I see boarded are go-fasts and it's often by the local county sheriff looking for intoxicated captains. I usually run the Canadian side on the river where possible and they leave us alone.
The USCG, sheriff's departments, Homeland Security, Canadian C.G., sometimes OPP all patrol the St. Clair River. They look for a reason to board you so be prepared and don't give them an excuse. i.e. if you stop in Sarnia then stick to that side. Especially true early in the season when they are in their training mentality.

Here are some suggestions to avoid attention if anyone else is interested:
1) stick to the middle of the river
2) watch your wake and don't swamp fishermen even if they're in the middle of the shipping channel
3) have all your documents and requirements handy
4) get a C.G. or Power Squadron courtesy inspection and display the sticker on the port side
5) It helps if other boats are out there because they easily recognize less competent skippers, especially those that do not follow basic navigation rules

Enjoy that beautiful boat in "the Bay" and do come and visit us again.
 
I checked the chart again and the main shipping channel north into Lake Huron is on the US side. We avoided the Canadian side because there are a few 8' and 6' shoals over a generally shallow depth.
Good ideas. We also usually have power squadron flag so people think we know what we are doing.
Hi Jamie - We are down to Bahamas next week to go boating with the Dangerous D's.
 
I would check and adhere to the requirements. You are seeing more patrols because the federal government is funding a northern border initiative. You can expect to see more electronic monitoring and boardings in the great lakes similar to south Florida. Here is a link to Ohio's information http://publicsafety.ohio.gov/links/HLS0067.pdf
 
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