I`ve found that clearing into Canada (as a Canadian) is generally a straightforward phone call to CAN-PASS and then once in a while, they`ll tell you to stay on board while an officer comes to inspect. They would also store my family and boat details in their system, so I wouldn`t have to recite 5 sets of passport details every time.
Clearing into the US is a real mixed bag. I`ve done it on two of the Great Lakes, Newport, USVI, and PR and it`s a different process in each place. And, you can research the protocols all you want in advance, but when you get to places that are more than 10 miles from Alexandria VA (or wherever CBP is located), they have no idea and don`t care what might be shown on cbp.gov. Traveling from Tortola BVI to St. John USVI to Fajardo PR last December, I had to clear customs and immigration in both St John and Fajardo and was also inspected on board in Fajardo. This despite the fact that Bojangles has a valid US cruising license (which allows it to move between US ports without inspection) and my wife and I both have NEXUS cards - which, according to CBP.gov - allows us to travel between USVI and PR as Local Boaters (who don`t have to report). So, imagine my surprise when I get quarantined on my boat for about 2 hours waiting for CBP to arrive. Then when they do, they ask me to fill out all the same damn forms I had filled out the day before in St. John. So I do it... and then... I want my pound of flesh from the poor agent, asking her to explain all the nuances of the NEXUS / Trusted Traveler Program and how it's any different from if I didn't have it... At the end of the day, the poor agent was clearly flummoxed (and apologetic). It seems that these great programs get designed at head office and then the rollout gets bollocksed up. (That said, using NEXUS at airports... is awesome!) And lastly - the easiest US port to clear in? Newport RI... Took me about 2 minutes after a 5 day trip from Bermuda. No forms, no videophones, just a guy on the dock who looked briefly at our passports (not even boat papers) and decided that we were OK. Cheers, Colin On Thu, Jan 31, 2013 at 3:12 PM, Frederick G Street <[email protected]>wrote: > On Jan 30, 2013, at 9:12 PM, Tom Buscaglia <[email protected]> wrote: > > So we will have to endure a pleasant stop at Poet's Cove on the way north > and *ass* inspections at Roche or Friday Harbor on the way back. > > > Be *really* careful of those inspections. :^) > > I'm overdue for mine... > > Fred Street -- Minneapolis > S/V Oceanis (1979 C&C Landfall 38) -- on the hard in Bayfield, WI :^( > > > _______________________________________________ > This List is provided by the C&C Photo Album > http://www.cncphotoalbum.com > [email protected] > >
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