Canadian registration

[chris mac]

So, I've run into a timing problem.
We have bought a Canadian registered boat. We are Canadian, and will keep it registered as Canadian. we submitted our info to transport canada for transfer of ownership,and change of name and home port. They have verbally confirmed receipt of the request over a month ago. They also said they are backed up and won't get to ours for at least another month.
The boat is currently on lake Ontario. The problem is, we want to be heading south through the Oswego canal before the end of September. The earlier the better.
I have talked to the transport Canada agent assigned to my file, they will try to fast track it but no promises.
I have talked to a cbp agent in one of the New York state offices. He said using the bill of sale may be enough, or I may get turned back.
I talked to Canadian customs, they said bill of sale is fine. Or just get a provincial pleasure craft license since it's very quick.

Question time.
Has anyone gone through this, and have any suggestions?
Does anyone know if showing previous owners registration, with bill of sale, and copies of our submission to transport Canada will satisfy cbp ?
Will licensing provincially screw up our federal registration transfer request?
The only other option is hauling out for the winter and waiting for next spring. If necessary we can do this, but obviously we would rather be on the boat exploring areas south.

Thanks

[Marathon1150]

We have not had this precise experience (other than the very slow processing of registration and change of ownership) but I would probably go with the provincial license and wait for the Canadian registration. It would be worth checking with TC to be sure that the provincial license will not affect the Canadian registration process.

We imported a boat from the US into Canada and licensed it as a part of the importation process. Later we registered the boat. I don't recall that there was any issue changing from a license to a registration (other than having to do it at a distance via the Victoria office because the Vancouver office was (in)famous for being incredibly difficult to deal with). This took place in 2005 or so and the process has certainly changed given that much can currently be done online.

However, people take licensed boats into the US all the time and I would prefer to have a current provincial license document with the current owner's names on it on board rather than a trail of documents leading to a pending registration that is stuck in a queue in a far away office.

[deblen]

Call your MP's constituency office. Election coming Oct. Seriously! / Len

[Lepke]

I bought a Canadian registered boat originally built in the US. Canada CG had the records all screwed up, holding up US documentation. I went thru customs with a bill of sale, some printed emails and a handful of other papers. No problem.

It helps if you call US customs of the port you intend to enter and tell them you're coming and the issue. I did and the customs agent met me where I docked, filled out the papers for me and thanked me for calling ahead.