Escape from Nova Scotia

[Whosails]

Read Noonsite.com. It will give you all updates on places you may want to enter. Put out by World Cruising.

[GRIT]

If the USA is opening to cruisers on the 21 of September, the US customs offices in: Portland Me, Boston Ma, Newport RI, don't know about it.

I'll not hold my breath. My wife is a dual citizen, and had been told by a customs agent that it would not be an issue, even with her Canadian Registered boat.

We're now told, this morning, that it will be an issue, and that we should watch the news for any information about opening times.

Cheers.
Paul.

[Montanan]

The eye of hurricane Paulette is directly over Bermuda today.

https://www.foxnews.com/world/bermud...rricane-season

[Montanan]

Clarification as to the present situation regarding Canadian recreational or non-essential commercial boats traversing US waters.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/can...d-19-1.5685469

U.S. Senior Senator Schumer said many U.S. boaters have recently reported facing fines when crossing to the Canadian side of the St. Lawrence.
Americans caught entering Canadian waters for tourism face up to six months in jail and/or fines of up to $750,000.

Schumer said U.S. boaters sailing through Canadian waters pose no health risks and that the rules aren't reciprocal, as U.S. authorities still allow Canadian vessels to pass through U.S. waters.

"That type of uneven enforcement puts U.S. boaters — especially tour companies — at a disadvantage and does nothing to protect Canadians from COVID-19 spread," the Senate minority leader said.

However, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) told CBC News that the rules are even because Canadian tour boats actually aren't allowed to enter U.S. waters. "Traversing U.S. waters for recreational purposes is deemed non-essential and therefore not authorized due to the current travel restrictions," US CBP spokesperson Mike Niezgoda said in an email.

Rockport Boat Line, based in Rockport, Ont., confirmed to CBC News that it's still sailing to the U.S. side of the St. Lawrence and said that it has permission to do so.

Company president Kathleen Allen stated in an email that Rockport's tour boat is considered a commercial vessel, not a recreational boat, and that U.S. CBP told her the vessel could travel — without stopping — in U.S. waters.

"We are not 'crossing into the U.S.' as in some kind of border crossing," Allen said. 'We are travelling nonstop through U.S. waters."

When CBC News asked U.S. CBP about Allen's statement, it reiterated its policy that tour boats cannot enter the U.S. at this time. The agency said it's constantly on the lookout for trespassers and that boaters who break the rules could face fines and / or expulsion.

U.S. CBP said it couldn't immediately provide information on how many Canadians have been fined for entering U.S. waters since the border closure began in March.

Transport Canada responded in an email that it "respects the authority of U.S. officials regarding vessels entering their waters."

[Montanan]

https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/can...aska-1.5670867

When will the Canada-U.S. border reopen?
It came as no surprise to many people when the federal government announced on Friday that the Canada-U.S. land border — which closed on March 21 to non-essential traffic — would remain shut until at least Sept. 21.

Canadians can still fly to the U.S., but that rule isn't reciprocal: Canada prohibits U.S. visitors from entering via all modes of transport.

Canada and the U.S. review their border closure agreement every 30 days. Several experts in different fields have told CBC News that they predict the border won't reopen until sometime next year.
The main reason: COVID-19 cases are still surging in several U.S. states.
. . .

Given public opinion, economist Moshe Lander said it would be "political suicide" for Canadian politicians to contemplate reopening the border right now.

"As long as Canadians don't feel safe, then why force open that border when there's no strong political logic to doing it?" said Lander, a professor at Concordia University in Montreal.

He predicts a possible border reopening in middle to late 2021 — if there's enough confidence at that point that the virus is under control.