Retrieve boat from US marina & return it to Canada

[DCamM]

Fly down & bring it back when the canal system is completely open. There is no border crossing restriction if you fly or if you are a Canadian returning to Canada by boat.
Possible fight: Toronto to NY then rail to Albany area? Maybe Toronto-Buffalo then AMTRAK to Albany ???

[seabreez]

Originally Posted by Lake-Effect

I've visited that area, and I know that many Québec residents keep their boats just across the border (Rouse's Point) on the US side of L Champlain , and sail on the US side. Is that your situation?

You can't get it yourself at this point in time, so you will have to hire a pro. I guess your choices then are to either (A) have the boat launched on the US side, then motored back across the border to the first landing or port in Canada, or (B) have the boat trucked into Canada.

Seems to me that option A would be the cheapest, especially considering that the delivery skipper would only be moving it a few miles north into Canada, then you can take it the rest of the way to the St Laurence.

The locks in Canada are closed for the time being... and you have to cross the border by boat...

[NorthCoastJoe]

Is the boat on a trailer? If it is can you get a tow truck company ( commercial business ) to tow it across the border.

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by seabreez

Chotu... you are quick and think like I do... I would team up with you... shuuuut...

Thanks!!

I’ll get the all black inflatable together for our first mission! Ha ha.

But yes, the fact that it’s just “goods” is the OP’s ticket to getting the boat home. He already has a trailer so it should actually be very easy to get someone to do the cross border trip if he can’t use a business he already owns to do it.

[NorthernMac]

Just look at the super long list of things your government will let you leave your country for

https://ca.usembassy.gov/travel-rest...ns-fact-sheet/

Go say you’re checking out a school you might want to go to or book a simple physical exam at some doc -> medical reasons.


Get the boat and come back in the boat.

As far a house arrest in New York, there is zero way to really enforce it, and if you’re not sick, who cares.


Honestly if I wanted to go to MTL tomorrow I would just book the flight

[robert sailor]

Keep in mind that if you have always kept the boat in the States then you may have tax that will need to be paid when entering Canada.

[Rol1964]

Canadian registered....no taxes due.
Fly down and train back to the marina....definitely a possibility.
Northern Mac.....I will look at this list.
Thanks folks. Much appreciation for the creative solutions.
Beers on me...

[fdr14127]

Call Glen at ATL in Virgil and ask him, about it. I think ATL is delivering boats daily. Call Todd Fetzer in East Aurora. NY and ask him how he arranged it, as his C&C 40 went from Niagara on the Lake SC to Tuscarora YC in Wilson NY last week. Reputed to be one of the first repatriated. Sailed 400 yards to Youngstown by a Canadian crew recruited from the club. No doubt a call to Ed McIllroy, Mgr of Niagara on the Lake SC would provide some details as to how it was arranged.

[roland stockham]

Yes talk to the boarder people but be up front, tell them the boat is stranded and deteriorating and that you have nowhere safe to keep it (both true!) and see if they will consider this essential travel. If not ask their advice.

People are talking about "maybe the boarder will be closed until next year. I would say almost a certainly it will. My view is that the USA will not control COVID 19 and will be isolated until there is a vaccine and treatment deployed. I certainly hope that is the case for the rest of our sakes. That may be next year if the vaccines in trials work but if the first batch prove ineffective look to 2022. All the predictions are that by October the daily case rate in the US will be in the order of 100,000 cases PER DAY according to their own health experts, can you even imagine what that would look like? Anyone needing to get stuff out should organize it ASAP.

[Rol1964]

Originally Posted by roland stockham

Yes talk to the boarder people but be up front, tell them the boat is stranded and deteriorating and that you have nowhere safe to keep it (both true!) and see if they will consider this essential travel. If not ask their advice.

People are talking about "maybe the boarder will be closed until next year. I would say almost a certainly it will. My view is that the USA will not control COVID 19 and will be isolated until there is a vaccine and treatment deployed. I certainly hope that is the case for the rest of our sakes. That may be next year if the vaccines in trials work but if the first batch prove ineffective look to 2022. All the predictions are that by October the daily case rate in the US will be in the order of 100,000 cases PER DAY according to their own health experts, can you even imagine what that would look like? Anyone needing to get stuff out should organize it ASAP.

Wow. That’s actually all fairly accurate and quite depressing.

[NorthernMac]

Originally Posted by roland stockham

Yes talk to the boarder people but be up front, tell them the boat is stranded and deteriorating and that you have nowhere safe to keep it (both true!) and see if they will consider this essential travel. If not ask their advice.

People are talking about "maybe the boarder will be closed until next year. I would say almost a certainly it will. My view is that the USA will not control COVID 19 and will be isolated until there is a vaccine and treatment deployed. I certainly hope that is the case for the rest of our sakes. That may be next year if the vaccines in trials work but if the first batch prove ineffective look to 2022. All the predictions are that by October the daily case rate in the US will be in the order of 100,000 cases PER DAY according to their own health experts, can you even imagine what that would look like? Anyone needing to get stuff out should organize it ASAP.

The border guys hardly know the laws, saying less is more, if you talk make sure you already know the answer, if they can’t check one of these boxes you’re SOL

“ Who is considered an “essential” traveler?

Citizens and lawful permanent residents returning to the United States.

Individuals traveling for medical purposes (e.g., to receive medical treatment in the United States).

Individuals traveling to attend educational institutions.

Individuals traveling to work in the United States (e.g., individuals working in the agriculture industry who must travel between the United States and Canada or Mexico in furtherance of such work).

Individuals traveling for emergency response and public health purposes (e.g., government officials or emergency responders entering the United States to support federal, state, local, tribal, or territorial government efforts to respond to COVID-19 or other emergencies).

Individuals engaged in lawful cross-border trade (e.g., truck drivers supporting the movement of cargo between the United States and Canada and Mexico).

Individuals engaged in official government travel or diplomatic travel.

Individuals engaged in military-related travel or operations.”

No one is going to care about some guy and his boat, the boxes checkers check their box or no crossing for you.


As for “containing it” and all that, that’s not how reality works, but I got $20 on it fades away ether after it runs its course like these things historically do, or after November, which ever comes first.

But for the OPs situation, go book a consult for lasik or something, and when you come back home, bring the boat as you were there anyways, easy peasy

[Svsumurun]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

Isn't the Can/US border closed to all non-essential travel? Unless you can get an exemption, I doubt that travel to pick up a sailboat would be considered "essential" by either the American or Canadian border folks.

Perhaps if you held dual citizenship. All countries are allowing their citizens entry. Maybe you could find someone with dual citizenship who would be able to move the boat. But you're still faced with the mandatory two-week self quarantine period, on both ends.

This is the answer ... neither country will turn away their own citizens ... if the boat was in Lake Erie , I'd bring it north for you , would be a nice day trip. Check in via phone, leave immediately via tender....if you wanted to be really fancy, have a mother ship you reconnect back with, no anchor down , they are still in the us technically.
Check back into the us with Roam...done.

But , as someone else noted , isn't their locks to deal with ( that may or may not be open)? That adds layers of issues.

[wannacat]

As fdr14127 mentioned, boats were shuttled across the Niagara River last week with previous permission. However it was a US commercial captain and crew that did the shuttle service pre-approved by Customs and Immigration on both sides first, along with US Coast Guard. No Canadians took Todd's boat back to the US. This US commercial captain was bringing Canadian boats back that had been winter stored on the US side. Canadian Customs and Immigration met them on the Canadian side and checked out the boats before the Canadian owner's could accept them. Then they took the US boat back and met US Customs and Border Patrol there and were inspected and cleared in. However as mentioned you have a trailer, so you can hire a commercial tow and they are allowed to bring it into Canada for you. Just a matter of putting up the cash and voila!!! You'll be sailing again. Keep working. No money-no funny!

[Nani Kai]

Originally Posted by NorthernMac

As for “containing it” and all that, that’s not how reality works, but I got $20 on it fades away ether after it runs its course like these things historically do, or after November, which ever comes first.

Whew! Even the smallest investment of time in learning why this particular pandemic is so deadly, so contagious and unlike other viral infections we have previously faced would, or rather should, divest you of such a blindingly misinformed statement.

One thing we do agree on: things will definitely change for the better or much worse depending on who is elected in November.

Apologies for hijacking the thread. Too important not to respond.

[Montanan]

Originally Posted by Rol1964

Covert night ops....LOL
Forgot to mention I have a trailer there too.

Is that trailer for hauling the boat that is on the hard?

If so have the boat placed on the trailer and have a trucker deliver it across the border as a cargo delivery. The driver does not need to quarantine themselves so long as they are just in and out of country for delivery purposes. This avoids having to have your boat hauled into the water and provides for ready transport.

You would be considered a non-essential traveller and denied entry into the USA and subject to quarantine in Canada if in fact you did cross into the USA because your reentry to Canada would be non-essential travel.