Don’t forget that hand
guns are illegal to possess in Canada! You can bring in 2 long
guns (rifles or shotguns) but will have to surrender all hand guns on entry.
I was standing in line to enter one morning and the
Customs and Immgration guy asked the guy in front of me if he had any hand guns aboard. He replied yes, and the custom and Imm guy suggested he return to Friday Harbor and mail it to himself in
Alaska where he was ultimately headed. He told the sailor that the PO in Friday Harbor was very used to this requirement and had boxes that would accommodate a hand gun and to send the hand gun to himself c/o General
Delivery, Haines AK, his first port of call up there. The PO in Haines were very used to the process as well.
Canadian Customs and Immigration seem to go out of their way to accommodate US sailors and cruisers.
I am an ex Canadian by the way having immigrated legally to the US in 1981. Also ran a
delivery business for many years out of
San Diego and delivered vessels from
Alaska to
Panama so have some entry/exit experience.
Another hint if you are going to see a C&I officer up close, do not dress like a bum, particularly in
Mexico. Your cruising brethren may feel that it is cool to be unshaven and dressed like a homeless person but a C&I officer will treat you like one!
I
recall meeting with a Port
Captain in La Pas
Mexico once. His office was filled with your typical cruising types but I was dressed in clean shorts a pressed shirt with Capt’s bars on the shoulders and a Capt’s cover (cap). I went the
head of the line while the rest of the ne’rdewells sat waiting! Appearances do count, even in
Canada.
Phil