Nova Scotia v. the Saint John River Valley, NB

[SuW]

As always, there is a lot of good cruising information on ActiveCaptain (.com) for this area. There appear to be a lot of happy cruisers around there!

I'd also say that the Bras D'Or lakes area is lovely cruising country. Our friends liked it so much, they left the boat there to go back another year!

[OrangeCrush]

Any opinions here about the benefits of CANPASS and/or NEXUS? On the way into Canada, it would be great to be cleared over the phone and not be required to report to a reporting station. On the way back to the US, it would save me a 1-2 day trip in and out of Passamaquoddy Bay if I could be cleared in over the phone and not go to Lubec.

I'm not exactly a frequent traveler to Canada, and I'm guessing I would need every member of my crew to sign up. Even so it might still be worth it if it increased the chances of us being cleared over the phone.

Any experiences with this?

[redhead]

Living about 200 yards south of the border we use Nexus regularly. It only works if everyone on board has one. If you have one person on the boat or in the car without it you must jump through the same hoops as everyone else. With Nexus for the people and a Customs decal for the boat it is a painless process here on the West Coast.

Oh - and it can take anywhere from 3 weeks to 3 months to get it depending on demand. You must go to a border site where both US and Canadian customs can interview you.

To get started take a look at https://goes-app.cbp.dhs.gov/goes/js...Ocjx!684759563

[Safari38LH]

I would look into the Small Vessel Reporting System (SVRS). We have used it every year for the past 5 years and its very easy.

https://svrs.cbp.dhs.gov/Default.aspx

[DougM]

To clear in, go to an approved port and phone in. You may be cleared by phone alone, but likely they'll send a customs inspector. Dont leave your boat until they give you clearance.

Coming from Nantucket i'd suggest yarmouth or shelburne, otherwise you're heading way down the coast. If you want to go east along the coast, Shelburne is the most direct. The people at the shelburne yacht club are wonderful, as they are in pretty much all the small communities. Grand Mannan is certainly an option and you can visit Digby, Brier Island etc. If you go there, the tidal flows are intense, so make sure you get some local advice and watch the tables. Nothing to worry about as long as you know what you are doing.

[OrangeCrush]

Originally Posted by DougM

To clear in, go to an approved port and phone in. You may be cleared by phone alone, but likely they'll send a customs inspector. Dont leave your boat until they give you clearance.

Coming from Nantucket i'd suggest yarmouth or shelburne, otherwise you're heading way down the coast. If you want to go east along the coast, Shelburne is the most direct. The people at the shelburne yacht club are wonderful, as they are in pretty much all the small communities. Grand Mannan is certainly an option and you can visit Digby, Brier Island etc. If you go there, the tidal flows are intense, so make sure you get some local advice and watch the tables. Nothing to worry about as long as you know what you are doing.

Thanks, my plan is to head east along the coast at least as far as Liscomb area in a few big chunks before doubling back and exploring things more carefully on my way back towards the US. Shelburne looks well situated for me, as does Lockeport. Just to be clear, no matter what status I have I need to report to a Telephone Reporting Station? I went to Grand Manan in my last boat and they cleared us in over a call from my cell phone. I guess that is a telephone reporting station anyway even though I didn't use their phone.

My family has a cabin just south of Lubec on the coast of Maine that will be my first destination after coming back to the US, so I can't go all the way to Bar Harbor to clear in there. That just leaves me with Lubec, but getting up and around Campobello Island to access the customs office in Lubec. If NEXUS would allow me to go straight to my destination and call from there it would be a huge advantage. The research continues...

I'm aware of the tides and I take them very seriously. I am thinking my trip from NS back to Maine will have me stopping in Yarmouth and North Head, Grand Manan. I'm still trying to decide whether an additional stop at either Brier Island or Tiverton will simplify or complicate things overall. Your opinions are greatly appreciated.

[alctel]

Originally Posted by Safari38LH

I would look into the Small Vessel Reporting System (SVRS). We have used it every year for the past 5 years and its very easy.

https://svrs.cbp.dhs.gov/Default.aspx

Yeah, I use this as well. Works well and saves me having to divert to a customs port on the way to the San Juans (you'll need a cruising license though also. Maybe a customs decal but it seems to go back and forth on if you'll need one or not)

I don't bother with CANPASS as the customs dock is right next to my slip and it costs money.

[deblen]

Originally Posted by OrangeCrush

Thanks, my plan is to head east along the coast at least as far as Liscomb area in a few big chunks before doubling back and exploring things more carefully on my way back towards the US. Shelburne looks well situated for me, as does Lockeport. Just to be clear, no matter what status I have I need to report to a Telephone Reporting Station? I went to Grand Manan in my last boat and they cleared us in over a call from my cell phone. I guess that is a telephone reporting station anyway even though I didn't use their phone.

My family has a cabin just south of Lubec on the coast of Maine that will be my first destination after coming back to the US, so I can't go all the way to Bar Harbor to clear in there. That just leaves me with Lubec, but getting up and around Campobello Island to access the customs office in Lubec. If NEXUS would allow me to go straight to my destination and call from there it would be a huge advantage. The research continues...

I'm aware of the tides and I take them very seriously. I am thinking my trip from NS back to Maine will have me stopping in Yarmouth and North Head, Grand Manan. I'm still trying to decide whether an additional stop at either Brier Island or Tiverton will simplify or complicate things overall. Your opinions are greatly appreciated.

Yarmouth,N.S.-Grand Manan:
You might consider Seal Cove,GM instead of N.Head. The SC harbour has been greatly expanded.
There is blasting going on @ N. Head to expand the berthage & it is more congested than usual,though the harbourmaster will cram you in somewhere if need be.
Grand Manan does'nt have a resident customs officer,so any port is OK to land at.Just phone the Can.Customs 1-800# to tell them you are coming.

Next day,you can sail from Seal Cove,down around Southwest Head & up the west side of GM to clear at Eastport or Lubec via Head Harbour,Campobello.

Len

Edit: I don't know your mast height but there is 40 some ft clearance under Lubec Narrows bridge. I wouldn't try it with the tide running very hard in plodding sailboat,but slack,or near slack (< 3kts) would be do able

[Symphony]

Originally Posted by Safari38LH

I would look into the Small Vessel Reporting System (SVRS). We have used it every year for the past 5 years and its very easy.

https://svrs.cbp.dhs.gov/Default.aspx

thanks, Safari! You just saved me a bunch of time on my next re-entry to the US. The Customs Bureau SVRS site is really well designed, easy to sign up for the interview. Free too.

I wish my state DMV would run even 1% as well as this SVRS process.

[Ziggy]

Originally Posted by Safari38LH

I would look into the Small Vessel Reporting System (SVRS). We have used it every year for the past 5 years and its very easy.

https://svrs.cbp.dhs.gov/Default.aspx

SVRS is a U.S. system, so it doesn't do much when entering Canada. In my personal experience, it didn't do much when entering the U.S. in Eastport, ME in 2015, either. Even though I scrupulously followed the SVRS procedure, filing a float plan and calling in, I was told to wait for the CBP officer to drive from Lubec to Eastport (it's a long drive, and the Eastport office was closed on Mondays). When I asked the officer about SVRS, he told me that they don't really pay attention to it. Perhaps they fixed the process since then. However, even if the system works as intended, it's not guaranteed that they will allow you to check in by phone, and you still need to go to one of the official ports of entry.

Another problem with SVRS is that if your passport expires, and you want to update your profile with the new number, you have to go in person to the CBP office, as there is no way to do it on-line.

[CaptTom]

Originally Posted by Ziggy

SVRS is a U.S. system, so it doesn't do much when entering Canada. In my personal experience, it didn't do much when entering the U.S. in Eastport, ME in 2015, either. Even though I scrupulously followed the SVRS procedure, filing a float plan and calling in, I was told to wait for the CBP officer to drive from Lubec to Eastport (it's a long drive, and the Eastport office was closed on Mondays). When I asked the officer about SVRS, he told me that they don't really pay attention to it. Perhaps they fixed the process since then. However, even if the system works as intended, it's not guaranteed that they will allow you to check in by phone, and you still need to go to one of the official ports of entry.

Ditto all of the above about SVRS. Same experience at Eastport. Had to steam back to Lubec to clear in.

Also, when we showed up for our interview at the date and time we'd signed up for on line, the office didn't even know we were coming. They made some disparaging comments about the folks in Washington who set that whole system up, and grudgingly did the paperwork, even though they were apparently not staffed to do interviews at that time.

The officer also told us that it would be ignored in Eastport, Lubec or anywhere else, since we'd be entering in a different port than where we did the interview. He was correct. He left us with the distinct impression that the rank-and-file customs folks generally ignore the whole SVRS system.

[Symphony]

Hey Capt Tom and Ziggy,
When did you have this trouble with svrs?

Has anyone done this in Baltimore? I am on a delivery to Baltimore, importing a foreign purchased boat.

Crew is 2 Americans, and crickey, an Australian. I guess I must bring the Aussie to the airport for immigration?

[OrangeCrush]

There doesn't seem to be an SVRS interview location anywhere near NYC. I'd have to drive to New Haven for the interview. And it sounds like then I would still most likely be required to report to Lubec anyway so I'm not sure it would really save me that much trouble.

On my last boat, we were poorly informed by the fishermen in Cutler that CBP was able to clear us in there. When I called from Grand Manan a day before coming back, CBP told me no way, absolutely not, and I had to go to Lubec.

My last boat had no problem getting under the bridge at high slack, although we did miss it by a half hour or so because of customs delays and ended up going through with a pretty strong current. My new boat has a 57' mast so we would only fit under at low slack, but I don't think that is viable. So we'll be heading back north to the Head Harbor passage and then back down to the Grand Manan Channel between Lubec and Cutler If we could clear in at Cutler it would potentially save us two whole days and a lot of motoring, but it doesn't sound too likely.

[CaptTom]

Originally Posted by Symphony

Hey Capt Tom and Ziggy,
When did you have this trouble with svrs?

Last year.

As for clearing in, technically, you have 24 hours, so I wonder if you could spend the night in Cutler or Roque and still make Bar Harbor before you turned into a pumpkin (or whatever happens.) Haven't tried, just a thought.

One last thing, check with Grand Manan harbormasters before adding that to your schedule. We'd heard the same thing about great new facilities at Seal Cove, but when we got there last August all the boats from the other two harbors were there, as those harbors were being dredged and re-built. The harbormaster said there was no way she could find us a spot, and we ended up heading up to Lubec.

[Ziggy]

Originally Posted by Symphony

Hey Capt Tom and Ziggy,
When did you have this trouble with svrs?

Has anyone done this in Baltimore? I am on a delivery to Baltimore, importing a foreign purchased boat.

Crew is 2 Americans, and crickey, an Australian. I guess I must bring the Aussie to the airport for immigration?

My last attempt was in 2015. I thought things might have improved, but based on Capt Tom's experience, maybe not. It's possible that the Baltimore office pays more attention to SVRS than Lubec. However, even if the system works perfectly as intended, the benefits seem minor at best--perhaps somewhat higher probability that CBP would check you in by phone, but it's not guaranteed. I'm almost 100% sure that with a crew that doesn't have either U.S. or Canadian passports or permanent resident visas, you'd be subject to in person inspection regardless.

I'm not absolutely sure, but I think your Aussie should be able to clear immigration at any official port of entry.