International Border Incident

[seadrift]

Incident update.
My original post referred to the Thousand Islands in the upper St Lawrence, where the border zig-zags between islands and is crossed by hundreds of small craft during a summer weekend.

I have since found this reference:
Anglers caught in Canada's border crackdown | Bassmaster
which includes the following:

"Here’s what Chris Kealey, spokesperson for Canadian Border Services Agency’s Northern Ontario Region, told Bassmaster.com:

“These rules have not changed. If you are entering Canadian waters by boat and you drop anchor or go to shore to refuel, lunch or shop, you must report to Canada border services. It’s the same for Canadians going into U.S. waters.

“However, there is an exception that states if you are in transit from one location in U.S. waters to another in U.S. waters and pass through Canadian waters temporarily, that is permitted without reporting in to CBSA. And we also recognize that, in some areas, navigation into Canadian waters may be necessary for safe passage. In the Thousand Islands, for example, you might travel into Canada to avoid islands and shoals in many areas on the U.S. side, and that’s no problem.”

Captain Rick Unger, president of the Lake Erie Charterboat Association, said that he had never had an issue in many decades of taking anglers into Canadian waters to fish for walleyes, nor had he heard of any other skippers who had run afoul of CBSA — until the Andersen case.

“This is a big issue for us, naturally, so I tried to run it down,” Unger said. “I called the CBSA’s CANPASS remote reporting number and got hold of the Windsor office, and the officer in charge there told me flat out that word had come down from the top last week that they were not going to require U.S. boaters and fishermen to report unless they anchor or go ashore, period. I called back the next day, got another officer, and got the same answer. So, the members of our association are proceeding on that, (and we’re) fishing as we always have without reporting on trips that go straight out and straight back to U.S. ports.”

Chris Kealey of CBSA agrees: “We understand that boaters may not even know when they cross the border at times; in general, our enforcement people are not going to arrest and fine fishermen who do not attempt to anchor or land. However, if you have doubts, you can call 888-226-7277 anywhere along the Canadian/U.S. border to report in,” Kealey told BASS Times."

[Piglet]

THIS MEANS WAR!!!!!

eh, ...

[zeehag]

i KNEW it was dangerous to cruise northward.....

[avb3]

[QUOTE=perchance;740029]

Why not come up and visit Canada and judge for yourself. Bring your guns at your own peril.

U.S. citizens have no problem bring rifles and shotguns to Canada, however, handguns are not allowed.

I have many friends who come hunting here in the fall from the States with no issues. Some of them have very nice guns

[avb3]

Originally Posted by Unicorn Dreams

So they are upset that they crossed 1/4 mile into Canadian waters. Looked all over my Canadian charts, didn't find one P.O.E. at the water boundaries.

I suspect it was the fact they were fishing which caused the incident.

[zeehag]

guns may be ok, but how about louisville slugger gaffs???? i may be outlawed.....

[avb3]

Originally Posted by zeehag

guns may be ok, but how about louisville slugger gaffs???? i may be outlawed.....

We like baseball too here! And your right... YOU may be outlawed, but your bat... it's OK

[rolandgilbert99]

One of the difficulty I find as a Canadian boater is that once we cross the border to the US, the rules change depending on who last you talked to. I have the NEXXUS card, which allows me to cross the border and report by phone to the US, and this facilitates the crossing of the border on Lake Ontario, dropping the anchor and obtaining 72 hours before I have to report again. On Lake Champlain, this is a different story, same state (NY), different rules, most canadian boats sail all summer freely with just a decal. Cruising south is even more confusing, once you have your Cruising Permit, you have to report to an "official port of entry" for which a list is not provided when you enter the US. Now if you intend to cruise for over 90 days in some states, you have to pay some taxes, but you cannot find out how much and where to pay until they catch you not having paid the said tax! My God! What a mess! It would be nice to have all the rules on a small brochure explaining how to enter the US, what is required for short trips, anchoring, long trips, where to report, what to report, etc. Some US troopers have ways to interpret the rules, which differ from one place to an other!

[capn_billl]

Originally Posted by rolandgilbert99

One of the difficulty I find as a Canadian boater is that once we cross the border to the US, the rules change depending on who last you talked to. I have the NEXXUS card, which allows me to cross the border and report by phone to the US, and this facilitates the crossing of the border on Lake Ontario, dropping the anchor and obtaining 72 hours before I have to report again. On Lake Champlain, this is a different story, same state (NY), different rules, most canadian boats sail all summer freely with just a decal. Cruising south is even more confusing, once you have your Cruising Permit, you have to report to an "official port of entry" for which a list is not provided when you enter the US. Now if you intend to cruise for over 90 days in some states, you have to pay some taxes, but you cannot find out how much and where to pay until they catch you not having paid the said tax! My God! What a mess! It would be nice to have all the rules on a small brochure explaining how to enter the US, what is required for short trips, anchoring, long trips, where to report, what to report, etc. Some US troopers have ways to interpret the rules, which differ from one place to an other!

Welcome to the US. I've lived here all my life as a citizen, and still run afoul of differences between different states laws. Every state has it's own set of laws, (some states better than others).

Sometimes laws are enforced, (with fines), depending on results of last election, or amount of money left in budget.

Hopefully someday we can standardize, (or eliminate), some of the confusing laws that were inacted in a hurry after 911, most without proper debate, or review.

I grew up near the US/Canadian border, most of it unguarded, a simple phone call to the country know you were in, or back was plenty in those days. Things are very different now, I hope they go back to that way some day.

[sailcruiser]

Hi all, this thread gave me pause. I'm traveling down from Lake Huron heading to Lake Erie. As I understood it if I stopped to dock I call in? (or fuel etc). Or do I need to call in prior to arriving as I cross into Canadian water? We will have passports and no firearms or unusual items. I'm one to not push the limits of a law.

Thanks, SC

[rolandgilbert99]

Most ports of entry are marked in Canada with signs to report to customs. Some public phones have the number where to call displayed on them when you enter areas mostly accessed by US boaters. Make sure you call within the next hour you have landed, otherwise they may not like it.

[S/V Alchemy]

Originally Posted by sck5

I live in upstate NY and have crossed over to Canada and back numerous times. Before 9/11 it was virtually painless in both directions with the Canadians caring whether you were bringing in guns and the US seemingly more interested in what unprocessed agricultural products you might be carrying. Both sets of authorities always took my word for it.

After 9/11 it got ridiculously difficult with long lines at the border and US officials giving everyone a very hard time, with the new rule requiring a passport from everyone causing a lot of grief for both Canadians and US citizens because we used to be able to cross with only a drivers license. Anything the Canadians have done in response is only a shadow of what the US still requires. If all they want is a phone call (and that really is all they want) you are a fool if you dont do it. In all the countries I have sailed to there isnt anywhere that is as easy to enter for a US flagged boat as Canada. It is much easier going there than coming back here.

Thank you for stating this. It encapsulates both my understanding of the current situation and why I decline to enter U.S. waters, because I don't wish to be subject to what is laughingly termed "security concerns".

Ironically, the uptick in Canadian "security concerns" has been driven in part from American pressure to "beef up" our side of the fence, despite a fair bit of evidence that most of the drugs and illegals come from Mexico and most of the "terrorists" come via JFK airport.

I can't remember the last time an international arms dealer used a C&C 36 to run anti-tank weapons into Oswego, NY.

[S/V Alchemy]

Originally Posted by capn_billl

Things are very different now, I hope they go back to that way some day.

Don't count on it.

Pork barrel money for "security" firms will be one of the very last expeditures cut by the U.S. government, and the profits of staffing border crossings and airports with $11/hour staff of low-calibre lumpenproles who for the most part failed the test for mall cop (but who do a mean pat down of a six-year-old) is simply too lucrative to dismantle.

Add to that expensive sniffer dog teams, high-tech scanners, and the money to be made at airport shops after they pour out your eight ounce bottle of shampoo for being terroristic, and the odds of the American security apparatus being throttled back are effectively zero.

Hell, they are the only people hiring!

[redcobra]

Originally Posted by S/V Alchemy

Thank you for stating this. It encapsulates both my understanding of the current situation and why I decline to enter U.S. waters, because I don't wish to be subject to what is laughingly termed "security concerns".

Ironically, the uptick in Canadian "security concerns" has been driven in part from American pressure to "beef up" our side of the fence, despite a fair bit of evidence that most of the drugs and illegals come from Mexico and most of the "terrorists" come via JFK airport.

I can't remember the last time an international arms dealer used a C&C 36 to run anti-tank weapons into Oswego, NY.

I can't remember the last time terrorists tried to attack or attacked Canada.

[svcambria]

Originally Posted by redcobra

I can't remember the last time terrorists tried to attack or attacked Canada.

1812. It was in all the papers...

Michael