Canada-U.S. Border

Today took two yachts up canal.
One was a 70' yachts with two males and two females on board delivery crew customs was not happy with the number of persons on board.
The captain explained to customs that on a boat that size he required the crew to transit the Erie Canal.
The captain had completed custom forums and gave them 48 hours notice of there arrival at canal they were cleared to go.
My other boat a new Viking the owner stopped in Wilson NY last night for delivery crew to take over boat and this morning owner drove to Buffalo to wait for his boat.
When boat arrived this morning at canal he called Customs and they came to boat. Custom was not happy with them as he never completed Pre Arrival Customs forums. They told captain that he could send him back to Wilson NY because he did not fill out forums but they did them at the dock and let him go.
There was four other yachts that started up before us and I new one of the Captains so I text him to see what he did.
All he did was called Customs when he was an hour from canal and customs came to boat and cleared him and he never filled out and pre arrival forums.
To night Captain J Yacht Forum Member arrived in Port Colborne and called me and said he was already for the morning and was cleared by customs will ask him tomorrow what he did for Customs.
I had a owner operator that was going to try and go through this week end but now has decided to hire a delivery crew and they can not be on boat.
So tonight I still can not answer the correct information on transiting the Welland Canal but I do no that Captains that filled out the pre arrival forums have had no problems.
will try and attach the forums.
As I no there are a few member heading for canal I would appreciate my name not to be mentioned to Customs or any of the above information as I have to deal with them daily.

2
Intention of arrival:
Repositioning pleasure craft vessel:
Commercial Importation:
Crew List:
Master:
Last Name: _________________________________________________________________
First Name: _________________________________________________________________
Date of Birth: ________________________________________________________________
Country of Citizenship: ________________________________________________________
Passenger 1:
Last Name: _________________________________________________________________
First Name: _________________________________________________________________
Date of Birth: ________________________________________________________________
Country of Citizenship: ________________________________________________________
Passenger 2:
Last Name: _________________________________________________________________
First Name: _________________________________________________________________
Date of Birth: ________________________________________________________________
Country of Citizenship: ________________________________________________________
Notes: (Additional passen

Vessel Identity:
Vessel Name: _______________________________________________________________
Owner: _____________________________________________________________________
*Owner’s phone number: ____________________________________________________*
Vessel Registration Number:____________________________________________________
Country of origin: _____________________________________________________________
Arrival Information:
Date of Arrival: _______________________________________________________________
Port of Arrival (requested reporting site): ___________________________________________
Last port of call (departure location): ______________________________________________
Number of Passengers (including Master):_________________________________________

CBSA certainly are not making things easy , nor are they consistent.

But notice a common theme..."Not too happy" but even then they let them remedy the situation or they accepted it and let them through. Still seems that as long as it's a delivery crew and you fill out the forms and call, you'll get through, but if they suspect you of being an owner and family or guests, you're likely not going to.

Canada Border Services Agency
Southern Ontario Region
Vessel Pre Arrival Notification – Repositioning and Commercial Arrivals
Private boat owners whose vessels are stored in Canada or the United States (US), may hire
on contract a foreign national or a Canadian vessel skipper/captain to retrieve their vessel from
storage and reposition the vessel across the border.
Vessel repositioning and vessel commercial importation are considered authorized commercial
movements. Upon receipt of the completed Pre Arrival Notification Form to mailbox
CBSA-ASFC-SOR-RegionalPrograms@cbsa-asfc.gc.ca, a CBSA representative will be in
contact within 48 hours to coordinate arrangements for repositioning and/or commercial
importation.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Vessel repositioning and/or commercial importation is not to be
arranged prior to being contacted by a CBSA representative from the responsible port of
entry. It is only once a CBSA representative has made contact with the client, that a date, hour
and location will be confirmed.
Please include a scanned copy of the employment agreement to perform the cross border
movement by a hired Master/

Rodger - Sorry to say I'm not in your neck-of-the-woods nor have plans to be in the immediate future, but your posts must be invaluable to many YF members. I read every post you make and am always appreciative of your inside knowledge and your generosity in sharing. You are what makes YF a boating family.

Judy

I have met with Roger, used his advice and had him aboard for transiting the canal, and I second everything you say. He even hooked me up with a really good hamburger at a really good pub and a trip to the local Walmart to get a pin for my watch. He's Johnny on the spot for any help needed and a wealth of local knowledge and regs.

x2 for Roger. Thanks!!

American and Canadian Border closed again until September 21/20

https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/can...gain-amid-tension-over-restrictions-1.5064424

An extension from August 21 to September 21. So around September 14, we can look for another extension.

Unless thing here change drastically which is not likely. With the start of flu season coming soon I'd guess that most expect the ban on Americans to last into next spring, but they're giving us a month by month chance to fix our situation as they have.

This week end is the annual Port Huron Float Down
https://www.detroitnews.com/story/n...ron-float-down-750000-dollar-fine/5581479002/

That is one of the prettiest places I've cruised though, and that sounds like a ton of fun (except for the foolishness of no PFDs and alcohol, and now the Covid 19). If the Covid 19 didn't scare me enough, which it would, the "$750,000 fine and/or imprisonment of up to six months" and the certainty of it happening in the Mounty's words sure would keep me home this year.

Canadian tour boats entering US waters
https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/canada-u-s-border-tour-boats-covid-19-1.5685469

Governments love 'one size fits all' rules and laws. Makes life so easy for Bureaucrats. Not so good for individuals but they don't care. Let's them say 'Don't blame me. Call your legislator (who will probably ignore you). A lot of businesses operate the same way today so bodies are interchangeable, preferably with robots. No thinking or taking responsibility required. It's a quest for mediocracy. I never did well with those types. We had a lot of that back in the 1950's with the gray flannel suit crowd. Soundly rejected in the 1960's, but it's back a hundredfold. 1984.
Maybe if the tour operators pay off some politicians someone may think. Otherwise I wouldn't be too optimistic.

Your post is an example of "one size fits all."

Americans not allowed to travel into Canada, except for Alaska property owners and Stanley Cup players. How's that working out?

Had guy from Detroit bought a boat in Rochester show up at canal this morning in a 36' Sea Ray with owner and his wife and a Captain ans his wife and were denied entry to Canada.
I suggested that he return to Wilson NY and look into taking boat by truck to Buffalo.
Will see what happens.

I think that reinforces that they'll let a paid delivery crew do their job, but won't let owners or guests through.