Welland Canal

M/V Heemskerkgracht up bound Welland Canal to day with a few yachts and some windmill blades.

If there are any Yacht Forum Members (owner operators) heading for Welland Canal you can call
Canada Customs 1 888 226 7277 and ask them about your trip, the number will work in the United States.
I do know of a Captain in Buffalo that will help them out, on a down bound trip he meets them in Buffalo and gives them his car and he takes boat down the canal to Youngstown NY and on up bound trip meets them in Youngstown NY and meets them in Buffalo.
He did his first trip today and every thing went good.
It is normally completed in one day.

This Sunday morning I have a US owner operator is going to try and transit the Welland Canal, it will be interesting to see if they let him go, as up to now it has been a no no.
This article is from Canada Customs Web Site
When you read this I can not see how they can refuse him
He bought boat in Rochester and taking home to Detroit.

• Measures you must follow when returning to Canada

Information for foreign boaters
Unless you are exempt, you cannot currently enter Canadian waters (territorial sea and internal waters) or boundary waters for discretionary (non-essential) reasons. These reasons include:

• touring
• sightseeing
• pleasure fishing

Consult Entry restrictions for more information.

Transiting boaters
You may still navigate through international or Canadian waters while in transit directly from one place outside Canada to another place outside Canada, if the transit is:

• direct
• continuous/uninterrupted
• by the most reasonable route

Transiting travellers may only make non-discretionary (essential) stops along the way, including to use facilities, refuel or for essential supplies.

You must follow social distancing practices and wear a non-medical mass or face covering during these stops.

Anchoring
You may stop and anchor out of ordinary navigation, particularly if it becomes dangerous to navigate at night or if the crew must rest before safely continuing your trip.

If you anchor to spend the night, you must quarantine on your boat. If this is not possible, you may quarantine at a hotel until you are ready to resume your trip.

Consult Quarantine requirement for more information.

Reporting requirements
If at any point a transiting vessel lands on Canadian soil, anchors, moors or comes alongside another vessel in Canadian waters, or if anyone onboard disembarks in Canada, the operator must report to the CBSA. All entry restrictions apply.

The CBSA and its law enforcement partners are actively monitoring Canadian waterways. If you fail to report to the CBSA, regardless if your purpose is non-discretionary (essential) such as to refuel, you may face severe penalties. Failure to report may also affect your immigration admissibility and ability to re-enter Canada in the futur

Had a quick six hour trip down canal today on a 56' Zeelander.
Now when you transit canal you have the same tie up crew for your whole trip which means you can be up to a half an hour waiting inside the lock with no lines or out side the lock until they drive to the next lock.
For some reason today they had extra tie crews at some of the locks.
I have about five more trips this season as the Erie Canal closes October 14/20 for the season.

Made my last trip for the season down the on Triton 95'
It has been an interesting season with American yachts this year.
In previous years when an American yacht arrived at canal all they had to do is call Canada Customs on their cell phone and report in which took only five to ten minutes. Ninety percent of the time you were issued a clearance number over the phone.
If they did not give clearance check over the phone then they would come to boat and inspect it and do an immigration check on crew through US Customs. Many times a crew member had DUI or other criminal charges then they were denied entry to Canada and the boat would have to return to the nearest American port and let crew member of and return to canal.
This year wit COVID-19 the captain has to fill out two customs forums crew list and crew contract and email to Canada Customs forty eight hours prior to arriving at canal and the owners can not be on boat.
The captain has to give Customs his arrival date and time and Customs would inspect all American boats.
There were a lot of crew denied entry this year because off all boats being inspected.
I had a boat that crew member had a DUI twenty two years ago so he had to purchase a three day trip permit for $ 200.00 to transit canal, that is the first time I have ever seen that.

On Wednesday the BBC Rio Grand loaded to American yachts in Sarina Ontario a 70' Pershing and a Sea Ray then she proceeded to the Welland Canal to load a 104' Ferretti Lady Breanna below lock one. She had to go out in to Lake Ontario and turn around and come back in to canal loading dock as her deck cranes were on her port side. She will be stopping in Newport then onto Fort Lauderdale.

The Pershing is not from Sarnia area it's from further north and it is American boat.

The Welland Canal closed today. They kept it open for an extra week as the weather has been mild and no ice yet.
It will reopen around March 25/21