Canada-U.S. Border

Good letter, but it won't do any good. Trudeau govt is steadfast in the direction they are heading.
Recreational boat owners are NON ESSENTIAL. Now, if you were a commercial trucker or fisherman - that's ESSENTIAL. Get it yet? The reason Canada has so few deaths (9054 this morning) is because they closed their borders and airspace to NON ESSENTIAL travel.

As an example a woman who owns a newspaper in Skagway, Alaska was denied entry because her travel was deemed non essential. https://www.ktoo.org/2020/08/17/a-s...-agents-deemed-her-return-home-non-essential/ The Canadian border guards are right.

Maybe you can play in Canada next year................

American driving through Canada
https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a33839625/american-driving-canada-coronavirus/

Good

It was announced Friday that the Canadian border restrictions have been extended through at least October 21 and most likely past that.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...ump-says-it-opening-pretty-soon-idUSKBN26932F

We made our way thru to Detroit and back to St John's. Now on the way to Godthab. But like most non American flagged ships, had zero problems.

EU removes Canadians from list of approved travelers because of COVID-19. In July, the EU set up a so-called white list of countries whose citizens would be allowed access for non-essential travel. Canada had been on the approved "white" list from Day 1, along with 14 other countries. According to Reuters, Bloomberg and other reports, they have decided to remove three countries Canada, Tunisia and Georgia while adding Singapore to the approved travel list. After the changes, the white list consists of nine countries: Australia, China, Japan, New Zealand, Rwanda, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand and Uruguay. https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/eu-travel-canada-1.5770782

Understandable but shameful (and costly) that the U.S. isn't on that approved list.

Well makes no sense any which way you look at it. Border is closed until late November.
Might as well be for all of next year to.
We're heading south to Cape Town.

Good choice - summer in down here is great.
Just be mindful that South Africa is also not allowing travellers from all countries incl some North American and European countries so you might want to consider your ports of call along the route. Official details here: https://www.gov.za/covid-19/individuals-and-households/travel-coronavirus-covid-19

Thanks. We are not on that list. We don't need to stop, except to release our tow at Ascension Island. Then we are free to travel. I used to live in Cape Town a number of years back - when they had water.

Ha, the water problem is over (dams overflowing now) but the electricity is still intermittent.

Many Canadian yacht owners in Windsor Ontario area store their boats on the American side of Detroit River.
With Covid - 19 this spring they had to hire American delivery captains to return their boats to Canada.
The captain had to fill out forums for Canada Customs and prearrange a meeting time at a Canadian Marina to return boat to Canada.
The captain would use a American chase boat to follow him then after boat delivery they would return to the American side.
Now is the time to return the boats for winter storage but the American captains have been told they must apply for a Canadian Work Permit to enter Canada to pick up boats.
Canada Customs is now in the process of preparing a list of Canadian captains to do the work.
I have had a few calls yesterday from US captains who were contracted to do the jobs waiting to see what will happen.

This is my backyard.
This has been a known issue for a couple of months. Fortunately a new heated facility opened recently on the Cdn side so many have simply relocated their boats to this location .
Seems everything is subject to the wind direction .

I know of a few boaters that spoke with Canadian customs and were told its better to ask for forgiveness than permission...the American captains came and took their boats stateside with a stern talking from the Canadians. Its all unchartered waters, same as when they delivered them, some guys did a switch in the middle of the lake others took them to marinas prearranged with customs. I did witness one Canadian couple that brought their boat across from storage themselves and the Canadian customs met them at the dock, they had to self isolate for 14 days on board as they live on their boat during the summer I think it was a 57' Navigator.

Forgot to mention I heard of a new boat delivery in our area were an American captain had to seek safe refugee at the new Canadian owners marina because of engine troubles wink wink. That was early on during the lockdown when nobody really new the what rules applied!

Another way for Canadian Snow Birds to get to Florida for the winter.
https://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca...da-with-their-cars-despite-closed-border.html

Try this

Canadian snowbirds find creative way to get to Florida — with their cars — despite closed border
DQ
By Douglas QuanVancouver Bureau
Tue., Nov. 10, 2020timer4 min. read

updateArticle was updated 4 hrs ago


Up until a few weeks ago, Canadian snowbird Diane Rood and her husband, Theo, weren’t sure if they were going to be able to make it to their winter getaway in Florida this year, given the COVID-19-related restrictions on crossing the border by car.

“I have arthritis. The thought of staying in Canada with our cold, damp weather just seemed inconceivable,” she said.

The couple from Lambton Shores, Ont., who always drive to Florida, contemplated taking a commercial flight. But that would mean not having a vehicle when they arrived. Plus, they’d have to leave their beloved black Labrador, Abby, behind.


After listening to his mother’s gripes, Jeremy Rood, a helicopter pilot with Great Lakes Helicopter in Cambridge, Ont., got in touch with a friend, Greg McClay, who operates a commercial trucking business, GRM Transportation, out of Dorchester, Ont. It turned out his grandparents were facing the same dilemma.

After some brainstorming, they came up with a solution.

McClay would take snowbirds’ personal vehicles across the border on his flatbed truck to the Buffalo airport, while Rood would transport the cars’ owners — plus any pets — over the border in his helicopter to the same airport. Once landed, the owners could just get in their vehicles and be on their way, making the roughly 2,000-kilometre drive to Florida.

“This solved all of our problems,” Rood’s mother said Monday.


“It went as smooth as silk. … Within minutes, we were out of the helicopter and at our car.”

Since advertising their solution on the Canadian Snowbirds in Florida Facebook group recently, Rood and McClay say they’ve received hundreds of inquiries. They’ve already done a handful of trips and, as of Monday afternoon, had an additional 35 to 40 trips booked.

“It’s been an exceptional year. We have a roadblock that’s been put in place. But there’s a way around it. We’re doing this to get people down there, so they can enjoy and be healthier. That makes me happy,” Rood said.

“It’s not a loophole,” he added. “We’re just operating within the means of the system.”

Rood said he checked with U.S. authorities beforehand to make sure everything was legal.

“It’s completely permissible,” he said. “The Americans welcome us with smiles. … They’re happy to have us.”

Asked for comment, U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesperson Jason Givens told the Star to review the U.S. travel restrictions.

Those regulations currently restrict entry into the U.S. via the land border to people engaged in “essential travel.” That includes those in need of medical treatment, going to school or work in the U.S., public health workers, truck drivers and military families.

“Essential travel does not include tourism purposes, such as sightseeing, recreation, gambling, or attending cultural events.”

The current restrictions are in place until at least Nov. 21.


After the Star pressed for a more direct answer, a U.S. customs official replied: “If a Canadian’s vehicle is legitimately imported to the U.S. and the Canadian flies in, that is not considered a violation of the travel restrictions.”

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control did not respond to a request for comment. Representatives of the Canada Border Services Agency and the Public Health Agency of Canada referred inquiries to their U.S. counterparts.

Currently, Rood and McClay are charging their clients $1,900 — $1,200 for the helicopter flight and $700 for the ground transport. They currently fly from Hamilton to Buffalo but are looking to add another route from Windsor to Detroit.

“I bet you I got 200 phone calls in the first few days. It was so much to keep up with. I’m on the phone for five minutes and you get three other calls,” McClay said.

McClay said he can transport as many as three vehicles on his trailer at one time. Owners need to provide him with a detailed list of personal belongings they’ve packed in their vehicles to present to customs officers.

McClay said he’s also co-ordinated a few trips with another carrier, BlueStar Air Services, which takes snowbirds from London to Detroit.

Owner Ryan Charlton said he can take as many as six people at a time in his fixed-wing aircraft. He charges a flat rate of $2,500 for the flight.

“The (U.S.) customs people are very happy to see us. They say, ‘Enjoy our country and enjoy Florida.’ It’s kind of refreshing for these snowbirds, for sure.”

Because snowbirds tend to be older, they like the safety of travelling in a private plane, perhaps with a few close friends, and avoiding the congested airport terminals, he said.

“We’re just playing by the rules, right?” Charlton said. “Those are the rules. The land border is closed. You’re still allowed to fly. That’s not necessarily a loophole. That’s just what’s legal right now.”

Colleen Bobor of Stratford, Ont., said she doesn’t see any issues either.

She and her father, Grant Brunne of Beaverton, Ont., took one of Rood’s helicopter rides last Friday to Buffalo along with Brunne’s Shih Tzu, Mojo, and her Cockapoo, Buddy. It was their first time on a helicopter.

“My dad, it was a thrill for him. He was so excited,” Bobor said.

She said she was getting worried whether they would be able to make their annual trip this year to their place in Bonita Springs, Fla. There was no way her father would’ve flown without his dog, she said.

“It was wonderful. I can’t say enough good about it.”

Meanwhile, Diane Rood said she and her husband are isolating comfortably in their home in Cape Coral, Fla.

“I’m at my home. I’ve got my groceries. I’ve got my dog. I’m as happy as can be,” she said.

“We’re grateful to be here. It was so easy for us. No stress whatsoever.”