US and Canadian Customs and Border Patrol
I am no expert on dealing with US Customs but I will share my personal experiences with you. I have crossed into Canada and back by boat to the USA on four occasions. You do not have to check out of the USA to go to Canada and you do not have to check out of Canada to go back to the USA. You must check in with Canadian Customs when you enter Canada and you must check in with US Customs when you renter the USA from Canada.
The first time I went to Canada on my 39′ sailboat Blue Heaven I could not find any information regarding whether or not a boater needs to clear out of the USA. Erring on the side of caution I decided to stop at the US Customs agency on Drummond Island in Lake Huron. We pulled up to the dock at the Drummond Island Marina. A US customs agent met us immediately. I mentioned that we were a US boat planning on entering Canada the next day and had a few questions. The customs agent informed us that the only person that would be asking questions would be him. After confirming we were not transporting contraband or illegal aliens out of the country we were finally able to ask the one question we had which was do we need to check out of the USA. The answer was no, you do not have to check out of the USA. My previous experience with customs officials had been in the Caribbean where it was required to check in and out with the Customs Department on each island.
We entered Canada and cleared customs at Meldrum Bay. The process to enter Canada is very simple. The captain takes all the passports to a phone booth at the Meldrum Bay Marina. There is a black telephone with no dial. Pick up the phone and a pleasant Canadian agent asks how did you enter Canada by plane, automobile or boat and where are you entering? They ask for the names and passport numbers of each crew member as well as the boat name and registration number. You also need to declare how much alcohol you have on board. The non taxed amount is 24 cans of beer or one bottle of spirits or wine per person. It is best to have an exact count. I have heard stories where boaters tried to give an estimate and were told to go back to the boat and make an exact inventory. Each time I gave an inventory amount that was over the allowable amount and expected to be asked for a credit card to pay the duty. I do not know what the upper limit is but we never had to pay duty. On the other hand I have heard stories of US boats not declaring their full liquor inventory and bragging about it on VHF. Guess what? Canadian Customs monitors VHF radio transmissions. The perpetrator was fined and banned from entering Canada ever again. Honesty is the best policy even if Canadian liquor costs three times as much as in the US. Once you have provided the crew and liquor details the customs agent says write down this number and tape it to a window on the boat.
The harbor master in Meldrum Bay is Peggy. She is a wonderfully helpful person. The highlight of your visit to Meldrum Bay is to have dinner at the Meldrum Bay Inn and enjoy the bumbleberry pie.
The following year when entered Canada the customs official asked for the boat registration number. Upon receiving the information the customs agent said welcome back Mr. Simons. Do you have the crew crew as last year. I advised that I did and that was it.
While in Canada you should fly a Canadian courtesy flag at a height above your American flag.
Reentering the USA is a bit more challenging. Depending on where you renter you may have the option of using a camera phone or a staffed customs station. As mentioned, Drummond Island has a staffed customs agency. Read your cruising guide for details. Basically you call the marina and request dockage to clear customs.
Your other choice is to go to Mackinac Island and use the US Customs camera phone at the marina office to check in. I have also used the camera phone at Cedar Point amusement part in Sandusky, Ohio. It is located just past Fast Freddies restaurant across from the rest rooms.
Assemble your crew in front of the camera phone with their passports. Lift the phone off the cradle and press the button. A US customs agent will answer and start asking the questions. Once satisfied that you are not a threat to national security each crew member must stand in front of the camera phone and hold their passport photo in view to confirm who they are. Then you will be asked for your decal number. Decal number, what decal number? We don’t need no stinkin’ decal. Oh yes you do. As it turns out all pleasure craft over 30′ in length are required to have a US Customs decal to reenter the country. If you do not have a decal you can pay by credit card over the camera phone. The decal costs $27.50 and will arrive at your home in 4-6 weeks and will expire before you need it again. I suggest you purchase your US Customs decal before you cross over to another country. Details are provided below.
Each time we have returned to the US from Canada we are the only boat in sight for the entire return passage. The thought always comes up – how does anyone know we were out of the country? We are in amongst a bunch other boats now. In this day and age of black helicopters and drones, I am not taking any chances. Your boat can be confiscated and I am am sure a bunch of mid evil style horror will come your way if caught. My brother was a police captain and explained that the “system” is designed to screw with you and make you miserable so you won’t want the law to touch you again. There is a reason it is not easy if you get caught .
Decal Information
https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/list/search/1/kw/BOAT%20DECALS/…/1
Decals are stickers that are placed on all private aircraft and private vessels (30 feet or more in length) as proof that the User Fee for entry into the U.S. has been paid for the calendar year. Any arriving vessel or aircraft that does not have an annual decal is required to pay a non-refundable per arrival User Fee of $27.50, and complete an application, which will be forwarded to the processing center. The application will be processed, and a decal will be mailed from the processing center.
Placement of Decals – Private Aircraft or Private Vessels
The User Fee decal for private aircraft and private vessels is to be affixed on the outside of the conveyance within 18 inches of the normal boarding area, where it is visible when doors/hatches are open. If difficulty is experienced in removing the decal backing, move your thumb repeatedly across a corner of the decal. Attempt each corner.