Minx,

How's everything going! I have been digging through this a little more and have some connections with customs that I will be talking to next week to get the details. Bottom line this is an old regulation that was just loosely enforced. This is from the official statement by both the US and Canadian officials

"only exception, according to the State Department, is for boaters traveling through Canadian waters from one U.S. point to another, and without stopping along the way.

In replying to questions about the issue, the State Department and the Canada Border Services Agency each forwarded a document outlining the Canadian policy, spelling out what sorts of trips do not require reporting.

"In-transit movement must be continuous, uninterrupted and without delays or stop-overs. Such movement could be for reasons of the shortest route, requirement of deep waters, evading obstacles such as bridges, etc.," the document states

So Minx. Say I am coming down the channel from my place and near Singer castle I decide to take the Canadian Channel to Potters vs the US main shipping channel. As long as I don't stop and am going directly to a US stop via Canadian water should be no problem.

MIlander--where you located near up on the river

I just read that you need a passport to enter Canada now.... "Enhanced" NY Drivers license is no longer acceptable as of 07/01/2011?

GRH where did you read that? Find that one a little harder to believe but I cannot say for certain as I have been using my Nexus for years now and wont go back with the the flexibility it gives me as long as the program stays active

What if you just want to cruise from your place to Kingston and back to your place? Basically, just take a ride around and look at the sights, is this legal?

Ken

So THAT is what I am going to start digging into....according to what I am reading it doesn't seem you can, but technically you are staying underway, going to and ending in a US point, not going to Canada or stopping in Canadian waters etc. My gut is telling me that as long as you keep moving you should be fine but it goes back to how they want to enforce that regulation. So case in point I took a cruise over to Brockville cruised the harbor without intent to get out never stopped turned around and went back out and back to the US. Technically I could guess I could get nabbed but I would need to get a copy of that document that outlines the "etc" from that article.

At the Post Office while applying for a passport.....

Not according to my custom's agent she said all of your info is on the enhanced license .

I'm sure nobody is going to get there azz handed to them for doing there job !!!!! And I can tell you that this happens on both sides of the border, and the US Border Patrol are not as nice about it as Canada Customs is . Just so you know !

I have boated both sides of the border in these waters for 20 years without incident. doing your job is one thing but harassing some poor guy out fishing seems unreasonable despite what the letter of the law may say and can only lead to retaliation and problems for us all