Technically I believe you're supposed to have a station license for your VHF since you are operating in international waters. And you may need a radiotelephone operators license (what used to be called a Third Phone) but I'm not sure that's a requirement anymore. We go into Canada a fair amount and have never been asked for either one even though we have both of them.
I will make sure to have all of that and probably more.
You'll need a passport or enhanced drivers license for every person on board. If you want to clear into Canada and back into the US by phone you'll need a Nexus card for every person on the boat, guests included. They're something of a pain to get because you have to have a meeting in person and this can be a hassle to schedule if you're on the US side of the border. Good for five years, handy to have if you cross a lot by boat or car or both. We keep putting off getting one since there is a Canadian POE on our way to all the places we start out in BC so it's no big deal to swing in and clear in person. Same coming back--- Roche Harbor is not that far out of our way home most of the time.
Noted for future reference.
Canada will want the name of your boat, the names of everyone on board, maybe the documentation or registration number. We're on record with Canadian customs now and have been for many years. So when we clear they look up our boat name and then feed all our info to us before I have to. When we took the same guests into Canada last September that we'd taken in the previous September, when I told them the husband's name they fed me back the wife's name and both their passport numbers and that was the end of it. They don't ask us for the documentation or registration anymore but they may for a first-timer.
Noted for future reference.I will be a first timer.Plan to do it by boat.
They'll want to know if you have any firearms and there is a whole list of food items you can't bring into Canada They also have some pretty strict wine and alchohol limits so best to become familiar with the limitations on what you can take in. If you exceed them they can charge you duty. If you're bringing a gift of wine or whatever into the country to give to a friend, that counts toward your total limit (we found out the hard way last year). Beer also counts toward your limit (also learned the hard way).
Are flare guns considered firearms?No one in my family drinks.I am 8 years sober by choice and health issues.
If you have a pet they may or may not want to see proof of current vaccination. We carry copies of the relevant forms on the boat. But we've been going into Canada by car, floatplane, and boat for some 25 years now and we have been asked to show our dog's papers exactly once.
Good info.We currently have no pets but that could changing since we have two boys.
The most important rule is that how the rules are interpreted and enforced is totally up to the agent clearing you through. So you may be asked about one thing this time and not hear a peep about it next time.
Sometimes that can be a good thing.
It's been our experience in the car, plane, and boat that clearing customs back into the US is often a WAY bigger hassle than clearing into Canada.
Are you saying that Canadians are trying to keep Americans from leaving?:lol:
The PCOC has a grandfather clause that at the time they introduced the requirement excluded people over a certain age or something like that. In any event, when we looked into it the gummint told us we didn't need it so we took their advice and forgot about it. We have never been asked about it.
No matter what the requirements,I still plan to take the USCG aux classes.So I think i will be covered.Worst thing they can do is send me down the river.
