Customs Information

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• Passports and Alternative Documents
• Reporting
• Entering Canada
• Entering Canada at Victoria with Nor'Westing 2010
• Entering USA
• Entering USA at Friday Harbor with Nor'Westing 2010
• Restrictions

Passports - Valid US passports or approved substitutes (Enhanced Driver License, NEXUS, I-68) facilitate entry into Canada and and now are required upon return to the U.S. It is strongly recommended that you bring your US passports, otherwise re-entry into the US will be very difficult. Children traveling without both parents must have a certified letter from the non-traveling parent allowing the traveling parent (or grandparent) to take their children into Canada. Resident aliens must have valid papers to return to the U.S.

Alternative Documents - US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents allow boats in which all of the passengers have pre-approved boarder crossing documents to phone in for clearance. These documents are the I-68 and the NEXUS pass. While their initial cost is less than that of a 10 year passport, they tend to be used by frequent crossers of the US-Canada border. More information on the I-68 program can be found at http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/newsroom/news_releases/archives/2008_news_releases/june_2008/06102008_4.xml

Arrival Reporting - Unless all of the passengers on your boat have NEXUS or I-68 cards, you will be required to meet face-to-face with customs and immigrations personnel. To facilitate the clearance process, have at hand the following items for reference: passport for each person; the vessel registration number (WA license or USCG registration); its name; length; User Fee decal number (USA); full name and mailing address of each traveler; birthdate; citizenship; purpose and duration of stay; declarations of goods; and Canadian clearance number (when entering USA). Permanently record any clearance number given to you into the ship’s log.

The Master or the Master's designee may go ashore, but only to report the arrival to Customs, either in person or by telephone on the dock. Except to assist in making the boat fast to the wharf, no other person may get off of or leave the boat, and no other baggage or merchandise may be removed until the report of arrival has been made and release has been granted by a Customs Inspector. No one from your boat should make any personal contact (i.e., shaking hands with friends) with anyone else who is not on your boat, until clearance is granted. The U.S. penalty for failure to report is $5,000 for the first violation, and the boat may become subject to seizure and forfeiture.

All vessels with anything to declare, and all vessels 30 feet or more in length, have to pay an annual processing fee, at or before the first time of arrival into the U.S. during each calendar year. If you report by telephone, this matter may be accomplished by either credit card or a mail reply. Many charter boats will have this customs decal fee already paid.

Entering Canada with the Norwesting Cruise - The cruise has a special process as arranged by the Victoria office of the Canada Border Services Agency. Boats that have an operating cell phone can proceed directly to Causeway Floats and tie-up (with the assistance of the Docking Crew), then phone 1-888-226-7277 or 250-363-0222 for clearance. Once cleared, the passengers are free to disembark. If there is a need for a Customs Officer, one will be dispatched to the Floats. Boats without a working cell phone in Victoria Harbour must tie up to the Customs Dock just south of the Wharf Street Floats and do clearance with the on-dock phones. This special process is only effective between 1200 and 1600 on 07 September 2010. NOTE: The information in this section is subject to change.

Entering Canada - Persons entering Canada by boat have the option to use a pre-qualified NEXUS  pass, but you still must report to a Designated Reporting Station. Once docked at one, you communicate with a Revenue Canada Customs Office by telephone at 1-800-222-4919. Most of the reporting stations have a direct dial phone on the dock. Those persons who frequently enter Canada by private boat will find the NEXUS to be a great convenience because your boating information can be accessed by the customs officer. The following marinas serve as Designated Reporting Stations:

Victoria: Oak Bay Marina, RVYC Cadboro Bay, RVYC Tseum Harbor, Victoria Customs Dock
Sidney: Anglers Anchorage, Canoe Cove, Port of Sidney, Van Isle Marina
South Pender Island:  Bedwell Harbor (Summer)
 

Entering U.S. with the Norwesting Cruise - The US Customs and Border Protection office in Friday Harbor is aware of the fleet's arrival on Thursday, 10 September and will attempt to fully staff the Friday Harbor as well as the Roche Harbor out-station office. Boats that do not have all passengers carrying a current I-68 form or NEXUS pass must tie up at the Customs Dock and the master must present himself and the documents of the passengers to the Customs Officer. After clearing, the boat then can proceed to its assigned mooring slip. The Docking Crew representatives will be on the Customs Dock to facilitate fast entry and exiting to the dock. It is expected that boats may wait in the harbor for upwards of an hour if the process gets backed up. Boats with all passengers carrying a current I-68 or NEXUS pass can phone in through the normal phone-process and proceed to their assigned slip after phone clearance. NOTE: The information in this section is subject to change.

Entering U.S. - There are two methods of clearing US customs, the normal face-to-face visit and the phone clearance.

Normal Clearance - The master of the vessel must report to a Customs and Border Protection officer at one of the Ports of Entry listed below in person during normal business hours (0800 to 2000, seven days a week) and use the associated phone number to contact the local CBP.

If you arrive outside of normal business hours, phone 1-800-562-5943 from one of the reporting stations listed below to get instructions from CBP.

Phone Clearance - To use the new phone clearance system, every person on the vessel must have a pre-issued I-68 form or a NEXUS border crossing card. Since the process of obtaining these clearances is time consuming, they are only of use to people crossing the US/Canadian border frequently. For more information, contact your local Customs and Border Protection office or go to http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/newsroom/news_releases/archives/2008_news_releases/june_2008/06102008_4.xml

Restrictions - Canada: You cannot bring the following produce into Canada: apples, peaches, pears, apricots, cherries, plums, nectarines, quince, hawthorn (haws), corn-on-the-cob, and potatoes. Canada restricts imports of alcohol and tobacco to the following quantities per adult:  no more than 1.5 liter of wine, or 1.14 liter spirits, or 24 cans of beer per adult.  No more than 200 cigarettes, 50 cigars, or 2 kilograms of tobacco. (Further information 250-363-3618).