Best laid plans...

[Amgine]

Well, it is not unexpected, but the eventual cruise to Hawaii is now off for this year. What was unexpected was the why it's off: Customs Canada.

First you need to know I'm a US citizen, living in Canada. My wife got the job offer too good to turn down 6 years ago, and accepted, and we love it here and want to live here except when boating to glamorous foreign locations, like the States. I bought the boat 5 years ago, and kept it in the US until a couple years ago, when I started commuting the boat back and forth with permanent moorage in Canada, travels both north and south. Canada does not allow a US registered boat to stay in Canada for more than 6 months at a time, so I've been forced to take regular holidays by boat into Puget Sound, the San Juans, along the Olympic Peninsula... it's been a horrible burden let me tell you.

Anyway, this time on clearing back into Canada they said they'd had enough. As it was clear I was a resident of Canada (even though they haven't given me residency yet), I had to either import the boat or keep it out of Canada. Which is going to cost me a bundle of money. And I have to pay it by tomorrow.

Which means I'm emptying the cruising kitty and part of the windvane budget to import the boat. Then I have to insure it in Canada, and I'm told the insurance marine insurance companies are far less careless than my current insurer (my car insurer, who seems to have no clue why a 25' boat sailing in Washington and BC waters needs to have a multi-million $ liability rider, and clearly there's no need for restrictions on where you might take your boat....) It costs extra to take the boat to the west coast of Vancouver Island, and don't even think about sailing to Hawaii.

I have no idea how much this is going to cost, but most likely I won't have enough to complete required upgrades. Or continue to pay to reserve my dry haul-out space (which I've been paying for since June, just to make sure I'll have one in October/September.)

I'm not even sure I'll be able to sail my shake-down cruise.

[Frank]

It's always tricky keeping a boat in a different country. When I sailed out of Florida...I ended up registering in Florida. Even a boat registered out of state boat got tricky (tax man's eyes). I finally paid the Bahamian duty on the last boat. It was cheaper in the end than all the cruising permits etc. Too bad you'll miss your trip. Keep dreamin...  it will happen.

[CapnK]

Hate to hear this, Amgine. Seems as tho' you are bearing up well, which is good to know.

Have you consulted with a professional, a lawyer or some such? Seems as if you aren't a resident (due to the government), neither could your boat be considered the same.

Of course, when it comes to a government getting at your money, little common sense usually applies...  ::) ::) ::)

[Christopher]

Frustrating how it seems the most expensive part of cruising is keeping the man's pockets filled with your hard-earned cash.  Almost seems like paying the mob for "protection".  They'd probably make you import, register and insure your PFD if you said you were swimming to Hawaii.

Sorry to hear your trip has been delayed :(

[newt]

Look at the good side Wayne, we will be able to cruise together if I ever get my boat out of drydock:)

[Amgine]

Thanks for the commiseration and good thoughts! I guess I don't mind; I'd planned on importing it as soon as we got status here anyway. It was just unexpected, and the timing was not good. I wasn't wedded to sailing to Hawaii anyway, since the dental surgeon will have the last word on whether he'll let me sail that far.

Well, it will let me get some more of the "I wanna..." projects completed over the winter. And after all the miles I've put in already this summer, the bow is pretty brown. Time to admit the gelcoat is a lost cause and get the boat paint out. And I'm still toying with the water question, since my worst-case scenario will require 36-40 gallons and the tank only holds 20.

Newt: what's the current timetable for getting it splashed again? We're planning to sail into the Jungles north of Desolation Sound at the very least, tentative departure on the 25th.

I just realized there's a silver lining in this - no need to sail south in the middle of winter! Although I also have to point out how nice it is to be just about the only transient boat in Roche Harbor. The service is fab then! I may do it again just for that.

[newt]

I just gave you grog for your positive attitude about all this. It is refreshing. My boat should get in the water about the 18th. But I think a weeks more work will be in store. I plan on taking my family out for a short romp that week, and then again sometime in August. Lets keep in touch. Desolation sound and north sounds like a dream.

[Amgine]

Well, I could complain about the wind or I can trim the sails to suit. And I'd rather sail.

I just got word that licensing the boat here may actually be free (but "registering" may be a better choice, if I can ever figure out what "registering" means or how to do it...) Unfortunately, I'll probably need a survey before I can get insurance, but that's something I need to do anyway since it's been 5 years - and I know at least one thing from the last survey has still been unattended to.

Newt: Since I'm now making new plans (which will likely go astray as well), if I can't afford the insurance to go 'round Vancouver Island, I think I might want to try one of the fjords I haven't reached the head of yet. I've never been to Princess Louisa Inlet & Chatterbox Falls, though I understand it's quite a popular destination. I've never been to the head of Toba Inlet, which I've been told is a wearisome long way with poor holding and katabatic winds and no shelter. Things to think about.

[Oldrig]

What a bummer! At least you're maintaining a positive attitude, and you're sure to find plenty of good sailing in Canadian waters.

I once ran afoul of Customs Canada: A photographer and I flew to Toronto from Boston to record a marketing testimonial from a major international client of a now-deceased computer company. I brought the sound-recording gear, basically a small cassette recorder with high-fidelity microphones. The photographer brought his full kit, lights, meters, filters, lenses and all.

They let me through, but seized the camera equipment, saying he'd have to post a bond for the full resale value of his equipment before they'd let it into the country. And, they informed us, that could only be done through a bonded agent BEFORE we had boarded the plane.

As they were wheeling the photography equipment off to secure storage, one customs agent hissed at me, "So, why didn't you hire a Canadian photographer, eh?"

We did get the shoot, but only after renting a full kit of Canadian-bonded gear from a professional photo store in Toronto. Customs returned the photographer's gear as we boarded our return flight to Boston.

The moral: Canada really is a separate country. We should have checked with the consulate in Boston before leaving.

Another moral: In Canada, the photographers' union is much stronger than the sound-recorders' union.

--Joe