Getting into Canada

[Hydraulicjump]

Good afternoon from Sydney Spit, BC, familiar to many of you PNW cruisers. We picked up the last buoy, so don't imagine cruising grounds aren't crowded.

Here is our advice for what it is worth if you are crossing into BC. We got tested in Seattle less than 72 hours ago (got our results in less than 24 hours). We downloaded the free ArriveCAN app on our iPhone. You can do a single trip entry where you list all passengers, in this case just the two of us. You will need to state the customs location you are going to and the date, and then either photograph or fill in your passport information. Then you will need to fill in the dates and type of your vaccination and upload a photograph. Eventually you will get a confirmation code from them that you will be asked for by the border agent.

There are three things I wanted to point out.

First, beware, many customs sites are closed and you cannot go there (Bedwell Harbour, for example), but there is a hack that I will get to next. You can find what is open or closed on a link here:

https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/travel-voya ... g.html#s08

along with all the other information.

Second, we went into Oak Bay Marina and made the ritual call from there. According to the very nice customs agent that I spoke to, we could have called in up to four hours before landing and received our passage number. That phone number is:

1-888-226-7277

When we come back, we will give that a shot, but need to be prepared to actually show up if they want to inspect the boat.

Finally, and this was amusing, you have to enter a 14-day quarantine plan on the app in case they make you quarantine before coming in. Of course, we would have turned around and gone home, but that is not an option on the app. And it turns out quarantining "on the boat" is also not an option. You need to put a real address in. So be prepared to do that (we chose Gorge Harbour Marina).

That's it. The app is a great thing with a few glitches.

Back to Canada. The nicest country in the world.

Jeff

 

[scross]

Yeah! The invasion has begun!
Thanks for all the tips!

 

[jeffhowell1]

Thanks for the info on entering Canadian waters this summer… Very Helpful

We are looking forward to taking our R-27 up to the Gulf Islands for the first time, just bought the tug end of last summer

Jeff Howell
Echo
Coupeville, WA

 

[CaptT]

The Bahamas are looking better all the time......especially from the Florida coast line. Just kidding but I will argue the people in the Bahamas are very friendly and extremely nice as well and the anchorages in January, February, etc. ........beautiful!
I'm glad Canada has reopened but from South Florida it's a looooonnnnnggg ride. Hopefully we all will get back to some sense of normal soon.

 

[F Farkel]

Thanks for the info. One question tho, Was you quarantine spot the marina on your boat or a hotel at the marina?

 

[CaptT]

??????

 

[Hydraulicjump]

As for a quarantine spot, we looked at each other and simultaneously said “Cortes Island”. Maybe it was a fantasy (we have rented a house with dock there multiple times), but we gave the address of the marina in Gorge Harbour. This satisfied the app gods. No one asked about this at the customs check in because we met the no-need-to-quarantine standard.

It is perfectly lovely and warm in BC this evening, despite the smoke haze from the hundreds of fires to the east.

Jeff

 

[Wee Venture]

Does anyone know if it is reasonably possible to get a Covid test in Friday Harbor that is acceptable to Canada? That is often our last stop before heading across the border. It seems like it would be a natural place for some enterprising clinic or pharmacy to offer that to boaters.

John

 

[scross]

John,
That would be too easy! I’m sure there are health facilities in Friday Harbor that could give you the test. The problem is getting the results back quickly. And by that I mean within 48 hours so you can cross over to Sidney or one of the few still open Canadian border crossing locations.
I’ve looked for hours and hours online snd made a dozen calls. Lots and lots of places can get you test results in 3 days or so. The only two I have found that will get you test results in less than 48 hours are:
1. The SeaTac travel testing facility at the Double Tree hotel near the airport. They claim results within 24 hours. Price is about $180 pp.
2: The NW Labs drive through testing location in economy parking lot A at Bellingham Airport. They promise results within 48 hours. and the lab told me today they are averaging getting results in 36 hours. I got through to a human at NW Labs today. The scheduling is through TestDirectly.com web site. You have to register to access the reservation system. They only make reservations up to 6 days into the future. The reservations fill up fast! The fee is $180 if you don’t have insurance with a 25% discount for paying at time of test. If you have USA based health insurance it’s probably covered! Test results are averaging 36 hours right now. So you better be ready to cross the border right away to make sure you are within the 72 hour windowing you go with them.

If anyone finds other locations that guarantee results within 48 hours north of Seattle please share the info!

 

[Hydraulicjump]

I too have struck out on finding something reasonably quick in the San Juan Islands. Thank goodness our Ranger Tugs can go fast (burn fuel) when we need it. We did the following plan. We got tested at the Testdirectly site in Tukwila near the airport in the late afternoon. There were endless numbers of available times and our health insurance covered it.

Left Elliot Bay in the morning, anchored in Port Gamble Bay and hiked that wonderful heritage forest on the west side. Received our test results late that day (<24 hours). Next day we moved up to Port Townsend and spent the day hunting and gathering in the stores and art galleries there (still our favorite PNW town). Then first thing on day three we zoomed at high cruise speed (15 kts) for two hours across the Straits to Oak Bay Marina east of Victoria. Any of the Victoria sites would have done fine, since you are calling in. No problem coming in under the wire. Our plan is to visit our favorite San Juan Island sites on the way back, rather than up.

Now for the part I am a bit loathe to admit, but they never asked for documented proof of the test. Just a verbal confirmation. I have heard the same from a couple of other people. Now, if they check you in in-person, rather than over the phone, I don’t see how you can avoid showing them your test results. That’s what happens at land and air crossings. But they may, by necessity, be a bit lax on the boat crossings.

Worth the risk of not testing? Not for us. We will do the same fuel- and time-burning routine when we come back later this month.

Jeff

 

[FlyMeAway]

Of course, we would have turned around and gone home, but that is not an option on the app. And it turns out quarantining "on the boat" is also not an option.

Quarantining at anchor would be ideal! After all, that's where the word "quarantine" comes from. During the Black Plague, Venice (which was the world's maritime capital) required ships to spend "quaranta giorni" (literally "40 days" in Italian) at anchor in the harbor before anybody was allowed to leave and set ashore. 14 days seems short by comparison!! Quaranta giorni became "quarantine" in English. Always fun to find out words with a nautical origin ;-)

Separately, the reason why you're quarantine plan can't be "turning around and going home" is that the Canadian Government worries that the US government could just close the border. Hence you need a quarantine "plan" in case the border is suddenly closed and you can't turn around...

 

[Annie Time]

Anyone else have any recent crossing experiences into BC from the San Juan’s? We are hoping to cross in several days.


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[Sweet Peas]

When I checked with Peace Health in Friday Harbor they said they are holding their tests for the locals. We would need to go to Bellingham or somewhere on the mainland to get tested. We are enjoying the San Juan Islands and watching for any change.

 

[sgeary]

We scheduled our covid test through Test Directly https://www.testdirectly.com/patient/home
They have a location at the Burlington Outlet Mall.
Their online info states the test being administered is one of those accepted by Canada.
We plan to take the tests and then proceed to Garrison Bay and wait for the test results, then leave for Canada the next morning.

 

[Annie Time]

We will be right behind you. We get tested Friday. Then head to Oak harbor for fuel then on to Garrison Bay to wait…..


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[armor]

Great info, thanks a ton! What’s the story with re-entering the US?

 

[Hydraulicjump]

Well, funny you should mention that.

The grandbaby needs a babysitter, so we are on the water to get back to Elliott Bay. With a stopover in Langley to overdose on garlic (on the steamed mussels--great!) at Saltwater Cafe and an overnight in Langley/South Whidbey Harbor.

We came across yesterday. We used the CPBRoam app. It is worth the time to download it and fill in the details. As soon as we came across into the US, we turned on the app, which has all our boat, passport, trusted traveler (Global Entry), etc. information. We waited for about five minutes as our request was being processed, and then a very polite US border agent called us and asked many of the standard questions (booze, fruit, contraband, money). He then granted us passage, and within minutes a confirming email was sent. No need to stop at Friday Harbor or Roche Harbor. So we scooted over to Sucia Island with 100 (!) of our best anchoring friends for the night.

Coming back was a breeze because of the app. We have never enjoyed the circus at Roche or Friday Harbors and were glad to just cruise on.

We are getting tested this weekend and heading back to Canada. See you there.

Jeff

 

[Annie Time]

Well, we made the crossing into Canada today. Other than the hassle of the COVID test, things were reasonably uneventful. We went through Port Sidney -the dock is small and full so we were instructed to wait outside the harbor and wait for a call on the vhf to come into the customs dock. While waiting, Annie called canpass and gave them all our info. This, of course, after filling it all in on the ArriveCAN web site. After waiting about an hour, the customs folks came out in their boat to ask a few questions then gave us our clearance # and we were on our way north. We are currently sitting at the Ganges marina to spend the night, load up on some food then head north.

Safe travels! We made it…


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[sgeary]

We too made it to Port of Sidney Marina today from Anacortes. Clearing in by phone on the Customs dock took about 10 minutes of answering questions. Seems like many of the questions were the same info we had already submitted via the ArriveCan app. The agent on the phone made the process painless.

We were asked to confirm that we had the negative covid tests, but did not have to show them to anyone. If we had been boarded by agents, I presume we would have to show proof at that time.

All in all, a straightforward process. Come on up.

 

[Annie Time]

We made it back after several weeks. Made it up to Desolation Sound and over to Campbell River. Ran into a few others along the way. We did have to come in to Roche Harbor as we did not realize CBROAM requires you to be in USA waters when you use it.


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