Stroke of genius or act of lunacy?

Feb 26, 2004
22,759
Catalina 34 224 Maple Bay, BC, Canada
Is there a spot with reversing current and reasonable depth at the US/Canada water border?
Here's a great way to find out. Scroll to a place west of San Juan Island --- Haro Strait, Boundary Pass and Spieden Channel (north of Roche Harbor and south of Spieden Island).


This is a really great tool in this neck of the woods. I learned about it from my many new friends here when I showed up in 2016.
 
Oct 2, 2008
3,807
Pearson/ 530 Strafford, NH
Didn’t the real McCoy do something similar until the IRS attached him?
 
May 7, 2012
1,338
Hunter e33 Maple Bay, BC
Nobody crossed the border. Nobody left the country. All's good.
Well that was sort of my original plan, except once I departed the boat and in a dinghy on the Canadian side, I would allow the boat to meander the 2 or 20 or 200 feet to cross that imaginary line by herself and the owner would be in a dinghy to collect her boat on the American side.
Can you patent a business idea?
 
May 7, 2012
1,338
Hunter e33 Maple Bay, BC
Here's a great way to find out. Scroll to a place west of San Juan Island --- Haro Strait, Boundary Pass and Spieden Channel (north of Roche Harbor and south of Spieden Island).
I unintentionally did a trial run something like that about 10 years ago. I came out of Bedwell Hbr (1.5 NM North of the US border) took a right turn and was sailing wing and wing for quite a while when on VHF channel 16 I heard someone reporting a dinghy afloat in Boundary pass heading towards Stuart Island. Yup sure enough I turned around to have a look and there was my dinghy . . . gone. I did have to slip quietly over the border to retrieve the fugitive dinghy. No mention of that occurrence on the 70+ border crossing/customs clearances since.
 
Jan 19, 2010
12,362
Hobie 16 & Rhodes 22 Skeeter Charleston
For good measure, get a camera crew to document everything. You might get good money from YouTube while you at it.. That may be a new business idea??
If you are going to video record it... be sure it is legal first....:biggrin:
 
Mar 20, 2015
3,094
C&C 30 Mk1 Winnipeg
What was your point of departure Capt ?

The boat departed Canada and arrived in Port Townsend this morning sir, but myself and the dog never left the USA.

Where's the crew from Canada ?

They abandoned ship sir.

So are you claiming salvage ?

No sir. It's my boat originally.

So Canadians stole your boat and you recovered it ?

Not really sir. They are friends of mine. No need to involve the RCMP.

Sigh....ok. Unfortunately I have no way to write this paperwork up, so I have to put you in irons and have your Canadian accomplices held for possible extradition, until the sea lawyers figure it out.

Come with me, Sir.

Bosun.. Secure the vessel and fully check it for contraband.

The dog can stay in the office until we get to the bottom of this.
 
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Jan 19, 2010
12,362
Hobie 16 & Rhodes 22 Skeeter Charleston
Hey @Stu Jackson

That Deepzoom is cool. I had not seen that yet. So just to be sure I understand the key... Yellow is running and the numbers are feet below mean and green is ebbing? Is that right?
 
May 7, 2012
1,338
Hunter e33 Maple Bay, BC
What was your point of departure Capt ?

The boat departed Canada and arrived in Port Townsend this morning sir, but myself and the dog never left the USA.

Where's the crew from Canada ?

They abandoned ship sir.

So are you claiming salvage ?

No sir. It's my boat originally.

So Canadians stole your boat and you recovered it ?

Not really sir. They are friends of mine. No need to involve the RCMP.

Sigh....ok. Unfortunately I have no way to write this paperwork up, so I have to put you in irons and have your Canadian accomplices held for possible extradition, until the sea lawyers figure it out.

Come with me, Sir.

Bosun.. Secure the vessel and fully check it for contraband.

The dog can stay in the office until we get to the bottom of this.
Oh yeah. Just what I needed a bonafide comedian when all I am trying to do is help out these poor folks that are just trying to take legal possession of their property and enjoy a year of sailing in the San Juan Islands and Puget Sound cruising grounds. Will you have no mercy for them.
 
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capta

.
Jun 4, 2009
4,766
Pearson 530 Admiralty Bay, Bequia SVG
So basically finding a loophole in the law, instead of following the intent of it ?

To follow the intent...I guess you could disinfect the boat, get tested, avoid any contacts for 14 days then do that method. (Or disinfect it, and deliver it to the middle of the channel with a bio suit on)

I wonder what is done with shipping containers etc.

The 14 day rule doesnt apply to commercial truck drivers etc. i dont see why it can't be delivered normally by a company.
Canada has apparently made it quite clear that anything to deal with pleasure craft is not considered essential travel. A truck driver would need to be carrying essential products to get through the border.
 
Feb 26, 2004
22,759
Catalina 34 224 Maple Bay, BC, Canada
Hey @Stu Jackson

That Deepzoom is cool. I had not seen that yet. So just to be sure I understand the key... Yellow is running and the numbers are feet below mean and green is ebbing? Is that right?
Yes, that's right about the colors. There are BOTH tides & currents, so play around with the pane on the right a little bit.
 
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Feb 26, 2004
22,759
Catalina 34 224 Maple Bay, BC, Canada
Canada has apparently made it quite clear that anything to deal with pleasure craft is not considered essential travel. A truck driver would need to be carrying essential products to get through the border.
No quite true, capta. Cruisers Forum has had some discussions about services that will move boats across, even in these times.
 
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Feb 26, 2004
22,759
Catalina 34 224 Maple Bay, BC, Canada
Do they have an autopilot on their boat? Betcha they do. If so, get their boat to the border, hop back on my (or your) boat, after pointing their boat across the border on AP at slow bell. Of course, first assure that they are there waiting for it! :yikes:

PS Took me all day to figure this one out.
 
Mar 20, 2015
3,094
C&C 30 Mk1 Winnipeg
A truck driver would need to be carrying essential products to get through the border.
I knew only commercial traffic was allowed.

In fact you can commercially ship almost anything over the border. I regularily get "non essential" stuff from the USA

Pleasure trips have not been allowed at land crossings since early last year.

The new rules simply pertain to mandatory quarantine on arrival, even at airports (which allow entry).

Truck drivers are exempt.
Wasn't sure if that includes all people working for vehicle delivery services and the like.
While some vehicles are delivered by flatdeck or hauler, a friend of mine had a job that entailed driving back and forth over the border regularily delivering trucks, RVs etc. They came back in a company van with other drivers.
The cargo was the vehicles themselves regardless of mode of movement.

If they can ship a truck over via that method (not sure if it is currently allowed), why not a boat ? It's not a pleasure trip, it's product delivery.
 
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May 7, 2012
1,338
Hunter e33 Maple Bay, BC
Do they have an autopilot on their boat? Betcha they do. If so, get their boat to the border, hop back on my (or your) boat, after pointing their boat across the border on AP at slow bell. Of course, first assure that they are there waiting for it! :yikes:

PS Took me all day to figure this one out.
Gee whiz. If I put in the correct waypoint maybe they could just stand on the custom’s dock in Roche Hbr and their boat would come right alongside for them. Better yet, if I accurately calculate their engine fuel burn rate, I could ensure an empty tank right just as the boat gentley came alongside and the engine . . . stops.
 
Feb 8, 2014
1,300
Columbia 36 Muskegon
I was thinking of something like this last fall. Saw I boat on Yachtworld that I had previously sold to a Canadian (the very same boat, even still had the same name on it.) I was thinking I shouldn't have sold that boat and would really like to have her back, but of course it's still in Canada on Lake Huron and I'm in Michigan. I am a licensed Master so a delivery arrangement could work but still might require quarantine on both sides. And would anyone care that the buyer and delivery captain were the same person? So I'm thinking: have the seller bring the boat down to Sarnia, I go to Port Huron and meet the boat in the middle of the St Clair River in my dinghy and the seller goes back in his? As I'm trying to hash out this idea, someone else, I'm assuming Canadian, bought the boat. Oh well...
 
May 7, 2012
1,338
Hunter e33 Maple Bay, BC
I was thinking of something like this last fall. Saw I boat on Yachtworld that I had previously sold to a Canadian (the very same boat, even still had the same name on it.) I was thinking I shouldn't have sold that boat and would really like to have her back, but of course it's still in Canada on Lake Huron and I'm in Michigan. I am a licensed Master so a delivery arrangement could work but still might require quarantine on both sides. And would anyone care that the buyer and delivery captain were the same person? So I'm thinking: have the seller bring the boat down to Sarnia, I go to Port Huron and meet the boat in the middle of the St Clair River in my dinghy and the seller goes back in his? As I'm trying to hash out this idea, someone else, I'm assuming Canadian, bought the boat. Oh well
Rats, you could have been the SME and provided any and all the necessary advice. Had you done any research that suggested this is lunacy before the carpet was pulled out from under your feet?
 
Feb 8, 2014
1,300
Columbia 36 Muskegon
Not really, just a thought. I did look at the chart of the area, it did look doable. Definitely would have gone to at least visit the old girl if I could have gotten into the country.
 
Jan 19, 2010
12,362
Hobie 16 & Rhodes 22 Skeeter Charleston
I like the auto-pilot idea. Everyone could stand-off the boarder by 100 yards or so and no worries about any ambiguity regarding your proximity to the boarder.