As veterans of the Marblehead race will know, every yacht arriving at RNSYS after finishing will be directed to come alongside in a holding area where it must remain with all crew onboard until cleared by officers of the Canadian Border Services Agency. One representative of the yacht, usually the skipper, will be asked to proceed ashore with passports and relevant documentation to the temporary CBSA office close to the holding area where officials will examine the documentation and, if all goes well, clear the yacht and all members of the crew into Canada.
Although not a frequent occurrence, information available to CBSA officials after previous races has given rise to the need for additional questioning of individual crewmembers. In rare circumstances, non-Canadian crew have been denied entry into the country. Reasons for denial are many but a common one is a prior conviction for offences such as driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or narcotics possession. With a view to facilitating each yacht’s clearance, it is recommended that skippers and crew alike have a look at the information provided in the links below to determine if there might be difficulty on arrival and, if that is the case, how that difficulty might be avoided by early action before arriving in Canada.
See http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/travel-voyage/ivc-rnc-eng.html and click on ‘Can I enter Canada?’ for useful information on why some individuals might be denied entry.
Should an individual believe there might be cause to deny entry, see http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/inadmissibility/conviction.asp for information on how those difficulties might be addressed prior to leaving one’s country of origin.
More information for individuals and boat owners entering the country is available at the CBSA website (www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca), the Citizenship & Immigration Canada website (www.cic.gc.ca), and at the following sites:
http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/travel-voyage/fv-be/importation-eng.html
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/eligibility.asp
http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/publications/dm-md/d8/d8-1-1-eng.pdf
Some boats like to send a van with delivery sails or other equipment for the return trip. Passage through the Canadian border will be a lot smoother if the Temporary Admission Permit E29B has been filled out in advance. This form can be found at:
http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/publications/forms-formulaires/e29b-eng.html
Speak to the CBSA agents at RNSYS about cancelling this form when you transfer the items to the boat. For an even smoother entry, hire a customs broker at your entry point into Canada.