WPSU

Monday, June 18, 2018

Over the Borderline


We've raised the Canadian flag out of respect to our hosts.  Note that it's properly displayed on the starboard spreader.,
per the instructions in Chapman's Boating Etiquette.
Sunday morning, June 17, we left Cape Saint Vincent around 10 AM. A few miles later, without ceremony or visible border, we passed into Canada.

We love big metal boats!
Bienvenue! Later that day, safe at the Kingston Harbor marine run by Metalcraft Marine, maker of custom metal-hulled boats such as fireboats and pilot boats (unusual metal boats! We feel right at home!), we chatted with owner Bob Clark.

He told us of taking a couple visiting Kuwaitis for a boat tour that happened to wander over the border from Canada into the US. 

Both were wearing robes rather than shorts and ball caps like most boat people, and when a Coast Guard boat approached, they were concerned that they were so visibly foreign. And (oops) hadn't planned on visiting the US.

But . . . no problem! A smile and a wave.

Canada has Justin Trudeau! and wind turbines by the hundreds!

All People Are Welcome Here


Passing through customs when we landed was even less intimidating than that.  You simply walk up to the marina office, where there's an old-fashioned Bell phone kiosk.

Dial a toll-free number, wait 25 minutes (because it's a Sunday afternoon and hardly any customs officers are on duty), and provide your passport numbers and boat ID.

Avoid "Surrendering to the Crown"


You also confirm that you are a good citizen who is not carrying firearms or pepper spray (that's another story!), or transporting house plants. Then you are good to go!

If you are wondering what Canadians think of the United States these days, Cap reports that the men's room at the bar where we grabbed a beer after wandering around gawking at the fabulous 1840s limestone buildings in downtown Kingston had some cartoons that precisely expressed the sentiment.

One cartoon showed a line of Royal Mountains, facing away from the illustrator. All of them dropped trow. The caption? "Show your rump to Trump."

1 comment:

  1. Hi Bill, Started following your blog! Looks like a ton of fun! No pun intended! Officially a fan of the slow boat! Jane Reese

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