GL: Clearing Customs in St. Lawrence area

[Dennis Bruckel]

Elliott asked...

If I were coming from Oswego I would stay on the US side with visits to
Clayton, the Thousand Islands, and other sights along the St. Lawrence
until clearing into Canada somewhere.
 
[] Would I just clear Customs in and out (and maybe in and out again) if I
wanted to do the same coming from Kingston?
 
Dennis replies...

Hello Elliott! Perhaps we will pass by each other this summer! 

As Graham noted most towns along the St. Lawrence in both the US and Canada
have video phones dockside at public landings where clearance can be made,
in my experience very easily. The only exception to this is entering Canada
into Lake Champlain, where a boater must stop at a US Marina in Rouse's
Point, NY, usually pay a docking fee of $10, and make the same video phone
call to US Customs. Going north on the same route, Canadian Customs is
located on the end of a long jetty on the west side of the river, just
north of the border. All northbound boats must stop there. You might have
to come alongside to be interviewed, or, more often, simply answer a couple
of questions while standing off.

An interesting bit of information on the St. Lawrence is that both
countries require you to enter and clear customs prior to even anchoring in
the entering country. Distances are generally short across the St.
Lawrence, and many, many boaters jump back and forth regularly. For
convenience sake though, coming from Oswego, I'd stay along the US side
visiting the towns in New York State as far as at least Alexandria Bay
(Boldt Castle) and perhaps Singer Island (another recently restored and
opened castle, sewing machine fame). From there downstream the 1,000
Islands pretty much peter out and the scenery is less spectacular. I
usually cross into Canada then, declare, and take the "Bateau Channel" back
through Gananoque and on the Kingston. If starting from Kingston, reverse
the direction of travel.

This whole cruise is pretty well covered (if I can say so myself!) in the
Great Lakes edition of Waterway Guide.

Hope to see you along the way!


Dennis Bruckel, Cruising Editor
Waterway Guide
Albin 27  Sadie B
website www.debruckel.com 
cell phone 407 414 0531