We had to be strategic with our provisioning this year, as we were going to cross the US/Canadian border three times in a week, and a fourth time to commence our cruising season in Canada. So we were a cured/deli meat, cheese, bread and butter boat for ten days.
We did an initial provision at Philbrooks in Sidney BC, a second provisioning at Bainbridge Island where we connected with our 16′ aluminum fish boat we tow and brought aboard frozen goods and condiments from our house. And it was very exciting to do our third provisioning back in Sidney BC where we finally could bring onboard fresh fruits, vegetables and eggs!
When we left Bainbridge at 5:15am, we knew we’d be fueling at Cap Sante in Anacortes, but were unsure where our final destination would be for the day.
After ninety minutes fueling and back underway, we made the decision to go back to Sidney. We truly love the town, it reminds us of Bainbridge Island, and we have become very familial with Sidney over the past five years with Docktails being maintained and upgraded by Philbrooks. Once we made the decision of Sidney, Tessa jumped online and ordered provisions for pick up from save-on as the morning slots for delivery were all taken. Being able to now order groceries for pick up or delivery has been a game changer for us.
We had another epiphany last year while cruising SE Alaska. After having our Radpower electric bicycles serviced before cruising season, they both crapped out on us again. Radpower does not ship parts to the greater US, only to the lower 48, so we have no easy way to ship parts for Tom to service them when in Alaska. Ironically, they do have a Vancouver headquarters so the first season they crapped out we were able to ship parts to Pt McNeill. Since this is the third year in a row we’ve had issues with them, we decided to leave them overboard this season. They were a lot of fun when they worked, but dead weight when they didn’t. If we need transportation when in port, we can take a local taxi or rent a car.
Crossing the US/Canada border. We are Nexus members, which makes it *somewhat* easier to cross the border by recreational boat.
Let’s start with the easy one: returning to the US. There is now the CBP Roam App that allows you to report your arrival back in the US. We have had great luck with the app, and if they need to talk to you they will do a video or phone call. One critical note: you have to be in US waters before you can report your arrival.
Crossing the border into Canada. There is now a Nexus phone number again, which is great. And our last two times reporting arrival, we did not have to touch the customs dock and wait for our reported time of arrival to pass before untying and proceeding to our destination. This is something new this season. When reporting arrival in Canada, you can call minimum 30 minutes up to 4 hours in advance. We suggest calling earlier than later, as when you approach the US/Canada border your cell phone begins to switch carriers, and typically you have poor service. This last crossing we called 1 hour before our arrival, only to drop the call 3 times with each dropped call being 20+ minutes on hold. While waiting to be connected to an agent, Tessa took a shower and Tom did circles outside Sidney to calibrate our compass. Yes, we had a humorous AIS track. We were beyond ecstatic when we finally connected to an agent, and were cleared within minutes.
After 12 hours on the water, our inner ears were rocking, we were ready for a safe arrival cocktail and dinner at Jacks.
