.....
[US Customs] maintained that if I had anchored - even to safeguard the boat and the
lives of those onboard the vessel - I would have been subject to a $5000.
fine and possible arrest and confiscation of the vessel!!!

Talk about bureaucracy run amok...

I don't think you can really blame Homeland Security for this. Most
customs departments around the world have similar rules. In the South
Pacific lots of cruisers get in trouble by stopping before checking in
or after checking out. Force majeure is not an excuse in and of
itself. I ran into this myself when I checked out of Savusavu, Fiji
for New Zealand but decided to divert to Suva because of engine
failure. I got into modest trouble despite checking in with the
national radio watch and customs... I've taken my boat to 12
countries and all of them have anti-stopping laws with the least
restrictive being in French Polynesia where you can check in anywhere
with a gendarme (oddly New Caledonia has harsh anti-stopping policies).
Entering New Zealand, where the weather often gets nasty, people get
in trouble with customs when they stop in the outer anchorages of the
Bay of Islands to take shelter from the weather. Of course, if you
really think you are in danger of losing your vessel or getting hurt if
you don't take shelter then you should take shelter... However,
don't expect Customs anywhere to take you at your word. I know a guy
who was fined and given 48 hours to leave Australia for taking shelter
before checking in. In short, I don't think this is really a "war
on terror" issue but a kind of timeless friction between customs
officers and boaters...

--Tom.

PS. I suspect that if you ask a Canadian Customs officer if you can
stop before checking into Canada you'll get pretty much the same
answer you got from you US officer.