In article , WaIIy says...

On 29 May 2004 17:21:25 -0700, Steve Christensen
wrote:

We had heard about the Nexus card being available for boating use some months
ago, and just obtained ours last week. Really the only downside to the Nexus
program for boaters is that it can take months to get the card. You send in
your application, and 8 to 12 weeks later they send you a reply saying that you
may come in for an interview, with your documents, to be fingerprinted and
photographed. The I-68 is available immediately, but costs more, and must be
renewed each year. If you have the time it is certainly the way to go.

Steve Christensen

I'm glad you have your NEXUS card, but where did you "hear" about it's
use for boating?

I still haven't found, nor has anyone offered anything concrete so far.

I do know more than a few boaters who go over to Canada and don't do
anything when they return except go back to their dock.

Heck, the jails in Ohio couldn't hold all the people who do this.


I can't remember for sure, but I think I may have been calling US Customs asking
about the upcomming availability of I-68 forms, and someone there suggested that
I apply for the Nexus card instead. Which surprised me, since I too had never
heard that it was for boaters. But the day we went to Port Huron to get our
cards just about all of the folks waiting there seemed to be boaters, most of
them Canadians.

As for crossing over to Canada and not reporting in when you return to the
states, I would have to admit that more than a few sailors from my area have
been known to do that as well. But the attitude I saw at US Customs last week
would suggest that while you might get away with it (after all the US Coast
Guard is spread pretty thin on the Great Lakes) if you get caught you would
probably have your boat impounded.

They are installing an automated call-in service that will for the first time
give you a reporting in number when you call in with a I-68 or Nexus card. It
was even suggested that if we call in and get an officer instead of the system
that we note down his name and the time of the call in our logbook as proof of
the call.

It's up to you of course, but from what I've seen I would not mess around with
US Homeland Security just now.

Steve Christensen