JimH wrote:

This whole thing of checking in is on the honors system and virtually
unenforceable. And we all know that terrorist will abide by the law and
voluntarily check in.........eh?

No, it isn't an "honor system", and had you been caught your boat would
or could have been seized, you would be subject to fines of tens of
thousands of dollars, and quite possibly face some jail time.

I believe smuggling and/or eluding customs officers is a felony, not a
misdemeanor. You also should have been reporting into Canadian customs
when you arrived in Canada.

If there is no customs office near your marina or between your marina
and the Canadian port, boaters need to sign up for an I-68 or NEXUS
privilege where you make the arrangements in advance to report by
telephone. In my experience it is much easier for a US boat to bet into
Canada than it is for a US boat to get back into the US.

(PS, you might want to be cautious about posting "I knowingly violated
the Customs laws prior to 9-11" in
a public forum).