Travelling to USA with boat

[iamcdn]

Any Canadians out there trailer their boat to the US? Anything I should know to make it run smooth? We are off to Swan Lake, MT in a couple of weeks.

[s_kelley2000]

Step 1. Make sure there are no terrorists hiding out in your boat...
Step 2. Check out this link: https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/det...e-into-the-u.s.
Hopefully you don't have to pay a 1.5% duty, that seems pretty outrageous. Hopefully somebody that has done this can chime in.

[iamcdn]

Step 1. Make sure there are no terrorists hiding out in your boat...
Step 2. Check out this link: https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/det...e-into-the-u.s.
Hopefully you don't have to pay a 1.5% duty, that seems pretty outrageous. Hopefully somebody that has done this can chime in.

Thanks, I will do my best on #1 LOL

I think that link is for purchasing and importing into the USA versus visiting.

[iamcdn]

https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/det...ailer%20Canada

Thanks for the previous link. It led me to this.

[Woody_tobius_jr]

Just got back from Idaho, all you need is your boat registration and trailer registration and stop in for the local " boat inspection" for 22.00. check the safety requirements down there as well, throw cushions, orange flag for when your rider is in the water, etc. Coming back into Canada, all they asked me for was the trailer registration and what lake we were staying at. No problems...I even hauled my buddies boat down to Montana last summer for him, and no issues, I just had a letter from him and his boat registration. They didn't ask me for anything regarding the boat going down.

[iamcdn]

Just got back from Idaho, all you need is your boat registration and trailer registration and stop in for the local " boat inspection" for 22.00. check the safety requirements down there as well, throw cushions, orange flag for when your rider is in the water, etc. Coming back into Canada, all they asked me for was the trailer registration and what lake we were staying at. No problems...I even hauled my buddies boat down to Montana last summer for him, and no issues, I just had a letter from him and his boat registration. They didn't ask me for anything regarding the boat going down.

Thanks, we actually came down on Saturday and they didn't even ask for anything on the boat or trailer. It was busy and they just waved us on through. Hmmm, I saw a hand written sign for some boat inspection but just drove on by and haven't seen anything since. Hope that doesn't get me into trouble.

[Woody_tobius_jr]

If the water federales pull you over and you don't have the inspection sticker, they could give you a ticket. Our first time down we missed one too, and got pulled over on the water. We were decent to them, I think they realized that it was an honest mistake and they told us to go to the local store and we could purchase one from them. ( no inspection required, oddly enough) and all was good. Have fun, hopefully the weather cooperates with you.

[iamcdn]

If the water federales pull you over and you don't have the inspection sticker, they could give you a ticket. Our first time down we missed one too, and got pulled over on the water. We were decent to them, I think they realized that it was an honest mistake and they told us to go to the local store and we could purchase one from them. ( no inspection required, oddly enough) and all was good. Have fun, hopefully the weather cooperates with you.

Thanks, that's good to know. I will look into it. The weather has been unreal. 28C everyday and calm.

[Woody_tobius_jr]

We were next door to you on Flathead Lake last year. What's Swan Lake like? I was just looking on google maps, and it doesn't look like an overly populated lake, which would be nice.

[iamcdn]

We were next door to you on Flathead Lake last year. What's Swan Lake like? I was just looking on google maps, and it doesn't look like an overly populated lake, which would be nice.

This is our first time to Montana but we are highly impressed. The lake is not busy at all with only about 5 boats around in the northern part of the lake all week. The weather has been 28-30C every day and hardly any winds. The far north part of the lake has shallow parts but otherwise the shallow parts are well marked.

The furthest southern basin of the lake is busier but for some reason is quite protected from the wind and has been flat everytime we have been by. We have stayed further north up the lake since the cabin we rented is up there. We like it so much I am trying to book another place for the last week of the month instead of heading up to Emma Lake in Saskatchewan.

We never dipped into flathead since we love it here so much. I am a little intimidated with the size and possible chop on flathead. From what I have seen from the shores of Bigfork, the lake hasn't been too rough this week.

[Woody_tobius_jr]

Nice! Might have to look into that for next year. When we were at flathead it was unreal, flat from dawn to dusk all week, we could go out on the lake at anytime to board. The locals said that we should buy a lottery ticket, as you don't usually get conditions like that for that length of time.