It is my understanding that the incident Grady95 mentioned is what finally led to both countries cooperatively changing the rules regarding boat travel in and out of USA/Canadian water. After that incident you no longer needed to call or check in with customs providing you do not go ashore, anchor or “make significant contact” with another vessel.
The countries really screwed things up with Covid though. Instead of leaving things alone…they went back to the old rule of not being able to cross into Canadian water. So…they are stopping everyone…and they should have just left the rule alone in my opinion and there would be a lot less confusion.
I have been stopped AT LEAST once every year for the last 20 years or so. Most recently (and immediately before the Covid changes) the Canadian authorities stopped me in American waters. The agent told me that there is now some mutual patrol agreement between USA and Canada…where both sides patrol both sides…. But I never bothered to look into it; not that I really care actually. I mean, the lights come on and you stop!
For whatever its worth, I have found the authorities to be very nice; and I don’t want my kids to get nervous. I usually ask them about their boat, their equipment, their guns…etc and things go really smoothly.
Moving forward I understand after August 9th (as I type I have to confirm that) they are resuming travel if vaccinated. But, I’m not sure how they will adjudicated that when it comes to crossing in and out by water.
I’ll figure that out very soon as I troll Canadian water almost exclusively for Musky and I have been dying to get out there…my boys and I got a real nice 54” female a few November’s ago!
Have fun and be safe!