The nation’s heightened homeland security means more restrictions for recreational boaters returning from Canada to the North Olympic Peninsula.
Private boaters now must report in person to a designated port of entry upon arriving back in the United States until further notice.
No longer can they simply phone in their entry plans to Customs, cross the Strait of Juan de Fuca and dock anywhere.
“Recreational boaters should plan their journey so they know to make their first port of entry an official port of entry,” said Ken Peck, area director of the U.S. Bureau of Customs and Border Protection in Whatcom County.
The change affects the entire Strait and Puget Sound waters — from Neah Bay to Point Roberts.
For boaters coming from Victoria and Vancouver Island, the closest ports of entry are Port Angeles and Port Townsend on the North Olympic Peninsula and Anacortes and Friday Harbor in the San Juan Islands.
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The rest of the story appears in the Wednesday Peninsula Daily News. Click on SUBSCRIBE, above, to get the PDN delivered to your home or office.