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  4. Information for Pleasure Boaters in the Eastern Upper Peninsula

Information for Pleasure Boaters in the Eastern Upper Peninsula

Release Date
Wed, 05/24/2017

SAULT STE MARIE, Mich. – U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Field Operations offers information to pleasure boaters for the 2017 boating season.

 

With spring here and an anticipated busy summer, CBP Office of Field Operations in Sault Ste. Marie is reminding the traveling public of programs available to help expedite their travels.

 

The NEXUS Trusted Traveler Program allows those enrolled to check in anywhere in the Eastern Upper Peninsula or Northern Lower Peninsula via small boats by calling the Sault Ste. Marie Port of Entry at the following number: (906) 632-7222. All vessel occupants must be enrolled in the NEXUS program and have their NEXUS cards in their possession to utilize this means of entry.

"A Wave From It All" is always prepared along the U.S./Canada Border
"A Wave From It All" enjoying the day along the 
U.S./Canada Border

 

Boaters can also enroll in the I-68 program at the port of entry which allows CBP officers to screen and issue entry documents at a small yearly cost. The fee is $16.00 USD for an individual and $32.00 USD for family consisting of parents and children seventeen and under. Those interested in this program will need to bring in three passport style photos for each adult and boat registration information. Appointments can be made by calling (906) 632-8822 ext. 302.

 

Boaters arriving at Mackinac Island can contact CBP via the Outlying Area Reporting System (OARS) video phone twenty four hours a day, seven days a week as long as they are entering with approved WHTI travel documents.

 

The OARS program uses videophones which boaters may use to report to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers. The system is comprised of an AutoDial telephone, a video transceiver, a monitor, a facial camera and a document camera. To operate the system, the traveler either picks up the handset or pushes the call button. This system allows both the traveler and the officer to view one another as the inspection is taking place. Typically, OARS reporting satisfies the in-person inspection requirement, but a CBP Officer may direct a boater to report to a port-of-entry or designated location for an in-person inspection.

 

The only authorized reporting sites in the Eastern Upper Peninsula are located in Sault Ste. Marie at George Kemp Marina, Drummond Island Yacht Haven, and at Mackinac Island via the OARS video phone. Contact numbers are (906) 632-8822 for George Kemp Marina and (906) 493-5232 option 6 for Yacht Haven.

 

U.S. citizens and nonimmigrant aliens from Canada entering the United States by land or sea are required to present a valid WHTI-compliant document, which include:

  • Passports
  • U.S. Passport Cards
  • Enhanced Driver's Licenses
  • Trusted Traveler Cards (NEXUS, SENTRI, or FAST)
  • Military Identification Cards (for members of the U.S. armed forces on official orders)
  • U.S. Merchant Mariner Document (for U.S. citizens on official maritime business)

Children: U.S. and Canadian citizen children under age 16 arriving by land or sea from a contiguous territory may present an original or copy of his or her birth certificate, a Consular Report of Birth Abroad, a Naturalization Certificate, or a Canadian Citizenship Card.

Groups of Children: U.S. and Canadian citizen children under age 19 arriving by land or sea from contiguous territory and traveling with a school group, religious group, social or cultural organization, or sports team, may also present an original or copy of his or her birth certificate, a Consular Report of Birth Abroad, a Naturalization Certificate or a Canadian Citizenship Card.

 

Native Americans: Native American United States and Canadian citizens may continue to present their current tribal documents, including the current Indian and Northern Affairs Canada card, as proof of identity and citizenship when entering by land or sea, provided the document is affixed with a photo.

Last Modified: Feb 03, 2021