Are we headed back to the Pig Wars?
The Pacific Northwest is a very special place to cruise. The Strait of Juan de Fuca, which runs roughly east-west, stretches from the Pacific Ocean over 60 nautical miles inland, connecting to a vast tidal-fed area known as the Salish Sea. The water doesn’t recognize international borders, with over a trillion gallons flowing in and out every day to both Canada and the United States. This tidal pump replenishes the nutrient-rich water of a vast archipelago that includes Puget Sound, the San Juan Islands, the Canadian Gulf Islands, and up the backside of Vancouver Island.
This unique area on both sides of the border is filled with countless peninsulas and islands surrounded by mountains, making it an ideal spot for all types of creatures both above and below the surface. Bald eagles soar along the rocky shorelines dotted with tall conifers and spindly orange-barked Madrone trees that line the bluffs. Rare tufted puffins, sea otters, seals, and a variety of whales, including orcas, move through the clusters of islands. Below the cold green waters lurk different types of salmon, including sockeye, pink, and the mighty Chinook. In the rocky grottos, halibut, rockfish, and ling cod mingle with giant Pacific octopus and colorful sea stars. There are no borders for the ocean creatures that travel freely throughout the region, but for us on the surface it is a little different.
The US/Canadian Border
A border agreement, the Convention of 1818 between Great Britain (Canada would not become an independent country till 1867) and the United States, set the 49th parallel as the official international boundary from the Lake of the Woods (in modern-day Minnesota / Manitoba) west to the Strait of Georgia, near what is now Vancouver, BC, Canada.
The two countries adhered to the latitude-based guideline so strictly that they severed off a tiny portion of the U.S. at the western end, Point Roberts, WA, which is part of the U.S. only because it is below the 49th parallel. It has no direct connection to the U.S. mainland, as the only roads from there go into Canada. This 4.9-mile landmass bulges below the line that runs over 1,200 miles across the mainland, so it is U.S. territory, yet nine miles west, the border ironically abandons the line.
Once off the mainland, the border twists and turns its way through the islands before ending up nearly 54 miles (100km) south before angling out to the Pacific Ocean through the Strait of Juan de Fuca. This happened because, when establishing the border, the British refused to give up Victoria demanding that Vancouver Island not be cut in two. The two countries agreed to allow British Columbia (now part of Canada) to keep all of Vancouver Island. The agreement stated that once past the mainland, the border would follow “the middle of the channel” to the south and then out the straits to the Pacific. The problem was they never defined which channel, and there are many.
The Pig War Establishes the Current Border
In 1859, this led to a standoff known as the Pig War, as at the time both nations claimed the then strategically important San Juan Islands. It was called the Pig War because it supposedly started when a U.S. farmer, in an act of rebellion, shot and killed a British-owned pig that was ravaging his potato garden on San Juan Island. The pig was the only loss of life that occurred during this so-called war, as there were no human casualties on either side. It was a serious matter as both nations deployed hundreds of heavily armed troops to the islands, including a few warships, but no further shots were fired.
The border dispute, excuse me, “war,” was eventually settled in 1872, leaving the San Juan Islands in the U.S. and locking in the zig-zag maritime border we have today that boaters cross between the U.S. and Canada. If the border didn’t meander south of the 49th parallel, the commonly visited Gulf Islands and the southern part of Vancouver Island, including Sidney and Victoria, could have been part of the U.S. not Canada. Similarly, if the Pig War had been settled differently, the San Juan Islands could have wound up as part of Canada.
Another Pig War?
Are we going to have another Pig War, or will some or all of Canada become a 51st state or even part of the United States? I don’t think so. Despite governmental differences, tariffs, and rhetoric, people in the Pacific Northwest don’t seem inclined to alter the current border. Boaters from both Canada and the U.S. continue to enjoy this area and interact with each other in a friendly and respectful way. The mutual camaraderie of boating seems to supersede any political shenanigans. Over the years, my wife and I have met many wonderful Canadian boaters on both sides of the border. We are glad that they are able to boat in the U.S. and appreciate the same cruising grounds we frequent. Similarly, we have felt welcomed in Canada whenever we go there. Boating together regardless of nationality makes cruising the Salish Sea even more special.
Cross Border Travel
Traveling by boat between Canada and the United States in the Pacific Northwest is very common. Americans cruise north to visit Victoria, or to see some of the spectacular Canadian cruising grounds. Some even make their way up the inside passage through Canada to Alaska. Canadians routinely boat into the U.S. to visit the San Juan Islands or travel farther south to Seattle to catch a baseball game, NFL game, or concert.
Clearing into Canada by Boat
The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) has numerous docks where U.S. boaters can tie up and clear into Canada. Passports or enhanced driver’s licenses are required, but it is typically pretty easy to clear in. Phones on the entry docks connect to agents in Ottawa who decide whether your boat needs a physical inspection or can be cleared. Despite whatever has recently transpired between the two governments, the border agents I have interacted with by phone and in person have been both professional and courteous.
If everyone on board has a NEXUS card, you can even clear in by cellphone without stopping at one of the customs docks, although they reserve the right to make you check in physically. There are rules regarding firearms, liquor, marijuana (even though it is legal in Washington State and British Columbia), and prohibited food items that you must adhere to when entering Canada. Check out CBSA for details. Also note that people with DUI convictions and other felonies may be denied entry into Canada.
Returning To or Entering the USA by Boat
The United States also has some customs docks for boaters in the San Juan Islands and the mainland. U.S. Customs and Border Protection may require you to report to one of those docks for inspection, but many entries are handled using the CBP Roam App. Boaters should download the app ahead of time and enter their information or visit a dock with a CBP kiosk for electronic communications. When approaching the border, you submit your entry information through the app. Sometimes your vessel will be cleared without further interaction, but often agents will call you using the app and conduct video interviews to verify identities. In my experience, this is an easy process, and the agents have been helpful and informative. Some items are prohibited when entering the United States, so you should check the CBP list and make sure you comply.
