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END OF SEASON DEMO BOAT SALE!

9/26/2017

It's that time of year again ... to wrap up an amazing sailing season we have our only two remaining demos on sale... Check out our home page and hurry now, these will not last long .... The DEMOs are the best price you will ever get on gear that is in great condition!

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Travelling over the border with your SUP or Sailboat (and probably your kite gear too)

9/26/2017

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I came across this interesting post (below) in one of the groups I follow on Facebook. Basically if you travel to the US or overseas with your watersports gear you need to declare it before crossing the border otherwise they will assume you bought it in the US or abroad and charge you customs and duty and tax on the way back. As an importer of boats and gear I can tell you those fees add up to alot! Something to keep in mind when you travel over the border whether for fun or for competitions. Thanks to the poster for this great piece of advice.

If you are crossing the U.S./Canada border with a board or a boat, things are going to get tougher, especially if you are carrying someone else's stuff. Please see below.
Boat Transportation into the USA
It has come to our attention that the Canadian Border Agency and US immigration are getting stricter on their import/export rules, regulations and monitoring. As such, Canoe Kayak Canada would like to provide the following information on the movement of boats into and out of the US.
As a precaution, we would like to provide the details to cross the border with the necessary documentation to avoid any issues with border control. The National Team will now be following these recommendations when transporting boats to and from the US and recommend that clubs, provinces and athletes do the same.
Planning your journey
Personally Transporting Individual Boats
If you are transporting your boat on the rooftop of your vehicle, you are advised to pull-in to border control on your way into the United States and get a Certificate of Export/Origin.
This document is free of charge and should travel with your boat for the return to Canada.
This certificate acts as proof that your boat originated in Canada and therefore is not subject to importation fees.
Small Trailers or someone else transporting Individual Boat(s)
If towing a small trailer or rooftop with a boat that is not your own, it is recommended to call the border you will be crossing and ask for clarification on requirements (list of borders and contact details – here ). The most recent information we have received outlines the following options:
Option 1 – form from each athlete
1. Each athlete should complete a Declaration for Free Entry of Unaccompanied Articles (form 3299 ) from the Department of Homeland Security – for help completing this form click here .
2. Each athlete should also provide the driver with a letter of permission for that driver to transport their boat into and out of the USA – please refer to the attached appendix of this memo for a draft letter that can be used for this purpose.
3. The driver of the boats should have these forms and letters in their possession at border control and have US Immigrations complete the 3299 form for each boat.
Option 2 - Commercial Entry through a broker
1. Contact a broker - a list of brokers for each port of entry can be found here .
2. The broker will walk you through requirements and paperwork.
Option 3 – Carnet
See information below for large trailers.
Large Trailers
In order to avoid long waits at the border and having to complete multiple Certificates of Export, it is recommended to have a manifest for travel with many boats.
The Manifest (Carnet) is applied for through the Canadian Chamber of Commerce and step-by-step guide on how to apply can be found here: http://www.chamber.ca/carnet/how-to-apply-for-a-carnet/
The Security Guarantee can be applied for with Trisura; https://secure.trisura.com/ccc/login.aspx
We hope this information is useful, should you have any questions on the transport of your boat(s) into and out of the US from Canada please contact the Canada Border Services Agency or Homeland Security .

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Customer's comments about his XCAT

9/21/2017

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We just received the following customer review of his new XCAT sailboat with Row Vista and I wanted to share this and say Thank you for the kind words. Also below is a quick video clip of his XCAT on the St.Lawrence... Looks like September is the new July so at this rate we should be sailing into October and with wait times for a new boat at an all time low, now is a perfect time to get you a new sailboat that you can sail into fall and be ready as soon as the ice clears in the spring...

XCAT arrived home in 4 boxes. Everything was installed correctly including sails, rudder, net and rowing accessories in 2 and half hours. Of course I had to read the instructions and watch the videos during the first assembly. But was not really difficult. Moving the XCAT on the provided wheels up and down the lake was easily done single handed.

I tried the RowVista first. It is really fast, smooth and enjoyable. Very entertaining workout. The forward movement is a great and unique feature of this boat. When my daughter was rowing, other boaters were surprised how easy and fast this thing goes!

With my limited sailing experience I was able to take full control for over 20 hours of sailing single handed. It goes really fast and easy. Tacking by moving your weight forward using the amazingly designed automatic rudder is extraordinary. With a crew of 2 we hiked, we jibed and it was fun. So far, I sailed it in wind speeds 5-11 knots. I felt very safe. Hoping with some training, I will get the courage to try the 15 knots sailing. I sailed the XCAT with a friend of mine who is an experienced sailor and he was amazed with the boat quality, light weight and the simplicity of assembly-disassembly procedure. I also see the boat brings attention from other boaters with lots of thumbs up. One has to say that there has been a lot of engineering in this boat.

I have to tell that switching gears between sailing and rowing rigs takes less than 10 min. I was sailing at the same time with someone who has a Minicat and it is clear that the Xcat is faster. But what is more important is that when the wind died, he headed back home and I went to switch gears to rowing and continued the fun during a beautiful sunny day.

Only one con, the left oar's latch opens sometimes spontaneously during rowing making the oar loose. I contacted the dealer and sent some pictures to get an advice. He immediately contacted the manufacturer and they sent me a replacement part right to my door.

Overall I am totally satisfied with this high quality boat and highly recommend it to others. I am planing to store the hulls on hangers in the garage during the winter. The dealer is also is very supportive and responsible. He responds to emails almost immediately. He is honest and highly professional.

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The BLOG Aquatic

END OF SEASON DEMO BOAT SALE!

Travelling over the border with your SUP or Sailboat (and probably your kite gear too)

Customer's comments about his XCAT

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