The rules have tightened for cruisers crossing between the U.S. and Canada. Here is a summary, with the emphasis on the West Coast. Includes resources where you can get updates.
[48º North, July 2002]
When the French Customs started enforcing the EU′s tax laws, these cruisers went through all the steps. Others may learn from their account.
[Cruising World, 25 June 2004]
Required training courses and passing a test on safety, rules of the road, navigation, and other skills is becoming more common in other countries, including Canada. 2 pages
[PassageMaker, January 2000]
Thirteen tips for making the encounter with a foreign country′s customs agents pleasant and brief.
[SeaRoom.com, Toronto, ON, Canada]
A fill-in -the-blanks form for listing crewmembers and describing your boat, to use when entering a foreign port.
[The Cruising Life, Vero Beach, FL, USA]
A run-down of the procedures, documents, and behavior for quick and successful clearance into foreign ports.
[SailNet, 12 November 2003]
Cruising among most EU countries no longer requires showing your passport, 1 page with map.
[Cruising World, November 2002]
An argument that a 240-volt isolation transformer is the best way to deliver onboard shore power. Global access to AC power and safer grounding are among the advantages. 3 pages with diagrams.
[Cruising World, April 2003]
Written for British boaters going to other European countries, but useful for others as well. Covers papers, competence certificates, insurance, and other requirements.
[Royal Yachting Association, Hamble, Southampton, UK]
Brief grab bag of tips and checklists for procedures and documents needed for entering a foreign country by boat. Primitive but useful page Contains excerpts from hard-to-find bulletin board and newsgroup postings, as well as links to useful sites and vendor pages.
[Bill Dietrich, USA]