FL Keys to Cuba

[Ram]

Originally Posted by Chief Engineer

Why would freedom loving sailors want to contribute to a repressive government?

Are you talking about the USA?

[mesquaukee]

Originally Posted by IdoraKeeper

With a little trade a Cuban might be able to buy a Chevy Volt, or a Whopper with cheese or a new window from Home Depot. Nothing succeeds like success. I think it would be a marvelous cruising destination.

Cheers

They might like Whopper's too much and then it would be overrun with boats.

If you have a SSB you might ask how much the Marinas charge on the NW Caribbean Cruisers net at 1400z on 6209 or 6212.

[sailorgal]

Originally Posted by IdoraKeeper

With a little trade a Cuban might be able to buy a Chevy Volt, or a Whopper with cheese or a new window from Home Depot. Nothing succeeds like success. I think it would be a marvelous cruising destination.

Cheers

We would love to cruise to Cuba before it becomes "Americanized." Before there's a McDonald's and a Starbucks on every corner and condos everywhere. My cousin (who is German) loves going to Cuba on vacation. We are hoping to go, and we are hoping some of the travel restrictions are lifted

[marlinespike]

Some of you were wondering about a new guide for Cuba
Check out this link
Cruise Cuba, current planning and advice for sailing to Cuba

Looks like they are producing a new cruising guide to Cuba
and I think I heard Vol 1 (western Cuba) is coming soon.

[Ram]

Originally Posted by marlinespike

Some of you were wondering about a new guide for Cuba
Check out this link
Cruise Cuba, current planning and advice for sailing to Cuba

Looks like they are producing a new cruising guide to Cuba
and I think I heard Vol 1 (western Cuba) is coming soon.

Great I just signed up on there website to be contacted when the books come out!

[CarlF]

While wandering around the back booths of the boat show">Miami Boat Show, I was astonished to come upon a booth for cruising in Cuba - complete with a staff member and a huge map of about 30 marina locations around the island. They said that the marinas are working with the government to make cruising within Cuba easier . The basic message seemed to be "we're ready for when the US embargo lifts"

The staffer invited me to come hear the commodore of the Hemingway Marina speak during the Miami show (I couldn't go). Video of his speech is on their web site.

Carl

[sanssouci]

Originally Posted by osirissail

Not many as it is still illegal for American Citizens to visit/sail to Cuba.

IT IS NOT ILLEGAL FOR AMERICAN CITIZENS TO VISIT/SAIL TO CUBA.

[sanssouci]

B. Vessels used for travel
All persons onboard vessels, including the owner and crew, must be authorized travelers, as listed above, to engage in travel-related transactions in Cuba. Unauthorized travelers may not purchase meals, pay for transportation, lodging, dockage or mooring fees, cruising fees, visas, or entry or exit fees. Vessel owners are prohibited from carrying passengers to Cuba , and vessels carrying goods or passengers to or from Cuba are prohibited from entering a U.S. port with such goods or passengers on board absent authorization from OFAC (see section 515.207(b) of the Regulations). Vessels traveling to Cuba are also subject to regulations implemented by the Department of Commerce (see 15 CFR Parts 730 et. seq) and the United States Coast Guard (see 33 CFR § 107.200 et. seq).

[osirissail]

Maybe I put the "illegal" word in the wrong order. . . I should have said US Citizens cannot "legally" sail/cruise to Cuba. To be "legal" you need the "license/permits" and since they are not being issued as mentioned in the following post - the only way to go there is "illegally." That of course, does not slow down many people from going, they just have to be savvy about how they do it and not blab about it in front of government officials, forums or other public platforms.

Originally Posted by Waterwayguy

These "licenses" that rules state are required have not been issued for several years now. They are not denied, you simply receive no response when applying for one. WH

[phiggins]

Regarding how much it cost for the mainas in Cuba, I just came from there a few months ago and Veradero was .35/foot/day and Hemingway was .50/foot/day plus electricity and water usage.

I'm Canadian but many Americans I met there said when they were stopped that they just said were just trying to get in the counter current off the Cuban coast going to Mexico

And again I'll say they are has NEVER been a case where an American who has been to Cuba has taken to court. Many have been charged but when they ignore the charge, its eventually dropped. Of course many have been intimated into paying the fine.

[FSMike]

Originally Posted by phiggins

And again I'll say they are has NEVER been a case where an American who has been to Cuba has taken to court. Many have been charged but when they ignore the charge, its eventually dropped.

I'm kind of curious as to how you prove that something has never happened?

[Mule]

Originally Posted by Chief Engineer

Why would freedom loving sailors want to contribute to a repressive government?

Good question. I am now searching my boat to see if I have anything on it made in China.

Had Eisenhower not been kissing ass with the big American sugar executives, had they been building a few roads, schools and hospitals by paying Cuban taxes and not working the sugar cane cutters at $.25 a day Cuba might even be a state or a Puerto Rico today. We forced Castro to the Russians. The first of the three biggest foreign policy failures since 1950 by the USA. Cuba, Vietnam and Iraq.

Too bad says this Vietnam Vet. When I finish my Trawler refit Cuba is on my agenda. What business is it of the USA where I go after I leave national waters? Should be not a damn bit of Washington's business, just my business, what me being a freedom loving Sailor, that likes freedom w/o a repressive government sticking their nose where it does not belong.

As for spending MY money I Earned I will spend it where ever I see fit. Washington gets a cut of MY money, what I do with the rest of MY (operative term here is MY) money, not Washigton's money, should be my business.

Excuse me, as I slide my soap box back under the table...sorry ( well a little bit) about my tyrate.

[AnchorageGuy]

Originally Posted by phiggins

And again I'll say they are has NEVER been a case where an American who has been to Cuba has taken to court. Many have been charged but when they ignore the charge, its eventually dropped. Of course many have been intimated into paying the fine.

That is not correct and the Captain in Key West and all of the members of his sailing organization that organized a race to Havana were charged under the current law and the cost to fight this through the legal system was tens of thousands of dollars. The courts eventually denied the government the $75,000.00 fine they levied because no one actually went there but the government levied the fines for planning the race. Another case involved a Skipper from the Great Lakes that was fined $25,000.00 after he returned from Cuba and the government later settled for about half. We have personally followed this whole process for many years and actually received a journalist license several years back and did take our boat to Cuba. Saying no one has been charged may technically be correct since the government does not charge you with anything but does levy enormous fines which you could spend a great deal of money trying to fight. Here is some of the information, http://cryptome.info/0001/bis111808-2.htm and here http://www.righttotraveltocuba.org/d..._vs_travel_ban .WG

[mesquaukee]

Originally Posted by Waterwayguy

That is not correct and the Captain in Key West and all of the members of his sailing organization that organized a race to Havana were charged under the current law and the cost to fight this through the legal system was tens of thousands of dollars. The courts eventually denied the government the $75,000.00 fine they levied because no one actually went there but the government levied the fines for planning the race. Another case involved a Skipper from the Great Lakes that was fined $25,000.00 after he returned from Cuba and the government later settled for about half. We have personally followed this whole process for many years and actually received a journalist license several years back and did take our boat to Cuba. Saying no one has been charged may technically be correct since the government does not charge you with anything but does levy enormous fines which you could spend a great deal of money trying to fight. Here is some of the information, Regatta Duo Fined for Sailing Boats to Cuba and here Cuba: VICTORIES VS. THE TRAVEL BAN - Freedom to Travel .WG

I suppose if one was dumb enough to come back directly from Cuba and declare it you would have a problem

Openly declaring that you are going to Cuba you do deserve to be fined for being stupid. Perhaps I am missing something but they never went there.
I do not see how the above fine and all the legal fees could be spun into saying that people were fined for going to Cuba.
I would imagine the fine and all the legal fees were more for conspiracy, or encouraging treason. Perhaps they should have hung by their thumbs from the yardarm for sedition.

Visit Cuba then go to Mexico and Belize for a while then come back to the US. Cuba does not stamp passports.

Cuba is a nice uncrowded cruising ground, excellent inexpensive rum and friendly people. It would be a shame if the embargo was lifted.

[osirissail]

Almost all the countries of the world that we sail to have hundreds, if not thousands of laws, rules and regulations that could make our lives difficult. As a result living "absolutely legal" is very difficult or virtually impossible. But generally most countries, especially the smaller ones, tend to ignore 90% of the silly and stupid laws their politicians enacted. This makes living and cruising much easier especially if you do not "piss off" anybody in the country or its government.
- - As others have rightly mentioned, keeping a low profile and not "sticking it in their face" goes a long way to making your cruising more enjoyable and less eventful. Same with Cuba and the US. There are of course, "righteous causes" to be fought, but at my age I tend to let the younger tigers do the battle.
- - A leisurely enjoyable sail from US to Bahamas to Jamaica with a minor "weather/mechanical" deviation to Cuba along the way works well. Or as others have mentioned - enroute to Mexico/Belize/etc. hugging the Cuban north coast to get out of the current also works with a few "ducking in for weather, etc." stops along the way also works. There are numerous ways to accomplish your objective that will get a wink from the officials rather than sticking it in their face and making them come down hard on you. Overall, I found "low-profiles" go a long way to keeping the bullets from finding you.