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20-08-2014, 09:12
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#1
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Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 57
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OK to go to Cuba if you are a US Citizen?
I was wondering if it is ok to sail to Cuba directly from a US port or do you have to play games and sail from a "foreign" port nearby. Thanks!
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20-08-2014, 09:19
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#2
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Senior Cruiser
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: 29° 49.16’ N 82° 25.82’ W
Boat: Pearson 422
Posts: 16,306
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Re: OK to go to Cuba if you are a US Citizen?
If you do a search on this forum you will find at least 10-15 discussions on this in the last year or so.
Short answer is NO if you are a US citizen or legal resident. Even if you play games you are not allowed to legally go to Cuba no matter how you get there. Lots of people do and almost none are charged with violating the regulations but they could be fined, lose their boat or worse. Not likely but I'm not willing to take that chance.
Up to you what you do. If you do decide to risk it do not come back to south Florida, especially Key West to clear back into the US.
__________________
The water is always bluer on the other side of the ocean.
Sometimes it's necessary to state the obvious for the benefit of the oblivious.
Rust is the poor man's Loctite.
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20-08-2014, 09:19
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#3
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Nearly an old salt
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Lefkas Marina ,Greece
Boat: Bavaria 36
Posts: 22,801
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Re: OK to go to Cuba if you are a US Citizen?
Just go, then you can return and find out and tell us all about it
dave
__________________
Interested in smart boat technology, networking and all things tech
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20-08-2014, 09:22
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#4
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Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 57
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Re: OK to go to Cuba if you are a US Citizen?
LOL!! Yes, I just went to Noon Site and found my answer. So stupid!
US yachts are not forbidden from cruising in Cuba, but if they do not obtain a licence from the US Treasury Department and permission from the US Coast Guard, they may experience difficulties when returning to the USA (see further details under USA Clearance). This situation may change if relations between the two countries are normalised.
Thanks!
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20-08-2014, 09:29
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#5
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Senior Cruiser
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: 29° 49.16’ N 82° 25.82’ W
Boat: Pearson 422
Posts: 16,306
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Re: OK to go to Cuba if you are a US Citizen?
Quote:
Originally Posted by frgeorgeh
LOL!! Yes, I just went to Noon Site and found my answer. So stupid!
US yachts are not forbidden from cruising in Cuba, but if they do not obtain a licence from the US Treasury Department and permission from the US Coast Guard, they may experience difficulties when returning to the USA (see further details under USA Clearance). This situation may change if relations between the two countries are normalised.
Thanks!
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Technically you can apply for the permits. In reality you will never get one. They are not for tourism. You have to go for some humanitarian or other approved reason. Drinking rum and smoking Cuban cigars is not one.
So far the only permits I know of, besides religious or medical organizations that go for humanitarian reasons, have been issued to organizations that put together cultural exchange trips with scheduled trips.
__________________
The water is always bluer on the other side of the ocean.
Sometimes it's necessary to state the obvious for the benefit of the oblivious.
Rust is the poor man's Loctite.
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20-08-2014, 09:34
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#6
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One of Those
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Colorado
Boat: Catalac 12M (sold)
Posts: 3,218
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Re: OK to go to Cuba if you are a US Citizen?
It's not illegal for a US Citizen to go to Cuba, according to a lawyer here. It's only illegal for a US Citizen to spend US dollars in Cuba. So, technically, if you had engine problems and pulled in and dropped the hook while you fixed them and didn't spend money or charge things, and then left Cuba and checked into the Turks and Caicos, or Haiti, or the Dominican Republic, or the Bahamas or all of the above, you'd be below the radar.
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20-08-2014, 09:36
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#7
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Fort Lauderdale, FL
Boat: 48 Wauquiez Pilot Saloon
Posts: 5,975
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Re: OK to go to Cuba if you are a US Citizen?
Quote:
Originally Posted by skipmac
Technically you can apply for the permits. In reality you will never get one. They are not for tourism. You have to go for some humanitarian or other approved reason. Drinking rum and smoking Cuban cigars is not one.
So far the only permits I know of, besides religious or medical organizations that go for humanitarian reasons, have been issued to organizations that put together cultural exchange trips with scheduled trips.
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Skip....
I think we need to apply for a "cultural exchange" trip ...
__________________
In the harsh marine environment, something is always in need of repair...
Mai Tai's fix everything...
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20-08-2014, 09:40
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#8
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Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: New York
Boat: In between boats
Posts: 215
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Re: OK to go to Cuba if you are a US Citizen?
Continuing to maintain the embargo, after 54 years is stupid and a waste of my tax payer dollars. I see nothing wrong with me, or any american, going to Cuba and enjoying gallons of cheap rum, fine cigars and cultural exchanges with fine/upstanding Cuban women.
Damn politics and fearmongers
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20-08-2014, 09:51
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#9
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Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 57
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Re: OK to go to Cuba if you are a US Citizen?
Quote:
Originally Posted by SailingwithSoul
Continuing to maintain the embargo, after 54 years is stupid and a waste of my tax payer dollars. I see nothing wrong with me, or any american, going to Cuba and enjoying gallons of cheap rum, fine cigars and cultural exchanges with fine/upstanding Cuban women.
Damn politics and fearmongers
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Agreed!
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20-08-2014, 09:52
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#10
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One of Those
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Colorado
Boat: Catalac 12M (sold)
Posts: 3,218
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Re: OK to go to Cuba if you are a US Citizen?
Quote:
Originally Posted by SailingwithSoul
Continuing to maintain the embargo, after 54 years is stupid and a waste of my tax payer dollars. I see nothing wrong with me, or any american, going to Cuba and enjoying gallons of cheap rum, fine cigars and cultural exchanges with fine/upstanding Cuban women.
Damn politics and fearmongers
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I'm with you on that one. I don't accept that the US government has any right to tell me where I can go on the planet when I'm not inside the US.
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20-08-2014, 10:13
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#11
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Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Wherever the boat is!
Boat: Marine Trader 34DC
Posts: 4,619
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Re: OK to go to Cuba if you are a US Citizen?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Canibul
It's not illegal for a US Citizen to go to Cuba, according to a lawyer here. It's only illegal for a US Citizen to spend US dollars in Cuba. So, technically, if you had engine problems and pulled in and dropped the hook while you fixed them and didn't spend money or charge things, and then left Cuba and checked into the Turks and Caicos, or Haiti, or the Dominican Republic, or the Bahamas or all of the above, you'd be below the radar.
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Unfortunately this is repeated over and over in these discussions and it is just incorrect. It was the case once upon a time, but was changed long ago. This topic has been discussed at length here on the forum many times. There isn't much in the way of new news to add to the discussion. Chuck
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20-08-2014, 10:17
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#12
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Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 230
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Re: OK to go to Cuba if you are a US Citizen?
Quote:
Originally Posted by SailingwithSoul
Continuing to maintain the embargo, after 54 years is stupid and a waste of my tax payer dollars. I see nothing wrong with me, or any american, going to Cuba and enjoying gallons of cheap rum, fine cigars and cultural exchanges with fine/upstanding Cuban women.
Damn politics and fearmongers
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Canibul
I'm with you on that one. I don't accept that the US government has any right to tell me where I can go on the planet when I'm not inside the US.
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I'll simply +1 these posts because they said it so much more politely than I would have.
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20-08-2014, 10:30
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#13
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Nearly an old salt
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Lefkas Marina ,Greece
Boat: Bavaria 36
Posts: 22,801
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Re: OK to go to Cuba if you are a US Citizen?
Quote:
I'm with you on that one. I don't accept that the US government has any right to tell me where I can go on the planet when I'm not inside the US.
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Given the state the world, I nearly split my coffee laughing to that one.
dave
__________________
Interested in smart boat technology, networking and all things tech
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20-08-2014, 10:35
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#14
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Senior Cruiser
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: 29° 49.16’ N 82° 25.82’ W
Boat: Pearson 422
Posts: 16,306
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Re: OK to go to Cuba if you are a US Citizen?
Quote:
Originally Posted by SailingwithSoul
Continuing to maintain the embargo, after 54 years is stupid and a waste of my tax payer dollars.
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Totally agree. Not only stupid but pointless and achieves nothing. We have an economic embargo against Cuba but trade with many countries with much worse human rights records.
It is course strictly politics and nothing more than a ploy to win the Cuban expat vote in south Florida.
__________________
The water is always bluer on the other side of the ocean.
Sometimes it's necessary to state the obvious for the benefit of the oblivious.
Rust is the poor man's Loctite.
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20-08-2014, 10:41
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#15
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Senior Cruiser
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: 29° 49.16’ N 82° 25.82’ W
Boat: Pearson 422
Posts: 16,306
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Re: OK to go to Cuba if you are a US Citizen?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Canibul
It's not illegal for a US Citizen to go to Cuba, according to a lawyer here. It's only illegal for a US Citizen to spend US dollars in Cuba.
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That is a more accurate statement of the situation and in the past sailors exploited that loophole by saying they stayed on their boat, did not pay for a hotel room, ate on the boat so spent no money in a restaurant, etc. However, the government figured that out pretty quickly and made it clear that this was not allowed. So even though it is not specifically illegal to go to Cuba, it is illegal to spend money in Cuba IE to contribute to their economy. It has been determined that one cannot be in Cuba without spending money. Therefore since A = B and B = C so A = C that is it is by default illegal to go to Cuba.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Canibul
So, technically, if you had engine problems and pulled in and dropped the hook while you fixed them and didn't spend money or charge things, and then left Cuba and checked into the Turks and Caicos, or Haiti, or the Dominican Republic, or the Bahamas or all of the above, you'd be below the radar.
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Forget being below the radar. I have heard rumors that if you have a breakdown you can go to Cuba and even spend money to repair your boat.
__________________
The water is always bluer on the other side of the ocean.
Sometimes it's necessary to state the obvious for the benefit of the oblivious.
Rust is the poor man's Loctite.
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