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dobbinstudios · 17-11-2012, 16:30

2 Austrian citizens would like to sail with you to Cuba from the Bahamas or the Keys. We will write you a sponsor letter and get Coast Guard clearance.

US citizens are allowed to visit Cuba but not allowed to spend any money...hence the sponsor letter.

We are experienced sailors and sailboat owners up in the North East and did this trip before.

Preferred dates would be mid December to mid january. Please email us for more info

cheers

Sam

Rocketman · 17-11-2012, 16:57

You have peaked my interest, I might be interested. PM me with details.

**capngeo** · 17-11-2012, 17:39

I believe the "fully hosted" exemption is no longer...
Caveat Emptor

dobbinstudios · 17-11-2012, 17:42

..no longer valid?
i will check on this ASAP but my gut tells me it should be OK
(a bit more than my gut)
: )

**capngeo** · 17-11-2012, 17:51

Excerpted from CRS; Cuba: U.S. Restrictions on Travel and Remittances

Quote:

Under the George W. Bush Administration, the travel regulations were tightened significantly, with additional restrictions on family visits, educational travel, and travel for those involved in amateur and semi-professional international sports federation competitions. In addition, the categories of fully-hosted travel and people-to-people educational exchanges unrelated to academic coursework were eliminated as permissible travel to Cuba. The Bush Administration also cracked down on those traveling to Cuba illegally, further restricted religious travel by changing licensing guidelines for such travel, and suspended the licenses of several travel service providers in Florida for license violations.
Under the Obama Administration, Congress took action in March 2009 (P.L. 111-8) to ease restrictions on travel by Cuban Americans to visit their family in Cuba and on travel related to the marketing and sale of agricultural and medical goods to Cuba. In April 2009, President Obama went even further by announcing that all restrictions on family travel and on remittances to family members in Cuba would be lifted, and on September 3, 2009, the Treasury Department issued regulations implementing these policy changes. In January 2011, President Obama took further action to ease restrictions on travel and remittances to Cuba by providing new general licenses for travel involving educational and religious activities and restoring a specific license authorizing travel for people-to-people exchanges. The Administration also restored a general license for any U.S. person to send remittances to Cuba (up to $500 per quarter) and created a general license for remittances to religious organizations. Finally, the Administration also expanded the U.S. airports eligible to provide services to flights to and from Cuba. In most respects, with the exception of the expansion of eligible airports, these new measures appear to be similar to policies that were undertaken by the Clinton Administration in 1999 but were subsequently curtailed by the Bush Administration in 2003 and 2004.
The President has the authority to ease restrictions on travel to Cuba. For example, the President could choose to authorize travel to Cuba under a general license for all eligible categories of travel. Lifting all the restrictions on travel, however, would require legislative action. This is because of the codification of the embargo in Section 102(h) of the Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity Act of 1996 (P.L. 104-114); that act conditions the lifting of the embargo, including the travel restrictions, on the fulfillment of certain democratic conditions in Cuba. Although the Administration retains flexibility through licensing authority to ease travel restrictions, the President may not lift all restrictions on travel as set forth in the CACR. Moreover, a provision in the Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act of 2000 (§910(b) of P.L. 106-387, Title IX) prevents the Administration from licensing travel for tourist activities, and defines such activities as any activity not expressly authorized in the 12 broad categories of travel set forth in the CACR regulations. This legislative provision essentially circumscribes the authority of the executive branch to issue travel licenses for activities beyond the broad categories of travel allowed, and would have to be amended, superseded by new legislation, or repealed in order to expand categories of travel to Cuba or lift travel restrictions altogether.

dobbinstudios · 17-11-2012, 18:08

what's the source of your pasted article?
what's the date...W has not been in office for a while
but please give me some time to read the current legislation and we will see
beautiful Cuba, we come!
: )

AnchorageGuy · 18-11-2012, 07:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by dobbinstudios

2 Austrian citizens would like to sail with you to Cuba from the Bahamas or the Keys. We will write you a sponsor letter and get Coast Guard clearance.

US citizens are allowed to visit Cuba but not allowed to spend any money...hence the sponsor letter.

We are experienced sailors and sailboat owners up in the North East and did this trip before.

Preferred dates would be mid December to mid january. Please email us for more info

cheers

Sam

capngeo's post is absolutely correct. Cuba . Chuck

Sailingmartin · 18-11-2012, 08:16

Sam. We may have a UK-flag boat going your way, but not until early Feb.

drclive · 21-11-2012, 06:15

I also have a friend doing this ARC this year (Canary Island - Sant Lucia) that is interested in doing some sailing in Cuba, they will no need sponsor letters as they Brits and New Zealanders.

Rocketman · 23-11-2012, 05:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by ArtM

Can anyone offer a reasonable explanation as to why this absurd embargo continues?

I can't help but to think that there is no coincidence that the only place in the Universe that Americans are not allowed to visit is the same place America maintains a military torture facility.

My guess is that for the most part, americans have forgotten about Cuba. There is nobody complaining so no one cares. It is stupid, that in todays world, we can't seem to get along with a little country so close to us. Both country's could benifit from a close relationship but both are so bull headed they are waiting for the other to make nice. Then again when has anything the government has gotten into ever made good since.