Cuba - Warning non-American Boats

[abh]

Those who are willing to give up freedom for safety, deserve neither. I believe those were words of one of the founders of us.

[Astrid]

Ben Franklin, I believe.

[sailorboy1]

Are some of you listening (reading) to yourselves? I can not believe how long some of the posts have been (which I stopped reading around the 2nd paragraph).

This is a sailing/cruising forum and at the start I thought there would been something to this. But it appears to have become more about country bashing!

[sww914]

Name a country that isn't run by greedy self-serving sociopaths who don't care who suffers as long as they get richer and I'll move there forever.

[capn_billl]

Originally Posted by sww914

Name a country that isn't run by greedy self-serving sociopaths who don't care who suffers as long as they get richer and I'll move there forever.

Tonga?

[HRDC]

Hummm.. Russian and Canadian? Worked in the US. Now in the ME. And not cruising! Just pulling your leg a bit. As mixed as you - and all - are!

[hpeer]

I wonder how they would view me.

In a Canadian vessel but a Dual Citizen?

Maybe it's OK if I only spend Canadian dollar?

[Maggie-K]

Again, a Canadian sailor can enter the US without having to get any additional certificate/license, which a US sailor entering Canada (for more
We have cleared into and out of foreign ports 100's of times, and had 4 'difficult experiences' and 2 of those were with American officials (who I believe did not know they law, but it is not worthwhile arguing with them). Frankly the whole clearance deal (Worldwide) for pleasure boats is a bit stupid, because those of us trying our best to follow the law are hassled when we make a minor error while those intentionally breaking the law do so easily.

Canadian Vessels over 30 feet are required to purchase a Decal from customs before entering Washington State waters you can stay 60 days before applying for a permit for another 60 then you have to leave. An operator who is a resident of another state or country who has a valid Boater Education card from that state or country Does not need a Washington card for first 60 consecutive days. After this must have Washington Boater Education Card. . You pay NOTHING for cruising in Canada , It's not the USA respect the local laws. I am happy to pay for my Decal each year as my contribution to the maintenance and services provided by Washington State.

[ice]

Originally Posted by cal40john

I know Washington has a required permit for boats over 15 hp. Looking at the first 10 states alphabetically on this list I found 4 required permits, 2 required permits after a law infraction, 3 required permits only for minors in some way, and 1 had no requirement.

Interesting. Thanks. I learned something new there. I sailed for almost a year in and out of washington waters (5 years ago) and did not know there was any sort of operator permit process. Is it relatively new? I am surprised there has not been more discussion on the forums.

I have never ever in the US had anyone ask me or even mention a 'pleasure vessel' operator permit. I am on the east coast now - Anyone know if are there any states there that have any sort of operator permit requirement for pleasure vessels?

[/QUOTE]

Originally Posted by Maggie-K

Canadian Vessels over 30 feet are required to purchase a Decal from customs before entering Washington State waters you can stay 60 days before applying for a permit for another 60 then you have to leave. You pay NOTHING for cruising in Canada.

Yes, I know you have to buy a US decal. So do Amercians. Canada is in fact relatively unusual in having no check in fee at all (and yes, that's nice) - the majority of countries we have checked into have some sort of fee.

As to paying nothing to cruise in Canada - as I said I had to pay to get an operators permit, which I was not required to have otherwise.

[Khagan1227]

I don't know about anyone else, but when I get together with a mate from another country, I stop country bashing after the second beer. By the 4th or 5th, I can almost speak the local languange.

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by Katiusha

You people... this thread had a chance of being very informative on a fairly hot issue [sailing between Cuba and US for non-US boats with non-US citizens].

However, because a lot of you couldn't resist to talk politics, now I have to sift through pages of "Embargo good, embargo bad, Fidel good, Fidel bad, US government blah-blah" to actually get any information relevant to OPs situation


45% of replies were pure politics

Some people see it as off-topic ... and some don't.

[cal40john]

Originally Posted by ice

Interesting. Thanks. I learned something new there. I sailed for almost a year in and out of washington waters (5 years ago) and did not know there was any sort of operator permit process. Is it relatively new? I am surprised there has not been more discussion on the forums.

I have never ever in the US had anyone ask me or even mention a 'pleasure vessel' operator permit. I am on the east coast now - Anyone know if are there any states there that have any sort of operator permit requirement for pleasure vessels?

It's in the process of being phased in since 2008 starting with 20 year olds and younger that year. I'll have to get one by 2014.
Mandatory Boater Education

Here's the link I posted last time. Select the state you're interested in and read the requirements or lack of:
Boating Class Requirements for Your State - Boat Ed, Official Boating Safety Courses

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by boatpoker

When I go to Cuba I live by Cuban Law. When I visit the US I live by your law. I love cruising the US east coat and ICW and have felt welcomed at every stop by whom I consider to be the most generous people on the planet. I don't judge the American people by your stupid politicians and I sure as hell hope you don't judge me by the useless parasites in Ottawa.
I do want to point out one small issue. The US got a litle pissed of at Fidel for having missiles pointed at the US ... a valid gripe but at the same time the US had already had for years, missiles in Turkey pointed at Moscow and your military still has an unwelcome 20 (think thats right) square mile military post in Cuba.

What's good for the goose.....

LOL. A generous attitude; I hope you will find it reciprocated

Actually, the US didn't get a little "pissed off at Fidel" because of the missiles -- that's long forgotten. It was the confiscated property, and the many angry people who are still a very vocal interest group.

I am against confiscating property, and I don't support the oppressive Communist regime in Havana, but jeeze -- really, it's time to get over it. We have perfectly friendly relations with the Vietnamese Communists, for example, and a flourishing, mutually beneficial trade relationship with them, who not only confiscated property but even shot some tens of thousands of our guys, something the Cubans never did. In the case of Vietnam, we got over it, and moved on, and so did the Vietnamese (to their credit!), and that's the way it should be.

The case of Cuba is purely a matter of the vocalness of the interest groups involved. If we were to be a little more vocal ourselves, things might even change.

The Cuban embargo, IMHO, is absolutely asinine, and indeed, infringes our constitutional rights to free travel, and ruins our reputation among perfectly law-abiding Canadian cruisers being harassed by our Coast Guard for no good reason. Guys, write your congressman. Speak up.

[Khagan1227]

Originally Posted by cal40john

It's in the process of being phased in since 2008 starting with 20 year olds and younger that year. I'll have to get one by 2014.
Mandatory Boater Education

Here's the link I posted last time. Select the state you're interested in and read the requirements or lack of:
Boating Class Requirements for Your State - Boat Ed, Official Boating Safety Courses

Now that's interesting, if you are over 59, you don't need a boater education card, and based on your age, you can wait a longer period of time before getting one.

So the older you are, the longer it takes one to learn in Washington State, and if you are over 60, they figure that you'll never learn.

Good to see the mindset in WA hasn't changed since I moved away years ago.

[ice]

Originally Posted by cal40john

Here's the link I posted last time. Select the state you're interested in and read the requirements or lack of:
Boating Class Requirements for Your State - Boat Ed, Official Boating Safety Courses

Fascinating. My state (VT) has a requirement for people born after 1974, which I am not, so I do not need one (and there is not any further roll-out suggested, unlike Washington), but the interesting thing is that I knew nothing at all about this. I wonder what percent of US boaters know about this creeping licensing requirement happening and how is this happening without a lot of discussion and comment?