Want to Rent: Key West -->Cuba and back, urgent charter request

[EMW]

Hello Cruisers Forum!

I am a graduate student looking to charter a vessel for myself and 3 others from Key West to Cuba and back, departing KW December 12th and returning the 18th/19th.

We had chartered a vessel but the captain just notified us that due to extreme weather conditions, he sustained damage near Cape Canaveral and had to be towed by the Coast Guard. His boat will not be fixed in time, and we are on a rather tight deadline.

I and my three collaborators are working on a project commissioned by the Indianapolis Museum of Contemporary Art, so the visit falls under the Professional Research visa category.

Please direct message me if you or anyone you know might be interested in this journey. We can offer a modest sum.

Best,

Elizabeth

[Dulcesuenos]

Sailboat at stock island village marina that advertises round trips.

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[EMW]

Thanks for the tip, Dulcesuenos.

Do you have any more information on that? I am not in Key West. Perhaps contact information?

Best,

Elizabeth

[Dulcesuenos]

Try calling the marina, his monohull is on "A" dock, 2nd or 3rd boat. I'm not down there right now. You could call the Tortuga" charter cat, capt Super, may know about them. Theres another charter sailboat doing the trip but they charge 3k per person. Why not fly from miami? Theres 2 flights a day on american.

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[adlib2]

There's another charter sailboat doing the trip but they charge 3k per person.

It's only 97 miles so why so steep?
I'm the Skipper that took on the assignment and now laid up in Cape Canaveral. They are serious students and paid a deposit promptly, now will be refunded.
Any US flagged vessel, this is an opportunity to visit Cuba on the Students Art License~

[CaptDHill]

Set Sail Yacht Charters, SetSailAway.com, sails to Cuba. We were there two months ago. I don't believe we can accommodate your schedule in December. If you just need to get to Cuba and on a schedule, I too recommend flying. In addition to the flights from Miami, there are regular flights from Cancun.

The problem with flying is that you will also need a hotel. Hotels are available in Havana and a few other areas, but the rooms are not cheap compared to what you receive for your money. For that matter, nothing in Cuba is cheap except rum. You can find restaurants that are not expensive, but you need to speak Spanish and know your way around. The hotel restaurants are expensive. There is very little food available for purchase in a store. This being said, thousands of Canadians manage to visit Cuba via airlines.


I personally believe visiting Cuba by boat is currently the best method, but I'm biased. I travel everywhere on a boat. When I fly, I'm usually flying to get on another boat.


If you are still interested in a yacht sailing to Cuba, Set Sail provides a 52 foot ketch with three private staterooms. The crew are all USCG licensed captains and they speak English and Spanish.


The cost is about $850/ day plus any deadhead transient fees. These charters are mostly all inclusive, but you can customize what's included to your interests. You can contact Set Sail via phone or email by visiting the website at SetSailAway.com


I glad to see your interest in Cuba. I hope you make it there. One last thing, Cuba is not considered dangerous, but use diligence. Also, I wrote a piece on Cuba. If you would like to read it, please email me requesting a copy at darien@professionalcaptain.com


I know I didn't answer your question, but hopefully there's something useful here.


Best,
Darien

[ronbird]

Hi Elizabeth,
If you haven't found passage yet, might also see if the folks at Calypso Watersports in Key Largo can help. They have a couple Cats that could work for you, I know they are involved in a race to Cuba in January. Just google them.
Id love to help, but my boat is not available at the moment. Maybe next time. Give me a shout if you or associates want to do it again.