May I Sail to Cuba ?

[slackintide]

Can I sail to Cuba?

[sarafina]

well sure

if ya have a sail boat.

can you make port when you get there?

maybe...

can you come back?

sure.

will you have problems along the way and with the state department?

OH YEAH.

Tricky business going on your own with out an approved visa... and they are pretty much only available thru non profits...

[avb3]

Sure you can. You just need to check in with customs in each port you pull into.

If your an American citizen, there are restrictions coming back... the rest of us in the world don't have any.

[Mardav]

I don't know, can you?

[TeddyDiver]

To Cuba, no problemo, Contact local coast guard with VHF and sail in with yellow flag.. Get the "tourist cards" (they don't stamp your passports) and enjoy your stay
The question should be "can I sail back to US from Cuba"

[captainKJ]

sail bahamas to cuba,,, just don't tell anyone,,,, good luck,,, bring back some cigars for me,,, just take the wrappers off and get rid of the box


also you can only sail to cube if you have a sailboat and know how to sail,,,,i know one guy who did it on a jetski and another who did it on a windsurfer

[Unicorn Dreams]

The restrictions are simple for US citizens is no direct travel netween the US and Cuba. You have always been able to visit BY GOING TO CANADA or any other country 1st.

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by Unicorn Dreams

The restrictions are simple for US citizens is no direct travel netween the US and Cuba. You have always been able to visit BY GOING TO CANADA or any other country 1st.

Bullroar, I'm sure.
Americans are prohibited under the Trading with the Enemy Act.
There are (illegal) work-arounds.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by GordMay

Bullroar, I'm sure.
Americans are prohibited.

Actually, he is exactly right. That is because there is no prohibition on travel to Cuba by Americans. There can't be; there is no Constitutional basis for it. We are not like some Commie robots (unlike, ironically, the Cubans themselves). The exact legal mechanism is a prohibition against spending money there, which is a violation of the embargo, not any prohibition of travel.

Indirect travel is not practically controllable. If the member travels there via a third country and -- important! -- doesn't use his credit cards, he should be ok.

But be smart and don't get caught. The main thing is to be careful not to leave any evidence that you spent money there. They can't prosecute you for anything else.

[callistov42]

Travel to Cuba is not prohibited. The embargo is against spending money in Cuba. We applied for and received a permit to spend money in Cuba from the US Dept of Treasury. I write an occasional article for a Texas sailing magazine and received the permit as a journalist. We spent a month sailing the south side of Cuba through all the little cays. It was beautiful. We were treated no differently than a German or Dutch or an English boat. You MUST have a zarpe for your next port and they will inspect your boat every time you enter a depart from a major port. The marina at Cienfuegos as an absolutely world class marina. After going through all the paperwork to get my permit, my wife and three sons left the boat at Grand Cayman and flew home via Miami. When we entered at Miami, I proudly wrote on my entry form under countries visited “CUBA”. The customs person asked “Did you enjoy Cuba”? I was so excited, I asked “Do you want to see our permit”. She said, no, just glad you enjoyed it. That was it. No one really seemed to care. If you want any more information about entering and sailing in Cuban waters contact Jose Miguel Diaz Escrich yachtclub@cnih.mh.cyt.cu. He is a very nice guy and very helpful. The issue is not with the Cubans. We are welcome and they love American dollars. The issue is with the US government.

[Khagan1227]

Hmmm.. I just wish us regular "Joes" could visit Cuba without a hassle. I think the current U.S. rules against travel there are discriminatory to someone not associated with a non-profit ORGANIZATION. I can assure you, if allowed to go to Cuba, I wouldn't be going there on business.

[Bash]

Originally Posted by GordMay

There are (illegal) work-arounds.

There are also legal work-arounds. One of these is to become a college professor and travel to Cuba on legitimate research.

[cwyckham]

Originally Posted by Bash

There are also legal work-arounds. One of these is to become a college professor and travel to Cuba on legitimate research.

LOL. That is fantastic. "I want to go to Cuba, so I'll spend 8 years in grad school then 4 years doing postdocs for the honour of a 1 in a 100 chance to get a professorship. Then I'll have made sure that I'm doing research all along related to Cuba, and then I'll get a grant to fund some research that requires field work in Cuba. Ok, I'm almost ready and... Dang they finally lifted the embargo and anybody can go!

Sorry, with an academic background and many friends still in it, that really made my night.

Chris

[KDH]

Even if we could go, our insurance specifically excludes Cuba, perhaps because the company is based in the US.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by cwyckham

LOL. That is fantastic. "I want to go to Cuba, so I'll spend 8 years in grad school then 4 years doing postdocs for the honour of a 1 in a 100 chance to get a professorship. Then I'll have made sure that I'm doing research all along related to Cuba, and then I'll get a grant to fund some research that requires field work in Cuba. Ok, I'm almost ready and... Dang they finally lifted the embargo and anybody can go!

Sorry, with an academic background and many friends still in it, that really made my night.

Chris

Hell.... why do you 'Yanks' always have to do things the 'Hard Way'.....??
Coupla quick E-mails... around $75 and you can cut down the time for your certification and Graduation to 12 hrs.... there's loadsa 'Online Universities..'
I've heard even the odd Politician has gone that route....