Summer in Cuba

[Soft Air]

Hope it doesn't get overcrowded with american citizens...soon enough it will look like Key West

[GordMay]

S.428 & H.R. 874 - Freedom to Travel to Cuba Act

These bills, introduced by Rep. Delahunt (D-MA) and Rep. Flake (R-AZ) in the House and Senators Dorgan (D-ND), Enzi (R-WY), Dodd (D-CT) and Lugar (R-IN) in the Senate, would allow travel between the United States and Cuba without existing restrictions.

The Freedom to Travel to Cuba Act - Prohibits the President from regulating or prohibiting travel to or from Cuba by U.S. citizens or legal residents or any of the transactions ordinarily incident to such travel, except in time of war or armed hostilities between the United States and Cuba, or of imminent danger to the public health or the physical safety of U.S. travelers.

If you wish, you can Call the Capitol Switchboard number: (202) 224-3121, and ask for your Representative, and urge him or her to (or not to) co-sponsor H.R. 874 in the House. Using the same number, you can call your Senators and ask them to support (or not) S. 428 in the Senate. You will most likely speak to a staff person.

Goto:
GovTrack: H.R. 874: Text of Legislation, Introduced in House

And:
washingtonpost.com

[Hud3]

This is good news! My only fear is that the demand, and therefore the price, of good Cuban cigars will skyrocket.

[Inthewind]

Tuesday, April 7, 2009 Breaking News Cuba's Raul Castro meets U.S. officials

Reuters 2009-04-07
A U.S. congressional delegation met on Monday with Cuban President Raul Castro in his first talks with U.S. officials since taking office last year -- a sign that U.S.-Cuban relations may be thawing.

Castro was host to six black Democrats from the U.S. House of Representatives who came to Cuba last week to explore ways of normalizing relations between the two countries, which have been at odds for five decades.

The television report showed Castro, attired in a business suit, sitting down with the delegation, but gave no details of what was discussed.

Delegation leader U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee has said the group did not carry a message from President Barack Obama but had come only to "listen and talk" with the Cubans.

Castro succeeded his ailing older brother Fidel Castro as president in February 2008.

Fidel Castro on Sunday wrote a column in which he said Cuba did not fear dialogue with the United States and on Monday wrote another recounting the visit of what he described as "an important political delegation."

There was no word that he had met with the group, but he wrote that one member had said "it was necessary to use this moment in which there is a black president in the White House and a current of opinion favorable to normalization of relations" between the two countries.

Hopes that U.S.-Cuba relations would improve have risen since Obama took office in January after promising to ease the 47-year U.S. trade embargo against the communist-led island and seek talks with Cuban leaders.

News reports have said Obama will shortly lift restrictions on family travel and remittances between Cuba and the United States, perhaps before the Summit of the Americas in Trinidad and Tobago on April 17.

Bills are pending in the House and Senate that would eliminate a ban on Americans visiting Cuba.

[Tom and Maje]

Originally Posted by mudrod

To All, Good News ! Just heard on the 10 o'clock news that a Bill has been introduced to lift the embargo on travel by us citizens to Cuba !!

Not to all Americans (see below)



13 APR 09
The White House now is confirming a Miami Herald report, outlining what President Obama will announce with regard to Cuba. Here are some bullet-point details from the report:

• Lifting travel restrictions for Cuban Americans, allowing them to travel more freely to the island
• Lifting gift restriction for Cuban Americans, allowing them to send additional financial help to family members. (-- Expanding the items that can be sent to the island, including clothing, personal hygiene items and fishing equipment."
• "Licensing steps to open up greater communication to the island"

But:

• The trade embargo remains in place
• And still prohibited: "Sending items to senior government officials and Communist Party members"

[steelfan]

Can you cruise along the coast without too much agro from officials (after booking in to the country of course) I am thinking of spending Jan to April 2010 there

[phiggins]

Once you check in and get a cruising license you can cruise to other ports but you have to give them a detailed list of the ports you plan to stop in. They may disallow some of the ports you put on the list depending on their current security situation or their mood.

I also plan to be in Cuba around January, probably Marina Hemingway first then along the coast maybe around the south side as far as Cayo Largo. Maybe we'll see you there.

[bobboulware]

Reference Entering Marina Hemingway: Best to make sure you have the sea bouy (200 yds from shore +/-) close along side before entering the channel (about 50 feet wide by memory). Go in on the compass bearing mentioned in Nigel Caulders book and you'll be fine. Not a good idea to do it at night, although they used to have range lights that are counterintuitive but usually don't work anyway.

[phiggins]

I'll second that warning. When we were there in 2005/6, half a dozen boats went on the reef coming into Hemingway. Some of the buoys, I think the red ones, were missing. They'll give you a heavy fine for damaging the reef, not to mention the damage you'll sustain.

[bobboulware]

Originally Posted by bobboulware

Reference Entering Marina Hemingway: Best to make sure you have the sea bouy (200 yds from shore +/-) close along side before entering the channel (about 50 feet wide by memory). Go in on the compass bearing mentioned in Nigel Caulders book (140 degrees T by memmory) and you'll be fine. Not a good idea to do it at night, although they used to have range lights that are counterintuitive but usually don't work anyway.

One more thing of note: The chart says that the sea buoy is red with flashing light. The flashing light is white by memory. We were looking for a red flashing light amongst the shore clutter at night and came within about 30 feet of the sea buoy (thanks to Mr. Garmin)before we saw it.

BTW: There was a great $5 buffet breakfast (1999) on the veranda overlooking the marina at one of the hotels that is a don't miss.