Cruising Cuba

[gltea]

Capn K,

     I will leave deleting this post to your discretion.  I would hate to think I would harm this site or the members on it. 

[s/v Faith]

While on passage... it was late and I could not see the dial too well... I think I may have accidentally tuned in a cuban radio station.  It was an accident, and I only listened for a second..... do I need to report that to someone?  Maybe I need to turn in my radio for 'deprogramming'? 

;D

  I too would love to visit Cuba.  I understand that the 'authorities' have a 'special treatment' for US vessels that they suspect have visited Cuba.  In talking to some folks, it sounds like they first take all gps's and the ships log.  Then they 'search' the boat in as destructive method possible to make a point.

  I agree with what Kurt has said... this particular insanity defies political party, the pandering to a highly vocal contingent has gone on for many years.  I hope we see the end of it.

[Pappy Jack]

IIRC, our government took some poor sap to court for sailing to Cuba for a race or was it that he was trying to sponsor a race to Cuba? Well, the court case went on for sometime and people from all over sent in money for his defense fund. The upshot of all this was he found not guilty(HURRAH for our side ;D)! There was a lot of questions about what was the law and what wasn't. I, for one, still don't know for sure what is "THE LAW". Call me skiddish but I don't trust "This Government" or any other for that matter.

I guess I sounded a little like "Chicken Little" in my last post for which I'm sorry :-[. It's just that all it takes is some guy like that D.A. that prosecuted the Duke La Crosse players last year to give somebody a very hard time and for no good reason. I believe what I said is correct but I wouldn't worry about it too much.  Just don't P. O. somebody in power, if you know what I mean ;D.

Fair winds,

Pappy Jack

P.S. Three cheers for the First Amendment

[CharlieJ]

Actually they took TWO people to court, for running a race they even had permission for, from another agency. The thing went on for some months before they were found not guilty, but it cost them a bundle.

It was the recurring ( up til now ) Key West to Havana Race, where the racers carried  donated supplies- no money involved. This government has decided to get REALLY nasty about Americans going to Cuba.

And I agree, it sucks, but them's the rules for now, so we have to live by them.

[Captain Smollett]

  Just don't P. O. somebody in power, if you know what I mean ;D.

Some have said we have a moral obligation to PO those in power.  It's our duty.

But you have to pick your battles....

[gltea]

Thanks, everyone, for your thoughts.  I have done some further research and have decided not to take the trip.

It's time to come up with a better idea. 

[Pappy Jack]

Hi Sara,

Sorry to hear about your decision not to go to Cuba :'(. I know that if I had a chance to go,I would... that is, after the DHS moderates its policy on Cuba ::).  All I ask is that you keep us up to date and don't forget the pictures ;).

Fair winds,

Pappy Jack

[psyche]

The one place I want to visit and experience the culture is Cuba. I feel time is pressing because once it is opened to travel by US citizens Cuba and its culture will forever be chanced from the way it is at this time. The close proximity to the US will make it a very popular cruising location like the Bahamas. I have been trying to arrange permission to visit without government repercussions. Everything I have read and individuals I have talked to who have visited indicate how receptive and friendly the Cubans are to us visiting. In many ways the country is very much like it was in the '50s. There has not been the build up of resorts and developments that has affected other islands although it is looming on the horizon. Dan

[Pappy Jack]

BREAKING NEWS :o :o :o!!!!

Castro resigns!!! His brother Raul to take over the reigns. Could this be the beginning of a new era ???, or just more of the same old, same old? Lets all hold our breaths and see what happens next.

Fair winds,

Pappy Jack

[Shipscarver]

I have not been able to go to Cuba since 1957. I want to see what changes have been made. As a Good OL' Florida Boy, I don't really know which Presidents did what (other than when JFK backed out on The Bay of Pigs and I lost some idealistic friends). But, I do hear the ranting about how much the old Cuban money donates to republican political candidates and how the quid pro quo for opening Cuba is the return of property and companies to the original families. However, as it says at the end of King Arthur, " . . . The old order changeth . . ." or at least passeth away. Thus commeth change. I HOPE IT DOESN'T TAKE TOO LONG, MY BEARD IS ALREADY WHITE!

[gltea]

With Castro resigning, there is no way I want to go Cuba now. 

I have found a position as crew out of Ft. Lauderdale to the Bahamas.  I have the option of staying on to South Africa.  I'll start a new thread.

[Pappy Jack]

Hi gang,

Isn't creepy how Fidel looks like Willie Nelson  ;)? Sure sounds like a conspiracy to me ;D ;D ;D.

Flair winds,

Pappy Jack

[s/v Faith]

Just an update to show that the penalties are still a priority for the US government....

Latest Southwinds magazine reports the folks who participated in the regatta in 2003 are still being harassed;

  Here is the story;

Cuba Race Participants of 2003 Continue to be
Persecuted byUnited States Government
SOUTHWINDS received an e-mail from one of the race participants
of the Key West to Cuba race that took place in May, 2003.

  In the e-mail, the writer (name withheld) sent
us a quote of the new charges, dated December 18, 2007.
The new charges are a bit different from the letter received
last year, dated November 5, 2006, but are still a continua-28without a license.

  Here is a copy of the quote of the
charges that we received (the owner's name has been replaced with "X" and the
name of the vessel has been replaced with the words "Vessel Y"):
"Charge 1 15 C.F.R. 764.2(a)-Exportinga Vessel without a required license.
Between on or about May 22, 2003 though on or about May 31, 2003, X
engaged in conduct prohibited by the Regulations when he exported the Vessel Y,
an item subject to the Regulations and classified on the Commerce Control List under Export Control Classification Number ("ECCN") 8A992.f, to Cuba during a
regatta without the required Department of Commerce authorization.

  On more than one occasion prior to the regat-ta,
BIS's Office of Export Enforcement had advised race
organizers that all regatta participants required a
Department of Commerce export license prior to exporting
their vessel to Cuba. On or about May 22, 2003, the Office of
Export Enforcement met with X and other regatta partici-pants
at the regatta's pre-launch party and informed X that
a license was required for the temporary
export of vessels to Cuba during the regat-ta.
On or about May 23, 2003, the Office Of
Export Enforcement provided X with a
written notice indicating again that an
export license was required by all regat-ta
participants who took their vessels to
Cuba and that a particular license that
had been identified by some of the partic-ipants
as authority to take their vessel to
Cuba during the regatta did not in fact
authorize the temporary export of a vessel.
Pursuant to Section 746.2 of the regulations, a
license is required for the export of vessels to
Cuba and no license was obtained for the export of Vessel
Y to Cuba. In temporarily exporting a vessel to Cuba with-out
the required license, X committed one violation of
Section 764. (a) of the regulations."

Note from Editor — We would like to point out that all the ves-sels
returned from Cuba shortly after arriving there. In other
words, none were "exported" to Cuba. The race organizers were
persecuted by the U.S. government through November 2004,at the regatta's pre-launch party and informed X that
but never prosecuted, although their harassment by the U.S.
government was plenty of punishment—otherwise known as
"punishment without conviction." Some call it persecution, as
opposed to prosecution. The charges were dropped against them
on the Friday before the first Tuesday in November 2004—four
days before the national election in the United States. We won-der
what will happen with these charges this year—another elec-tion
year.
It has been four and a half years since the race.

[Tim]

Well it looks like those of us who have longed to go to Cuba may get our chance.

This is a quote from BBC news about the Senate confirmation hearing;

"Mrs Clinton said there would be change of policy towards Cuba under President-elect Barack Obama's administration.

She confirmed the new government would lift the US ban on travel to Cuba.

Mr Obama has already said he is willing to talk to the government of President Raul Castro in an effort to end 50 years of strained relations since the Cuban revolution. "

[Steve H]

that would be great , and would change my future plans for sure .
hopefully it wont take years to make it happen.

[skylark]

Its about time. 

[Bill NH]

My grandfather used to live in Key West and regularly made the trip to Havana for fun and fishing in the pre-Castro days.  It's a place I've always wanted to visit and am thrilled that it might be able to happen!  Time to start relearning the spanish...   :)

[CharlieJ]

Don't get your hopes up-apparently the relaxation of restrictions  is to be for Cubans who have family there, NOT the rest of us.

Yet.

[Tim]

Don't get your hopes up-apparently the relaxation of restrictions  is to be for Cubans who have family there, NOT the rest of us.

Yet.

Yes this appears to be true from what Hillary said during the confirmation process, and that is all we have so far. But as I mentioned on CSBB it seems to me if they relax the restrictions at all it may not be too long before the rest of us can go. In fact I would be curious and may look into the legal issues involved when allowing a segment of the citizenry to travel more freely.

[Tim]

A bipartisan group of US senators has introduced a bill that would allow US citizens to travel freely to Cuba.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7975663.stm