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08-25-2013, 07:34 AM
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#1
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Veteran Member
City: Chicago/Demopolis
Vessel Name: Kelly Anne
Vessel Model: Custom 44' Bruce Roberts
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 39
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Cuba
Any adventurous souls ever tackle a trip to Cuba from the Keys?
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08-25-2013, 08:10 AM
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#2
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Guru
City: Pensacola
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 748
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Nope. It's illegal for us Americans unless you're Jayze or Beyonce...
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08-25-2013, 08:12 AM
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#3
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Guru
City: St Augustine,Fl
Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 3,798
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I have been there twice.... Only to Guantanamo bay though.
When we had the Jax T.F. get together, Lena (Hobo) put it best:Hobo wanted to visit Cuba before the first Mcdonalds is built.
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08-25-2013, 08:14 AM
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#4
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Guru
City: St Augustine,Fl
Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 3,798
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Maybe I should clarify my Guantanamo visit. I didn't have any terrorists as room mates or angry marines as chaperones! I was on the outside of the bars.
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08-25-2013, 08:30 AM
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#5
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Guru
City: Pensacola
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 748
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sailor of Fortune
Maybe I should clarify my Guantanamo visit. I didn't have any terrorists as room mates or angry marines as chaperones! I was on the outside of the bars.
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Gitmo already has a McDonald's. or it did in 1990.
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08-25-2013, 08:54 AM
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#7
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Guru
City: Hotel, CA
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 8,323
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Blue Heron
Nope. It's illegal for us Americans unless you're Jayze or Beyonce...
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Yes, no and it depends. What is the stated purpose of ones travel is the qualifier.
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_p...y_requirements
Many Americans visit Cuba legally every year without a military uniform or paparazzi entourage complete with news coverage.
It's quite amazing how many American cruisers boats have "broken down" at sea and needed to seek "safe harbor" in Cuba to effect repairs.
__________________
Craig
It's easier to fool people than to convince them that they've been fooled - Mark Twain
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08-25-2013, 09:44 AM
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#8
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Guru
City: San Diego
Vessel Name: Circuit Breaker
Vessel Model: 2021..22' Duffy Cuddy cabin
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 6,691
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Blue Heron
Gitmo already has a McDonald's. or it did in 1990.
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I was there in 1961 and ate at McDonald's.
__________________
Done with diesel power boats! Have fallen in love with all electric!
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08-25-2013, 10:03 AM
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#9
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Moderator Emeritus
City: St. Marks, Florida
Vessel Name: Morgan
Vessel Model: Gulfstar 36
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 3,673
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Quote:
Originally Posted by temple1120
Any adventurous souls ever tackle a trip to Cuba from the Keys?
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Yep. Twice. One in 1996 and again in 1997. :-) Not in a trawler, though. In a sailboat (and went on from Cuba to Mexico). Beautiful country, nice people, but definitely a police state. Or was then, anyway, and I doubt that things have changed.
John
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08-25-2013, 10:14 AM
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#10
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Veteran Member
City: Chicago/Demopolis
Vessel Name: Kelly Anne
Vessel Model: Custom 44' Bruce Roberts
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 39
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CPseudonym
Yes, no and it depends. What is the stated purpose of ones travel is the qualifier.
Cuba
Many Americans visit Cuba legally every year without a military uniform or paparazzi entourage complete with news coverage.
It's quite amazing how many American cruisers boats have "broken down" at sea and needed to seek "safe harbor" in Cuba to effect repairs.
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Great link, thanks.
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08-25-2013, 10:31 AM
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#11
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Moderator Emeritus
City: St. Marks, Florida
Vessel Name: Morgan
Vessel Model: Gulfstar 36
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 3,673
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It used to be several years ago that if you wanted to visit Cuba (not on a boat) you could just fly down to Mexico (Cancun or some place like that) and then fly from there to Cuba, have your visit, and return back to Mexico. Cuba did not stamp your passport, so there was no record of the visit. (I am not taking a position as to whether that is good or bad, merely stating a fact that I happen to know, because I lived in Mexico for a while on the sailboat).
John
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08-25-2013, 11:27 AM
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#12
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Guru
City: Hotel, CA
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 8,323
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jwnall
It used to be several years ago that if you wanted to visit Cuba (not on a boat) you could just fly down to Mexico (Cancun or some place like that) and then fly from there to Cuba, have your visit, and return back to Mexico. Cuba did not stamp your passport, so there was no record of the visit.
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For the most part same drill, no flights out of the US. Fly to Mexico then on to Cuba. State Department blessing for your trip is not THAT difficult to obtain if you follow their guidelines. I'm considering a trip next year myself(plane, not boat)
__________________
Craig
It's easier to fool people than to convince them that they've been fooled - Mark Twain
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08-25-2013, 01:00 PM
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#13
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Guru
City: Pensacola
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 748
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So why go to Cuba and give your dollars to a communist regime? Bahamas are prettier and friendlier
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08-25-2013, 01:43 PM
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#14
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Guru
City: Miami Florida
Vessel Name: Possum
Vessel Model: Ellis 28
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 5,307
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Many if not most of my customers and employees either made the trip or their parents did. Of course it was a one way trip from Cuba to the USA. A good customer of mine, I call him Surfer Dude, came on a sailboard. I've seen the rafts. I know how desperate those people are to get out of there. Because of that I choose not to go.
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08-25-2013, 02:07 PM
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#15
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Guru
City: Ft Pierce
Vessel Name: Sold
Vessel Model: Was an Albin/PSN 40
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 28,147
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Can't wait till the knuckleheads are out of power and the country opens up.....it seems beautiful from all my time in Gitmo and flying around the island in CG helos...at least the topography.
Was in Key West and aboard USCGC Vigorous for the Mariel Boatlift in 1980...just amazing how they came over...then again that lift was too many criminals...so Castro is/was no one's fool in some ways.
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08-25-2013, 02:09 PM
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#16
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Guru
City: Pensacola
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 748
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Quote:
Originally Posted by HopCar
Many if not most of my customers and employees either made the trip or their parents did. Of course it was a one way trip from Cuba to the USA. A good customer of mine, I call him Surfer Dude, came on a sailboard. I've seen the rafts. I know how desperate those people are to get out of there. Because of that I choose not to go.
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Agree.
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08-25-2013, 02:49 PM
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#17
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Guru
City: Thibodaux, Louisiana
Vessel Name: Gumbo
Vessel Model: 2003 Monk 36
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 3,882
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I spent 8 days there, legally, in 1994. 7 guys from our company went for a Sugar Cane Industry conference. We stayed in Havana at the Habana Libre, ex Hilton, most of the time except for a few gov't organized field trips to some nearby sugar mills. The people were friendly, all looking for dollars, or goods from the foreign exchange stores. The place is very run down, but I think a trip on a trawler for a few months would be great.
To give you an idea of how things are there, we had a Hospitality suite to entertain clients, quite a few of the Cuban Sugar mill managers came by for drinks. We had coca cola in cans for Cuba Libres and other drinks. The Cubans would keep the empty cans, when I asked why a friend who had been there often told me they bring them home and put them on a shelf, seems it is a status symbol to have been able to drink a Coke. These are guys who run a muti millon $ sugar plantation, kinda sad.
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08-25-2013, 03:19 PM
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#18
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Master and Commander
City: Vallejo CA
Vessel Name: Carquinez Coot
Vessel Model: penultimate Seahorse Marine Coot hull #6
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 12,559
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It's mostly a matter of "forbidden fruit" and "Pandora's box." ... There are countless (a life-time's) of tropical islands/beaches U.S. citizens can readily/legally visit. ... There's lots of bad blood between Cuba and USA (invasion, nuclear threat, assassination attempts/success), and particularly with former small businessmen formerly from Cuba.
__________________
Kar-KEEN-ez Koot
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08-25-2013, 03:39 PM
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#19
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Guru
City: Ft Pierce
Vessel Name: Sold
Vessel Model: Was an Albin/PSN 40
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 28,147
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Cuba is a huge island that has many different topographic regions as well as climatic ones. It is rich in many areas and the Cuban people in general I say can hold their own against any country...at least below the political level.
In my mind...with the right government and infusion from the outside world...Cuba would quickly blow most other tropical islands/resorts away as a place to visit
I can only hope it opens soon so I may have the pleasure of cruising a wonderful place so close to the US which in itself is a huge factor.....
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08-25-2013, 03:52 PM
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#20
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Master and Commander
City: Vallejo CA
Vessel Name: Carquinez Coot
Vessel Model: penultimate Seahorse Marine Coot hull #6
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 12,559
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Yes, Cuba has lots of potential!
__________________
Kar-KEEN-ez Koot
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