Would like to know if private trawlers can go back and forth between the US and Cuba

I'm interested to know what type of Boats and ships are legel on International waters and especially sea borders. there is 100.000s of trawlers, fishing boats, yachts etc etc on sea shores so I don't see anything functioning?

Is it legal to just travel as you please. Have seen some trawlers who just go everywhere especially to cuba

Dreamsofhope said:

I'm interested to know what type of Boats and ships are legel on International waters and especially sea borders. there is 100.000s of trawlers, fishing boats, yachts etc etc on sea shores so how can there ever be a functioning sea border?

Is it legal to just travel as you please

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Anyone can travel anywhere in international waters. Not sure what you mean by a "functioning sea border. But, if you want to enter a country's territorial waters you must comply with their customs and immigration laws.

Drake said:

Anyone can travel anywhere in international waters. Not sure what you mean by a "functioning sea border. But, if you want to enter a country's territorial waters you must comply with their customs and immigration laws.

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I mean like go on vacation with your girlfriend or wife by just using a trawler stay there for hours doing some shopping and come back to boat. I knew some trawlers who use to do that back in the day

Dreamsofhope said:

I mean like go on vacation with your girlfriend or wife by just using a trawler stay there for hours doing some shopping and come back to boat. I knew some trawlers who use to do that back in the day

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If you or anyone else on the boat is a citizen of the USA, you or them are only permitted to travel to Cuba if you fit in one of 12 categories (journalism, scientific, etc., see the State Dept. website). Tourism is not one of the categories.

Even a Cal 24 (24-foot, minimalistic sloop) or even less can be sufficient. Nevertheless, just because you might get "there" doesn't mean you won't be put into jail and your boat confiscated.

Going to Cuba, bring plenty of cash as your US issued credit or debit cards don't work there.

$6-$9 for a good mojito, plan accordingly.

CPseudonym said:

Going to Cuba, bring plenty of cash as your US issued credit or debit cards don't work there.

$6-$9 for a good mojito, plan accordingly.

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In my limited experience, hard drinks in third-world countries cost as much as in the U.S. Nevertheless, beer in the Czech Republic (not third-world) costs less than bottled water. If you're a drinker, Denmark is a place to stay "dry." Wine in western Europe is affordable if one likes "two-buck Chuck" per-bottle wine from California.

Think Hemingway still holds the record at Floriditas bar. 16 double alcohol daiquiris in one sitting and he was still able to find the door on his own.

Dreamsofhope said:

I mean like go on vacation with your girlfriend or wife by just using a trawler stay there for hours doing some shopping and come back to boat. I knew some trawlers who use to do that back in the day

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Make international laws irrevelant....take the girlfriend AND the wife to Cuba at the same time, laws will be the least of your worries. Good luck

BTW, just go, radio that you are having mechanical difficulty and pull into the nearest safe harbor. Then experience Cuba. You will be fine.
I served. In combat. For the USA. How dare the fkin US government tell me where I can or cannot go in my seagoing craft. I cannot expect them to bail me out if there is a problem.

CPseudonym said:

Think Hemingway still holds the record at Floriditas bar. 16 double alcohol daiquiris in one sitting and he was still able to find the door on his own.

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Doubtless one reason someone renamed "Across the River and Into the Trees" as "Across the Road and Into the Bar". A great author with a stunning economy of words. RIP.

As I understand it, you can go to Cuba as an American, their laws have no problem with it. It's against US law for and American to go there. I know of several that have gone there via their own boat or through a third country by air.

BTW, your US insurance will not cover you, unless you have "engine trouble" and maybe not then but at least you have SOMETHINGS to hang your hat on.

Ski in NC said:

As I understand it, you can go to Cuba as an American, their laws have no problem with it. It's against US law for and American to go there. I know of several that have gone there via their own boat or through a third country by air.

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Fly to Mexico, you can go anywhere from there.

I went to Cuba for a few days two years ago on my way to Dominican Republic. No problems there, no problems returning here. Even had my passport stamped. It is really not that big a deal. They have two currencies and I never got used to that, but wasn't there that long. Always drink local. In other words it is cheaper to drink rum in the Caribe. Belize rum drinks were less than U.S. rum drinks and more potent. Local beers on the other hand are either excellent (Presidente in D.R.) or not worth having (Bahamas).

The thing about "going foreign" with your boat is that when you arrive at a foreign country, you make an inbound clearance (submit lots of paperwork, passports etc). This normally includes providing your outbound clearance from your previous port of call stamped by the country you just left. Cuba may accept a US outbound clearance, but the US may not like seeing a Cuban one on your return. I have heard of US based boats (fast ones)making an intermediate stop (Bahamas, Turks + C ?) before returning to the US.

Mule said:

BTW, your US insurance will not cover you, unless you have "engine trouble" and maybe not then but at least you have SOMETHINGS to hang your hat on.

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Not exactly anymore. Some policies are now covering Cuba. And riders are becoming common for other policies.

ulysses said:

I went to Cuba for a few days two years ago on my way to Dominican Republic. No problems there, no problems returning here. Even had my passport stamped. It is really not that big a deal. They have two currencies and I never got used to that, but wasn't there that long. Always drink local. In other words it is cheaper to drink rum in the Caribe. Belize rum drinks were less than U.S. rum drinks and more potent. Local beers on the other hand are either excellent (Presidente in D.R.) or not worth having (Bahamas).

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Only two now? They used to have three. If you count the fact that most every transaction was done in U.S. dollars.

It used to really piss me off when I went there and knew if I bought a Coke I was considered to have broken U.S. Federal law by doing so. Like that Coke had somehow magically found its way to Cuba and not enriched the coffers of big Coke in Atlanta.

The U.S. seldom issues an outbound clearance to recreational boats and I have never been asked for one when arriving back into the U.S. . Passport is all that was required for re-entry. They made no mention of the "Cuba" stamp on my passport.

It will be legal for US tourists soon enough.

In the meantime, you take a chance of being made an example of, either by the Cubans or on your return, if some bruhaha erupts with Cuba while you're there.

I guess that "being made an example of" could be said about anywhere you go. It is not as though there are not thousands of boaters visiting Cuba every year from many, many countries. I found Cubans to be friendly and most knew some english. Their country was fairly behind the times in many things like internet, phone, etc.. but the took health very seriously. The first person to board was a real doctor and took BP, temp, inquired seriously as to our health and prior conditions, what medications we may be taking and if we required refills etc.. This was not Havannah but rather out in the sticks on the east side at Puerto Vida.

Mule said:

For the USA. How dare the fkin US government tell me where I can or cannot go in my seagoing craft. I cannot expect them to bail me out if there is a problem.

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Just to be clear, there is no prohibition against a US citizen traveling to Cuba. The restriction is on spending money without first paying off the money owed to those US citizens whose property was confiscated by the Castro regime without compensation.

In simple terms the this is similar to a garnishment which is used all the time in civil actions in the US. If the garnishment is served on you, you cannot pay your employee or third party vendor unless the garnishment debt is paid off.

With respect to Cuba if you can prove a non-US citizen paid all your expenses you have complied with the law.

There have been quite a few Americans visiting Cuba legally and illegally for years.

I was talking to 2 guys who even owned boats down there and illegally visited through the years.

Pretty much from what I heard, slipping through the cracks in both directions was possible unless you triggered something that caught the attention of officials.

psneeld said:

There have been quite a few Americans visiting Cuba legally and illegally for years.

I was talking to 2 guys who even owned boats down there and illegally visited through the years.

Pretty much from what I heard, slipping through the cracks in both directions was possible unless you triggered something that caught the attention of officials.

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In my professional life, I have to deal with the federal government. That has taught me that, in my personal life, I must never, ever, ever run afoul of that bureaucracy. Life is too short. How likely is trouble for illegally traveling to Cuba? For me, the answer is "greater than zero." I'll wait.

And while we all understand that, nowadays, the embargo is mostly about electoral votes in Florida, nevertheless, if the Cuban government ultimately makes some human rights concessions to get the embargo lifted, that's a good thing. Flouting the law may not be doing the Cuban people any favors.

It really isn't hard to go there these days legally.

Unless he lied to me fod no reason, the cruiser next to me in Ft Piece city marina last winter got his "license" approved last year by being a humanitarian mission. He was taking about $100 worth of Dollar Store school supplies down.

I am sure there are plenty of ways to legally go as dozens of cruising clubs, church groups, etc are finding ways.

Heck...what was it....a decade ago? A women's boating group took some Grand Banks down there for really no good reason that I recall.

No need to run afoul of anything unless you want to or don't do your "due dilligence".

Capt.Bill11 said:

Not exactly anymore. Some policies are now covering Cuba. And riders are becoming common for other policies.

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Hard to stay current

psneeld said:

It really isn't hard to go there these days legally.

Unless he lied to me fod no reason, the cruiser next to me in Ft Piece city marina last winter got his "license" approved last year by being a humanitarian mission. He was taking about $100 worth of Dollar Store school supplies down.

I am sure there are plenty of ways to legally go as dozens of cruising clubs, church groups, etc are finding ways.

Heck...what was it....a decade ago? A women's boating group took some Grand Banks down there for really no good reason that I recall.

No need to run afoul of anything unless you want to or don't do your "due dilligence".

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So easy to do it right.

As to people traveling to Cuba, I was amazed upon moving to South Florida to find out all those going back and forth via the Dominican Republic. It has been a commonplace thing for years.

As to those traveling by boat, you just have to declare any one of their long list of valid reasons for going.

I know a place near Santiago where rum is the equivalent of 50 cents a gallon .... if you bring your own jug

Bay Pelican said:

Just to be clear, there is no prohibition against a US citizen traveling to Cuba. The restriction is on spending money...

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Technically true, but for all practical purposes irrelevant. Specifically written into the regulations is the assumption that if you are there for more than 4 hours then you MUST have spent money. That puts the burden of proof on you. How are you going to prove that you did NOT spend money?

The fact is that it is still illegal for U.S. citizens to visit Cuba as a tourist. If you want to violate the law that's up to you, but then don't whine about it if you get caught and punished. (That's the generic "you," by the way. Not YOU, Bay Pelican.)

And, as others have said, it is really not all that difficult to get the proper authorization to go there. So going illegally is just kind of dumb.

On top of that (again, as others have said) it is only a matter of time before travel to Cuba will be completely opened up. Which, to me, makes it even MORE stupid to go there illegally, regardless of how low the odds of getting caught might be. Take the time to do the paperwork, or wait until none is needed--I'm pretty sure that Cuba isn't going anywhere.

denverd0n said:

Technically true, but for all practical purposes irrelevant. Specifically written into the regulations is the assumption that if you are there for more than 4 hours then you MUST have spent money. That puts the burden of proof on you. How are you going to prove that you did NOT spend money?

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Well, not exactly.

The first time I went there was about 20 years ago. I went with the very large sailboat race out of Sarasota. All the boats were fully hosted by the yacht club at Marina del Hemingway.

We payed no immigration fees, no dockage fees and no charges for water or electricity.

The U.S. Government was fully aware of the trip and had no issues with it as far as violating the embargo goes. As long as we spend no money there nor traded for anything while there. (Wink, wink, nudge, nudge. )