Again, I have first hand experience. Prior to Bush's first order to
the treasury department, anyone going to Cuba who didn't act like a
fool would have been fine. As long as they weren't smuggling cigars,
no problem. Further, prior to this, the Treasury department actually
stated that going to Cuba via boat was a good way to avoid paying any
money.

Fast forward to 2002, after the first presidential treasury department
directive. This isn't hypothetical, it's fact. The treasury
department sent us an automatic fine for 10,000 even after we produced
pictures of our provisions, our boat and a notarized letter from our
friends from canada stating that they had paid for everything.
Fortunately, we were able to prove it, but we still recieved the letter
and were processed under the assumption that until we proved our
innocence beyond a shadow of a doubt, we were guilty.

Fast forward to last year, 2004, next presidential order for any boat
susceptible of travelling to cuban water can be siezed in US
territorial waters. US territorial waters extend 200 miles from our
coast (an act of Reagon, who I actually admired). Almost all of Cuba's
northern coast actually falls into our territorial waters.

Truely I wouldn't chance travelling to Cuba now. I'm a conservative,
I'm not trying to scare people, but you will be fined. It happens to
everyone, and you will have to prove you didn't spend money. If you
buy a ticket to Cuba, with your own money, and go via plane, you will
have no defense as part of that ticket is an airport fee. A US woman
travelling to and from Cuba from Canada was detained and fined at the
border for just such a violation two years ago, and it's just getting
worse.

Again, don't go.

Doug