What they are saying is that if you are a US owned vessel or a
non-flagged vessel and you depart from within 12 miles of the coast of
the US you must receive written permission to enter Cuba BEFORE you
leave. It does not matter how long the cruise last or what countries
you visit before hand. If you enter Cuban waters, that is, within 12
miles of the Cuban coast line, at any time without that letter on the
boat you are in violation.

The immediate problem I see is that it effectively closes off the 10
mile wide Old Bahama Channel. For the last year the channel has gotten
popular with delivery skippers bring boats up from the Caribbean and
staying off the Bank to avoid paying the $300 Bahamas cruising fee.

Skip Gundlach wrote:

Reading the commentary to date suggests that one not actually leaving the US
(that is, intentionally departing to foreign shores) and not entering
(intentionally or not) Cuban waters is exempt from this stuff?

Conversely, anyone intentionally departing (such as for Mexico, Bahamas or
Bermuda, common destinations from US ports, or, very commonly, USVI to BVI)
has to declare such departure, somehow?

Not of immediate interest, but certainly of proximate interest, as we'll
have to leave FL once we splash, and we'll most likely go either to Mexico
or Bahamas to be able to document such departure to the FL DOR within the 30
days allowed...

L8R

Skip and Lydia



--
Glenn Ashmore

I'm building a 45' cutter in strip/composite. Watch my progress (or lack
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