Bobthebuilder's next adventure - Key West to Havana, Cuba
#143
VIP Member
VIP Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Marco Island, FL; Waterloo, ON, CAN
Posts: 5,736
Received 121 Likes
on
21 Posts
As an aside Canada's housing market has not suffered nearly as greatly as the US. Nor did we experience the mortgage meltdown. Our banks are healthy and loans are a available to viable, credit worthy businesses.
Bob
Last edited by Bobthebuilder; 09-27-2009 at 06:53 PM.
#146
Registered
Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 67
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
contact US Customs. There is a big debate on whether we have violated the embargo with Cuba. In the end and due to some technicalities it was decided that we in fact did not, however if we had brought anything back they were to be seized. I knew that could be an issue, so I had instructed my crew we were to bring nothing back, with no exceptions. Customs agreed this made our situation better. I have agreed there will be no further trips to Cuba with the boat until US regulations allow it so it looks like this adventure was a once in a lifetime thing.
One of these days' we'll get our heads out of our arses and open up Cuba to trade and tourism! It's not like it doesn't happen now
Glad you made it there and back. What a wonderful trip!
#147
VIP Member
VIP Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Marco Island, FL; Waterloo, ON, CAN
Posts: 5,736
Received 121 Likes
on
21 Posts
My first offshore was a 1990 35ft Fountain. I soon found out that was not enough boat for the Gulf and my style of offshore so in 1991 I bought a 38 Top Gun from Craig Barrie when he was with Cigarette. In 1996 wanting something bigger and with more creature comforts bought a Formula 419 with trips. In 2001 bought my first 50 Vee Nor Tech, then in 2003 my next 50 Vee NT, then last year built the current 50 Vee NT diesel and also bought a 38 Donzi ZR for the fresh water in Canada ( once again dealing with Craig Barrie) and left the diesel NT in FL. Reason for the diesel is to be able to cruise long distances, greater reliability as well as lower operating and maintenance costs. It has done all of that. Oh, ya almost forgot - I wanted to beat Reggies time from Key West to Cancun as well !! LOL
#149
VIP Member
VIP Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Marco Island, FL; Waterloo, ON, CAN
Posts: 5,736
Received 121 Likes
on
21 Posts
Just a couple of last comments. The boat performed flawlessly. It only used a quart and a half of oil total for the three engines in the 520 miles from Cape Coral to Havana and back. We also achieved our normal 1 + MPG in fuel consumption. For those that followed the track left by "SPOT" you may have noticed how dead straight our track was. The reason was I had the auto pilot on. I cannot manually steer anywhere near that straight !! I did not touch the steering wheel from the time we cleared the reefs off of Key West until the Cuban coast Guard was bearing down on us. Love that feature on the boat as well as the XM Weather to tell us where the storms are.
Bob
Bob
#150
Registered
iTrader: (1)
For those that followed the track left by "SPOT" you may have noticed how dead straight our track was. The reason was I had the auto pilot on. I cannot manually steer anywhere near that straight !! I did not touch the steering wheel from the time we cleared the reefs off of Key West until the Cuban coast Guard was bearing down on us. Love that feature on the boat as well as the XM Weather to tell us where the storms are.
Bob
Bob