Superyacht Insurance Group can assist you with insurance prior to your trip when yachting to CUBA. We offer crew medical and yacht coverage that will provide coverage in Cuba,now even for US flagged vessels!
We have received many insurance request from our yacht insurance clients that are eager to navigate and explore Cuba’s waters. Cuba has become such a popular yachting destination lately and because of that, it urged us to write this newsletter.
In addition to insurance, we have several yacht agent contacts, located both in the US and Cuba, that can help facilitate the necessary licenses, documentation and other important information prior to your trip.
It’s imperative to start planning your trip far in advance, as it can take months to get the necessary licenses and documentations prepared.
Please contact our office and we’ll be happy to share these contacts with you; info@syig.co or 954-323-6733.
Yachting to Cuba
Only 90 miles from Florida’s coastline, Cuba is still considered one of the last frontiers in the Caribbean. Cuba is the largest Caribbean island nation. Its neighbors are the Cayman Islands, Jamaica and Haiti. Cuba spans 44,200 miles, making it a bit smaller than the state of Pennsylvania. Its varied geography includes rolling farmland, rugged mountains, urban metropolises, quaint Colonial villages and white-sand beaches.
The island is divided into 15 provinces and one special municipality, Isla de la Juventud. Notable Cuba areas include rural Piñar del Rio, where tobacco farming builds economic momentum; seaside Santiago de Cuba, the country’s second largest city next to Havana rife with colorful Afro-Cuban influence; and colonial Trinidad, a sleepy town designated a UNESCO world heritage site nestled between majestic mountains and the sea.
Cuba’s population is richly diverse, with 11.2 million residents. Despite its Native roots, the most profound effects on Cuban culture are the result of European, African and North American influences.
Late in 2014, President Obama announced a plan to begin easing trade and travel restrictions with Cuba. The Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) made certain amendments to the Cuban Assets Control Regulations (CACR) to implement this plan on Jan. 16 2015.
It is now possible to take a U.S. boat to Cuba today as long as the trip falls under one of the 12 categories listed on an affidavit of categories allowed by Office of Foreign Assets Control (www.OFAC.gov).
Marinas:
Cuba is the perfect destination for sea related sports. With 3,750 miles of coastline on the main island, Cuba has over 4,000 islands and cays, 370 miles of natural beaches, a biological wealth of exotic of marine life and 530 miles of beautiful coral reefs. It’s also easy to reach for US yachts. From Key West it’s only 90 nautical miles to Cuba.
For your first trip, on the north coast of Cuba (directly across the strait from Florida) there are three large marinas in fairly close proximity to one another. The first is Marina Hemingway, which is the largest marina and have dockage for vessels up to 230’, with a Max depth of 12’. It’s located about 10 nautical miles west of Old Havana. Marina Darsena at Varadero has dockage limited for yachts up to about 150’.You can also clear in and out by tender at this marina in Varadero. Cuba’s newest facility Marina GaviotaVaradero is located off the Peninsula de Hicacosand accommodatesup to 1,200 smaller vessels. For yachts larger than 230’, you can make arrangements to dock in the Port of Havana to clear in and out and to see the city – one of Abramovich’s enormous boats has been there.
Trip Planning:
Although diplomatic negotiations have made traveling between the two countries easier, the rules and regulations are constantly changing, so it’s imperative that yacht owners consult with aMarine Insurance Specialistand a Yacht Agent before planning a voyage.
For yacht owners interested in taking their yacht to Cuba, advanced planning is required. You have to make sure that you operate in strict compliance with the laws, regulations and customs of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, U.S. Department of Commerce and the U.S. Coastguard (Homeland Security) and the Republic of Cuba.
The first step would be to ensure the trip falls within the scope of OFAC’s 12 listed authorized categories. To transport passengers to and from Cuba, the yacht owner must obtain a specific license from the Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC).The next step would be to contact the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security division (BIS) to obtain a specific export license from its Department of Commerce’s Export Administration Regulation (EAR), which is required before the temporary journey of the yacht into Cuba. Most importantly a permit needs to be issued by the USCG and I believe these permits are only for 2-weeks.
Once the two U.S. government agencies have approved the voyage, provide all licensing, a navigation itinerary and a crew manifest to the yacht’s insurance adviser for approval. Although not all insurance companies provide coverage for Cuba, those carriers that do can issue coverage on a per-trip basis. The process to issue coverage can take up to four weeks to clear with the insurance company’s legal department, so make sure you plan ahead!
Helpful Links:
Department of the Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC)
https://www.treasury.gov/about/organizational-structure/offices/Pages/Office-of-Foreign-Assets-Control.aspx
Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS)&Expat Admin Regulations (EAR). www.bis.doc.gov
We have received many insurance request from our yacht insurance clients that are eager to navigate and explore Cuba’s waters. Cuba has become such a popular yachting destination lately and because of that, it urged us to write this newsletter.
In addition to insurance, we have several yacht agent contacts, located both in the US and Cuba, that can help facilitate the necessary licenses, documentation and other important information prior to your trip.
It’s imperative to start planning your trip far in advance, as it can take months to get the necessary licenses and documentations prepared.
Please contact our office and we’ll be happy to share these contacts with you; info@syig.co or 954-323-6733.
Yachting to Cuba
Only 90 miles from Florida’s coastline, Cuba is still considered one of the last frontiers in the Caribbean. Cuba is the largest Caribbean island nation. Its neighbors are the Cayman Islands, Jamaica and Haiti. Cuba spans 44,200 miles, making it a bit smaller than the state of Pennsylvania. Its varied geography includes rolling farmland, rugged mountains, urban metropolises, quaint Colonial villages and white-sand beaches.
The island is divided into 15 provinces and one special municipality, Isla de la Juventud. Notable Cuba areas include rural Piñar del Rio, where tobacco farming builds economic momentum; seaside Santiago de Cuba, the country’s second largest city next to Havana rife with colorful Afro-Cuban influence; and colonial Trinidad, a sleepy town designated a UNESCO world heritage site nestled between majestic mountains and the sea.
Cuba’s population is richly diverse, with 11.2 million residents. Despite its Native roots, the most profound effects on Cuban culture are the result of European, African and North American influences.
Late in 2014, President Obama announced a plan to begin easing trade and travel restrictions with Cuba. The Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) made certain amendments to the Cuban Assets Control Regulations (CACR) to implement this plan on Jan. 16 2015.
It is now possible to take a U.S. boat to Cuba today as long as the trip falls under one of the 12 categories listed on an affidavit of categories allowed by Office of Foreign Assets Control (www.OFAC.gov).
Marinas:
Cuba is the perfect destination for sea related sports. With 3,750 miles of coastline on the main island, Cuba has over 4,000 islands and cays, 370 miles of natural beaches, a biological wealth of exotic of marine life and 530 miles of beautiful coral reefs. It’s also easy to reach for US yachts. From Key West it’s only 90 nautical miles to Cuba.
For your first trip, on the north coast of Cuba (directly across the strait from Florida) there are three large marinas in fairly close proximity to one another. The first is Marina Hemingway, which is the largest marina and have dockage for vessels up to 230’, with a Max depth of 12’. It’s located about 10 nautical miles west of Old Havana. Marina Darsena at Varadero has dockage limited for yachts up to about 150’.You can also clear in and out by tender at this marina in Varadero. Cuba’s newest facility Marina GaviotaVaradero is located off the Peninsula de Hicacosand accommodatesup to 1,200 smaller vessels. For yachts larger than 230’, you can make arrangements to dock in the Port of Havana to clear in and out and to see the city – one of Abramovich’s enormous boats has been there.
Trip Planning:
Although diplomatic negotiations have made traveling between the two countries easier, the rules and regulations are constantly changing, so it’s imperative that yacht owners consult with aMarine Insurance Specialistand a Yacht Agent before planning a voyage.
For yacht owners interested in taking their yacht to Cuba, advanced planning is required. You have to make sure that you operate in strict compliance with the laws, regulations and customs of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, U.S. Department of Commerce and the U.S. Coastguard (Homeland Security) and the Republic of Cuba.
The first step would be to ensure the trip falls within the scope of OFAC’s 12 listed authorized categories. To transport passengers to and from Cuba, the yacht owner must obtain a specific license from the Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC).The next step would be to contact the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security division (BIS) to obtain a specific export license from its Department of Commerce’s Export Administration Regulation (EAR), which is required before the temporary journey of the yacht into Cuba. Most importantly a permit needs to be issued by the USCG and I believe these permits are only for 2-weeks.
Once the two U.S. government agencies have approved the voyage, provide all licensing, a navigation itinerary and a crew manifest to the yacht’s insurance adviser for approval. Although not all insurance companies provide coverage for Cuba, those carriers that do can issue coverage on a per-trip basis. The process to issue coverage can take up to four weeks to clear with the insurance company’s legal department, so make sure you plan ahead!
Helpful Links:
Department of the Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC)
https://www.treasury.gov/about/organizational-structure/offices/Pages/Office-of-Foreign-Assets-Control.aspx
Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS)&Expat Admin Regulations (EAR). www.bis.doc.gov
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