A stolen rental boat has been recovered from Cuba after a three-day mission by a crew from Beach Weekend Key West, according to the marina.
- The crew, led by Beach Weekend owner Jayme Nabors and Brett Divine, departed Key West last Tuesday aboard a second vessel, heading to Marina Hemingway to retrieve the stolen boat, the marina said.
The boat, a Panga Release center console, was stolen on July 9 when renters took it to Cuban waters without authorization, according to the marina. The vessel was rented for a two-day period by a man from Texas, a foreign national woman and a child, but only the two adults were found aboard when Cuban authorities took custody of the boat. (The child had not made the journey and was found safe in Key West.)
Marina staff were alerted when GPS tracking showed the boat entering Cuban waters, approximately 90 miles south of Key West. Upon confirming the vessel’s unauthorized location, Beach Weekend Marina immediately notified local law enforcement and the U.S. Coast Guard.
What was reportedly pre-cleared by both U.S. and Cuban governments became complicated when Cuban officials changed course after the crew arrived, according to Nabors.
- “We had every document they asked for. Everything had been cleared. But once we stepped on land, it all changed,” Nabors said. “Suddenly, we were the ones being held.”
The crew was detained at Cuban immigration for eight hours, according to the marina. The Cuban government reportedly forced the crew to obtain visas and enter the country. The team contacted Florida Congressman Jimmy Patronis, the U.S. Coast Guard and the United States Embassy in Havana for assistance, the marina said.
Cuban authorities continued shifting requirements, demanding additional documentation to prove ownership of the vessel, according to the marina. The crew worked with attorneys in Fort Walton Beach and Key West to produce requested items.
- “We didn’t know if we’d be stuck there two more hours—or two months,” Divine said. “We were doing everything right, but it felt like the rules kept changing.”
By Thursday night, Cuban officials cleared the transport vessel to depart but initially withheld the stolen boat, according to the marina. Two crew members, Lorne Hale and David Demeza, a Beach Weekend Key West Marina senior mechanic, were prepared to remain in Havana.
The Cuban government then reversed its stance, approving the release of both the vessel and remaining crew just before midnight, the marina said.
Both boats began their return journey under cover of darkness. Just 12 miles from U.S. shores, a Coast Guard cutter and five high-speed boats intercepted the returning vessels, according to the marina. After searches, questioning and documentation review, the crew was escorted back to U.S. soil.
- The operation was completed by 4 a.m. Thursday morning, the marina said.
Federal agents confiscated navigational electronics for forensic review, according to Beach Weekend Marina. Final documentation was verified at the marina, located at 5710 US-1 in Key West.
Beach Weekend is based in Fort Walton Beach and operates the Key West marina location where the boat was originally stolen.
