Posted on 07/22/2025 10:37:57 AM PDT by Red Badger
Beach Weekend Marina crew retrieved the vessel after a three-day mission involving diplomatic complications and changing requirements.
==============================================================
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.
Ping!................
Must be defectors.................
It’s stolen. Why not let the Insurance company deal with it.
It’s illegal for U.S. citizens to travel directly to Cuba by recreational boat without prior government authorization.
Devasier flew to Miami on Thursday and was arrested by federal authorities on a warrant for hiring or leasing with the intent to defraud, according to the sheriff’s office.
We don’t know if the unidentified woman who was with him faces charges as well.
The Key West sheriff said Devasier has multiple prior convictions for drug-related offenses, including a similar case in 2019 where a vessel kept past its due date was also located in Cuba.
This sounds like a Golan-Globus movie plot. ;-)
Stolen by Cuban spies.
“It’s stolen. Why not let the Insurance company deal with it.”
Lots of reasons:
High deductible.
Increase in premiums due to claims history.
Loss of boat — and bookings — during the many months that the insurer needs to investigate the claim.
Lack of coverage.
"Just 12 miles from U.S. shores, a Coast Guard cutter and five high-speed boats intercepted the returning vessels"I like that.
Was it the Minnow?
Self deportation?
Interesting but the author didn’t cover the who, what, where, when and why. I want to know more about the chld and what happened to the him/her, were the adults his parents and what happened to them, on and on.
I wonder if it was taken straight to Hemingway or if the thieves stole it and took it somewhere else and the Cuban authorities then seized it and brought it to Hemingway. The Hemingway Marina is where they impound boats, as I know from being involved in an incident a few years ago there.
“Take this boat to Cuba!”
Taking a boat TO Cuba?....that’s a first.
Child was left in Key West, Couple went to Cuba, man came back on a plane and was arrested...............
It’s a wonder the Cubans didn’t confiscate it....................
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.