Everyone know we're close to Cuba - about 90 miles from Havana. As a result many Cubans trying to escape come here. If they make it to shore they're subject to the "wet foot, dry foot" policy and can stay. This is one of the boats they typically use. It's called a chug boat because it goes very slow. It's designed (we use the term loosely) to be used only once. Many use automobile engines as the motors. This boat landed here some time last year. As you can see the accomodations are definitely not first class.
The compass pictured below directed these people to freedom by way of the Dry Tortugas. When the boat was being scrapped, we asked for it as a symbol of their bravery and determination.
Once here the boat must be disposed of by the park service. Usually they are loaded onto the Fort Jefferson park service boat & taken to Key West. This one was too big for the fork lift here, so it had to be cut in half. We got the fun of doing that. With a generator and sawsall the job wasn't too bad.
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