With or without its flagship, the Democracia Movement flotilla will sail into the Florida Straits this weekend, organizers said Wednesday. Only bad weather can stop their mission, they said.

According to director Ramon Saul Sanchez, the sailing will be done in two stages. First, 10 or 15 boats will sail Friday night from Marathon so they may reach a spot in international waters, 12 miles from the coast of Cuba, early Saturday.

Thirteen civilian planes piloted by Democracia Movement volunteers will take off at 8 a.m. Saturday from Kendall-Tamiami Executive Airport, Sanchez said. None of the planes or boats will enter Cuban territory, he added.

``This flotilla is not a journey of protest; it is a peaceful demonstration,'' he said. ``We will pray, 12 miles from the Cuban coastline, and ask God for the liberation of Cuba and the release of political prisoners.''

Neither Sanchez nor other leaders of Democracia would comment about Stage Two of the sailing.

``All we can say now is that, during the second stage, some people will attempt to enter Cuba -- without breaking any law, of course,'' Sanchez said.

Justin Cardoza, a spokesman for the U.S. Coast Guard, declined to comment on how his agency would react to such an incursion.

All he would say is that ``we will be patrolling the Florida Straits this weekend.''

Democracia Movement attorneys filed suit Wednesday against the U.S. government, demanding the return of the yacht Democracia, the group's flagship.

The ship was seized July 13 by the Coast Guard after Sanchez announced his intention to take it into Cuban waters.