As I
plan my entry to Cuba, I find myself stressing over
the many challenges ahead. Most of these are to do
with the bureaucracy and how it will affect my
safety and state of mind, since I’m notorious for
not handling stupidity well – mine or someone
else’s – and Communist bureaucracy with its
attendant rules are probably the epitome of
stupidity.
Everything I’ve read, everyone I’ve spoken to, emphasize the friendliness of the Cuban people. On the other hand, everything I’ve read tells me that the Guarda Frontera – literally the ‘Frontier Guard’ – will direct you where to anchor or tie up, regardless of your wishes or your boat’s safety or comfort.
While this is their right, as a citizen of a free country, I expect I will at best find it difficult to heed their regulations. I intend to learn and practice a variety of phrases in Spanish, such as ‘it’s not safe’, or ‘please, I would rather anchor over there’. It’s been my experience that speaking to people in their own tongue, no matter how badly you mangle it, both flatters them and makes them far more amenable to giving you what you want. It will be interesting to see if this human trait survives the Communist mentality.
I’m also finding that the materials I have at hand for navigation are less than complete while being the best available. I’m using Nigel Calder’s cruising guide, which was last printed in 1999, with most references being given as 95/96 – thirteen years ago. Things will have changed. My other source of information, the guide by Simon Charles, is equally as dated and not nearly as replete with navigational information as Calder’s guide.
For charts, I have the complete north coast of Cuba in print, provided by sponsor Bluewater Charts, and e-charts from Garmin, whose sponsorship has made the trip thus far much easier than it would otherwise have been. Additionally, the sketches in Calder’s book will, I suspect, be useful for a number of anchorages.
Even with this, substantial changes will have occurred over the past thirteen years – new resorts and marinas being one that comes to mind. I won’t know of these until I come across them, as there is no guide I know of available with that information, yet visiting them is part of my cruising plan, both for the purposes of detailing what they offer to cruisers, and for my own pleasure. I suspect that my charts will be well penciled in by the time I return to Florida.
The big issue is that, unlike anyplace else I’ve been, I’m having to work very hard to plan and, I suspect, navigate the upcoming passages. The last time I researched a trip this exhaustively was when I was taking a course with Offshore Sailing School in Florida and I remember again the stress involved.
That trip was an overnight passage across Tampa Bay, a total of perhaps 10 miles. The planning involved here will be for every single day for the entire voyage from Puerto Vida to Havana, with tools that are dated and may possibly be inaccurate.
That of course, defines the entire purpose of this trip: to determine just what is there, and how to safely and enjoyably travel this route so that those who come after me will not have the same degree of apprehension I am now experiencing. I will be relying heavily on the paper charts from Bluewater Charts for planning purposes and on the Garmin charts for passagemaking.
Even here at Salt Pond on Long Island, Ralph and Karen of Five Islands out of Alberta, Canada, are asking me to keep in touch as they hope to travel to Cuba next season. Interest in the trip is very high and I expect I will be kept busy answering questions at the end of this trip from cruisers who are eager to travel this way.
I wonder if it’s some sort of fate that I have been unable to hook up with any cruisers who have done anything west of Puerto de Vida? The best I’ve found is a couple that sailed from Santiago de Cuba on the south coast around to my port of entry, Aubrey and Judy from Veleda IV.
They provided me with some important information, including their dealings with the Guarda Frontera, the name of the marina manager at Puerto Vida, and the fact that Puerto Vida is now the international check in, something which changed just after Calder's book was published. The bay five miles to the east which Calder refers to is now prohibido to cruisers.
Everything I’ve read, everyone I’ve spoken to, emphasize the friendliness of the Cuban people. On the other hand, everything I’ve read tells me that the Guarda Frontera – literally the ‘Frontier Guard’ – will direct you where to anchor or tie up, regardless of your wishes or your boat’s safety or comfort.
While this is their right, as a citizen of a free country, I expect I will at best find it difficult to heed their regulations. I intend to learn and practice a variety of phrases in Spanish, such as ‘it’s not safe’, or ‘please, I would rather anchor over there’. It’s been my experience that speaking to people in their own tongue, no matter how badly you mangle it, both flatters them and makes them far more amenable to giving you what you want. It will be interesting to see if this human trait survives the Communist mentality.
I’m also finding that the materials I have at hand for navigation are less than complete while being the best available. I’m using Nigel Calder’s cruising guide, which was last printed in 1999, with most references being given as 95/96 – thirteen years ago. Things will have changed. My other source of information, the guide by Simon Charles, is equally as dated and not nearly as replete with navigational information as Calder’s guide.
For charts, I have the complete north coast of Cuba in print, provided by sponsor Bluewater Charts, and e-charts from Garmin, whose sponsorship has made the trip thus far much easier than it would otherwise have been. Additionally, the sketches in Calder’s book will, I suspect, be useful for a number of anchorages.
Even with this, substantial changes will have occurred over the past thirteen years – new resorts and marinas being one that comes to mind. I won’t know of these until I come across them, as there is no guide I know of available with that information, yet visiting them is part of my cruising plan, both for the purposes of detailing what they offer to cruisers, and for my own pleasure. I suspect that my charts will be well penciled in by the time I return to Florida.
The big issue is that, unlike anyplace else I’ve been, I’m having to work very hard to plan and, I suspect, navigate the upcoming passages. The last time I researched a trip this exhaustively was when I was taking a course with Offshore Sailing School in Florida and I remember again the stress involved.
That trip was an overnight passage across Tampa Bay, a total of perhaps 10 miles. The planning involved here will be for every single day for the entire voyage from Puerto Vida to Havana, with tools that are dated and may possibly be inaccurate.
That of course, defines the entire purpose of this trip: to determine just what is there, and how to safely and enjoyably travel this route so that those who come after me will not have the same degree of apprehension I am now experiencing. I will be relying heavily on the paper charts from Bluewater Charts for planning purposes and on the Garmin charts for passagemaking.
Even here at Salt Pond on Long Island, Ralph and Karen of Five Islands out of Alberta, Canada, are asking me to keep in touch as they hope to travel to Cuba next season. Interest in the trip is very high and I expect I will be kept busy answering questions at the end of this trip from cruisers who are eager to travel this way.
I wonder if it’s some sort of fate that I have been unable to hook up with any cruisers who have done anything west of Puerto de Vida? The best I’ve found is a couple that sailed from Santiago de Cuba on the south coast around to my port of entry, Aubrey and Judy from Veleda IV.
They provided me with some important information, including their dealings with the Guarda Frontera, the name of the marina manager at Puerto Vida, and the fact that Puerto Vida is now the international check in, something which changed just after Calder's book was published. The bay five miles to the east which Calder refers to is now prohibido to cruisers.
Thoughts
on the Cuban adventure; this section of
cubahamas.com will consist of my thoughts,
observations, hopes, concerns and fears as I
approach, enter and travel through Cuba. Also, as I
express my fears in writing, I find them becoming
more manageable. They seem to lose their power over
me as I drag them from my mind and onto the
page.
On Leaving for Cuba
The seawall at Bahia Cienfuego on the south
coast of Cuba really does say it all. Photo
courtesy of Veleda IV