Sailing In Cuba
Piloting your own boat in Cuba is a whole new experience for me. Having sailed all over the Caribbean, I am accustomed to checking in and out of countries. But Cuba is a different story completely.. Foreign vessels can only stop at approved international marinas. Each marina has its own officials that check all your papers upon arrival and then give you a new “despacho” for your next destination when you leave. On Sunday we sailed out of Cayo Guillermo marina enroute to Varadaro. The entire trip is 142 miles and too far to sail in daylight hours. So we stopped half way and anchored behind a small island just before dark. Cuban law does not allow us to get off the boat or invite any one aboard outside of a marina. Now that SummerSalt is in the Varadaro marina, we can go ashore and be tourists again.
Every time we sail offshore the fishing rods come out. So far Anita has caught three barracuda and the head of a tuna! Just when the 18 pound tuna was near the boat, a shark bit off the fish’s entire body in one swift stroke. (See gallery photos)
The Cuban people love to shake your hand or give kisses on your cheek. Somewhere along the way Anita and I caught a cold and are slowing down a bit until the symptoms pass. Neither one of us knew the other could sneeze so loudly.
Varadaro has the largest marina in the Caribbean and 80% of all the hotel rooms in Cuba. It reminds us a lot of Myrtle Beach. Many are Canadians sunning themselves on the beach, sipping endless pina coladas from the all inclusive resorts. There are about 45 tours boats here in the marina and just two cruising sailboats. While sailing almost 400 miles along Cuba’s coast, we have seen two sailboats and two power yachts. Otherwise, we have had the ocean to ourselves (which is not a bad thing).
