The North Shores of Cuba.

We made it!  And after already three weeks of cruising Cuba, we're merely scratching the surface in discovering this country.  There's so much to say, I could write pages and pages about what we've done, who we've met, what we've seen... Just the experience of buying eggs could take up a whole post!  The regulations, the culture, the oddities, the scenery - there's no shortage of material but I'll keep this to 'snippets', however, as painting the full picture of cruising Cuba would take a fair amount of explanation.  Plus internet is scarce.

Upon arrival at Marina Graviota in Varadero, Cuban officials presented themselves three by three and boarded Kianda to process our entry into the country.  Our experience clearing in to Cuba was a bit time consuming (and may have increased our cholesterol level as we had to eat our dozen eggs before departing for our next port of call a day and a half later) but otherwise very easy as the officials are the ones filling out all the paperwork.

 

Our adjustment to Cuban culture was done in baby steps, beginning within the ease of the 'resort bubble'.  Marina Graviota is a huge complex where everything is a no-brainer, translated, generic; your typical all-inclusive resort.  Two days here was good enough for us.  It was time to see the real world! 

The Guarda Frontera (Cuba's Coast Guard) came to clear us out.  This will be the routine in Cuba: we must present ourselves to the Guarda to checkin and checkout whenever we move the boat.  Guarda wants to know where we are and where we're going.  Seeing as we will be in very remote cruising grounds, we don't mind Big Brother watching... at least someone knows we exist out here.

We set sail for our next port of call, initially surrounded by Marina Graviota's large catamaran fleet taking tourists out for a day-trip on the water.  As Irma edged closer to Cuba's north shores last October, the captains of the catamaran fleet were ordered to man their boats and leave port!  They each rode out the hurricane onboard their vessel, tucked away in the mangroves, hoping to be spared.  The Port Captain told us it was absolutely terrifying.  In the end, none of the boats were damaged.

On the short day sail from Marina Graviota (glittery resort bubble) to Marina Darsena (tired, hurricane battered, super chill, friendly spot), we were rolling through the big emerald blue waves in the breeze when Dave exclaimed: "Holy shit, a swimmer!"  A swimmer?  We were nearly two miles offshore!  The swimmer didn't even look at us though he was only about a boat length away.  We had never before considered the possibility of running someone down with our boat at sea.  We've since read in our cruising guides that this sight is a common occurrence in Cuba: fishermen swim for their catch in open water, in up to 100 foot depths!  One of our western region charts even has this advisory: "Freedivers are often spotted in this area fishing for lobster.  They are dropped off by a larger vessel and left to work alone.  A sharp lookout is advised."

The swimmer!!!

Marina Darsena, still a part of Varadero and adjacent to the town of Santa Marta, is a more humble setting, but this is where it got interesting!  Here we made the acquaintance of Debbie - a Canadian ex-pat who's been living on her boat at the marina for 17 years.  She invited us along on a bunch of interesting outings, including the Santa Marta Sunday market which was buzzing with activity.  Even the walk to town is an adventure with crossing the aircraft runway and dodging horse-drawn carts.  At the market, produce is piled on tables or on the ground, often still in its dirt from the garden (or from being piled on the ground), awaiting to be weighed on rusty scales for purchasing.  It gave us a good idea of what we'll be eating in this country.  To make a long story short, besides buying fruit and vegetables from a vendor's cart when we find one, and eggs if ever possible, we will be relying almost entirely on our provisions for food while we're in Cuba.  The selection of available food is slim and will prove increasingly tricky to find, but the freshness and flavour of the produce are without comparison.  As for meat, we haven't been adventurous enough to buy it from an outdoor market yet.  If you've seen this, you understand the hesitation. 

We've been to a few indoor "supermarkets" and they are not, at this point anyway, useful places for us to get food.  At first glance it looks like the shelves are stocked but then you see the whole aisle is filled with only pickles, the next is mayo, the next is oil - so in reality there is very little selection and nothing that I consider of nutritional value.  Finding rum will never be an issue though.   Healthy crackers and cereals, whole grains, seeds and nuts...not gonna happen from what I can see so far! 

Cubans have a national system of monthly rations which ensures no one goes hungry, and eggs are a part of this bundle of basic needs.  I also consider eggs a part of our basic nutritional needs but, due to a current egg shortage, egg rations are being filled by card-carrying locals before any extra will be sold to the likes of us.  So far, the only eggs we've eaten have been gifts from new cruising friends who were lucky enough to find some, but it hasn't been for lack of effort on my part.  It feels more like Easter than Christmas since I'm always hunting for eggs.  My Spanish is now fluent in one area: huevos.  I know a dozen ways to inquire about the egg situation.  Sometimes though, no words are required - the egg vendor simply waves his finger and shakes his head when he notices me standing in the line, meaning no huevos for you.  I've come very close via the black market but both times the plan was poached when my egg dealer got caught by an honest coworker and scrambled.  In Havana, an egg vendor was willing to sell me 12 eggs for $12 but we'd be fools to accept.  It's true that $12 is nothing to us, and I sure wanted those eggs, but it isn't right to try to take advantage of visitors like that and we won't support it.  (*The dual currency system and the way in which Cuba treats its visitors when it comes to money is a loaded topic, one on which I have much to say, but probably best suited for another time!)  In Santa Fe, we got a tip from a veggie vendor that lead to a goose-chase which ended successfully.  We purchased two dozen eggs in a legal fashion at standard Cuban prices.  And we're rationing them carefully as this chance may not come again soon.

Santa Marta market.

 

Going to donate clothes to the poor with Debbie.

Before leaving Marina Darsena for Marina Hemingway (Havana!), Guarda explained in rapid-fire Spanish that we were to sail directly to Hemingway and not stop until we arrive there the next day.  He made wild hand gestures motioning big waves while he talked.  I cut in to explain it to Dave: "He's saying we have to go directly to Hemingway but that if the waves get big and dangerous we can pull into an anchorage along the way."  Dave corrected me: "No, he's saying even if the waves get big and dangerous we are NOT to pull into an anchorage along the way."  And to that, Guarda nodded in agreement.  Oh...okay...no stopping no matter what...

Hemingway Marina was our home through the Christmas holidays and over the course of ten days we formed a nice little community there with the few other cruising boats.  Jorge, a private taxi driver who operates out of the marina became our primary 'go-to guy' for transportation, butane refills, local knowledge.  He is also a genuinely kind individual who was a pleasure to know and whom we hope to see again in the future.  Jorge's car (which comfortably seats seven) is a 1949 Chevy that his father-in-law bought in 1950.  All the parts are original and the ones that fall off during the day are reattached each night.  The situation is the same for every vintage car-owner here; we can imagine the nightly overhauls required to make it through one more day.  To keep his car going straight, Jorge must constantly turn the wheel back and forth from right to left - like in the movies!  In a different taxi, a 1954 Chevy, when we headed West to visit the mountains one day, a friend dropped something on the floor in the backseat that made a clank sound.  We immediately noticed the driver's ears perk up; he thought it was a car part breaking off and was listening carefully to guess what it might be.  They say Cubans can fix anything with nothing.  They sure have (impressively) managed to keep these old relics dominating the roads!  The cars are a real highlight, adding so much colour to the scene.

Kianda at Marina Hemingway.

You can see that Havana was once spectacular.  And it's still beautiful, equal parts in spite of, and because of, its complicated history.  It's an extremely interesting place to walk around.  It's vibrant, loud, colourful, and filthy.  Beautiful architecture stands next to crumbling buildings - like in a war zone.  There's a nearly perfect balance of 'magnificent' and 'ruined' and this contrast makes Havana fascinating at every angle.  Just make sure to watch your step!   

Jorge dropping us off in Havana.

Cabaret night at Hotel National!

Leaving Marina Hemingway to sail West means you're ready to go at it alone.  There isn't much along these shores except for uninhabited cayos lined with beaches and mangroves.  (The swimming has been a-ma-zing by the way!)  There will be no diesel, butane, nor potable water available until Cabo San Antonio at the western tip of Cuba, and a line of cold fronts is impeding our advancement.  There are a couple small towns along the way where fruit and vegetables would be purchasable, however we do not have Guarda's permission to go to shore there.  So we're really not sure where our next fresh food will be found - Isla de la Juventud most likely but hopefully sooner!  (*I won't get into politics, or more specifically the topic of 'freedom', but it's one that I ponder a lot here...both that of the Cuban people and that of visitors.)  We will just have to make do with what we have onboard, which is what we prepared for and it should be fine.

A food vendor in Havana.

We're being mindful not to waste our water and the butane for cooking.  We're also being extra cautious with safety related things as help isn't exactly around the corner should we encounter a problem.  We're reading our cruising guides to anticipate what comes next and we're trying to make the best decisions with regards to routing and weather.  Dave has acquired access to great electronic weather products and has become a very impressive forecaster which helps enormously in keeping us and the boat out of harm's way.  It's an interesting experience to be faced with these challenges; such a far cry from the land-of-plenty and protection that we come from.  

There's a cold front passing through (frente frio!) so we're holed up in Cayo Levisa for a week (which is really great!) while the North wind blows.  We're allowed to roam on this island because there are no local residents, it's for tourists.  There's a little eco-resort on shore, a 30 minute beach walk from our anchorage, where we can enjoy pina coladas, delicious coffee (Cuban's may not have much but they do have great coffee machines!), and treat ourselves to an occasional buffet dinner which by Cuban standards is fit for royalty - and only $10 each!   So we're doing pretty well these days!  This cold front is associated with the same low that is causing a winter bomb back at home in Canada.  It's been windy here which means we've got lots of power onboard through the wind generator.  The temperature has dropped and the sky clouded over a bit, but don't worry about us - it still isn't cold enough for socks!

Happy New Year to our family and friends!  Wishing you all the best in 2018!

Incredibly beautiful Vinales in the Western mountains.

We caught two barracudas!  We released them though.  But good practice.

New Year´s Eve dinner venue.  Fit for royalty! Cayo Levisa.

Watching the cold front approach.  Better get back to the boat...

And...it hit!

Our backyard, the boat is tucked behind the mangroves.

Provisioning

We should have bought more peach preserves in Georgia!

In Coconut Grove, Florida we provisioned for the next phase of our journey: Cuba!  Cubans eat, we know there's food there, but the situation is very different from what we're used to.  I expect shopping for food will take some patience, local knowledge and an openness to  substitution.  The rule of thumb when shopping in Cuba is "buy it when you see it" because if you wait, the chance may not come again soon.  And I highly doubt I'll often come across items like chia seeds, quinoa four, spices or fine mustards.  (Side story: in the NY State Canal System, we were tied to a canal wall when a posh canal cruise ship squeezed by with its passengers on deck looking down at us.  We heard a man in the sailboat tied behind us call out to them: "Pardon me, but do you have any Grey Poupon?"  Hadn't heard that one in awhile.  Haha!)  With an open mind, I'm sure we'll do just fine but that being said, we don't want to spend too much precious time searching for groceries, so we're going prepared. 

We reviewed our charts and a calendar to plan a general timeframe for cruising Cuba. Then we made our long grocery list with the quantities we think we require.  There was a lot of guestimating going on as I've never kept track of exactly how long a jar of peanut butter lasts us.  If we're in Cuba for three months, and we eat chickpeas once per week, that's 12 cans!  And more if I'm making hummus!  Our grocery list looked crazy with 15 of this and 12 of that.  On and on it went with the items we don't want to go without. 

We rented a car for the grocery shopping event so that we could do it in multiple (less overwhelming) trips.  I'll admit I was momentarily paralysed in the aisle, not knowing where to start, staring at my list that seemed out of whack.  Dave got me back into gear, reminding me that the numbers we tallied make sense.  He had his moments as well, in the marine supply store especially, where he didn't need anything at all yet was in a frenzy over it being his "last chance"!  We had already purchased engine oil, filters, spare engine parts - everything we hope will keep the boat running smoothly.  "We're not going to another planet!" I said, but it almost feels like we are. 

After a few back-and-forth runs with Peli through the mooring field to onload our provisions, Kianda's belly is now full of good stuff.  This boat is amazing for storage space; you would never know we've added months worth of food and boat supplies.  And our waterline is still above water (but barely)!  While putting everything away, I mixed up some cocktails to free valuable fridge space taken by juice - a perfectly respectable reason to start drinking at 2pm - we had to!  There are currently 8 bags of Branbud cereal under Dave's side of the bed plus a slew of other non-perishables.  If a jar of peanut butter lasts us 2 weeks (and I think it's actually much longer), then we're all set for 3 months.  I just have to grab it from under the floorboards!

Comme Jannie dirait: "on est stocké!" 

We had the pleasure of receiving another package via general delivery to Kianda in Coconut Grove - and this one could be a game changer as far as our meals in Cuba go.  Our friends Jen and Maxwell sent us their fishing gear!  "We want you to catch fish!" they said.  Those two are too good to us.  They even sent a Bohemian Sling (which is a spear gun).  We promise to give it our best shot! 

After declaring ourselves ready to leave Coconut Grove, in perfect winds we sailed down the Florida Keys to reach our chosen jump off point for Cuba.  And when we got there, against the odds, the forecast immediately lined up for an opportunity to make the passage to Cuba (waiting for a weather window to cross can often take days or even weeks, so this forecast was great luck).  We left our anchorage near Marathon on December 13th at noon and expected an arrival in Varadero the following morning.

Just as we left USA waters, we received a last text from Maxwell wishing us a safe journey and saying that he checked the wind and it looked "nice and northerly" (sailing friends!).  He  also informed us of a meteor shower that night...  Witness-amazing-astrological-event-while-crossing-Gulf Stream: Check!  Been there, done that!  We can cross it off our list of sights to behold.  It was incredible!  We've never seen the sky so actively lit up like that.  There was at least one shooting star or meteor every thirty seconds all night long. 

At 9:30pm dolphins encircled the boat, flying fish were buzzing around, the water colour turned a brilliant purply blue (all this we could see when we shined the spotlight); we were unmistakably in the Gulf Stream.  At one point our container of fishing equipment rolled off the seat and Dave said "there's so much life out here, even the fishing gear is getting tingly!"

The moon rose over the horizon at 3:45am like a thin orange smile.  It actually startled me; a bright light suddenly appearing where none had been a moment before - for a second I thought it was another boat.  I cooked, we slept a bit, we listened to music, the boat rolled along and I didn't feel seasick!  It was our most lively and beautiful night passage ever.  'Land Ho' was called at 10am when we spotted the lighthouse on an island near Varadero and about an hour later we were awaiting for the Guarda Frontera and other Cuban officials to begin clearing us in.  Here we go...

Buenas Dias de Cuba!

Coconut Grove, down the Keys, and across to Varadero!

 

A night at sea...

Of course the picture doesn´t do the night sky justice, but
here´s a shot of the moon and some stars.

First sight of Cuba.  Cayo Piedras light house.

Up goes the Q flag!

And once cleared in, we fly the Cuban courtesy flag!

More from Florida

I found a Hamburger Bean on the beach- this means great luck!

 When we first started sailing and meeting other cruisers, one piece of advice kept being repeated regarding having visitors on board while voyaging: boat guests can chose the date or the place to visit, but not both.

Now that we have some experience, we understand the logic behind this cruiser's rule - it allows for a little more flexibility. Cruising on a schedule is very difficult because there are so many variables that can affect timing. Pinpointing where we'll be in four days is hard, let alone four weeks. We live by the marine weather forecast more so than the calendar.

Suggesting the place to meet can be tricky as well since we're often cruising in places we've never been before. We don't know if it will live up to a visitor's idea of a good vacation spot. And contrary to popular opinion, the boat isn't like the Lotto 649 commercial portrays it. I'm always worried visitors won't get what they bargained for once onboard. Will they be able to sleep? Will they be scared, sick, bored? This isn't to say we don't like guests, but this type of travel isn't a resort-type vacation where everything is predictable. It's an adventure which requires a lot of flexibility and an open mind from anyone who participates.

My mother is a great guest because she understands all this; she comes with an adventurous spirit and no set expectations. She was ready with her answer when I asked "do you want to chose the date or the place?" She wanted to see the Florida Keys so we invited her to join us in Miami for Christmas and we would sail the keys together.

In November we realized we were a month ahead of 'schedule'. I asked her again: the date or the place? She stuck with the Keys so we changed the date to meet on November 23rd in Miami. A week before her arrival, we knew we wouldn't make it to Miami in time so if she wanted to keep the date, we'd have to change the meeting place to Fort Lauderdale. Did I mention how meeting up requires flexibility?

Even after her arrival, the daily plan was often tweaked as new opportunities arose - and everything turned out to be so fantastic! She absolutely loved her time on board. We sailed offshore from Fort Lauderdale to Miami and spent a little time in Coconut Grove. We had heavenly days anchored in No Name Harbor, Key Biscayne, which was our home base for most of her trip. We ended up seeing the Keys on a road trip with a rental car, focusing our time in Key West. 

A happy birthday for mom in Fort Lauderdale.

An anchorage with an amazing view of the Miami skyline. 
Surreal spot to spend the night.

South Beach, Miami - art deco scene.

 

We are now Key Lime Pie true connoisseurs!

Giving Dave a ride to shore.  No Name Harbor.

 

She was very lucky with the weather. It didn't rain. It was hot and gorgeous and just windy enough to keep the no-see-ums away (most of the time). We celebrated her birthday. We had some seriously delicious meals onboard, if I do say so myself, as well as some amazing meals in restaurants. She got to see a lot of wildlife including dolphins and a manatee up close. 

She endured one rolly night in an exposed anchorage. The wind picked up more than we expected, causing the boat to bounce heavily in the waves. The motion woke Dave and I at 3am. "I wonder if she's awake" I whispered to Dave. "Well if we're awake, she probably is too" he said. I went to the main cabin to check on her and woke her up in the process. Oops! I can't believe she had been sleeping through it!

She was fine with the nighttime dinghy rides as well, which can border on scary when it's pitch black out and wavy. We knew the three of us would fit however, since our dinghy capacity was put to the test with the one-legged veteran and his duffel bag in Georgia.

Highway 1 through the Florida Keys is littered with mountains of debris resulting from hurricane Irma. The pickup period ended in October but people are still in cleanup mode, piling trash on the roadsides. Authorities are arguing that this can't go on forever and are threatening to fine people who dump but the reality is, they're going to have to bring back crews and trucks to deal with the piles.

Ernest Hemingway's house in Key West.

End of the road!  Mile Zero - Key West.

A lot going on in the hotel parking lot!  Key Largo.

We were very pleased with Key West - a fun place that I would go back to visit again any time. An unexpected surprise was the neighbourbood of Wynwood near Miami that we visited since we had extra time with the rental car. Wowza! This area is being revitalized with a strong focus on street art that is really impressive. 

My mom tried to order the mozzarella advertised on the wall.
The waiter told her "That's art.  You can't order the art."

Wynwood Walls. 

Is it Christmas yet? For us, the only reminder that Tis' the Season is the music we hear in the shops around town. Once in awhile a friend from home will text that it snowed and I think 'Oh that's right...it's winter there now". During our time in No Name Harbor, however, we were invited to a Full Moon Party at the Cape Florida Lighthouse which had a Christmas theme. We walked into a world of contrasts: there was a blizzard of soap suds (along with a warm breeze), Christmas trees (among the palm trees) and Christmas lights (and tiki torches). 

Full Moon Party - Cape Florida Lighthouse.

 

I'm okay with it snowing soapy suds!

When our holiday time with my mother came to an end, she reluctantly returned to Canada, and Dave and I tackled our next big task: provisioning for Cuba! We're getting ready for the next chapter and it's pretty exciting...

Touring Stiltsville off Cape Florida.

A happy sailor!