Sailing in Cuba

[dar]

Hellow friends,

I plan to sail next year in Cuba ( catamaran bareboat sail )
Few questions:-
1. Itenerary recommanded for 7 days included visiting 3-4 marinas
2. What is the best mounth to sail in good and comfortable sea condition ?
3. I prefer if possible one way sailing

I would be happy to get recommandations any further tips
Thanks
Ami

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, Ami.

[Benz]

We need more information: From where do you plan to sail? I'm not aware of boats available for charter in Cuba. And would you charter a Cuban boat if you could? Judging from the state of their rental cars earlier this year, I'd not put to sea in anything they could offer.
Best time is whenever it isn't hurricane season. If on the south coast, Northerly winds in Dec and Jan won't bother you much. If on the north, well, wait till March or so. South coast has Cienfuegos, Santiago, and Isla de la Juventud as nice stops. I've only been to Havana in the north, but the coast to the east looks intriguing.
I'm not sure what you mean by one way sailing--I doubt if you could take a charter boat in one port and leave it in another. Cuba doesn't have that sort of facilities in my experience. Which admittedly isn't huge.

[dar]

Hi Ben,
Thanks for yours comments,
Dream yacht charter company suggested to me this itinerary:-
Day 1: Explore Cienfuegos with its striking and brightly-colored French colonial architecture flanked by palm trees, wide streets with covered sidewalks and a vibrant waterfront. Head to Parque Jose Marti, a large square home to great street food, shops, free Wi-Fi and a bandstand. Walk Punta Gorda, dine at the nearby restaurants and watch the sunset. Take a taxi for an hour further inland to the El Nicho waterfalls, where you can swim in the less busy lower pool. As you head to Guano del Este, keep a look out for Jagua Castle at the entrance to the bay and dolphins. Guano del Este features a strange-looking lighthouse and sandy beaches with coral in shallow waters.

Day 2: Spend the day at Cayo Largo, a small limestone cay which was popular with pirates wanting to hide their treasure. You can anchor off Playa Sirena, which is a fabulous beach fringed with palm trees and amazing snorkeling, although the waves are invigorating. Make sure your camera is ready, as photos taken here will be the envy of all with its glittering turquoise waters and plenty of soft white sandy beaches to choose from. Try Playa Paraiso, which was rated by TripAdvisor as one of the top 25 beaches in the world, or, if you want seclusion, head west of Sol Cayo Largo.

Day 3: Spend the day exploring Cayo Largo in the morning. Animal lovers can visit the Sea Turtle Hatchery, Centro de Rescate de Tortugas Marinas, which is part of a major conversation program. Keep watch for the resident iguanas too. After lunch head to Quinto Canal, about 30 minutes away, where you can bathe in a natural pool off a sandbank that is calm and warm. Sail onwards 40 minutes to the Cayos Los Ballenatos coral reef, which is great for snorkeling and has vibrant underwater marine life. You’ll spot plenty of tropical fish and perhaps even sea turtles. You can head back to Quinto Canal or Cayo Largo overnight.

Day 4: After breakfast make for Cayo Rosario, an uninhabited island except for a healthy population of iguanas. This is a popular diving and snorkeling location because of the richness and variety of fish and sea creatures. If you want to relax on the beach, you’ll find a stunning, large stretch of pink sand that wraps the lower part of the cay. You can spend hours looking at the shells and beachcombing.

Day 5: Set sail for Cayo Estopa and enjoy the beach, lazy swimming and snorkeling. In the afternoon, sail to Cayo Rico with its light pink sands, healthy coral and fantastic shoals of tropical fish – you might even see large starfish and rays. This is a wild island with just one small seafood restaurant near the jetty, which is popular and reasonably priced if you want fresh lobster. As you relax on the beach, you can watch the iguanas scuttling around and they love eating fruit.

Day 6: Head back to Cayo Largo to relax on one of the many beaches. Dine at the beach grills (ranchóns) at lunch time where you can order shrimp and lobster. You can also find a la carte restaurants, which are open in high season. If you are there on a Friday, you can take part in the weekly fiesta for a small fee. Sail onwards to Cayo Sal and explore the cay.

Day 7: Head back to Cienfuegos before 10am to disembark.

The best period is from december to april.
We propose a large fleet of catamarans (from 38 to 62 feet) with our without skipper/cook, and a few monohulls.
Boats are from/to Cienfuegos. One way to Cayo Largo possible"

Have you any comments on their proposal ?
Thanks
Ami

[Benz]

Originally Posted by dar

Hi Ben,
Thanks for yours comments,
Dream yacht charter company suggested to me this itinerary:-
Day 1: Explore Cienfuegos with its striking and brightly-colored French colonial architecture flanked by palm trees, wide streets with covered sidewalks and a vibrant waterfront. Head to Parque Jose Marti, a large square home to great street food, shops, free Wi-Fi and a bandstand. Walk Punta Gorda, dine at the nearby restaurants and watch the sunset. Take a taxi for an hour further inland to the El Nicho waterfalls, where you can swim in the less busy lower pool. As you head to Guano del Este, keep a look out for Jagua Castle at the entrance to the bay and dolphins. Guano del Este features a strange-looking lighthouse and sandy beaches with coral in shallow waters.

Day 2: Spend the day at Cayo Largo, a small limestone cay which was popular with pirates wanting to hide their treasure. You can anchor off Playa Sirena, which is a fabulous beach fringed with palm trees and amazing snorkeling, although the waves are invigorating. Make sure your camera is ready, as photos taken here will be the envy of all with its glittering turquoise waters and plenty of soft white sandy beaches to choose from. Try Playa Paraiso, which was rated by TripAdvisor as one of the top 25 beaches in the world, or, if you want seclusion, head west of Sol Cayo Largo.

Day 3: Spend the day exploring Cayo Largo in the morning. Animal lovers can visit the Sea Turtle Hatchery, Centro de Rescate de Tortugas Marinas, which is part of a major conversation program. Keep watch for the resident iguanas too. After lunch head to Quinto Canal, about 30 minutes away, where you can bathe in a natural pool off a sandbank that is calm and warm. Sail onwards 40 minutes to the Cayos Los Ballenatos coral reef, which is great for snorkeling and has vibrant underwater marine life. You’ll spot plenty of tropical fish and perhaps even sea turtles. You can head back to Quinto Canal or Cayo Largo overnight.

Day 4: After breakfast make for Cayo Rosario, an uninhabited island except for a healthy population of iguanas. This is a popular diving and snorkeling location because of the richness and variety of fish and sea creatures. If you want to relax on the beach, you’ll find a stunning, large stretch of pink sand that wraps the lower part of the cay. You can spend hours looking at the shells and beachcombing.

Day 5: Set sail for Cayo Estopa and enjoy the beach, lazy swimming and snorkeling. In the afternoon, sail to Cayo Rico with its light pink sands, healthy coral and fantastic shoals of tropical fish – you might even see large starfish and rays. This is a wild island with just one small seafood restaurant near the jetty, which is popular and reasonably priced if you want fresh lobster. As you relax on the beach, you can watch the iguanas scuttling around and they love eating fruit.

Day 6: Head back to Cayo Largo to relax on one of the many beaches. Dine at the beach grills (ranchóns) at lunch time where you can order shrimp and lobster. You can also find a la carte restaurants, which are open in high season. If you are there on a Friday, you can take part in the weekly fiesta for a small fee. Sail onwards to Cayo Sal and explore the cay.

Day 7: Head back to Cienfuegos before 10am to disembark.

The best period is from december to april.
We propose a large fleet of catamarans (from 38 to 62 feet) with our without skipper/cook, and a few monohulls.
Boats are from/to Cienfuegos. One way to Cayo Largo possible"

Have you any comments on their proposal ?
Thanks
Ami

I looked up Cuban charters and it seems your plan is not so far off base as I thought. Cienfuegos had no charter fleet when I was there, which admittedly was quite a while ago...I only hope the boats are owned and maintained by someone other than the Cuban government.
My only caution then would be to be aware that not everything is Cuba is exactly as advertised. While they seem to be making a valiant effort to support tourism, they have a real shortage of resources and a completely different mindset.
Oh, and, bring cash. The only place I found to use a bank card of any sort was the airport in Havana.
Please let us all know how it goes, as Cuba is a vast and mostly unknpwn cruising destination.

[s/v Moondancer]

Good morning,
This is Nell Kellett responding. Several friends and I recently chartered a catamaran via Platten Yacht Charters based in Cienfuegos, Cuba. They were very professional and the boats were in good condition. Our float plan was similar to the one mentioned in an earlier posted response. Provisioning was easy and we had a wonderful time. With the exception of hurricane season, anytime is good for sailing in Cuban waters. You will find the people friendly and eager to help. The biggest challenge is dealing with the current visa limitations for USA citizens. Your airline may be able to sell you the visa required at ticketing. If you can, please bring supplies to donate to the cuban people. The fishermen love polarized sun glasses and the locals like solar lights, clothes, OTC medications and anything else you can bring that you are willing to leave behind. I had two full bags and returned with one small bag that contained only my life vest and sailing gear.
if i may be of further assistance you are welcome to email me directly to my gmail account at nelliekellett
you will love cuba.

[dar]

Hi Ben,

Thanks,
I still yet didn't decide to sail there,
I will continue to gather information about the area to convince myself to sail there
Ami

[dar]

Hi Nell,
Thanks yours reply,
I still yet did'nt decide to sail there,
I will continue to gather information about the area to be sure it is indeed very beautiful and attractive to sail there
Ami

[Sand crab]

Where are you from, Ami.


BTW Yes there are charters in Cuba. Some have cats.

[dar]

Israel

[lukehayman]

Hi Dar,

We chartered with Dream Yacht Charter from Cienfuegos in October 2019 and had a great time. We made a video of the trip that you can see below if you'd like to get a better sense of it. In response to your questions:

1. Itenerary recommanded for 7 days included visiting 3-4 marinas
The itinerary suggested on DYC website is problematic as doesn't consider sailing times nor their rules on night sailing (i.e. no night sailing). For example they have Day 1 in Cienfuegos and Day 2 exploring Cayo Largo when it is actually a 2 day sail with an overnight stop in Cayo Guano del Este. Not a problem if you like sailing but does mean that you can only do about half of what they suggest in the same timeframe.

Our rough itinerary was 2 full days of sailing to get to the nice cays (around Cayo Largo), 3 days exploring deserted islands after checking in to Cayo Largo, 2 full days sailing back, 1 day exploring Trinidad (travelled by taxi).

We had wanted to sail to the south-east towards Jardines de la Reina and to visit Trinidad by boat but were advised against it by the DYC office as some of the islands were closed. The trip to the South-West (towards Cayo Largo) was great and sounds like it might be better for you if you're looking to visit marinas (Cayo Largo has the only reachable marina within 1 week from Cienfuegos).

2. What is the best mounth to sail in good and comfortable sea condition?
We went in October which is towards the end of the hurricane season and got lucky. Consistent 15 knot winds on sailing days and less on snorkelling days. We knew there was a chance of hurricane so had good travel insurance and were watching the weather charts with an eagle eye. Getting up to date forecasts once out of Cienfuegos is challenging though but DYC charter year round and seemed to manage these risks well. Summer is very hot, winter probably much nicer. Winds are fairly consistent throughout the year as far as I was able to tell doing my research.

3. I prefer if possible one way sailing
As far as I know, this isn't possible as DYC only have a base in Cienfuegos

Other general info
The sailing days can be quite long (good or bad depending on what you like!), the provisioning is very difficult although DYC do a great job in difficult circumstances and there is little to no infrastructure or support once you've left Cienfuegos, but lots of isolated beaches and islands. We saw 3 other boats sailing during the week and never shared an anchorage. Those were all plus points for us (well aside from the provisioning!) but could be difficult for others, depends what you're looking for.

A point to consider - the sea is seriously deep (10km plus - no seriously!) between Cienfuegos and the cays but when you approach the cyas it becomes seriously shallow everywhere. We sometimes anchored nearly 1NM from the beach and dinked the rest of the way because the water was too shallow to get closer. Consider the draft of a boat as a major factor when choosing which to charter.

The maintenance of the yachts was very good, i was really impressed by DYC. I guess done out of necessity as I imagine parts are a lot harder to come by than elsewhere in the Caribbean. Chart briefing was also excellent.

Sorry for long post- i hope that's useful! Feel free to message me if you have any specific questions.

Cheers,

Luke

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=taYS32pWeIo&t