Hi again,
I'm not a frequent poster on these
forums but when I need some
advice or opinions this is my first (and mostly last) stop. So I thank you in advance for the knowledge I gain from this forum.
My "crew" has decided that we should go to
Cuba. So let's start there. Here is what I have so far;
1) Travel; We live in Colorado. It seems we can get to
Cuba via a
charter flight (including visas) out of
Miami. The sketchy thing about that is they only sell tickets two months in advance, meaning we loose our entire plan and deposits if that plan falls through. Or, we can go to
Mexico and fly from there. I travel to
Mexico on business frequently enough to
purchase tickets further in advance.
Is it still illegal to go to Cuba from the States? Plenty of people seem to have done it without serious consequence. Am I being foolish or taking an unreasonable risk to even consider this?
2) Sailing; I can
charter a
boat with Dream Yacht Charters in Cuba but I have to do it through their French office. The charter marina is in Cienfuegos. I have reserved a 52' fin keeled
monohull. Will the
draft of this big a
boat be a big problem? Would a Cat be a better choice for the south coast of Cuba?
3) Timing; we are looking to travel the first week in December. Is this a good time to be sailing the south coast of Cuba?
4) Experience; I've sailed inland my entire life but my
salt water experience is not vast! I've passed the
classes through
bareboat and advanced coastal cruising with both US Sailing and
ASA and chartered nine days in the BVI's without incident. Crew is less experienced than me but proved capable on our
BVI charter.
What am I missing? What should I know? Am I aiming over my
head?
What about
Weather? Tides? Currents? Politics? Visas? Returning to the States?
I know I am asking a lot but I am stepping into what is for me uncharted waters! Any
advice is appreciated!
Mike