Charts for Cuba

[skippermalolo]

We are planning a trip to Cuba this spring and looking for accurate paper and electronic charts. We have a Raymarine C-80 chartplotter and plan to use an iPad air as backup. My understanding is that NOAA charts of Cuba are woefully out of date and that the best are from the Cuban hydrographic service - but unavailable in the US and hard to find anywhere. Has anyone had experience in this area? I purchased the "Yacht Pilot's Cruising Guide to Cuba - vol. 1", but it only covers the section from Varadero to Trinidad in the NW and has no passage charting. Advice ?

[MarkJ]

A boat was lost this year on an "uncharted" reef. I think it was the south coast. Maybe do a search for the thread to see if there's some tips in it.

[travellerw]

I have a C80 and an older 2004 Navionics card with Cuba charts. Our boat was used in south Cuba for 5 years with that card. Its fairly accurate for the south coast. However there is tons of uncharted stuff along the south western reef (around Cayos Bocas de Alonso). Talk to as many locals as you can, they know where the dangerous stuff is.

We also used CM93 charts to check their accuracy and they seemed "ok" as well.

Unfortunately, we didn't go anywhere else in Cuba so I can't comment on how accurate they are elsewhere.

[bobnlesley]

We were there in Jan/Feb and sailed anti-clockwise from Havana round the west end/south coast/windward passage using CM93 charts without any problems, indeed we found them to be very good/accurate.
We also carried the British Admiralty paper Chart 2579 - it's small scale, covering the whole island and beyond as an emergency back-up, but to be honest we never seriously looked at that.

[belizesailor]

Years ago, I got Russian produced charts of Cuba which were quite good. IIRC, I got them thru Bluewater Books & Charts.

[belizesailor]

Also, Nigel Calder's cruising guide was very good. Old now, but reefs grow slow.

One area I recall that did get rearranged by a hurricane and thus was not accurate on either the Russian charts or Clader's guide was around Isla Parasio (NW coast)...beautiful place where Hemmingway used to hang out.

[sophiedaisey]

I just purchased the NV charts for the northern coast of Cuba. Take a look. Reported to be accurate. Used by a lot on Europeans when they cruise Cuba


Sent from my iPad using Cruisers Sailing Forum M. Gray Pacific Seacraft 31