Cruising Cuba

[sarafina]

Originally Posted by Chrissy

We love anchoring out far from the madding crowd so it sounds like we have missed those glory days in Cuba.

yeah... by about 54 years...

I just recently used up the last bottle of creme de banana from my grandfathers stash... man were the labels cool...*sigh*

[stevensc]

This site has quite a bit of information.


Home

Steve

[GordMay]

Indeed Steve, the Cuba Cruising net is a good resource
➧ Home

www . cubacruising . net/

[osirissail]

Originally Posted by sanssouci

I have been provisioned and waiting since 1991, if change does not happen soon I may be to old to realized the benefits of visiting my neighbors. (90 miles away)

Maybe I am one up on you - 10+ years ago I splurged for over US$400 bought the official Cuban Marine chart sets, both paper and digital, anticipating the "imminent" opening to visits by US citizens. I forget where the paper charts went to but the digital charts I look at now and then - dreaming and also still waiting.

[cfg7587]

Are there any recommendations for cruising guides or maps for Cuba? Where would you go? We are a family of 4, with two teenage boys. The men in the family dive, and we all snorkel.

[AnchorageGuy]

Originally Posted by cfg7587

Are there any recommendations for cruising guides or maps for Cuba? Where would you go? We are a family of 4, with two teenage boys. The men in the family dive, and we all snorkel.

Nigel Calder's cruising guide is about the most detailed but even it is a bit out of date. Bluewater Books in Fort Lauderdale used to sell copies of excellent Cuba Charts. I don't know if they still do. Chuck

[sanssouci]

Originally Posted by osirissail

Maybe I am one up on you - 10+ years ago I splurged for over US$400 bought the official Cuban Marine chart sets, both paper and digital, anticipating the "imminent" opening to visits by US citizens. I forget where the paper charts went to but the digital charts I look at now and then - dreaming and also still waiting.

I think we may have been sailing the same boat. I still have the paper cuban charts and digital charts but I now think GoogleEarth with GPS tracker would be better. dreaming and also still waiting and I'm only 90 miles away.

[osirissail]

Also Simon Charles has a Cuba Cruising guide that is available on Amazon.
- - Being in Canada your local nautical chart stores or the one on the eastern side of the country most probably sell the authentic Cuban Government Nautical Charts. They are also available on DVD.

[Hud3]

I seem to recall someone involved with this site posting here on CF in the past:
Cruise Cuba, current planning and advice for sailing to Cuba

In 2011, cruisers can look for Volume 1 of Yacht Pilot's Cruising Guide to Cuba. Written by Capt. Cheryl Barr, this guide provides detailed information for the western regions of the island. For more information visit our Cruising Guides page.

I wonder if the guide has actually been published.

[goboatingnow]

Wow given all the pent up demand from you guys in the US. I'd recommend everyone else go there soon. You know what happens when the yanks arrive 

[atoll]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

Wow given all the pent up demand from you guys in the US. I'd recommend everyone else go there soon. You know what happens when the yanks arrive 

there allready there.........guantanamo........

[hogfighter]

For all you Yanks out there....

I had two nice discussions today....one with a friend of mine who has been in the Coast Guard out of Miami for 31 years, and one with a U.S. Customs supervisor. Here's what they said about traveling to and from Cuba.

The Coastie said that they don't care whether you came from Cuba, the Bahamas, etc. It's not in their charter to "catch" Americans visiting Cuba illegally. They are looking for drug runners, and not slow boats with an ounce of weed on them...they are interested in disrupting the supply line into the U.S. In summary, you stand no more probability of being boarded by the Coast Guard coming back from Cuba as you do from the Bahamas. If you are boarded, be courteous; you may ask them to put on "boat shoes", and they will oblige.

The Customs Supervisor discussion was a little humorous. He stated that, as an American, I cannot visit Cuba. I responded that nowhere in the U.S. Constitution does it say that the federal government can regulate where I go....only where I may spend U.S. currency. He flat stated that I cannot visit Cuba (unless on a permit for certain exemptions, already covered in another thread here). He stated that it's a $10,000 fine.

But then he lightened up, and said, "you need to ask better questions". He then said, there's no chance I would actually be fined the $10,000 unless I had lots of cargo from Cuba on board (live or otherwise). He stated that they would just search the boat, tell me to not go again, and leave. He further said that everyone at the Customs department thinks that the rule is completely stupid and that they have better things to do than badger sailors about whether or not they should have gone to Cuba.

He DID state that the worst thing you could do is lie about where you've been....that will surely wind up with you in prison.

So, I learned that (a) the Coast Guard couldn't care less if you went to Cuba, (b) arguing Federalism with a Customs agent is pointless, (c) you may visit Cuba; just pay cash for everything while you are there, bring NOTHING back, and ask forgiveness from the Customs agent when you return. If you are rebellious in nature, I wish you fair winds and following seas.

[wahoo40]

Thanks for that tidbit of information. Who knows where the winds will blow us next time out. Our current plan is to sail to Isla from the Dry Tortugas but you never know what will come up. We might need to stop and fix something or other...

[osirissail]

I suspect that the officials Hogfighter talked with make up the vast majority of USCG and US Customs officials, but - if you happen to encounter the rare - but definitely out there - "crusader" or "newbie" who is out to enforce his interpretation of the regulations you can be in for a world of hassles and legal problems.
- - I have run into these types maybe 3 times in 10 years in the Caribbean and there is nothing you can do but pray the problem won't pass further up the chain than their supervisor. Still too much risk for my tastes . . . There are other places to go that are great and without risk of adding unnecessary complications or hassles.

[AnchorageGuy]

Originally Posted by osirissail

Also Simon Charles has a Cuba Cruising guide that is available on Amazon.
- - Being in Canada your local nautical chart stores or the one on the eastern side of the country most probably sell the authentic Cuban Government Nautical Charts. They are also available on DVD.

We used this guide on our cruise of the south coast of Cuba and often wondered of the guy had ever actually been there. Calder's guide is much, much better. Both are out of date. Chuck