cuba

Make sure you take credit cards drawn on a Canadian bank since that is where the owner is from. The crew can't spend any US money there (they don't take credit cards and your not supposed to spend US cash) although it is a common currency. When the US crew arrive, they will put a card in their passport rather than a stamp.
Don't take any eggs or chicken products as they will be confiscated upon arrival to the customs dock. Be prepared to offer plenty of "gifts" (usually $50-$100) to the families of the string of agents who come to inspect the boat.
Enjoy.

Hemingway marina is nice. Friendly staff, fairly modern facility and about 20 minutes from Havana.

Here is a little more information of how great things are when you finally sail in and enjoy flor and fauna of Cuba.

http://www.therealcuba.com/

If you have time, get down to Cayo Largo on the South coast: fantastic bonefishing (one first class lodge), some nice small cays with great beaches and a pretty decent meal can be had.

Take carbon paper with you. They like to make copies of everything as they go along. I took a small scanner/printer with me once but it glitched.
Stash a soft skin magazine where it will be found easily, it can be confiscated quickly so that the search if one is done, is over quickly.
This isn't a slam. Officialdom is for the most part polite and efficient. It's a great place to visit and the people are generally a joy to be around. Hit an office supply store before you leave and load a box with school supplies. My Blue Jays baseball cap got me invited in to quite a few fun conversations.

Marina Hemingway

The marina used to have a nice website with plenty of info about the marina itself and the Hemingway Billfish Tournament. The site appears to be history for some odd reason, but if you go to noonsite.com you can get email, phone and VHF contact details for the marina. Be careful on your approach as the channel is narrow and you need to be lined up properly. Have a great time!

Any more info on the American crew?

My boss and I spoke about going to Cuba this winter, they are Canadian, boat is Cayman Island and the crew is American. I know to clear through the Bahamas, and to not have them stamp our passports.

Is it best to have the boss fly into Cuba or come with the boat from the Bahamas?

Any odds and ends of information would be appreciated.

Best Regards,

nas

noonsite

lminford
Thanks for that link. Lots of good info.

You can travel there straight from the US- just don't return that way.
He can fly directly in from Canada.

I flew to Cuba once from Nasua and went and talked to the Dock Master at Hemingway marina and asked about americans entering through the marina. He told me you show up, the marina calls customs and imagration (who ever), make sure every one has there passport, then you purchase a Visa which they stamp oppposed to your passport. You pay the money for the visa's which is the illegal part becuase an American entity can not give money to any Cuban nationality becuase of the trade embargo.
When I flew to Cuba from the Bahamas, I paid a Bahamain company for the visa and air fare. But then when you leave Cuba at the airport, you have to pay some sort of tax, so I still violated American law.
I tried to insert some pictures of the hemingway marina here but the site said my pic files where to big which has me confused becuase they are lower resolution pictures..
If you like you can I M me and we can figure out how to get you some of them if you like....

You'll find a lot of good information on travel to Cuba here:

http://www.bootkeyharbor.com/cuba.htm

Been there three times myself. Highly recommend it.

Still a country very high on my 'must visit' list.

I used to go there all the time between 1998 and 2004, probably twice a year. There was a culture of absolute friendliness there between about 1994 and 2004. Our last trip there was in the summer of 2004, after which time, Bush's policy on Cuba was strengthened and the marina emptied of nearly all boats, especially U.S. ones, making it a deserted ghost town of good memories. The Cuban government, not making any money without U.S. boats, turned half the marina into banquet/resort facilities for Hugo Chavite visitors from Venezuela. The many great restaurants, bars, and stores at the marina are all shut down. The nice people who worked there all got transferred to other posts elsewhere in Havana by the Cuban gov't. The party is over. I flew over there this past March ('08) with my father to check the place out after 4 years, and we had to hold back the eye rollers the whole time.

It's About Time, relaxing restrictions !!!

News that the Obama Administration may lift travel restrictions relating to Cuba could mean that American cruising sailors in the Caribbean would have a whole new sailing ground opened up.

It might also mean that ship wrecked sailors would no longer rund the risk of ending up in jail in Cuba as happened recently to two hapless American sailors from Florida

Robert Vassallo and Angellette Smith never intended to break the law and go to Cuba, they merely set out from Key West to circle Grand Cayman Island and Jamaica, and be home in a week. Angellette hadn't even taken her passport!

After a few days, however, the weather turned against them, and after two days of struggling in strong winds and 20 ft seas, they were exhausted and anchored off the Cuban shore to get some rest. It was not to be. Their 38ft boat dragged anchor and was washed onto a reef. They struggled off the rocks and went in search of help in the dark of the night, but found everyone asleep. Not wanting to wake sleeping Cubans, they returned to the boat and went to sleep to wait for morning.

However, in the morning they found themselves surrounded by Cuban police, who arrested them, and the next day whisked them off to a Cuban jail because of their lack of proper documentation.

The story ends well, of course, as they were assisted by American officials in Havana, and, while they spent Christmas Day in a smelly jail with bad food, they were released after three days and were home by New Year.

This kind of incident could be a thing of the past if Cuba, and therefore the seas around it, are opened to American citizens.

Yes, from cruisers who have already been there, Cuba is a magical destination with some of the world’s finest beaches, a rich cultural heritage and a vibrant approach to life. The people are friendly to a fault, and show a fascinating blend of Latin American, Spanish and African cultures.

The balmy trade winds come from the north east, so it makes sense to sail the southerly lee shore from west to east, and circumnavigate that way if that's your desire. Diving and snorkeling show some exquisite coral reefs, and of course there's much to enjoy after the sun goes down and the salsa rythms begin.

With things moving fast in the new administration, it maybe won't be long before the marinas, anchorages and harbours of Cuba are full of exploring Americans.

Roger Strube is one American who can't wait, and describes himself as 'ecstatic' at the thought : 'When it happens I plan to spend at least 6 months circumnavigating Cuba in my multihull, Millennium Dragon, ' he told Sail-World Cruising last week.' and please let us know when the Key West to Havana race will be opened up!'

We'll be watching....

by Nancy Knudsen
Sail World