Marina Hemingway, Cuba
Scott-Free’s blog
Steve & Chris
Tue 27 Dec 2011 17:19
23:05.412N 82:29.686W
Tuesday 27th December 2011
Distance run: 99 nmiles
On Boxing Day we had a lie in and a leisurely
breakfast before getting the boat ready once more for sea. We lifted the
anchor around lunchtime and set off out of the Key West channel and laid a
course for Marina Hemingway, which is about 10 miles west of Havana in
Cuba. Having given a fair bit of thought to our tactics regarding the Gulf
Stream, we decided in the end to sail the rhumb line and see how that
went. We were able to sail on the rhumb line very well for about the first
15 nmiles, and then our course over the ground suddenly slewed around by about
20 degrees as we hit the stream! We were lucky that the wind had enough
east in it for us to alter course to maintain our heading and still sail well
and at a good speed, although the seas became quite lumpy when there were more
than 2 knots of current against both us and the wind.
We made excellent time and sailed the entire way
from sea buoy to sea buoy, reducing sail to slow down as we reached the coast of
Cuba as we had no intention of attempting the narrow entrance to Marina
Hemingway in the dark. The seas were very calm as we made our entrance
into the marina and after a very sharp turn to the left we tied alongside the
customs dock.
There then ensued several hours of checking in, as
one person after another came aboard the boat to ask all the same questions,
including would we like to give them a 'donation' or a 'present' - even the
doctor. The dog-handler continually picked up electronic items (USB pen
drive, mobile phone etc) and looked at one or other of us, obviously waiting to
be told he could have it, but we were not about to give any of these things away
- he got a couple of $US instead. This was all very wearing, though not
unexpected as we had been warned about it and had stocked up on mini chocolate
bars and $1 bills which they were very happy with. Eventually, after the
Customs officials had been on board and searched the boat (not asking for any
handouts) and had logged and taken away all our flares and taped up our handheld
radios, we were allowed to take the boat into one of the canals and park her,
just ahead of Moonshadow Star.
After a bit of moving her back and forth to find an
area of dock where the keel would not touch the ledge sticking out, we were
finally tied alongside. We had arrived safely in Cuba.