In Cuba... but not actually IN Cuba
A year afloat: to the Caribbean and back
Sam and Alex Fortescue
Sat 16 Apr 2011 14:36
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23:07.87N
81:17.91W
We've arrived in Cuba; and not arrived, at the same
time. Although Summer Song is made fast to the pontoon in Marina Acua, Varadero,
we are confined onboard while we wait for the doctor to arrive. No-one's ill,
you understand, although I suspect a spot of scurvy may have set in during our
900-mile passage. But a doctor is required to clear us before anyone else from
the bevy of officials clustered around the boat can step onboard. At some point
we'll need to speak to customs, the coastguard, immigration, a representative of
the Ministry of Agriulture and possibly one from the Transport Ministry as
well.
People are coming and goign from the flock on the
dock, and I hope we'll be cleared in before the sun sets. We have high hopes of
some non-tinned food tonight, before investigating the possibilities of getting
to Havana tomorrow. The welcome so far has been very friendly. The officials
have been chatty and helpful, and a Canadian couple who apparently run the
marina here were on hand to help us moor up. Despite the shore crew, the skipper
made a pig's ear of one of the easiest alongside moorings ever
seen.
This morning was actually great sailing, on a fast
dead run with a growing wind behind us. We had to glide along 12 miles of
flawless sandy beach encrusted with monstrous-looking hotel developments before
we got to Varadero proper. Our only fear was that we hadn't managed to raise the
marina on the VHF radio, which meant they may have had a surprise to see us
hoving up. Surprised officials never seem to be good news. Happily, we made
contact with minutes to spare and told them we'd be arriving in 20
minutes.
The entrance to the marina was via an incredibly
narrow, shallow channel set at a right-angle to the beach. With 20 knots of wind
and an ebb tide flowing past the entrance, it was quite small target to aim for,
complicated by the bands of waving children bristling along the shore to watch
the show. Happily we made it without mishap. More than that, we can't really say
yet. It's good to know we're going to get an uninterrupted night of sleep, and
that we can go ashore again. It's seriously exciting to have made it to Cuba at
last, after so much backchat. Let's hope it lives up to
expectations...
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