A cultural and visual spectacle

Sailing a multihull through western Cuba

- P. ANDRE ARGUIMBAU

For those in search of fair winds, an umbrella-laden beverage and an increased sense of adventure, Cuba provides. U.S.-Cuba relations easing in December of 2014 provided an opportunity for voyagers to sail the island. One year later, we arrived to our charter in the southern Cuba port of Cienfuegos to begin a 600-nm voyage to Havana. Booking our trip was relatively standard, and what obstacles did surface added to the romance of the experience. While it was our primary desire to explore Cuba’s coastline, our trip included touring museums, art galleries and a few architectural marvels from the Spanish conquest. Throughout our trip, we formed an unwavering respect for the spirit of the Cuban people, and the untouched beauty of the coastline.

S/Y Bella Signora, a 47-foot Nautitech built in 2004, was described to us as the fastest charter on the southern coast. Provisioning was expensive. The natural fruits and vegetables appeared to be grown without preservatives, and I did not recognize many food brands in the market.

The city of Cienfuegos sprawls across two square miles of old-world structures. Given its cultural heritage, the city was deemed a UNESCO World Heritage Site as the best example of 19th-century Spanish architecture and urban planning in the Americas. We had a dinner at Marina Puerto Sol that was bland, but a plate of chicken, rice, vegetables and fries with a beer only cost $3. After a swim in the marina pool, we hitched a ride downtown for some dancing.