Cuban Sojourn

The second part of a journey along Cuba’s northern coast.

- Jim, Cuqui, Nico

After spending three days at Marina Hemingway on the outskirts of Havana, we began our cruise west along the northern coast of Cuba, aboard our 34-foot PDQ powercat, Thing 1 Thing 2. We planned to cruise through the Archipelago de los Colorados along the northern coast, stop at Los Moros Marina at Cabo San Antonio at the northwest tip, and dive in the waters off of María la Gorda, which lies underneath the westernmost tip of the island. Total one-way distance: approximately 200 nautical miles. We would then have to retrace a portion of our route before making the crossing back to Florida via the Dry Tortugas.

LEAVING MARINA HEMINGWAY

There are a number of deepwater pocket bays along the coastline west of Havana, with many protected anchorages and a variety of towns and small fishing villages. The reef Archipelago de los Colorados extends nearly the entire length of this portion of the coast, usually no more than three miles offshore. Numerous, typically unmarked, channels dot the reef, permitting passage across it. These passes, illustrated on the better charts of the area, are clearly visible in moderate seas and aided by clear skies. Islands inside the reef provide protected anchorages during inclement sea and wind conditions.

You will have two options to traverse this portion of the Cuban coast. One is the shallow-water route between the mainland and Las Islas de los Colorados. The second is the deep water route that lies just outside the barrier islands and the reef. We chose the inside route due to our 3-foot draft, and our enthusiasm to take it slowly and stop to see the small towns along the way. Our plan was to anchor out each night, as we had already been advised there are only six marinas in all of Cuba into which foreign boats are permitted entry.

HEADING WEST