Arriving in Cuba

 

The ink is hardly dry on the agreement between Cuba and the United States and already the US traveling public has added Cuba to their revised bucket lists.  Cuba is on the verge of some dramatic changes.  It has been 16 years since we visited by boat and we anticipate that right now we won't experience much difference.  It won't be too long however before the influx of new tour groups via expanded US air flights directly to Havana and more cruise ships and independent travelers will have a major impact on the Cuban life style. It could be the next Cancun.  We're look forward to seeing it again before that happens.

After waking up early with one last Key West Cuban brew from our favorite Key West coffee shack, we cast our lines at 7:30 this morning, Friday, August 5 and made our way south, leaving US territorial waters headed for Cuba.

    

  In 3 1\2 hours, averaging 25 knots, we reached the channel marker for Marina Hemingway.

   

The first stop for all boaters is the Cuban Custom's office.  It is here that all boating visitors are greeted by a parade of Cuban officials.  As we edged up to the dock one of the Customs Officers helped with one of our lines.  He darted back into his cool air-conditioned office and a gentleman in plain clothes but wearing a white hospital-type coat walked up and helped with a second line.

The gentleman in the white coat introduced himself as the doctor from the Health Authority and asked permission to come aboard.  We understood later than no one comes aboard until the doctor says we're OK.  He only stayed about 10-15 minutes, asking us questions about our health, filling out some forms then shining a blue laser on our foreheads to take our temperatures.  We both passed with temperatures of 37C.  This was a missed photo op.

After the doctor, a young Customs official boarded.  He was all business and eager to get through the process. We completed and signed our forms and he asked to inspect the boat.  Very seriously he went in every room and looked behind every door. When finished he thanked us, shook our hands then broke into a big grin and said "nice boat". After that he invited us, one at a time, into the Customs Office where he took our photo, handed us a Visa and asked if we wanted our passports stamped. Stamping passports of Americans is not automatic because many enter Cuba illegally and don't want the record in their passports.  We are certainly legal but I still said no.

As soon as the Customs work was done the Dock Master appeared.  Initially he seemed perplexed because he thought we were arriving a week early.  Apparently who ever took our reservation marked our departure date as our arrival date.  They were not expecting us.  The Dock Master accepted our explanation and came aboard.  He completed another set of entrance papers and we signed them.  He gave us our slip assignment close to the hotel, pool and WiFi and said he would meet us there.

We left the Custom's dock and headed for canal 2 slip 228, right in front of the hotel lobby.  The marina is made up of four long canals that if one is not on a boat, the only way to move from one canal to another is by car, bike or a long walk.  

   

We tied up and the Dock Master came aboard again.  He completed more forms, and before leaving told us a little bit about the Marina (it was built in 1957 for Pres Batista's son) and briefly commented on the state of the country and economy. He said he was 67 years old and too old to be a revolutionist.  He would leave that to the younger people.

We thought we were done but just as the Dock Master was leaving the boat, two men who had been hanging out quietly on the dock, suddenly came to life.  It was their turn.  The Dock Master introduced us to the Argriculture Authorities.  

The Agricultural inspectors sat down at our dinette and immediately started filling out forms.  After a while they asked us what kinds of meats and fruits and vegetables we had.  They wanted to see in our refrigerators. 

All of our pre-trip research indicated that fresh chicken, eggs and citrus fruits were not allowed and would likely be confiscated. These guys didn't seem to be wanting to confiscate anything.  They only seemed focused in completing their forms.  We gave them our meat, vegetable and fruit counts.  They just recorded everything on a very unofficial looking piece of paper.

Finally we were done.  The last item was negotiating with another guy who had been hanging around the dock waiting for an opportunity to wash our boat.  He was wearing a t-shirt from a boat we knew that had been in Cuba a month or so ago for a fishing tournament.  How bad could he be!?  With the temperatures in the upper 90's and the humidity at about the same level, the negotiation didn't last long.  There was no way neither Jerry nor I wanted to be out there washing down that boat.  "Chicky" got the job.

Now was the perfect to go for a walk to get familiar with Marina Hemingway and to find an ice cold Cuban beer.