The Route to Cuba...

There are several ways you can head to Cuba from North America. You can leave from the Keys and head across to Varadero or Havana. That limits you to cruising the areas to the west of your landfall, unless you're a serious masochist, due to the current and winds you'll be fighting. The saying, Go West, young man....never applied more than sailing the Cuban coast.

Chartlet showing route through the Bahamas to Cuba and back to the US

My preferred route is to sail through the Bahamas, and then drop down from Ragged Island at the south end of the Jumentos to Puerta de Vita, 65 nautical miles away.
Two years ago, I did that route and went west to Varadero. This upcoming winter, I plan to do it again, sail the 150 or so miles to the far east tip of Cuba and then sail west along the south coast. When I arrive at Cabo San Antonio at the western tip of Cuba, I'll have completed a circumnavigation of this amazing island.

Cuban made pajamas removed from shelves in Wal-Mart...

Ok, I've got your attention now, don't I?
This article concerns the current status of the US embargo against Cuba. According to the article: "At present the U.S. State Department says the biggest obstacle to improving relations between the two countries is the imprisonment of an American aid worker Alan Gross."
You can read the entire article at Cuba: U.S. embargo causes $1 trillion in losses

Cuban Politics and the USA - Alan Gross

The Cuban government has rebuffed a mission by former New Mexico governor Bill Richardson to free a U.S. government contractor jailed in Havana, even ruling out a visit with the man, Richardson said Sunday.

Miami 5, jailed in the US for spying, heroes in Cuba

See article at the Washington Post

...from the article - Gross, 62, was arrested in December 2009 while working on a secretive democracy program in Cuba for the U.S. Agency for International Development. His detention has grown into a major impediment to President Obama’s goal of improving relations with Cuba.

One of many many signs extolling Castro's philosophy

It's been my contention that very little will change in US-Cuba relations until this situation is resolved. Given that the next presidential elections are all but started, I would not expect to see any change in this situation during the balance of the term of this administration.

Can Americans Now Go to Cuba?

Yes. And no. It depends on several factors.

Most Cubans cannot afford a car

Any American can now go to Cuba provided he or she is part of a registered cultural exchange tour. These tours are pretty rigourous, there is no beach time and thus far, a  part of each trip seems to have been dedicated to a harangue of the group from a Cuban government official about the 'terrorist' United States. Sounds like fun.

Amigos y amigas in Varadero

Cuban Americans with family in Cuba can visit and again, there are particular rules around this group. Certain groups of Americans can go with a special license. These include journalists, philanthropic/religious, sports and cultural.
Any American can go provided their entire trip is sponsored by someone from another country. So if you were to travel there on a European or Canadian boat with all your expenses covered, you're good to go. And that doesn't mean you can reimburse them under the table, although who would know?

Cuban artisan in market in Varadero

Lots of Americans, at least 40,000 per year according to one estimate, travel to and from Cuba via a third country, hoping to fool Customs and Immigration. Most do, Cuba doesn't stamp your passport unless you ask them to.




(for information on cultural exchanges, google <Cuban cultural exchange travel>, but before purchasing, make certain that the travel agency actually has a license from the government to offer Cuban travel. There have been instances where some didn't.)

How far is Cuba?

Depends on where you are, yuk yuk!

Great Fishing in
Golfo de Guahanacabibes

Ok, seriously - from Key West, it's 95 nm - nautical miles, or about 110 statute miles. From Islamorada Mile Five channel bridge, about 115 nm. From Ragged Island, in the Bahamas, it's 65 nm and from Isla Mujeres, it's around 80nm. So it's close, even in sailing terms. What's more important though, is how you sail from where you are. You have to figure out the currents, especially the Gulf Stream if you're crossing from the Keys, the winds and weather...get it right and it's an easy trip. Get it wrong and you'll be wishing you'd bought an RV and were headed for New Mexico. The chartlet on the first page of this blog shows several routes to and from Cuba. Each has advantages, and disadvantages.

Club Nautico, Marina Hemingway, Havana

When it's possible, you want to travel with the currents and the wind behind you. Worst case scenario is traveling with the wind against the current. That heaps up big, short waves that can be nasty. Unfortunately, when crossing from the Keys, you're often faced with big beam seas as the wind, usually out of the east, is up against the Gulf Stream, running eastward. One trick I and others have successfully used is to come across on the tail end of a norther, when the winds are out of the northwest and dying. If you're sailing into Varadero or Havana though, this wind direction can bring big seas into the entrance channels. You may have to stand off until the wind is into the northeast to enter these locations.
Best is, and call me a coward, to catch a nice high pressure area and cross under power, with minimal wind and waves. Sure, it's not 'sailing', but it gets you there safely and without drama. Of course, then you don't get to see sights such as dozens of dolphins, the smaller black variety, leaping from one wave into the next as they pace your boat through the waves. Unforgettable. I'd have taken photos, but I was way too busy sailing the boat.

Routes to Cuba

This is the route I followed (click on it to enlarge) on my first trip to Cuba: through the Bahamas (so pretty), then south to Cuba, and west to Varadero before returning to the Keys...with a new friend, the two month old wonderpuppy Aduana!
For you doglovers (and who isn't???), there will be lots of stories and photos about Aduana, as she accompanies me on our adventures.

Sailing to Cuba...Hola!

Hola amigos y amigas and Welcome aboard. This blog is about sailing to Cuba. I've now made two voyages, in 2009 and 2011, during which I explored the entire north coast. I will be returning to Cuba this winter to explore the south coast, and to complete a circumnavigation of this amazing island.
Keep a watch here as I post photos, stories and other information from my first two trips. You can expect updates every couple of days, so sign up to keep abreast of what's going on.
If you're really eager, you can download my video at http://www.thesailingchannel.tv/cuba, or read the articles I've written on Cuba for SAIL Magazine.
If you are planning on visiting Cuba by boat, contact me directly and I'll advise you on how to go about it. Thus far, I've been able to assist captains of boats from 31 feet to 125 feet, with a variety of registrations, including American.