Your destination for cruising advice and planning
Hello Cuba Cruiser,
I am headed to the south coast of Cuba for the month of March. The focus of the voyage is
the area between Cienfuegos and Santiago de Cuba with pasisng through the Jardines de la Reina.
This voyage will complete the research for Cruising Cuba Volume 2. When I get home I’ll be
concentrating on getting the book into print.
Upon my return I will post my 2016 Expedition.
Cruising Guide to Cuba Vol. 1
Varadero to Cienfuegos / Casilda
By Capt. Cheryl Barr
Cruising Guide to Cuba (Vol. 1) has invaluable up-to-date information for the coastal waters from Varadero westward around to Cienfuegos. The guide is filled with colour chart illustrations and photos, detailed descriptions including pertinent GPS co-ordinates for harbours, anchorages, and inside passages, crucial information about weather, route advice and passage planning, hurricane holes and much more.
Capt. Cheryl Barr has made more than 15 cruises to Cuba researching and exploring its coastal waters. Using the information she has gathered, Cheryl has compiled a superbly written and detailed guide that is presented in a large, easy-to-read colour format.
Price: $40 USD + Shipping & Handling
ISBN: 9780973165937
Illustrated: Photos & Diagrams
Pages: 224
Published: Yacht Pilot Publishing, 2013
Format: 8.5” x 11” soft cover
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS RELATED TO CUBA TRAVEL
Updated Jan. 25, 2015
1. Are sanctions on Cuba still in place following the President’s announcement on December 17, 2014?
Yes.
2. What are the travel authorizations in the Cuba program?
OFAC has issued general licenses for 12 categories of authorized travel:
1. family visits;
2. official business of the U.S. government, foreign governments, and certain intergovernmental organizations;
3. journalistic activity;
4. professional research and professional meetings;
5. educational activities;
6. religious activities;
7. public performances, clinics, workshops, athletic and other competitions, and exhibitions;
8. support for the Cuban people;
9. humanitarian projects;
10. activities of private foundations or research or educational institutes;
11. exportation, importation, or transmission of information or information materials;
12. certain authorized export transactions.
3. Do travelers who fall within the scope of a general license need to submit a written request to OFAC for permission to travel or conduct transactions?
No.
4. Is travel to Cuba for tourist activities permitted?
No.
5. May an individual authorized traveler use his or her private boat to travel to Cuba?
Yes.
6. Are authorized U.S. travelers permitted to travel aboard a vessel while in Cuba to meet their
transportation needs within Cuba?
Yes.
7. Are there any spending limits for authorized U.S. travelers while in Cuba?
No.
8. Can I purchase Cuban-origin cigars and/or Cuban-origin rum or other alcohol while traveling in Cuba?
Yes, you can return with up to $100.00 worth of alcohol and tobacco products.
9. As an authorized traveler, may I travel from a third country to Cuba and from Cuba to a
third country?
Yes.
10. Are authorized travelers in Cuba permitted to use credit or debit cards issued by a U.S. financial institution?
Yes.
Cruising Guide to Cuba Vol. 2
Trinidad to Varadero
By Capt. Cheryl Barr
Cruising Guide to Cuba (Vol. 2) contains invaluable up-to-date information for the coastal waters from Trinidad eastward around Punta Maisi (eastern tip) to Varadero. The guide is filled with colour chart illustrations of harbours and anchorages, photos, detailed descriptions including pertinent GPS co-ordinates for routes, harbour and anchorage approaches, inside passages, crucial information about weather, route advice and passage planning, hurricane holes and much more.
Capt. Cheryl Barr has made more than 15 cruises to Cuba researching and exploring its coastal waters. Using the information she has gathered, Cheryl has compiled a superbly written and detailed guide that is presented in a large, easy-to-read colour format.
Printing postponed until changes in US/Cuba policy.
ISBN:
Illustrated: Photos & Diagrams
Pages:
Published: Yacht Pilot Publishing
Format: 8.5”x 11” soft cover, Full Colour
Experiences Along Cuba’s North Coast
http://issuu.com/southwinds/docs/southwindsfebruary2016/55
Boating to Cuba and US Policy 2015
http://issuu.com/southwinds/docs/southwindsfebruary2015/39
The Big Dog’s Back, Cuba Opens Up
http://issuu.com/southwinds/docs/southwindsfebruary2014/48
Cruising in Cuba
http://www.marinalife.com/magazine/493-cruising-in-cuba
Cruise with the help of Capt. Cheryl Barr
http://www.soundingsonline.com/features/destinations/288065-cruise-with-the-help-of-capt-cheryl-barr
Why I go to Cuba
https://www.nauticalmind.com/blog/2013/07/why-we-go-to-cuba-capt-cheryl-barr/
The lyrics for “90 Miles to Hemingway” were written by Don Barr. The music is by Mike Aiken and sung by Mike.
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from safe harbor. Catch the Tradewinds in your sails.” – Mark Twain
Prior to 1959, Cuba was the only island in the Caribbean with a significant tourism industry. It was only after Castro’s revolution in ’59 that tourism on other Caribbean islands became viable. As the largest island in the West Indies and one with such diversity there is little wonder that it was a vacation destination for anyone looking to visit the Caribbean.
Cuba’s landmass is equal to the total combined landmass of all the islands in the West Indies. Consequently, Cuba has over 2,000 nautical miles of coastline, almost 4,000 islands and cays, 200 sheltered bays of which 81 are unique pocket bays. Cuba also boasts beautiful sand beaches and hundreds of miles of unspoiled coral reefs.
The reefs shelter both the island’s Atlantic and Caribbean shores. “Jardines de la Reina”, an extensive reef area on the south coast named by Columbus. It is considered one of the world’s larger coral reefs. Water visibility is 30 to 40 meters and the surface water temperature averages between 24°C and 29°Celsius. The island also boasts an average of 330 days of sunshine per year. Cuba’s interior contains three mountain ranges. The highest range is the Sierra Maestra in the far southeast. Its summit, Pico Turquino, towers to 1995 m (6542 ft).
Other inland features include rivers, creeks, marshes and lagoons. Despite its impressive natural beauty most travellers are drawn to Cuba’s cities, towns and small villages where the quantity of striking Spanish colonial architecture is astounding. Some of these buildings date as far back as 1519 and have UNESCO world heritage designation. Imagine, Havana will soon celebrate its 500th anniversary. It is safe to say that Cuba has some of the most historic sites in the Americas.
For the yachtsman, Cuba is easy to reach. A boater whose departure point is anywhere on the eastern seaboard of North America (including the Great Lakes) will find that the passage is via inland and/or coastal waters to the Florida Keys and then an overnight passage of only 90 nautical miles.
When the time comes to decide on a winter cruising destination, be it the Bahamas, farther south to the Windward and Leeward Islands or to Cuba, you will soon realize that Cuba is the most logical choice. Its close proximity to North America, an almost infinite choice of great anchorages and much to see and do leaves little doubt that Cuba will once again become the winter destination of choice for yachtsmen the world over.
The passage of time has stood so still in Havana that, even today, age old pirates, explorers and conquistadores would not feel lost wandering her narrow, cobbled streets and alleys. Habana Vieja (Old Havana), founded in 1519, is packed with colonial buildings of great architectural and historical significance. The red clay roofs, original Spanish ceramic tiles, the decorated patios and arched porticos, all speak softly to passersby of an era long past.
The streets that run the length and breadth of Old Havana contain over 3,000 buildings with not less than 144 dating from the 16th and 17th centuries. Inside the former walls of the old city there is a wonderful range of structures from large stone mansions, churches and palaces to humble wooden homes and lodgings. Old Havana is so extraordinary that in 1982 UNESCO designated it a Class One World Heritage site. The fact that very few modern buildings have been constructed within the UNESCO zone makes Habana Vieja unique. Architecturally speaking, it surpasses the most impressive cities of Europe where old buildings are greatly mixed with new and modern architecture. Havana is a street photographers’ dream destination.
Over the past twenty years, the Cuban government has made incredible inroads with the restoration of its heritage buildings and the results are truly awe-inspiring. Over 300 landmark buildings have undergone amazing facelifts while other more historically significant structures have been authentically restored with dazzling results. Many of the reconstructed buildings are now hotels, bars, restaurants and museums. Also refurbished were some of the more famous 1950’s nightclubs and hotels. The heart of the restoration, however, has been the buildings around Havana Vieja’s five main squares: Plaza de Armas; Plaza de la Catedral; Plaza Vieja; Plaza de San Francisco; Plaza del Cristo. The fortresses, too, have been restored as well as Drogeria Sarrá, the oldest pharmacy in the Americas.
The expression “Down East” was coined in the 1800s by the navigators on square-rigged ships, in particular the clipper ships working the cargo trade between Europe and Australia. The full expression was, “running the easting down” and it applied to the homeward bound, down wind run from the Pacific. Ships loading grain in Adelaide, Australia had to make easting from roughly 140°E to nearly 0° at London, England, hence “running the easting down”. After the era of fast clippers, large bulky square-riggers transported the cargo and they became known as Down Easters. Today the term Down East refers to places situated east of New York and Boston and it is used synonymously with Maine. But, the Down East Circle Route runs the easting down from approximately 74°W at New York City to nearly 60°W in the Bras d’Or Lakes, much farther east than Maine and truly off-the-beaten-path.
There has always been reluctance by the cruising community to go very far Down East because of the widespread misconception of the difficulty in getting there. The unfortunate result is that it is considered off limits to many. It is true that the area has impressive tides and its reputation for frequent drizzle and pea soup fog is not unfound. But the fact is, cruising Nova Scotia in August and September is ideal as the days are warm and fog is at a minimum. By contrast, June is too cold and foggy and often little change through mid-July. In reading this guide, you will see that the Down East Circle Route not only offsets the negatives of getting Down East it increases the reasons for going—it really is “the most logical way down east”.
The Down East Circle Route follows the prevailing fair weather taking you to the high latitudes (49°N) in early summer and then getting you down east (60°W) by late summer. On the cruise you will pass beautiful scenery, see lots of wildlife, visit vibrant French cities and quaint seaside villages. There is just so much to see that an experienced or unseasoned mariner, in virtually any type of yacht, could spend many summers and still not experience it all. No other North American cruise can say the same.
This book is one of a kind and will be the most valuable cruising guide on the shelf of every yachtsman interested in “running the easting down” to Nova Scotia. To keep this cruising guide current we welcome your comments, suggestions and notice of any significant errors in this publication. Also, let us know what you would like to find in future editions of Yacht Pilot’s Cruising Guide to the Down East Circle Route. Please send your comments to us by E-mail, snail mail or telephone. Don’t hold back, we want to hear from you.
1) How long is the Down East Circle Route?
The total distance from New York City back to NYC, including a few short side trips, is 2400 nm. Therefore, this loop route is perfect for a 3-month summer cruise.
2) When is the best time to set out on this route?
Early to mid-June is the best time to head up the Hudson River to the Erie Canal. At this time of year water levels are high but not too high and traffic on the canal is fairly quiet.
3) Are there many marinas and fueling facilities along this loop route?
Yes, transient cruisers can dock every night if they want to. In fact in areas of strong current docking is the recommended option. Facilities along the route are most often situated in towns and villages where all supplies and services are available. Dockage rates in Canada are very reasonable compared to summer dockage in New England which range anywhere from $2 to $10 per foot per night. The most expensive
dockage in Canada will be in the heart of the cities at the city marinas, at the time of printing none were over $2 per foot (CDN) for yachts under 60 feet. As a general guide, expect to pay about $0.50 per foot per night. As for fuel, it is available almost everywhere along the route from a fuel pump. However, if a pump isn’t available fueling can easily be arranged by truck.
4) What kind of weather can I expect?
As much of this loop route is through an inland waterway you should expect hot and probably humid conditions from NYC through to Montréal and Québec City. Beyond Québec City weather conditions are
much cooler with low humidity. Low pressure systems tend to track north of the St Lawrence River during
the summer therefore, the prevailing fair weather wind pattern is westerly. A shift in this wind direction can produce rain. Fog is possible on the St Lawrence River around Tadoussac and along the Gaspé coast. Fog and rainy conditions along the Atlantic coast are more frequent during June and July. Mid-August through the end of September are ideal times to cruise Nova Scotia and the Maine coast when the prevailing wind shifts to a more westerly and even nor-westerly direction which blows the fog well
offshore.
5) Should I be concerned about the locks on the St Lawrence Seaway?
The beauty of the Down East Circle Route is that the seven seaway locks are all going to be locked downward. Down locking through the seaway is easy. The locks drain from the center so a boat is gently
pulled away from the wall of the lock; this is a quick and simple procedure. Up locking through the seaway can be a much more difficult passage for a small boat as the turbulence can be horrendous. The Erie Canal locks are small by comparison and turbulence isn’t really a factor.
6) What are the height and depth restrictions for this route?
The height and depth restrictions apply only on the Erie Canal where you are restricted to a vertical
clearance of 20 feet and a depth restriction of 14 feet. This is the depth of the locks at the sills. If going via Lake Champlain the vertical clearance restriction is 15.5 feet and a 12-foot clearance at the lock sills. By taking the Champlain route you will have bypassed the locks on the St Lawrence Seaway but will have missed some of the highlights of the Down East Circle Route, places such as the Thousand Islands, Kingston and Montréal.
7) How remote is this loop?
It is actually not remote at all. There are marine facilities and fuel available the entire way, airports are situated at regular intervals and most towns will have a car rental agency. By car the U.S. border is less than a days drive away from any point along the route. Most places that you will stop for the night will have at least one grocery store where you can reprovision. Many of the towns visited along the route have weekly farmers’ markets where you can stock up on locally grown farm produce.
8) Do I need to speak French?
Most people in the Province of Québec speak English especially in the larger centers. In a few of the
small Québec villages situated along the St Lawrence River you will find that very little English is spoken. This should not pose a problem as areas such as these are few. If you don’t speak a little french, you will most certainly get by with a little creative sign language.
9) Can I take my firearms into Canada?
No, do not bring firearms with you. Firearms must be declared to customs and will be held at the port of
entry until you return; remember that this circle route does not take you back through your original port of entry. If you do not declare your firearms and they are found to be on board, the fine is steep. Traveling through Canada is very safe and firearms are completely unnecessary.
10) How does this route compare to the Great Loop cruise?
This loop route is much easier and the time commitment is much shorter. Only one summer season is
needed to complete this cruise compared to about a year needed to complete the Great Loop route. The
Down East loop route has scenery that is more dramatic than the Great Loop cruise and there is much
more wildlife to see. In comparison to portions of the Great Loop cruise there is little commercial traffic to contend with. Also, this cruise takes you through areas of great historical importance-events occurred along this route that changed the face of North America forever.
11) What kind of boat do I need to make this trip?
Any vessel that can travel the Intra-coastal waterway and cross to the Bahamas is certainly adequate for
this summer cruise. The majority of this loop route is inland waters with the Atlantic coast portion of the trip done in easy daytime hops. An offshore passage back to Maine is entirely optional and not at all necessary as Nova Scotia to Maine can also be completed in daytime, coastal hops.