Jan 31 2012
We’re in the marina in Casilda and, over all it was a good day. We got up at about 0530hrs, got the last little things done, and as soon as it started to get light we set out. The first couple of hours the sea was a bit beamy but not too bad and the later part of the trip was a following sea that made for a very comfortable ride. It was a long day and the hard part was getting into the marina. They’ve got us in a slip that is way too short and there was a substantial cross wind coming in. It took a long time and some creativity to get secured. They also only have one available 30amp plug and we need two so we’re running the generator. We won’t be staying here long. After we get the boat washed and the laundry caught up tomorrow we’ll probably move out on anchor. If we have to run the generator anyway, there’s no reason not to. I’m looking forward to going back to Trinidad and seeing the guys in the band again.
Feb 1 2012
Today was a work day. We had a bunch of cleaning and laundry to catch up on. I spent all morning on the interior cleaning while Capt Johne gave the exterior a good scrub. After lunch we walked in to the hotel to get online, check email and send out some quick “we’re okay” messages. When we got back to the boat, we moved to a slip better suited to Second Star’s size and needs. We now have shore power, we’re about to refill the water (we used a lot today cleaning). I have a fruity rum cocktail in front of me. I just have to decided what to make for dinner.
Feb 2 2012
We ended up going into town for dinner last night. It had been a long day so we were going to walk up to the hotel and get a bite, but he hotel is all inclusive, you can’t just come buy dinner, if you’re not staying there you can’t eat there. But a guy who was just getting off work had a sister with a restaurant and a cabbie friend who could take us there. So that’s what we did. It wasn’t a great meal, but not bad at all, and the arbor we ate in was lovely. It had trellises with flowering vines all over them and a parrot in a cage off to one side. It was a very enjoyable evening.
Today we took on a major fixing-a-leak project that has been in need for some time but has been getting much worse lately. The starboard front corner of the house, where it joins the deck, the sealant had cracked and, as the boat flexed underway, the crack grew. So this morning we started by cutting the old sealant out of that section, cleaned the area as well as possible, then, after lunch, we re-caulked it and now we have to wait and see if, when it’s all cured, the leak is fixed. After that I went for a little swim because, when we were trying to dock in the slip that was too small we tried bow in first. When it was clear that wasn’t going to work, we pulled out to try a stern to approach. But when I was pulling out one of the line didn’t get pulled aboard and the port prop wrapped it. So it had to be unwrapped. Fortunately, it wasn’t tight. It was easy to unwind and hadn’t done any damage to the prop, shaft or bearings. So it’s been quite a productive day. Now it’s cocktail time. Tomorrow we’re off to Trinidad.
Feb 4 2012
Morning: Yesterday was a great day. We got the taxi to come to take us to Trinidad at 0900. We’d met the taxi driver (Yunielky) in front of the hotel and we picked him because he has an almost-original 1929 model a ford, the same as Johne’s first car except his was a ‘28. It was my first ride in a rumble seat.
First we went to the marcado to get some more produce, which is pretty limited in variety, but very good quality. Then we went to Casa de la Trova, the bar where we’d met the band. We found out that they weren’t playing until 1600hrs so we came back to the boat for lunch. We had Yunielky come back for us at 1400 and went back up to Trinidad. We did some more wandering-exploring the town before heading back to Casa de la Trova. We got there at about 1515 hoping to get a chance to visit with the guys before they had to start. The band that was on before them was technically very good but they seemed bored. At 1600 we still hadn’t seen any of the guys we knew and, by 10 after, we were getting ready to ask the bartender if we’d misunderstood, when they started coming in. As each of the guys came in and saw us, he recognized us and came up to greet us and ask where Bob was. By 1630 the horn player still wasn’t there and, after making a phone call (as it turns out, he is sick) they started (at about 1645) without him. A friend of the guitar player was there and she sat in on the scratcher for the first set. After the first set they all come over to have a drink and visit. They wanted to come down here to see the boat and we told them we‘d love to have them, but we thought it would be a problem because Cubans can’t get on boats. We left it that we’d ask the officials and call them if it was a problem.
There was a table of locals by the bar that were having a great time. One of the guys had gotten up to sing with the first band and had a really good voice. Another guy had a guitar and, between the bands sets, he was playing, and they were both sing. Some of them were getting up to dance and one of the guy asked me to dance several times. He was a good lead and it was a lot of fun to dance with him.
At the next break the guitar player (Leonardo) told Johne he was playing at a restaurant at 1900 and, when we talked about getting some dinner after they were done, he said it was a good restaurant and we should come with him and eat there. As it turns out it was a great restaurant. It’s called Museo 1514, which we believe was the year it was built. The tables were set with cut crystal glasses and fine china. The atmosphere was wonderful. We had a table on a little terrace just a few steps up from the main floor. It was partially enclosed giving a bit of privacy, but we could still see the whole place and enjoy the entertainment. There was a couple salsa dancing as well as the music. Every so often they would go around and ask if the customers wanted to dance. So I did some more dancing there. After several tries the girl finally got Johne to dance which was un for me too. The food and wine were very good and we enjoyed the whole evening immensely.
Afternoon: When we ask about the guys coming to the boat for lunch of course he answer was not possible. So we went back up to Trinidad to spend time with them. Leonardo had said he might be able to fix Johne’s guitar so we brought it along. We all ended up going out for a long lunch, practice/jam session. It was a very cool and unique, if expensive, experience. They are fun and interesting people. We are going up to see them play again tomorrow night and get Johne’s (hopefully fixed) guitar back, before we start back for Cayo largo and Mexico.
Feb 6 2012
Yesterday was a lazy, rainy day. We put the panels, insulation and stuff back up that we’d taken down to repair the leak forward. After the rain we found that the windows in the VIP cabin and the pantry, which had leaked a little in the past, were leaking more and that they needed to be dealt with also. We let them dry out over night and set to fixing them today.
Last night we went into Trinidad to see the band one more time and to pick up Johne’s guitar. The repair on the guitar looks great but it needs a week or so to cure so we won’t know for a bit how it sounds. It was another fun evening. There was an older, local couple there dancing and it was cool to see the generational difference from the young, salsa style dancing we’d been seeing. It was also fun to watch their spunk and love of life.
This morning we set right to taking the windows and frames out, cleaning them up and re-bedding them in “life seal”. They were back in by lunch time. Since then we’ve gone to the hotel to check email and the weather. It’s looking good for the trip back to Cayo Largo and from there on to Mexico. Were looking to be back there on Sun morning.
Feb 9 2012
On the 7th we finished getting the boat ready for sea. We’d been doing a little here and there so there wasn’t too much that needed to be done. We discovered yet another leak that we’ll need to deal with when we get back to Mexico. There’s always something that needs fixing on a boat.
We left Casilda at about 1530hrs for a quiet, uneventful run to Cayo Largo. We arrived here early the next morning and, after finding a place to anchor and calling in on the radio, we were told we had to bring Second Star into the marina to check in. Coming in in the launch wouldn’t do. So we pulled up the anchor and went to do the paper work, came back out to anchor up again, had some food, had a shower, had a nap and felt much better. Then we took Hook and went back in to check the weather and visit with Pire a bit more. After that we did a little exploring in Hook and found a French Canadian boat we knew from Isla Mujeres in the anchorage. We visited with them for bit and shared travel stories both ways. We invited them to by for cocktails later and continued in Hook. It was beautifully calm and we ran around to the outside of the reef to see the 380 foot mega yacht, Luna, that had just arrived.
In the evening our friends from the Canadian boat came over and we had a lovely visit with them. Then we had a little dinner and a good nights sleep.
We’re going to move back into the marina this afternoon because we have to go back in to check out and we wanted to have Pire over for dinner. Even though he has the license to be aboard boats, he can’t come to the boat on anchor. But it okay if we’re in the marina. (Silly rules).
Feb 19 2012
We‘ve been back in Isla Mujeres Mexico for just over a week now. The next day, after my last entry, we did go back to the dock but when we checked the weather forecast it had changed and the front that we were trying to beat into Isla was looking like it was going to come n a little soon than had been predicted. So we checked out late in the afternoon and went back out on the anchor so we could pull out at 0430 (the officials said we could stay on the anchor so our weather timing was right, if we DID NOT come ashore again once we were checked out. In the dinghy or anything!).
We got up and underway dark-and-early and everything was very smooth. The weather was just perfect for the first about 26 hours. When we got to the Yucatan cannel it got a bit less calm but that is to be expected with the current etc, but it still wasn’t too bad, but…The front came in even earlier than the last report we had seen and the last few hours of the trip in were pretty rough. The wind pick up to a full gale and was against the current turning the seas all crazy and confused. The waves weren’t very big (mostly 3-5 ft) but steep, close together and from every which way. It was unpleasant and we were very glad to get back in to the marina and tied securely at the dock.
Since we’ve been back we’ve been doing maintenance and repair projects. It’s good to be back in communication with family and friends, to be able to just go to the store and get what I want and to see friends here on the island. I really enjoyed the time in Cuba and we may go back when we are ready to do more traveling.
That’s all for now. I’ll post more when something post-worthy happens. Until then, live your dreams…
Susie aeon
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Cuba; Part Two
Jan 23 2012
We got up early this morning and left Cienfuegos for the cayos. We’ve anchored at Cayo Blanco, had lunch and a nap, and it’s about time for cocktails. The trip was only a little choppy and the south coast along which we were running is just beautiful. We could see the road we took to Trinidad and it was fun to have seen this part of the trip from land first. The mountains are lovely and, from where we are anchored, it’s a beautiful backdrop. Tomorrow we will make the run to the north end of the Jardines de la Reina which is supposed to be some of the best fishing and diving in the world.
Jan 24 2012
It’s been an uneventful day. We are now anchored at Cayo Breton, the northern most cay of the Jardines de le Reina. It was a nice day for cruising and we did some trolling on the way down. Had a couple of fish on, but lost both, one with the lure. When we got here and anchored, we had a bite to eat, launched Hook and went for a spin around the cay. The mangroves have taken a beating in the last few hurricane seasons but the water is amazingly clear and I’m really looking forward to snorkeling and diving here.
Jan 25 2012
Today we moved a little further south to Cayo Ingles at the south end of the Cayos Cinco Balas. It only took a couple of hours to get down here. The wind had picked up over night so it was a little rougher than I prefer but not too bad. When we got to the first, and easiest anchorage to get into, we decided to try it. We got in and got the anchor set on the second try but it’s not a very well protected anchorage and with the wind direction it was a bit bouncy. We decided to try to come around the cay to the lagoon which is a much more protected anchorage but is a bit difficult to get into with a small and barely marked channel. That kind of navigating is always a bit nerve racking but we got in with no trouble and got the anchor set right away. It is beautiful and very well protected and it’s closer to the good diving. We’re glad we moved.
After lunch we launched Hook again and did more sight seeing. The mangroves here are in much better shape than the ones to the north and there are beaches here. We went for a walk on the beach, checked out the reef for where we want to dive tomorrow and then went for a swim to pick up some conch. I think we ended up with five nice sized ones and we’re looking forward to dinner tomorrow. We’ve just had cocktails and a beautiful sunset. Life is good.
Jan 26 2012
This morning we were sitting having our coffee, when another boat pulled into the lagoon. We looked though the binoculars and it appeared to be a local fishing boat, which it turn out to be. Their mooring is about 250 yards from where we’re anchored and as they came up we call our greetings. Two of them rowed over in their dingy and, after introductions and a little conversation at the transom we invited them aboard for coffee. An hour or so later, after some gifts of rum and fin, mask and snorkel sets, as well as some fishing magazines, Capt Johne had a fishing and lobstering guide for this afternoon (which is where he is right now) and we’re going to be having dinner (fresh lobster & fish of course) with them, and they have promised me filets to go. So I’m spending my afternoon baking bread which I needed to get done. Diving has been put off until tomorrow. It’s good to take the opportunities that are dropped on your doorstep.
2200hrs
Well, dinner was great. The guys got back from fishing a little after 1700hrs. They brought 30 Gal. of water over to give us a boost since the water maker is out. Then they went back to their boat to prepare the catch for dinner. I showered and started a rice pilaf and by 1805 they were rowing up with a big bucket of lobster and a tub of grouper and snapper filets. They also brought a beautiful, big, spiral shell, similar to a conch, but different, as a gift for me. The cook came to the galley with me and I directed him to each thing he needed as he asked for it. He was very concerned about the mess he was making and I had to keep telling him I’d clean it up and it wasn’t a problem. It got to be quite a joke between us.
Their Captain and my Captain sat down with the charts and our guide book and he gave Capt Johne a bunch of helpful, local navigational tips. By the way, none of them speak English so all of our interaction today has been in Spanish, broken and limited as ours is. What an awesome opportunity. Nights like this can’t be planned, they just happen and I feel so fortunate that they happen to me.
Jan 27 2012
This morning the fishing boat left about 0700hrs. We had a little relaxing time over coffee then set to portioning, vacuum sealing and freezing all our wonderful Grouper and Cubera Snapper that they left with us. We ended up with 8 bags, from 20 to 40ozs each, of beautiful filets and 22 lobster tail a couple of which are over a pound.
At about 1030hrs, with the incoming tide, we got our snorkeling gear and went out to the reef. It was still blowing 10 to 15 mph so we couldn’t get to the outside of the reef today but the two spots we snorkeled on the inside were awesome. The coral was healthy and teaming with all the beautiful tropical fish. Most note worthy were some of the biggest French Angels I’ve ever seen, big Queen triggers and big Hog fish. The wind has died down now and if it stays calm and the seas settle we’ll try to get to the outside of the reef tomorrow.
The afternoon brought a couple of rental catamarans into the lagoon, but after anchoring and going for a swim they moved on so we have it to ourselves again. We’ve just watched a wonderful sun set and are getting ready to eat a chipotle, lobster, potato, corn chowder.
Jan 28 2012
Today was a little frustrating but it turned out very well. It was calm enough that we thought we could get to the outside of the reef so, at about 0930, we started to get all the scuba gear together to to go out. The first frustration was, of the 7 tanks we have onboard, all of which were filled when we were in Ft Myers, one had 2400psi of air, two had about 1500psi, an the rest had less than 1000. Then one of the octoes was leaking air so Capt Johne spent quite a while fixing that but by about 1030 Hook was loaded and we were off to the reef. The first place we anchored was too deep to get a good bite. The next was okay but where we thought we could get through to the outside it was still too shallow for the amount of wave there was, but it was a great snorkeling spot, so we swam back to Hook, ditched the scuba stuff, and enjoyed a great snorkel. After that we tried one more place we thought we could get through to the outside. It was a great spot for both the things we saw and the cut to get to the outside but, neither one of us had enough weight (even though I had the same as I usual do) and we were having a heck of a time getting negatively buoyant. So, again, we enjoyed the snorkel and headed in. I’m amazed how different the 4 spots that we’ve snorkeled, within a mile stretch, have been. From which type of coral is most prevalent, to what fish we have and haven’t seen at each location. If it’s still not too rough, we’re going to try the last place again tomorrow, with lots of extra weight. You can always add air to the BC.
We got back and got the gear cleaned up, showered and had leftover grouper tacos for lunch. Then nap time. We were just heading out for a little late afternoon fishing when our fisherman friends pulled back into the lagoon. After we got back from fishing and were just sitting down for wine & cheese and a movie, the guys pulled up with more lobsters for us. We invited them to join us for the movie so we all just sat here and watched Avatar together. Now it’s time to shut down for the night.
Jan 29 2012
It was blowing too hard this morning for us to think it was a good idea to try the diving again. The wind had pick up in the evening while we were watching the movie and didn’t calm down enough for diving to make sense. When the guys rowed over to get their lobster tub they took our water jugs back to fill again. Later they brought them back and their Captain came along. He told us there was a front coming and that by tomorrow afternoon it would be here with 30+ knot winds. So we decided that, if we were going to see Cayo Cuervo, and get back to Casilda before the front came in, we should get going. With Hook in tow, we got underway by 1030 and arrived at Cayo Cuervo just after 1300. This is where the shrimpers anchor and, after some lunch, we jumped in Hook and took a little spin around to look at the flats and mangroves. The water is so clear it’s like riding around a huge aquarium. We saw some interesting, lacy, snowflake looking things on the bottom that I’ve never seen before. I don’t even know if they were plant or animal but they were very cool.
We stopped by one of the shrimp boats to ask some more local navigation questions for a more protected passage. They confirmed that the route Capt Johne was looking at was not a problem for us to get though and that it would be calmer in a north wind than the outer passage. They also said the front was stationary and not coming in tomorrow. They told us if we come by tomorrow morning at 0800 they’ll have shrimp to share. So for now we’re staying here and see what the morning brings. The sun is setting. The margarita is cold and it almost time to cook the lobster.
Jan 30 2012
The shrimp boat didn’t get back until almost 0830 but when we went over to ask if the front was still stationary, they said it was and they gave us not only a bucket of shrimp but also three lobsters and a pile of squid. Oh, they’d also given us two nice mutton snappers yesterday. We are super seafood rich now.
We spent the rest of the morning cleaning and freezing all that great stuff. After lunch (a shrimp and lobster salad) we debated our options for heading back to the main land. There are a few different routes, one shorter, one closer to land and more protected if the wind does pick up. We decided on the one in the middle and waiting until tomorrow morning to go. So we had the rest of the afternoon to finish getting ready and play. We decided to go out and see if there was a good spot for a snorkel. So we grabbed the gear, jumped in Hook and ran out around the spit to the closest place there was supposed to be coral. There wasn’t much there and we did some more scouting. The next place we tried seemed much more promising so we anchored and went in. We were at a beach and had to wade a bit and then swim over some very shallow area to get to the reef. There was coral in the shallow part and I felt like I couldn’t breath out or I might sink just a little and be brushing against it. But ones we got out past that part, WOW! It was about the healthiest, most diverse coral I’ve ever seen. And it was teeming with amazing fish. I saw a huge lobster, some really big parrot fish, a good sized grouper and lots more. I’m so glad we decided to go after waffling for a while. When we got back to Second Star, we got Hook cleaned up and put her aboard. I got the waypoints in the GPS for tomorrow. We’ve had dinner (grouper enchiladas). I just have a couple more things to put up to be ready to be underway. Tomorrow will be an early morning. Hopefully not too rough.
We got up early this morning and left Cienfuegos for the cayos. We’ve anchored at Cayo Blanco, had lunch and a nap, and it’s about time for cocktails. The trip was only a little choppy and the south coast along which we were running is just beautiful. We could see the road we took to Trinidad and it was fun to have seen this part of the trip from land first. The mountains are lovely and, from where we are anchored, it’s a beautiful backdrop. Tomorrow we will make the run to the north end of the Jardines de la Reina which is supposed to be some of the best fishing and diving in the world.
Jan 24 2012
It’s been an uneventful day. We are now anchored at Cayo Breton, the northern most cay of the Jardines de le Reina. It was a nice day for cruising and we did some trolling on the way down. Had a couple of fish on, but lost both, one with the lure. When we got here and anchored, we had a bite to eat, launched Hook and went for a spin around the cay. The mangroves have taken a beating in the last few hurricane seasons but the water is amazingly clear and I’m really looking forward to snorkeling and diving here.
Jan 25 2012
Today we moved a little further south to Cayo Ingles at the south end of the Cayos Cinco Balas. It only took a couple of hours to get down here. The wind had picked up over night so it was a little rougher than I prefer but not too bad. When we got to the first, and easiest anchorage to get into, we decided to try it. We got in and got the anchor set on the second try but it’s not a very well protected anchorage and with the wind direction it was a bit bouncy. We decided to try to come around the cay to the lagoon which is a much more protected anchorage but is a bit difficult to get into with a small and barely marked channel. That kind of navigating is always a bit nerve racking but we got in with no trouble and got the anchor set right away. It is beautiful and very well protected and it’s closer to the good diving. We’re glad we moved.
After lunch we launched Hook again and did more sight seeing. The mangroves here are in much better shape than the ones to the north and there are beaches here. We went for a walk on the beach, checked out the reef for where we want to dive tomorrow and then went for a swim to pick up some conch. I think we ended up with five nice sized ones and we’re looking forward to dinner tomorrow. We’ve just had cocktails and a beautiful sunset. Life is good.
Jan 26 2012
This morning we were sitting having our coffee, when another boat pulled into the lagoon. We looked though the binoculars and it appeared to be a local fishing boat, which it turn out to be. Their mooring is about 250 yards from where we’re anchored and as they came up we call our greetings. Two of them rowed over in their dingy and, after introductions and a little conversation at the transom we invited them aboard for coffee. An hour or so later, after some gifts of rum and fin, mask and snorkel sets, as well as some fishing magazines, Capt Johne had a fishing and lobstering guide for this afternoon (which is where he is right now) and we’re going to be having dinner (fresh lobster & fish of course) with them, and they have promised me filets to go. So I’m spending my afternoon baking bread which I needed to get done. Diving has been put off until tomorrow. It’s good to take the opportunities that are dropped on your doorstep.
2200hrs
Well, dinner was great. The guys got back from fishing a little after 1700hrs. They brought 30 Gal. of water over to give us a boost since the water maker is out. Then they went back to their boat to prepare the catch for dinner. I showered and started a rice pilaf and by 1805 they were rowing up with a big bucket of lobster and a tub of grouper and snapper filets. They also brought a beautiful, big, spiral shell, similar to a conch, but different, as a gift for me. The cook came to the galley with me and I directed him to each thing he needed as he asked for it. He was very concerned about the mess he was making and I had to keep telling him I’d clean it up and it wasn’t a problem. It got to be quite a joke between us.
Their Captain and my Captain sat down with the charts and our guide book and he gave Capt Johne a bunch of helpful, local navigational tips. By the way, none of them speak English so all of our interaction today has been in Spanish, broken and limited as ours is. What an awesome opportunity. Nights like this can’t be planned, they just happen and I feel so fortunate that they happen to me.
Jan 27 2012
This morning the fishing boat left about 0700hrs. We had a little relaxing time over coffee then set to portioning, vacuum sealing and freezing all our wonderful Grouper and Cubera Snapper that they left with us. We ended up with 8 bags, from 20 to 40ozs each, of beautiful filets and 22 lobster tail a couple of which are over a pound.
At about 1030hrs, with the incoming tide, we got our snorkeling gear and went out to the reef. It was still blowing 10 to 15 mph so we couldn’t get to the outside of the reef today but the two spots we snorkeled on the inside were awesome. The coral was healthy and teaming with all the beautiful tropical fish. Most note worthy were some of the biggest French Angels I’ve ever seen, big Queen triggers and big Hog fish. The wind has died down now and if it stays calm and the seas settle we’ll try to get to the outside of the reef tomorrow.
The afternoon brought a couple of rental catamarans into the lagoon, but after anchoring and going for a swim they moved on so we have it to ourselves again. We’ve just watched a wonderful sun set and are getting ready to eat a chipotle, lobster, potato, corn chowder.
Jan 28 2012
Today was a little frustrating but it turned out very well. It was calm enough that we thought we could get to the outside of the reef so, at about 0930, we started to get all the scuba gear together to to go out. The first frustration was, of the 7 tanks we have onboard, all of which were filled when we were in Ft Myers, one had 2400psi of air, two had about 1500psi, an the rest had less than 1000. Then one of the octoes was leaking air so Capt Johne spent quite a while fixing that but by about 1030 Hook was loaded and we were off to the reef. The first place we anchored was too deep to get a good bite. The next was okay but where we thought we could get through to the outside it was still too shallow for the amount of wave there was, but it was a great snorkeling spot, so we swam back to Hook, ditched the scuba stuff, and enjoyed a great snorkel. After that we tried one more place we thought we could get through to the outside. It was a great spot for both the things we saw and the cut to get to the outside but, neither one of us had enough weight (even though I had the same as I usual do) and we were having a heck of a time getting negatively buoyant. So, again, we enjoyed the snorkel and headed in. I’m amazed how different the 4 spots that we’ve snorkeled, within a mile stretch, have been. From which type of coral is most prevalent, to what fish we have and haven’t seen at each location. If it’s still not too rough, we’re going to try the last place again tomorrow, with lots of extra weight. You can always add air to the BC.
We got back and got the gear cleaned up, showered and had leftover grouper tacos for lunch. Then nap time. We were just heading out for a little late afternoon fishing when our fisherman friends pulled back into the lagoon. After we got back from fishing and were just sitting down for wine & cheese and a movie, the guys pulled up with more lobsters for us. We invited them to join us for the movie so we all just sat here and watched Avatar together. Now it’s time to shut down for the night.
Jan 29 2012
It was blowing too hard this morning for us to think it was a good idea to try the diving again. The wind had pick up in the evening while we were watching the movie and didn’t calm down enough for diving to make sense. When the guys rowed over to get their lobster tub they took our water jugs back to fill again. Later they brought them back and their Captain came along. He told us there was a front coming and that by tomorrow afternoon it would be here with 30+ knot winds. So we decided that, if we were going to see Cayo Cuervo, and get back to Casilda before the front came in, we should get going. With Hook in tow, we got underway by 1030 and arrived at Cayo Cuervo just after 1300. This is where the shrimpers anchor and, after some lunch, we jumped in Hook and took a little spin around to look at the flats and mangroves. The water is so clear it’s like riding around a huge aquarium. We saw some interesting, lacy, snowflake looking things on the bottom that I’ve never seen before. I don’t even know if they were plant or animal but they were very cool.
We stopped by one of the shrimp boats to ask some more local navigation questions for a more protected passage. They confirmed that the route Capt Johne was looking at was not a problem for us to get though and that it would be calmer in a north wind than the outer passage. They also said the front was stationary and not coming in tomorrow. They told us if we come by tomorrow morning at 0800 they’ll have shrimp to share. So for now we’re staying here and see what the morning brings. The sun is setting. The margarita is cold and it almost time to cook the lobster.
Jan 30 2012
The shrimp boat didn’t get back until almost 0830 but when we went over to ask if the front was still stationary, they said it was and they gave us not only a bucket of shrimp but also three lobsters and a pile of squid. Oh, they’d also given us two nice mutton snappers yesterday. We are super seafood rich now.
We spent the rest of the morning cleaning and freezing all that great stuff. After lunch (a shrimp and lobster salad) we debated our options for heading back to the main land. There are a few different routes, one shorter, one closer to land and more protected if the wind does pick up. We decided on the one in the middle and waiting until tomorrow morning to go. So we had the rest of the afternoon to finish getting ready and play. We decided to go out and see if there was a good spot for a snorkel. So we grabbed the gear, jumped in Hook and ran out around the spit to the closest place there was supposed to be coral. There wasn’t much there and we did some more scouting. The next place we tried seemed much more promising so we anchored and went in. We were at a beach and had to wade a bit and then swim over some very shallow area to get to the reef. There was coral in the shallow part and I felt like I couldn’t breath out or I might sink just a little and be brushing against it. But ones we got out past that part, WOW! It was about the healthiest, most diverse coral I’ve ever seen. And it was teeming with amazing fish. I saw a huge lobster, some really big parrot fish, a good sized grouper and lots more. I’m so glad we decided to go after waffling for a while. When we got back to Second Star, we got Hook cleaned up and put her aboard. I got the waypoints in the GPS for tomorrow. We’ve had dinner (grouper enchiladas). I just have a couple more things to put up to be ready to be underway. Tomorrow will be an early morning. Hopefully not too rough.
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Cuba; Part one
Jan 22 2012
Greetings,
We’ve been in Cuba for a week and a half now and I haven’t had a chance to keep up the log. So I’m going to try to remember all that we’ve done so far (which has been a lot), and after this I’ll try to keep a daily account.
First of all, the machine shop in Isla Mujeres didn’t get the water maker parts back on time and when they did come one part wasn’t right, so we are without a water maker for the time being. We decided to go ahead and leave for Cuba while we had the weather window since Bob’s (now Burro Bob because of all the stuff we have him bring when he comes) visiting time was short.
We headed out on Wed the 11th. The trip across the Yucatan channel was good. Not too rough with helpful currents. We tried to go to Isla Juventud first but it’s not an international check in point ( they told us on the radio “Not Possible!”) so it was on to Cayo Largo. Checking in there was easy because of Pire, the marina representative there that coordinates all the officials (thanks Abi for the contact). Pire was very helpful with everything we needed and made the whole process painless. We also met Nelson there, who has worked for our friend Tim. He loaned us his charts for the Jardines de la Reina (Gardens of the Queen) and gave us his brother Lamar’s (who also works for Tim sometimes) contact info in Havana.
After rinsing the boat, a few other chores and a little rest we had a huge lobster, shrimp and fish dinner (lots of leftover lobster) to celebrate our first night here.
In the morning we went to the hotel to get online, check the weather and send out a quick message to let everyone know we’re okay. There was a front come in with strong north winds but, being on the south side of the land we hoped it wouldn’t be too bad. We headed out to Cayo Dios with the plan to anchor there and do some fishing and diving, but the anchorage is on the north side of the cay and it was clear when we got there that it would be rough and not easy holding. So we went to plan B, which was to go on to Cienfuegos. Unfortunately the wind and waves continued to increase. The wave period was very short and we had to slow down to decrease the pounding of the head sea. Slowing down makes it a bit less rough but the trade off is it’s rough for longer. So for about 10 hours it was the kind of ride we keep saying we aren’t going to do anymore. The good news is, the new bulbous bow did a great job through the bumpy night and is holding on strong.
We pulled into the bay by Cienfuegos about 0500hrs and, on the radio, they told us to anchor and come in by dinghy to check in (in Cuba you have to check in everywhere you stop. They want to know where you are at all times). So we anchored, had a nap and then got Tink in the water so Capt. Johne and Bob could go in and do the paperwork and find out if there was a slip available. We moved into the marina in the afternoon and, after washing all the salt off the boat again, walked into town.
It was interesting to see all the 1950’s American car bodies although none with original engines. Most of them have been converted to diesel. The young people were out along the Malicon (the sea or bay side walk) in couples and groups as youth do all over the world. We observed that the Cubans, over all, seem to be a genetically slender people. Not that there aren’t fat Cubans but there are a lot more, taller, slimmer people here than in most of Latin America.
We had an enjoyable dinner out where I discovered that even in “nice” restaurants, seats on the toilets are rare here. After dinner we went in search of night life but we were a bit early. Night life doesn’t start until around 2200hrs and we were all still tired from the rough trip in, so we were off to bed.
The next day we took one of the horse drawn carts (taxis in Cienfuegos come in 3 forms; cars, tricycles with two seats behind the driver and horse drawn carts) to go in to town and explore. The driver put me up front with him and handed me the reins which made for lots of commentary from the back as Bob and Johne expressed that they were taking their lives in their hands going for this ride.
We walked around the parque central which, as with most Latin American cities, has an old cathedral, a big government building, shops and restaurants. The art gallery was very interesting and the architecture is beautiful although it’s not being maintained and is starting to deteriorate badly. It was fun sight seeing and for lunch we had our first of many ham and cheese sandwiches here. We have since come to find that in most quick-food places here you can get ham and/or cheese on your sandwich or “pizza”. It will be a while before we’ll be wanting ham and cheese again.
That night we stayed up to go to the disco and experience the night life. Very interesting people watching and some really good salsa dancing.
On the 17th we hired a car for the day to take us to Trinidad, a beautiful old Spanish colonial city about 80 kilometers east of Cienfuegos. It was a beautiful drive, part of which went right along the south coast and made me excited for some of the cruising to come.
The town has lots of bars and restaurants all of which seemed to have live music. There was really good, traditional Cuban music everywhere we went. The place we had lunch had a father and son with a guitar that were delightful. Later we had drinks at a place with a seven piece band and they were wonderful. On their break, we bought them a round of drinks and they all came to join us at the table and signed the CD’s we’d gotten. It was so much fun we’re planning on going back there with the boat on our way back from the Gardens of the Queen.
On the 18th we hired another car for the trip to Havana. It was almost as inexpensive as the three of us taking the bus and much better with the driver, Roberto’s, personality. Johne had gotten a hold of Lamar before we left and he’d arranged for rooms in a nice, very clean(but no toilet seats), private home for us. Tim had arrived in Havana the night before so we spent the afternoon visiting with him and some friends of his. That evening we all (Tim, a couple of his friends, his wife, Lamar, Bob, Johne and I) went out for dinner.
The next day was our exploring-Havana-day. It’s a very interesting city with lots of great history, and again, great but deteriorating architecture (you can‘t walk on some sidewalks because of the danger from pieces falling off the buildings). We started by having the taxi drop us off at the grand national theater, where the Cuban national ballet performs. As luck would have it, they were scheduled to be performing that weekend so we got tickets for the performance the next night. After that we started to wonder in search of breakfast. We found a little place with a great coffee menu that had sandwiches (ham and/or cheese). After breakfast we decided that the horse drawn carriages with a guide would be a good way to start seeing the city. The first carriage driver to accost us with his sales pitch was Leonardo, who turned out to be a jewel. He spoke very good English and knew the history of the city very well and he, and his horse Picasso, gave us a fantastic tour. After a couple of hours we invited him to have a drink with us by the end of which he had invited us to his house for dinner. He called his wife to check with her and she said, just bring the beer. We continued our tour which ended with Leonardo taking us to the bus station so Capt Johne and I could get our tickets back to Cienfuegos, then we went back to the house to rest and get cleaned up before dinner.
Dinner at Leonardo’s, with his wife Milagro and their daughter Briana, was one of the best things we’ve had the opportunity to do in Cuba. They opened their home to us with such warmth, and everything, from the food, to the conversation, to the Cubano café, to the dancing in the living room, was awesome.
The next morning Bob’s had to fly out, so after breakfast (omelets. Would you like ham and cheese, or cheese and ham?) we sent him off to the airportL. Johne and I did some exploring around Marina Hemingway and met an interesting Canadian guy and had a nice visit aboard his boat. We also spent some time after lunch visiting with Lamar. He gave us some good insight on “gift” giving with the local fisherman we might meet while cruising. Then we had a little rest before it was time to get ready to go into town for the ballet. We had eaten lunch late and we were just planning to have coffee and dessert before the show. When we got to the restaurant by the theater that had been recommended to us, there was a 40 minute wait, but the maitre’d, after starting to give us directions and realizing it wasn’t going to work, walked us about three blocks to another restaurant (now that’s service) that had very good coffee and something like a tiramisu.
We returned to the theater with great excitement to be getting to see a world class ballet company (Capt Johne’s first) perform. When we got the program we found that they were doing excerpts from Giselle, Sleeping Beauty, Nutcracker, Coppelia, Don Quixote, Swan lake and an original piece choreographed by Alicia Alonso (the director of the company and a legend in the ballet world) for Cuban National Ballet. For those of you not familiar with ballet, that’s a lot of good stuff. Before the lights dimmed, the audience started to clap and, looking around to see why, we saw Ms Alonso herself ( now over 90 and blind) making her entrance to “watch“ the show. I was surprise by what a thrill it was just to see her. The performance was absolutely phenomenal. All the pieces were wonderful. The corps work was excellent, and the couple that did the Don Quixote pas de deux were as good as any dancers I’ve ever seen anywhere. (There were, however, no seats on the toilets in the Grand National theater.)
We got up early to catch the bus the next morning. Not a bad trip back. The seats on the bus weren‘t uncomfortable and reclined so it made napping easy and the bus did have a toilet seat.
When we got back to Cienfuegos we started doing prep to get underway. The rest of yesterday afternoon and most of today were spent getting all the laundry done, going to the mercado for produce, topping up the water tank and re-securing things. We’ve moved out to the anchor and are ready to do some cruising.
Greetings,
We’ve been in Cuba for a week and a half now and I haven’t had a chance to keep up the log. So I’m going to try to remember all that we’ve done so far (which has been a lot), and after this I’ll try to keep a daily account.
First of all, the machine shop in Isla Mujeres didn’t get the water maker parts back on time and when they did come one part wasn’t right, so we are without a water maker for the time being. We decided to go ahead and leave for Cuba while we had the weather window since Bob’s (now Burro Bob because of all the stuff we have him bring when he comes) visiting time was short.
We headed out on Wed the 11th. The trip across the Yucatan channel was good. Not too rough with helpful currents. We tried to go to Isla Juventud first but it’s not an international check in point ( they told us on the radio “Not Possible!”) so it was on to Cayo Largo. Checking in there was easy because of Pire, the marina representative there that coordinates all the officials (thanks Abi for the contact). Pire was very helpful with everything we needed and made the whole process painless. We also met Nelson there, who has worked for our friend Tim. He loaned us his charts for the Jardines de la Reina (Gardens of the Queen) and gave us his brother Lamar’s (who also works for Tim sometimes) contact info in Havana.
After rinsing the boat, a few other chores and a little rest we had a huge lobster, shrimp and fish dinner (lots of leftover lobster) to celebrate our first night here.
In the morning we went to the hotel to get online, check the weather and send out a quick message to let everyone know we’re okay. There was a front come in with strong north winds but, being on the south side of the land we hoped it wouldn’t be too bad. We headed out to Cayo Dios with the plan to anchor there and do some fishing and diving, but the anchorage is on the north side of the cay and it was clear when we got there that it would be rough and not easy holding. So we went to plan B, which was to go on to Cienfuegos. Unfortunately the wind and waves continued to increase. The wave period was very short and we had to slow down to decrease the pounding of the head sea. Slowing down makes it a bit less rough but the trade off is it’s rough for longer. So for about 10 hours it was the kind of ride we keep saying we aren’t going to do anymore. The good news is, the new bulbous bow did a great job through the bumpy night and is holding on strong.
We pulled into the bay by Cienfuegos about 0500hrs and, on the radio, they told us to anchor and come in by dinghy to check in (in Cuba you have to check in everywhere you stop. They want to know where you are at all times). So we anchored, had a nap and then got Tink in the water so Capt. Johne and Bob could go in and do the paperwork and find out if there was a slip available. We moved into the marina in the afternoon and, after washing all the salt off the boat again, walked into town.
It was interesting to see all the 1950’s American car bodies although none with original engines. Most of them have been converted to diesel. The young people were out along the Malicon (the sea or bay side walk) in couples and groups as youth do all over the world. We observed that the Cubans, over all, seem to be a genetically slender people. Not that there aren’t fat Cubans but there are a lot more, taller, slimmer people here than in most of Latin America.
We had an enjoyable dinner out where I discovered that even in “nice” restaurants, seats on the toilets are rare here. After dinner we went in search of night life but we were a bit early. Night life doesn’t start until around 2200hrs and we were all still tired from the rough trip in, so we were off to bed.
The next day we took one of the horse drawn carts (taxis in Cienfuegos come in 3 forms; cars, tricycles with two seats behind the driver and horse drawn carts) to go in to town and explore. The driver put me up front with him and handed me the reins which made for lots of commentary from the back as Bob and Johne expressed that they were taking their lives in their hands going for this ride.
We walked around the parque central which, as with most Latin American cities, has an old cathedral, a big government building, shops and restaurants. The art gallery was very interesting and the architecture is beautiful although it’s not being maintained and is starting to deteriorate badly. It was fun sight seeing and for lunch we had our first of many ham and cheese sandwiches here. We have since come to find that in most quick-food places here you can get ham and/or cheese on your sandwich or “pizza”. It will be a while before we’ll be wanting ham and cheese again.
That night we stayed up to go to the disco and experience the night life. Very interesting people watching and some really good salsa dancing.
On the 17th we hired a car for the day to take us to Trinidad, a beautiful old Spanish colonial city about 80 kilometers east of Cienfuegos. It was a beautiful drive, part of which went right along the south coast and made me excited for some of the cruising to come.
The town has lots of bars and restaurants all of which seemed to have live music. There was really good, traditional Cuban music everywhere we went. The place we had lunch had a father and son with a guitar that were delightful. Later we had drinks at a place with a seven piece band and they were wonderful. On their break, we bought them a round of drinks and they all came to join us at the table and signed the CD’s we’d gotten. It was so much fun we’re planning on going back there with the boat on our way back from the Gardens of the Queen.
On the 18th we hired another car for the trip to Havana. It was almost as inexpensive as the three of us taking the bus and much better with the driver, Roberto’s, personality. Johne had gotten a hold of Lamar before we left and he’d arranged for rooms in a nice, very clean(but no toilet seats), private home for us. Tim had arrived in Havana the night before so we spent the afternoon visiting with him and some friends of his. That evening we all (Tim, a couple of his friends, his wife, Lamar, Bob, Johne and I) went out for dinner.
The next day was our exploring-Havana-day. It’s a very interesting city with lots of great history, and again, great but deteriorating architecture (you can‘t walk on some sidewalks because of the danger from pieces falling off the buildings). We started by having the taxi drop us off at the grand national theater, where the Cuban national ballet performs. As luck would have it, they were scheduled to be performing that weekend so we got tickets for the performance the next night. After that we started to wonder in search of breakfast. We found a little place with a great coffee menu that had sandwiches (ham and/or cheese). After breakfast we decided that the horse drawn carriages with a guide would be a good way to start seeing the city. The first carriage driver to accost us with his sales pitch was Leonardo, who turned out to be a jewel. He spoke very good English and knew the history of the city very well and he, and his horse Picasso, gave us a fantastic tour. After a couple of hours we invited him to have a drink with us by the end of which he had invited us to his house for dinner. He called his wife to check with her and she said, just bring the beer. We continued our tour which ended with Leonardo taking us to the bus station so Capt Johne and I could get our tickets back to Cienfuegos, then we went back to the house to rest and get cleaned up before dinner.
Dinner at Leonardo’s, with his wife Milagro and their daughter Briana, was one of the best things we’ve had the opportunity to do in Cuba. They opened their home to us with such warmth, and everything, from the food, to the conversation, to the Cubano café, to the dancing in the living room, was awesome.
The next morning Bob’s had to fly out, so after breakfast (omelets. Would you like ham and cheese, or cheese and ham?) we sent him off to the airportL. Johne and I did some exploring around Marina Hemingway and met an interesting Canadian guy and had a nice visit aboard his boat. We also spent some time after lunch visiting with Lamar. He gave us some good insight on “gift” giving with the local fisherman we might meet while cruising. Then we had a little rest before it was time to get ready to go into town for the ballet. We had eaten lunch late and we were just planning to have coffee and dessert before the show. When we got to the restaurant by the theater that had been recommended to us, there was a 40 minute wait, but the maitre’d, after starting to give us directions and realizing it wasn’t going to work, walked us about three blocks to another restaurant (now that’s service) that had very good coffee and something like a tiramisu.
We returned to the theater with great excitement to be getting to see a world class ballet company (Capt Johne’s first) perform. When we got the program we found that they were doing excerpts from Giselle, Sleeping Beauty, Nutcracker, Coppelia, Don Quixote, Swan lake and an original piece choreographed by Alicia Alonso (the director of the company and a legend in the ballet world) for Cuban National Ballet. For those of you not familiar with ballet, that’s a lot of good stuff. Before the lights dimmed, the audience started to clap and, looking around to see why, we saw Ms Alonso herself ( now over 90 and blind) making her entrance to “watch“ the show. I was surprise by what a thrill it was just to see her. The performance was absolutely phenomenal. All the pieces were wonderful. The corps work was excellent, and the couple that did the Don Quixote pas de deux were as good as any dancers I’ve ever seen anywhere. (There were, however, no seats on the toilets in the Grand National theater.)
We got up early to catch the bus the next morning. Not a bad trip back. The seats on the bus weren‘t uncomfortable and reclined so it made napping easy and the bus did have a toilet seat.
When we got back to Cienfuegos we started doing prep to get underway. The rest of yesterday afternoon and most of today were spent getting all the laundry done, going to the mercado for produce, topping up the water tank and re-securing things. We’ve moved out to the anchor and are ready to do some cruising.
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