Lyn's Log, 2nd February 2007
Santiago to Cienfuegos

Cienfuegos, Cuba.
N22º07', W80º27'
12,907 miles.

On Sunday 28th January we, together with Dorly and Hans again, hired a car and driver for a day for 80 convertibles (£50). ‘That’s a month’s salary’ said schoolteacher Emilio, shocked. We began by going to the old cemetery to see the tomb of José Martí the national hero of the independence war in 1898. It was his anniversary that day and every half hour the military guard was changed. Male and female soldiers with rifles, wearing trousers or shorts, made an incredibly high goose-step to amplified drums and brass. It was a little like the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace. Next we visited to the Sierra Maestra mountains. To reach the top, on a 'hanging rock' was a climb of 435 steps. The view was excellent when the cloud cleared, over the hills where Castro's men had hidden out prior to their revolution. Then, after a coffee, we returned to Santiago to a very good private restaurant the driver knew, for lunch. These private restaurants, or palladors, are only allowed 12 customers. They seem invariably better than the public, state-run restaurants. Full of good food, the taxi driver returned and took us to the castle, or Morro, that we passed at the entrance to Santiago Bay. It was a fine castle with a small museum inside and we spent a long time exploring it and admiring the views. We saw another yacht arrive and waved them a welcome.

Monday morning 'Happy Monster' left for Cienfuegos, and we left in the afternoon. First we had to wait for the yacht to be fumigated, though it was pointless as the vetinary guy was trying to spray an empty aerosol. He looked longingly at our full can of 'Raid', but we didn't offer. At times it felt like we were participating in some sort of job-creation programme rather than a serious attempt to protect national security. We were searched again, this time with a sniffer dog, and finally given our 'despatchio' (permission to leave). It took about two hours, but the moment the despatchio is issued, you have to go immediately while they see you off. Most countries give you 24 hours grace, and you do not need permission just to travel between ports.

It turned out to be straight into gale force winds and rough seas. This was our first experience of a “frente frio”, the cold fronts that blow off Texas into the Gulf of Mexico during winter. Fortunately it abated during the night, and then we did not have enough wind. We caught up with 'Happy Monster' and during the following day we were tacking along the coast together, passing on different tacks and taking photographs of each other. During the night we were still quite close, but after rounding Cabo Cruz, we took a route close to the cays while 'Happy Monster' headed more directly to Cienfuegos. We headed for a cay in the Archipelego of the Gardens of the Queens and reached the anchorage soon after dark but with a full moon. We had a meal and a good night’s sleep and in the morning I had a refreshing swim over some coral. The cays were just some low mangroves over coral. There were not many fish and I could see the anchor lying on the bottom. But the anchor had caught on some coral and it took a lot of effort to get it free. There was no one around but we saw a few fishing boats further along some of the cays. The next day the entrance to Cienfuegos slowly appeared.

As we closed on Cienfuegos there was a tanker leaving the bay and two more making their way towards us. Radioing for permission to enter got no reply, or not one I understood. So we entered the narrow channel leaving to the huge bay, pausing at the side to let a tanker pass us. The guard post in the channel with ‘Bienvenido Cuba Socialista’ painted large outside, waved us through to the marina. Radioing the marina also got no reply but there were guys on the pontoon to help us moor. After quite a while two officials came on board to do the paper work and in quarter of an hour all was done and we were free to enjoy ourselves – and without payment. Cienfuegos seemed more relaxed than Santiago. 'Happy Monster' was on the next pontoon having arrived in the early morning.