Our Time in Cuba (Los Morros to Veradero)

Sorry to those that like short and sweet posts - this one is a long one!  We have just returned from Cuba and I did not have wifi in Cuba.  I was writing my posts and keeping it as a word file until I could upload it.  We are now in Tarpon Springs, FL and I just had a brief opportunity to upload.  So I have an hour or so to read over what I wrote, do a little editing, add photos and post this.  If you are reading this today (June 20), I am still a few days behind, but working on catching up!

Last drinks in the Soggy Pesso, Isla Mujeres

June 8-9

We left our slip at Isla Mujeres at around 12:30 pm to head out for Cuba.  This was our second attempt as we had turned back several days previously when the weather deteriorated.  At the time, we were not aware that this was the prelude to Tropical Storm Colin, which essentially formed close to over us on the Yucatan Peninsula (see previous post).  Thankfully Colin left without any marked impression on us or Isla, and very quickly transited – thankfully, and headed north up the east coast as it dissipated.  We did hear that it dumped a lot of rain on Cuba with ome pretty strong winds - so again, thankful we turned back on our first attempt.

Second attempt – this one looked better!  We left with forecast winds of 7 kts out of the SW.  We saw 7-15 and more out of the SE, but it was not a major issue.  We headed directly from Isla to Los Morros.  One of the guide books recommended motoring south to a point of Cozumel, then picking up the gulf stream.  I am not sure that would have been a better strategy – although the gulf stream made us crab to maintain our course, and it did at times give us a considerable kick forward (2-3 kts on average.).  We had a fairly smooth crossing but had to motor most of the way with the main up as we did not have a good enough wind direction to sail.  We also wanted to make this crossing in the minimum time – so a few gallons of diesel were not that important.  Although I don’t have data to support it, I get the feeling that “optimum conditions” for this crossing are rare, and typically one of the key factors is missing (i.e., light to moderate winds, wind not against current, low chance of storms, moderate wave height).  Based on my short-term observations, the west end of Cuba just seems to get slammed by anything coming up the gulf stream (winds, waves, storms etc.).

Our night crossing went well without any real issues other than high traffic in the Yucatan Channel – particularly on the east side, about 30 or so miles off Cuba.  At one point, we had 6 or more commercial ships within 10 miles or so of us, based on the AIS.  We elected to call two ships on the VHS to make sure they were aware of our position.  Both were very polite, one adjusted course to avoid us, and we adjusted for the other to ensure that we passed with at least 2 miles clearance.  At night, with rolling waves 2 miles looks real close, and a vigilant watch is essential.  We did find that the AIS lost contact on occasion – I am not sure if this is a function of my antenna location and height, the position of the antennae on the ships/boats, or a combination.  I suspect it’s a combination.  So while the AIS is a fantastic tool that I would not be without, I cannot stress the importance of a vigilant watch.

Arrival in Los Morros

We timed our arrival pretty well.  In the early hours of the morning we sported a flashing light.  Our waypoint was for the middle of the inshore traffic separation zone, and Brian thought this was a marker.  It turned out to an on-shore lighthouse Cabo de San Antonio – on the west tip of Cuba.  We turned north to avoid reefs and shoals before making our entry.  Daylight came at the right time and we were able to visually see the straightforward entry to Los Morros.  As a post-script note, we were using iNavX with Navionics charts as our primary navigation and the charts were very close to our actual observations on depths etc.

Los Morros was pretty much as anticipated, except that the topography in this area was very flat, with arid vegetation and mangroves.  Los Morros is a “forgotten little place”.  A dilapidated concrete dock, and sparse to very sparse facilities.  that's probably being polite!

It was flat calm so we tied up at the dock.  In anything but flat conditions, I would definitely anchor as there were various bits of rusted chain, rebar, and fittings protruding from the dock.  The official Guarda Fronterra arrived within 5 minutes and started the check-in procedure.  The dockmaster introduced himself and explained that he was dockmaster, chef, mechanic, hotelier, currency exchange etc. - a real nice, friendly guy.

The check-in procedure was straightforward and similar (but less automated) to what we had experienced in Hemingway in November.  First, a visit from the doctor, then the Guarda Fronterra took passports, then the agriculture and sanitation inspectors with their dog.  Some questions about our produce – where did we get it (Mexico was OK, but not the US), we were asked to show receipts for recent provisions, which fortunately we had kept.  without the receipts, I suspect we may have had to turn over a few items. 

They took a quick look in the top of the fridge, asked a few questions, gave us forms to sign, and we were done.  The whole process was about an hour.  We then had to go see the dockmaster to pay for visas and get our passports back.  Interestingly, the Visa fee has gone up since November – which we were told about in Isla.  As of June 2016, the fees were $80 US per person for the visa and $55 US for the boat cruising permit.  We were offered visas for $40 US in Isla, but there was some question about whether they would be accepted.  We elected not to chance it and to buy locally.

Payments were made to the dockmaster and our passports were returned.  Since he was also the chef, we asked about breakfast……….but they had not had water for some time, so no food.  Beer for breakfast – they had Bucanero and Crystal.  I asked for a Bucanero…..the dockmaster suggested Crystal, because the other was old and out of date!  I guess he was saving it for obnoxious guests!  which he told us he got on occasion.  

He was a really nice guy and very helpful  Between his English and  our collective small amount of Spanish we were able to communicate quite well.  His name is Clauver Luis Cruz, and he told us he works 7 days on and 7 off.  When on duty he is on 24 hours/day and at the end of his 7 days, he travels 120 km to his family by bus.

Pier at Los Morros

After clearance, we had a quick breakfast.  Before we left, the dockmaster arrived with a bucket and asked if we could spare a gallon of water.  We gave him that and a baseball cap – which he really seemed to appreciate.  We exchanged email and phone numbers before leaving.  Apparently he has to go to town to get email – one of 3 locations in the entire Province.

We set sail, generally north-east in search of an anchorage for the night.  We decided upon Caya Zapata or Ensenada de San Francisco. We made the anchorage by about 6:30pm, just before sunset and in time for us to anchor in daylight.

Anchored at Cayo Zapata

 

Cayo Zapata - nothing but Mangroves!....and bugs!

We were back in the mangroves – a beautiful spot with nobody around.  We took a dinghy ride to explore a little but then decided it was “bug:30” and we needed to get back before sundown.  We cooked fresh tuna – Patrick’s catch on the grill and had rice and vegetables with it.  As the sun set, thee bugs arrived.  A quick pack-up and get inside to avoid being eaten alive.  Other than the bugs, it was a superb anchorage, with good holding in the marl/mud/sand.  We slept well, other than the heat.  We opened up the hatches with screens, but airflow was not great.

June 10-11

The next morning we set sail for our next destination.  We had decided to visit Cayo Levisa.  A small Cay on the reef just off the mainland that has a Cuban-run resort and anchorage.  A day sail got us there.  With light winds, it was a combination of sailing and motor-sailing.  Winds were light, but we did run into a rain storm towards the end of this leg.  It was short-lived – maybe 15 minutes, but hopefully enough to get some salt off the decks.

Midnight sun II at anchor - Cayo Levisa

We arrived in the anchorage.  We had bought a Cuba cruising Guide from an English couple we met in Isla.  Thank goodness we did as the information on the way in and the location of the anchorage was invaluable.  The electronic charts were definitely off by a few hundred feet.  We got into less than 5 ft of water, but somehow didn’t ground……….but we did stir up some mud (we are 4 ft. 11 in draft).  The first attempt at anchoring was unsuccessful - the hook was just not catching.  With some hand signals from the onshore local mariners, we got to a better spot (the charts showed 3 ft), and the anchor caught good.  We were set for the night, anchored in 10-12 ft of water.

When we went ashore, we were told we needed to check in with the Guarda Fronterra, but since it was late, our crew was allowed to use the resort facilities and we could check in the following morning…We checked out the amazing beach, partook in the buffet dinner (not bad – and cheap at 10 CUC each ($10.15).  Then we sat and watched an amazing lightening display

Patrick, Tanner, Brian and Neil - beach at Caya Levisa

over the Straights of Florida.  We were thankful that we were not out there in it!.  We met a real nice couple at the bar – Paula and Germaine.  Paula was on assignment in Havana at the Swiss embassy.  Her husband Germaine was a “computer guy”, but told us he was not permitted to work while in Cuba.  They had escaped from Havana for a long weekend to Cayo Levisa, because it was so layed back and non-touristy.  We agreed – it was certainly that.  The food was OK, the bar was cheap, staff friendly, and the sea and beach were excellent.  And it was really cheap – no cost to anchor and use the facilities, with cheap bar prices.  Food in Cuba – well, its not gourmet, its borderline fresh, and generally served with not much flair.  At least that had been our experience so far.

Beach - looking SW

Beach walk (NE end)

The next day was a day of relaxation.  Patrick, Brian and Tanner went on a snorkeling excursion, while we decided on a beach day.   We explored along the beach to the NE of the resort area walking a couple of miles.  At the end of the beach was a deserted beach with a few beach chairs and an abandoned beach bar.  I am not sure if this was an area of the resort that had been lost in a storm or if it was simply dis-used.  I suspect that a storm had claimed it at some point and it had not been re-built.  Either way, it made for a “Robinson Caruso” moment.  We spent the remainder of the day relaxing, swimming in the ocean, then cooking our Mexican burgers on the boat’s grill (not the best burgers!)

Abandoned Beach Bar - NE end Cayo Levisa

The following morning we made ready to leave, headed for Marina Hemmingway, just west of Havana.  First we had to check out with the Guarda Frontera who had promised to be here on the 8 am ferry.  It actually arrived at about 8:30am, but he was onboard, as promised. 

Check-out seemed a confused process.  The Guard was trying to communicate something to us about a couple of anchorages between us and Hemingway.  He seemed to think we would not make it to Hemingway before dark and at one point he said Hemingway was closed.  Hmm, what did he mean.  This was a bit worrying.  He would not hand over our papers until he made us understand - in a very nice and polite way.  He was not for letting up on the conversation, until the ferry started to leave - honking his horn at us as the captain knew the Guard wanted to be on it.

Then suddenly, our papers were found, signed and returned to us with a handshake and a smile. Tanner's first dinghy captain experience was to transfer the Guard from our boat to the moving ferry. He did a fine job!

Ocean meets Sky NE end Cayo Levisa

While we were on the dock at Levisa, the dive boat operator had a conversation with us, offering to be our “practica” – we figured out this was a pilot.  He said the coral was tricky, and offered to pilot us for 50 CUC.  I had read the guide book and it said the pass to the NE was pretty straightforward except care was needed in crossing the reef.  Since it was a flat calm day with good visibility, I declined his offer.  We made the passage out without difficulty, staying in 15 ft. or more of water.  I think we did see a couple of 8 ft. spots but only very briefly.  We saw a couple of coral heads but they were at depth, for the most part, the bottom was sandy or grass. The water was like glass and merged with the horizon.  I don't think photos do it justice, but we did try taking a few to capture this rare moment at sea.

So it was off to Hemingway!  Our conversation with the Guarda had left is with a couple of doubts – could Hemingway be closed?  What were our options if it was?  The anchorages that the Guarda mentioned were not that great according to the guide book and one was a military area – but he said we could anchor only to sleep there.  The northern coast of Cuba has no real shelter once you get close to Hemingway.  When we got within about 25 miles, we tried Hemingway Marina on the VHF, but no answer.  We had cell service only on the boat phone (which has an “One-Sim” card for international use), but there was no answer from the number we had for the marina.  After trying a couple of numbers that we had, we were given other numbers by whoever answered (maybe the bar) – none seemed to work or be answered by the dockmaster. 

Our friend Larry that was giving us land-based US support via deLorme, provide us with yet another number (obtained from Active Captain) – that was finally answered by the dockmaster.  “The marina is full until June 20 – a fishing tournament”……crap.  “Can we come in and stay one night, or at least get diesel?” …….”not possible, no…maybe you can come in tomorrow morning for diesel, call me in the morning”.  OK, now the Guarda’s attempt to tell us about this made sense.  Essentially, Hemingway was closed.

Decision time – now what?  We had passed the anchorages the Guarda mentioned and they didn’t sound that appealing anyway.  We passed Mariel  - really not an option, described as very industrialized, power plant, cement factory (with lots of dust fall-out), and no yacht been in there for over 12 years.  Interestingly, this was also a port where there was a mass exodus of Cubans in 1980 to the USA.

I floated two options to the crew – both involved sailing overnight: (i) turn north, make our crossing back to Key West (110 miles); or (ii) continue on to Veradero, Cuba (about 70 miles further along the coast from Hemingway).  It was unanimous – Veradero, we were not ready to give up on Cuba just yet.  We sailed past the entrance to Hemingway and could see masts in the marina, soon after, we were passing the coastline of Havana.  It is an extensive city, bigger than I had imagined before I had been here last November.  I would say it is akin to Miami in size.  We saw the skyline from a couple of miles offshore and were able to make out a number of areas and buildings, especially the Russian embassy, which stands out like a giant “transformer character”, looking out towards Key West.  To the east of Havana lies Havana harbor – there was a fair amount of traffic in this area and we were amazed at the oil or gas bur-off flares from the numerous refineries east of Havana.  We followed the coastline 2-5 miles offshore.  The coast east of Havana was pretty heavily populated in contrast to the coastline west of Havana.  We also saw a great number of small (12-15 ft) fishing boats – some with no lights, others with a handheld spotlight or flashlight.   At one point, just after sunset, we saw 3 objects in the water, 2-3 miles offshore. Swimmers?  No boat anywhere in sight, no markers, no buoyancy aids.  We later learned they were often brought out by the small boats and dropped off to dive for lobster – then they swim ashore with their catch.  Our understanding is that this is illegal in Cuba, as anything caught by the fishermen has to be sold in the government run market – this was “black-market” lobster fishing, either to sell or to feed the family.

June 13-15

We made Veradero at about 8:30 am and pulled in to Marina Darsena. Long story short, we had called to see if they had space and were told yes, but when we got there, we were told that “you have to stay at least 15 days”.  Not going to happen!  A pretty female Guarda Fronterra arrived and she spoke better English – although she was pre-occupied with her make-up getting wet in the rain shower.  She explained that this was a long-term marina only and we would have to go to Marina Gaviota (about 20 miles further) if we only wanted to stay a couple of days.  But we now had to check-in and out before we could leave!  This time it was a quick process – we were on our way in about 30 minutes.

Entrance to Marina Gaviota

Arriving at Marina Gaviota was interesting.  We called on VHF – yes, plenty of space.  On the way in down the long channel (canal de Buba) we saw a Cuban Navy boat moored to a channel marker blocking 2/3 of the channel.  We navigated around him carefully. 

Binoculars were on us, and one guy manned the machine gun in the bow.  Nice welcome!  As we passed within 100 ft., we smiled and waved, but no response – just the binoculars piercing us.  Well, they didn’t stop us, so we continued onwards.  We were within a couple of miles of the marina now, and they were hailing us on VHF – but they were not hearing our reply.  We had heard similar situation with a couple of other boats that were ahead of us – first they talked to the marina, then their transmissions were broken up.  I am convinced the Cuban Navy were blocking our transmission – we were in sight of the marina and they could not hear us.  We tried several VHFs, including handhelds – same thing.  A mile out and we got a visit from another Cuban Navy vessel.  He came along side us just off our stern and shadowed us for 10 minutes or so.  Again, binoculars were on us.  No communication, then he turned off and left.  A few minutes later, we were able to contact the marina, and were given approach instructions. 

Marina Gaviota by night
(note fleet of 20 80 ft Cats used for day excursions)

We made it in without issue and were directed to the check-in area to await a slip assignment.  We waited there for 1-2 hours with visits from the dockmaster and Guarda.  Eventually, we were given a slip assignment “over the other side of the marina, by the Condoms” [which turned out to be condominiums].  It was Med-style mooring.  Oh what a fun way to end the day!, but with little wind and plenty of space, it was not too much of an issue.  We were told that local by-laws required Med mooring……very strange in an almost empty marina with space for 1,200 boats (yes, that’s not a typo!).  Marina Gaviota is a top notch facility, opened just a couple of years ago.  Not only was the marina quiet, but so were the condoms!  We were ready for a swim, and the beautiful pool was very inviting after an overnight sail.

Med-style mooring, Marina Gaviota

The facilities were excellent, the staff very friendly, and the security was active and obvious. We were given day passes to use the facilities.  Other guests had wrist bands and if the security personnel spotted you without a wrist band, they politely asked what you were doing.  the resorts are "all-inclusive" - free drinks, meals etc., so that was the main reason for the security.  there is a collection of restaurants available around the marina - some are for the all-inclusive guests only, and others allow cash-paying guests.  We tried a couple of these and they were "Cuban good" - meaning good, but don't use a US-scale, eat local dishes (don't expect good steak) and expect things to be a bit different than the menu describes.

Swimming Pool - Marina Gaviota

We stayed in Veradero, Marina Gaviota for two nights.  On our second day, we made a trip to Havana (see next post).  Havana is a two-hour car drive from Veradero.........but interesting.  Stay tuned, I am still writing about it!

Sitting, Waiting in Isla Mujerees - June 5

Today is June 5, 2016 (10 am CST) and we are sitting in the marina in Isla Mujeres.  We are carefully monitoring the weather as a potential tropical depression or storm forms pretty much over us right now.  We have been monitoring activity with the help of friends in the US mainland for the past couple of days.  We really appreciate any information we can get - so special thanks to Larry and Sean for keeping us updated.  Locally, we are monitoring a few websites and finding windyty to be very helpful.  Below is a screenshot from just a few minutes ago.  This figure is showing surface wind strength and direction.

As you can see, we seem to be just east of the center of this Low pressure zone and fortunately, land effects seem to be buffering us from the worst of the winds.  We are safely tied up in a marina that is very sheltered.  I think  we have a good spot as the Mexican Navy brought a couple of their rescue boats into the marina and tied up next to us last night - surely they know the good spots!....or maybe we should have renewed our visa???

Overnight, we saw squalls with winds around 20 kts and some pretty heavy rain.  This morning, winds are light to calm with showers on and off.  To me, this seems to confirm that the center of the Low is close to us, and based on the figure above, it looks to be over land and just West of us.  The worst of the winds also appear to be east of us, hitting the west end of Cuba - again, thankfully we did not go!  If the model projections are right, we are hoping the worst of this will be past us within 24 hours, and we will remain protected in our spot.  It then looks like it is going to turn NE over the gulf and head towards Tampa area, possibly becoming a tropical depression or storm ("Colin", if it becomes a named storm).

So - we are carefully monitoring things but we believe we are in a good safe spot.  Its looking like we will be here until Tuesday or Wednesday......so I am sure we will find the bars we have missed to date and catch up on a few things.  The pool at the marina is open - as is the bar, and my tab!!

I will update the blog as things develop of change and our plans for the rest of the trip and return home start to shape up.  Right now, safety dictates that "schedule" is at the bottom of our list of priorities.

As a closing note - I just heard a couple of cruisers making plans to head to the "Soggy Peso" at noon - since this has become our favorite watering hole, its sounding like a good plan!

To Cuba or not to Cuba - that is the Question?

June 2, 2016
After a great sail north from Aventuras back to Isla, we were comfortably back in our spot in Isla Mujeres,  The staff at the marina are great, and know us on first name terms.  We know the local restaurants and bars that we like - life was good.  But it was time to continue on our trip to Cuba.

We had been watching the weather, and it looked like a window had opened up for decent conditions.  June 2 was showing winds from the ESE at 7-14 kts, lightening up for our approach if we left in the afternoon.  The gulf stream taking its predictably north veering NE path.  I had some concern about wind on current, but since the wind was about as light as it seems to get, and the direction had seemed pretty constant from the trades, my thinking was that this may be just as good as it gets.

We cast the lines off at about 4pm and left the dock, anticipating an arrival in Los Morros, Cuba the following morning.  We followed our track from the way in to get back out into the Yucatan channel.

Conditions were about as predicted, with the winds being on the upper end of the forecast.  As a general note, we have been looking at www.windyty.com and have noticed that in this area, wind strength has been a little under-predicted.  We have started to notice some patterns regarding depth and the gulf stream effects in this area that seem to be consistent, as follows:

• depth less than 65 ft - stream effects are small (little current, but still noticeable);
• depth 65-100 ft - confused zone, choppy waves in a confused state, current strengthens, but could be in eddies (direction squirly);
• depth 100-250 ft - seas still confused, but bigger waves (short period), stream strong; and
• depth >250 ft - seas become more organized, bigger waves, full stream strength (we have definitely seen 3++ kts in this area)

Anyway, I digress and must stress that these are just my own observations.  We had got well beyond the 250 ft depth line and into the 1500-2000 ft area.  We were about 25-30 miles offshore.  The sun had set and we had reefed the main sail for safety.  

Not too many photos on this leg, but before it got too rough,
Patrick caught a couple of fish, including this Yellowfin 

The wind was on our nose - first 25-30 degrees off the starboard side,then it shifted to maybe 15-20 degrees of the port.  We were not really sailing, but using the main as a stabilizer.  At 1800 RPM, we were doing anything from 6 to 8.5 kts depending on where we pointed.  We tried bearing off a 10-20 degrees to see if that helped with the seascape.  Although we picked up speed, the ride was becoming increasingly uncomfortable.  The sea-sickness pills were passed around and most took one - some of the crew feeling queezy, others as a precaution.  

Our admiral resisted saying "someone has to stay awake".  We were now approaching about the 1/3 point of the open crossing, and I asked the crew the question that I had been mulling over, but resisting, "so, this is the time we make a decision - go, or turn back.  Does anyone have a strong opinion or preference?".  

At first, there was silence, then one by one, the crew said, "I don't mind either way" - the truth was more that nobody wanted to give the first opinion.  We talked about options - bearing off more north to see if the ride improved (we tried it and it didn't really change things).  Given the seascape (seas still confused, wind building, wave heights building), there were not too many options - push ahead and deal with a crappy night, or turn back - they were really the choices.  Considering the crew, the stresses on the boat, and remembering that a schedule can be the biggest yet least important driver, I made the decision to turn back.  Nobody complained, and yet I personally felt disappointed.  Did I read the forecast wrong?, was I over-optimistic? were we just being wimps? had things changed that much?....we have done 30 out of the 90 miles - would this just mean we have to do it again?  All of those thoughts go through your mind.

After making the 180 degree turn, we started to see thunderstorms light up the sky behind us.  Confirmation of a good decision I think.  We were now motor-sailing on a beam to broad reach - still being tossed about, but not as violently as we were surfing down waves rather than plowing into them.  We felt as if we were moving fast, but instruments showed: 2.5, 3.0, maybe 3.5 kts SOG...wow - we were seeing a good 3+ kts of gulf stream current against us.  My knot meter (which reads boat speed through the water) is somewhat unreliable as its been reading low by as much as 2 kts.....but it showed almost 6 kts, confirming the current dead against us.

We saw a cruise ship that we got within a couple of miles of.

A poor photo I am afraid - low light, camera instability, windy, rolling - yes , all of the above!  It was lit up like a Christmas tree.  I hailed the captain to be sure he knew we were out there, and confirmed a starboard to starboard pass was OK with him.  He thanked us for hailing him and for confirming our intentions.

As we approached Isla Mujeres, we knew we would have to cross the reef and find our way back to either the marina or the anchorage.  While I would usually not do that at night, holding off for daylight, I had two tracks on the electronic charts, so could follow back the breadcrumb trail I had previously left.  We made it in just fine, with close look-outs, and slow speed.  We got back to the slip we had previously left, and tied up - 1:30am, but we were safe.  The crew did a great job! - thanks everyone.   - A beer, leftover pizza, bed.

June 3 - we are tied up and strapped in  - just in case we get a strong blow.  Its been raining and gusting, but nothing too significant as yet.  Several other boats have come into the marina from the anchorage or have moved up the bayou seeking shelter.

We will see what the next couple of days bring!  We are watching the weather closely, monitoring reports of a "Gyre" forming in the area, and possible low pressure heading up from Belize to the Gulf, Currently shown as Invest 93L.

We just spoke to the customs agent - seems we have 48 hours to leave or pay the check-in fee again.  My guess is we are paying the fee!

Puerto Aventuras to Isla Mujeres - May 28-30

Time to turn North.......we have gone as far south as we wanted to go on this trip.  Fighting the gulf stream was taking a little longer than we had anticipated, but it was worth it.  For our return, our plan is to head back to Isla Mujeres, via either the anchorage known as "The Hut" or via Puerto Morales again, then stay in Isla awaiting the arrival of another friend Patrick from Atlanta.  From Isla, we hope to head for Cuba. So stay posted, for updates as we don't anticipate much in the way of internet once we get there.

We sailed north with the benefit of the stream, but did have winds with a significant north component (i.e., on our nose).  Seas were somewhat rough with the wind counter to the current.  We tacked out towards Cozumel and sailed almost 2/3 of the way to Cozumel before taking back towards the Yucatan shore. Since the entrance through the reef to The Hut (anchorage) was not visibly obvious, we elected to continue on north to Peurto Morales - a previous port of call.  It does appear like there is a marina at the Hut now, but this was not mentioned in the guide.  We stayed in Morales again at Marina El Cid (see earlier post).  Another factor to this decision was that the NOAA forcast has been calling for higher winds at night due to the diurnal heating effect of the Yucatan land mass.  Although the reef at the Hut provides protection from waves, higher winds could make for an uncomfortable night.

We had a relatively quiet night in Morales with a home-cooked meal on board.  As previously described, the marina at Peurto Morales has an easy entrance, is very well maintained with floating docks and is well protected with a high rock sea-wall.

The next morning we headed out to Isla.  This was one of the best sails of the trip to date!  Although we were close-hauled, we found the "sweet spot" for both the boat and the ocean.  At depths of over 100 ft, the seas were a little confused, but we were making great speed.  At one point, we clocked 9.5kts SOG.  We moved a little closer to shore (100 ft depth) and the seas became calm, but still had some influence from the gulf stream.  We were making 7.5  kts, the boat was not stressed and was very balanced.  Perfecto!

All-in-all this was a wonderful sail back to Isla Mujeres.  So now we are chilling for a couple of days, trying to modify our USCG Permit to Enter Cuban Territorial Seas (to reflect adding a crew member), and waiting for Patrick's arrival.

Chilling on the sail North

We entered Isla Mujeres via Swift Current Pass - our first time through ........hmmm should I have taken note of the name first?  Actually it was not too bad.  We saw depths of 8.5 ft as the lowest, which corresponded pretty well with the chart (we were at about low tide).  Amazing as in other areas, the charts had been way off in areas where the depths were over 100 ft.

Arriving at Isla via "Swift Current Pass"

As a general note, we have been using Navionics electronic charts.  There are large areas where there is not much detail - for example, several areas south of Isla show as "blue" and the detail description states "depth area 0 to 65 ft".......not a lot of use!  Having said that we generally tried to follow the 60-65 ft. depth line and sometimes got as shallow as 40 ft.  This gave us no problem and generally kept us out of what we termed the "confused sea zone" which was typically at 65+ to about 150 ft. depth

Puerto Aventuras - May 26-28, 2016

I think I have the dates right!  To be honest, that's a great feeling when you loose track of the days and feel good that you may only be a day or so off!

Midnight Sun II docked on the sea wall at Peurto Aventuras.  Not the nice floating dock that we had at Puerto Morales, but its hard to complain at the price of just $19 per night including power and electricity!  We had heard stories of this marina being "expensive" and when we checked in the marina form said "$19/ft /night" and I was ready to leave until Gabby at the marina explained that it was just $19 per night...so 3 nights at less than $60!!  For that I can stand a sea wall!

The entrance to the marina was a bit tricky with reefs on both sides of the narrow approach, but the dockmaster was great - guiding us in on VHF with instructions to follow the range poles.  It was a bit turbulent under good conditions and I would not have enjoyed it in bad conditions.  But we made it in with no less that 12.5 ft of depth (note the tide appears to be negligible).

Unfortunately, the 64 ft Oyster, Marlene that we had been dock mates with in Isla Mujeres broke a steering quadrant on the way in the day before - but made it in somewhat white-knuckled!  They seem to be still undergoing repairs and apparently had a new part fabricated in Playa del Carmen.

Dolphin are in the marina at Puerto Aventuras

So, a little about Puerto Aventuras - it is a purpose-built development centered on a nice little marina - actually 2 marinas.  There is the public marina and private section for residents that has a separate entrance to the south.  We stayed in the public marina.  The staff were first class with Gerry and Gabby taking great care of us.

Gerry (Giraldo I think) was the dockmaster and Gabby ran the office.  Gabby arranged for a rental car for us and recommended a couple of good local restaurants.


The first night we ate at Latitude 20, and it turned out to be owned by an English ex-pat - Jim.  The food was decent and cheap, but Jim did give us some suggestions on a Cenote to visit and an off-the-beaten track beach restaurant.  Cenotes are everywhere in this area - basically sink-holes on underground rivers that you can enter and snorkel or dive in.  Amazing -  we visited two very different ones.

Tulum - Mayan Ruins

Tulum - Mayan Ruins

But our first stop in our rental car was to the Mayan ruins at Tulum, about a 30 minute drive to the south.  These coastal Mayan ruins date back to pre-2000 BC.  It was amazing to see the architecture and layout of the town and to read about the local history.  The ruins were spectacular - especially when thinking back to the date of origin,  My photos here really do not do them justice but I did take more video than still shots. I am looking forward to seeing how the video turned out.......but that will be several weeks until its produced, I am  sure!

From Tulum, we visited Solimon Bay - recommended by Jim.  This turned out to be a spectacular lunch spot that, named Chamicos - well really it took up the afternoon!  This really was just one of those "postcard beaches" with small tables under the shelter of dwarf palm trees.  The restaurant we found was nothing more than a shack or tent on the beach where the family running the place lived and cooked for their guests,

Whole fried Snapper - Solimon Bay

Food was a limited but excellent menu of appetizers, fish and .....well that was about it!   But the fish was just perfectly fried in an open Wok-type dish on an open wood fire.  I can't describe how moist and tasty is was, but believe me, this was probably the best fish I have had since arriving in Mexico.  Maybe it was the setting, maybe it was the primitive cooking - maybe it was both.........whatever it was, it made for a perfect afternoon of eating and hanging out on the beach!  It just doesn't get much better than this!

Solimon Bay

The beach was amazing and the boys spent an hour or so snorkeling in the bay.  I was happy just to hang out on the beach, drink a couple of beers and just chill out!

Artwork on an abandonned boat on the beach (Solimun Bay) 

Solimum Bay - Chimicos

The next day we visited and snorkeled Cenotes.  That was also a truly great experience.  We visited and swam in Casa Cenote and then Grand Cenote - both very different and beautiful in their own way.  Casa Cenote was on the coast near Tulum and was basically a fresh water lagoon where an underground river entered the ocean.  We enjoyed snorkeling in this lagoon type setting, seeing the rock formations and the fish.

Grand Cenote was farther inland and was a more spectacular setting.  This truly was a sink-hole with pristine water and much more prominent geological features, including stalactites and stalagmites and several chambers that could be entered easily. My photos and video are limited as my Go-pro gave up due to heat.....but seems to have recovered now.  Anyway, it will be on the video, when I get around to making it!

We also found another amazing lunch spot on the beach.  We stumbled on it after the place we were recommended was closed for a wedding.   It was located on the beach near Tulum.

Zulum - near Tulum

I think the name was "Zulum"  - but there were no end of small villas and restaurants like this! all in the beach zone near Tulum.

We had a great lunch and again took some time just chilling and enjoying the beach.  A few topless sightings added to the enthusiasm of the crew!







Did I mention the night life?  Well no, we have typically been in bed early.  But this time we met up with some friends that were introduced to us on Facebook by mutual friends,  Pete and Pepper were so gracious and took us out for dinner in Playa del Carmen. We ate at a restaurant that was built around a Cenote - great food and a wonderful atmosphere. Then we strolled the main street of Playa and just basically took in the sights, and did some people watching!  Believe me, there were plenty! What a great people watching spot this was, but a little touristy for me.....but still, lots of fun to visit for the nightlife!

Tanner, new friend Pepper and Brian - wait, no beard!

I think Pepper and Pete have the best idea - they live in the relatively quiet, quaint town/development of Aventura, but enjoy the night life of Playa - just a short drive to the north.

Street shopping in Playa del Carmen

We really appreciate them taking the time to go to dinner with us and for showing us the local sights - thanks guys!!

Puerto Morales - May 24-26, 2016

Leaning lighthouse - Peurto Morales

Greetings from foreign ports!  We headed south along the Yucatan peninsula from Isla Mujeres, fighting the strong current of the gulf stream to make our way the relatively short distance to Puerto Morales.

To make headway at a reasonable speed we ended up sailing on jib only (the wind was at about 150 degrees to the boat direction), and motoring at around 1800 RPM.  At this, we were making about 5 kts speed over ground.   Puerto Morales was the first real spot we saw after leaving Isla Mujers, other than the "compound resorts" of Cancun and the coastline south of there.  There is no real "safe harbor" until you reach Puerto Morales and its easy to see how tropical storms would be treacherous in this area.  As evidence, see the leaning lighthouse of Pueto Morales which was apparently pushed to this angle in a hurricane, but has since withstood other storms without falling over!

According to the plaque, the structure was pushed to this angle during hurricane Beulah in

1967 and has withstood other storms such as Wilma and Gilbert without further damage.   It is a little off-putting after stepping off a boat with "sea-legs".  Add a few margaritas and it could be vertical!

There is a long skinny reef that parallels the coastline, visible by a line of breakers.  We sailed generally along the 65 ft depth line for safe distance and to avoid the confused seas where the depth dropped quickly from 100 ft to several hundred feet.  The reef has several short gaps in it where it can be crossed with local knowledge - however, our charts did not have this detail (Navionics).  We do have the guide book by Captain Freya Rausher which I understand is about the best info available for this area.  Although we have the Third Edition, some of the info in it seems a bit dated.

Puerto Morales is a quaint little town - yes it still has the tourist gift  shops, but not quite so many as Isla Mujeres, and the prices are better after a little haggling.  It has a very "laid back" feeling about it and we enjoyed strolling the streets and a nice breakfast in a local restaurant. 

New Lighthouse

The marina here is very nice - Marina El Cid and is part of a resort (same name).  

The marina charge was reasonable at $1.19/ft which includes use of the marina facilities (pools, gym, hot tub etc.).  For drinks, you buy tickets from the dockmaster, and you can purchase meal tickets for use in the resort, or eat at one restaurant that allows cash payment.  The marina was in top notch condition, with floating docks and nice facilities.  Security guards were evident, particularly at night.  

The town is a good 30-40 minute walk from the marina and there is not too much en route.  Taxis - well I think someone has the monopoly on cabs - they seemed a bit pricey compared to other areas at a fixed charge of 120 pesos for the short ride.  But still - the driver we had on our return trip was really friendly and helpful.

We made use if the resort facilities but also had a nice dinner in the town.  We were able to spend some time with one of our dock neighbors - Patrick from a Lagoon 45 named Milpat.  Patrick had participated in several rallies and had sailed his boat from France.  He is currently awaiting crew before heading south for Hurricane season.

 In addition to gift shops, we had heard that the town has a really good vegetable market.  I am not sure if we were there on the wrong day or just too late.  We saw some evidence of vegetable stalls and one was still operating.  The produce was certainly good and looked much fresher than others we had seen on our travels in Mexico.  So on the right day - this probably is the spot to stock up on fresh veges if heading further south.

Brian and nephew Tanner (our crew) enjoying dinner at one of the local restaurants on the town square.  Our new friend Patrick joined us after inviting us for drinks on his beautiful cat.  He had rented a car, so we all piled in for the short drive to town for dinner.

We stayed a couple of night in Morales which was long enough to decompress a little more and long enough to reinforce that we could not do a complete vacation at a resort again!!  We met some real nice people that were vacationing here, but most had not ventured from the limits of the resort (aka compound) during their stay.

From here, we made plans to head south to Puerto Aventura, a short 30 miles or so south......uphill against the gulf stream again! [Was it Hemingway that said, "gentlemen don't sail uphill"  - I am not really sure, but someone famous said it!!:)].

We had tried to make reservations earlier in the week for Marina Aventura, but the marina was full due to a circuit of fishing tournaments currently making its rounds in the area.  Good thing we checked in advance!  Communication with the dockmaster "Gerry" via email seemed to work pretty well.

Relaxing in Isla Mujeres

It is Saturday, May 25 2016 and we are here in beautiful Isla Mujres.  I have received a couple of messages from folks regarding the last couple of posts, and really appreciate the kind words and encouragement - thank you!  Its great to hear from friends and from those that we have not met but like to keep up with our travels and adventures.

We are really enjoying our time here in Isla.  Like all destinations with tourists, there are areas of town that cater to the tourists from Cancun, but it is very easy to "get away from it all" and find a quiet spot with a local bar or restaurant.  The reason  we came to Isla was to support our friends in the Pensacola to Isla Regatta - Regatta al Sol.  We had originally planned to participate, but because of a previous family commitment, we had a conflict with leaving Pensacola with the regatta - so the solution was to  come a week ahead, return for our commitment (a graduation), then come back for the parties.  This turned  out to be the "best of both worlds".

TraSea and the Prestigious Boot

While we had a great ride down here, the racers unfortunately struggled with light winds.  Several turned back and others motored after spending a couple of days floundering in the Gulf.  For more details of the regatta, please visit http://www.regataalsol.org/  Anyway, the regatta was very well organized by both Pensacola Yacht Club and Southern Yacht Club.  Thank you Race Committee for a first class event! and locally to the Lima family for all of their efforts to make this a great success.

We were able to track our very special friends on S/V TraSea, and S/V Night Sky.  Both did great, with Night Sky sailing all of the way and picking up a hoard of trophies, and TraSea receiving the prestigious "boot" award.

Captain Julie and her Treasure Chest of Trophies 

Congratulations to all participants - it was a great event, tainted only by one particular unsporting comment made by the owner of S/V Decision, the overall winner  - but I think  he will be hearing from many participants on that one, and I hope his club asks for an apology to those that motored.

Many of the regatta boats have now left for the return trip to Pensacola or their home port on the Gulf coast.  We wish them fair winds and a safe trip home.  We did hear that one participant S/V Anemone Tickler was having some problems and taking on water.  We heard reports that they had received assistance from the Mexican Navy, but so far have not heard an update on that.  I will tress that these are reports that we have heard second hand, and so far we do not know the full story.  Of coarse, we are hoping for a good outcome for the boat and their crew and for a safe trip home.

Southern Point - Isla Mujeres

Back to Isla - the island is a short ferry ride from Cancun which can be seen across the bay to the west.  We are in a nice, reasonably priced marina called Puerto Isla Mujeres Marina and Resort.  The marina is clean, has nice docks and a great pool.  The "resort" is a small hotel with restaurant and the usual bar, massage spa etc.  It appears to be owned or operated by Wyndham.  We have been very satisfied with our stay here - nice facilities, friendly staff, good security and a fair price.  It is located a short cab or golf card ride from town and is very sheltered and protected.  I believe we are at the end of their high season.  We have a couple of other transient sailboats as neighbors  and several sport fishing boats from the US.  We  understand that this a great spot for Marlin and Sail fish and I think there are a couple of tournaments over the next several days.

Steel Artwork at the Southern Point

So far, we have explored a good portion of the island by golf cart.  As I mentioned previously, there are some great small off the beaten track restaurants, or if you prefer, there are the usual resorts with restaurants, bars, pool and full facilities.  We prefer to find those off-the-beaten-track locations if possible and we have found a few to date.  Mango's is high on the list for great breakfasts.  While we have had some very good dinners, we are still looking for the absolute gem. Our favorite bar so far is the Soggy Peso - it has to be good with a name like that right.  The Margaritas........well I think they are good.  After 2, I didn't remember where I ate dinner.  And i am sure the stories of me dancing are a little exaggerated!
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Church on SE Side of Island

There is certainly no lack of activities on the island for those inclined.  With the regatta parties over and the fleet starting to head home, we are actually having a relaxing day, and doing some planning for our next destination.  I am not too sure what the rest of the day has in store for us..........but that's one of the reasons we are here, enjoying the cruising life while we can!


As of now we are planning to move a little south to Aventura and spend a few days in that general area.  We hope this will be a good spot to make a trip to Tulum and see some Mayan ruins and also make a trip to a Cenote.  I will try to update the blog in a few days - unless of course something notable happens or plans change.  Cheers!

Amazing View! Looking East

No real reason to add this photo - except it was a really friendly dog!