Cuba update 3

So, finally we are in Cuba - officially! I know one shouldn't judge on first appearances, although often they turn out to be very close to the mark, but having been here only a day, it has been a real pleasure. The people are wonderful, open, friendly and honest and we are in a beautiful spot. - and as for the famed bureaucracy, well read on…

Last night saw us at anchor, waiting for medical clearance to dock - the doctor was unavailable at the time. Apologies if the following goes into a lot of detail, but for those sailors planning a trip here, there is much rumour and conjecture as to the formalities that have to take place and I'd like to detail our experiences to perhaps reassure those planning this voyage.

At 0900 this morning, we were boarded by Dr Rolando, an extremely amiable professor of epidemiology. Who proceeded to give us our clearance to dock. This is just to make sure we don't have any diseases etc on board. This took about fifteen minutes, much of which was spent talking about baseball and Liverpool Football Club. As the marina dinghy was busy, we gave the doctor a lift over to Virage to continue his work. At this point, it might be worth mentioning that it could be useful to have the dinghy in the water, as mooring in the marina is Med style and so it is useful to have a means of tying to the stern buoy if the marina boat is tied up. If you need more info on this, let me know or look it up.

Once given clearance by the doctor, you may proceed to dock. Once docked, you are normally welcomed by the marina's 'public relations' lady - Tina who will make sure you are tied up securely and that all is well. Everyone is very welcoming.

When you are secure, you invite the officials on board, who in the first instance consisted of a Guarda Frontera, customs (aduanes) and food/animals people - a total of four.
All four asked if we wished them to remove shoes (we didn't) and were extremely professional but polite and friendly.

There was the usual form filling required when entering any country - although here much of the paperwork is completed by the officials themselves.

Our food was all examined for sign of disease or foreign pests and given the all clear. Nothing was taken or refused entry - even our basil plant grown by Ruth on Clear Day!
As the formalities are completed, the immigration officer, who didn't board the boat, took our passports and completed the visa work.

Although not officially in the country at this stage, we were told we could leave the boat and look around if we wished.

So far, this procedure took about an hour - much the same as most countries although much more jovial!

We then went and spoke to Tina (see above), who gave us a long chat about Cuba and how to make the best of it. Given her role as PR/marina manager, she was surprisingly honest and candid but still made the place sound fantastic.

Finally, the immigration man returned with our passports and visas and customs asked to do a search of the vessel. This entailed a very short inspection by the 'drugs dog' and a quick search of the boat. Once again, all completed very professionally, but with good humour. Nothing was 'confiscated' or 'sealed' and there was no mention of it being so. We were asked how many GPS, radios etc we had on board, but we have been asked this in pretty much every country we have visited, Cuba being number 22. This second visit took about five to ten minutes. All the inspections etc were no more than I would expect and for once, they were completed in good humour. If you have children on board, or can rent some, expect even more 'enjoyment' from the officials. All three boats were cleared in within three hours.

The marina at Vita is in a lovely spot and as smart as many we have been to. Water and electricity are included although a little sporadic - bring a long shore power lead in case your pillar is not working.
The current price for a stay up to one month is 0.6CUC per foot per day. Pretty reasonable I think. You can only pay in cash at this marina. I think long term stays - and this is a very nice place - are cheaper.
If you have a choice of currency, euros etc are best. You pay a 20% surcharge if you use American dollars.

All in all, despite being told that I would have all food confiscated, GPS, satellite and phones sealed, none of this has taken place. Maybe it will be different as we make our way around the coast. I know there will be many restrictions placed upon our travel, but, so far, everything has been very organised, straightforward and actually, if I were honest, a pleasure.
I hope it continues.

Comments

[Nicole Pollio]

Great info on Cuba! You should write the updated version of Nigel's cruising guide. We can't wait to hear more about the south coast. Long Island isn't the same without the nina, pinta, and santa maria!