We are all settled in Marina Hemingway here in Havana for a few days prior to heading back to the States and what a great spot it is. Pandora is tied up adjacent to the hotel and pool, a great place to just hang out and enjoy the moment. However, we really don’t have time to sit around as there is just so much to do in Havana.  And yesterday, we “did” plenty.

Here’s Pandora, tied up right across the street from the pool.She has a nice looking neighbor, a lovely trawler.  I don’t think that the owners are nearby right now as she looks vacant.  Actually, there are plenty of yachts in the marina that appear to be in storage waiting for their owners to return.   Perhaps that’s because staying here is a lot less expensive at about $1/ft than the Keys or southern FL , only 100 miles away where the rates are 3-4x that.  Like so much of Cuba, the marina is “mixed” with some parts very nice and others, well not so nice.  Happily, Pandora is in a very nice section and she should be as I specifically asked to move here yesterday after scoping out the area to find the best spot,  being the “shy guy” that I am.

Yesterday we took a cab the 20 minutes from Marina Hemmingway into old Havana, the home of a remarkable number of beautifully restored buildings.  According to the guidebook, there are more than 1,000 historic buildings that have been meticulously restored to their former glory and how glorious they are.   We had been told that the buildings in Cuba were crumbling and certainly many are but an amazing number have been kept up and are as beautiful as those that you will see in any European city.   Havana, and “old Havana” in particular, has something beautiful to see on every street corner.  And, unlike so many so called “historic districts” people still live and work in these areas and I don’t just mean in T-shirt shops selling stuff to tourists.  These magnificent buildings are still occupied by families, as they have been for hundreds of years, as witnessed by the laundry hanging on many balconies.   And, of course, the constant parade of beautiful old “Detroit iron”. There are lovely public squares, green spaces, surrounded by magnificent buildings, some dating back to the 1500s. I particularly loved this coffee shop doorway.Of course, there are the cars, many in amazingly great condition.  We happened upon several areas that have been claimed by a group of convertibles.  This lineup looks like a car show but they are actually working taxies ready to hire.Everywhere you look, beautiful cars.
How about this beautiful T-bird on its’ way for a tour of the city?They come in every color of the rainbow.  I doubt that any of these left Detroit in the colors that they sport these days. You don’t see many Sunbeams these days either.  Not sure the interior is original.   NOT, for sure but a show stopper. In addition to the cars, everywhere you turn there is something colorful to see and hear.  A group of minstrels paraded through one of the squares, complete with two on stilts.  No missing them, that’s for sure.We went to dinner in a beautiful paladar, a private, family run restaurant.  Unfortunately, I mistakenly deleted those photos.   We’ll have to go back to day to take them again.  Such is the power of computers and clumsy operators, moi, made more so by a bit too much vino.

On the way home to the marina and Pandora we chose a 1952 Chevy convertible with a white interior that blasted it’s way through Havana.  In the balmy “summer” evening air, it was a wonderful  trip.  The driver said that he had never delivered anyone to a “yacht” before and was quite interested in having his car parked near Pandora.  Sorry, but even an i-Phone won’t take good photos in the dark.  I guess you had to be there to appreciate the moment.Earlier in the day we walked through this lovely square where they were setting up for some sort of tour dinner.  The tables looked beautiful in the afternoon light. The entertainment was “angelic” as witnessed by this group of entertainers and like everyone else we have encountered in Cuba, they were very friendly and were happy to pose for a “Kodak moment”.   After dark, the square really came alive.  What a beautiful sight. I asked one of the “party goers” who was attending the dinner and learned that it was a group of architects, members of the American Institute of Architects.   Of all the groups that I might have encountered in Havana, I couldn’t believe it was a group of architects as my Dad was publisher of a magazine in that field for many years.  He passed away two years ago and hardly a day goes by, especially during our tour of Cuba, that I haven’t thought about how much he would have loved to “follow along” with us.

It was a very emotional moment when I thought about how much he would have enjoyed hearing about this serendipitous moment of rubbing elbows with the AIA in Havana, of all places.   For over 7 years I kept this blog for him and my mother, who would read my posts together in the evenings over a glass of wine.

I wrote about this in “why I write this blog” shortly after his passing and I still think about him every time I write a post.   Running into the AIA last night brought back such a flood of memories.

It’s been nearly two months since we cleared into Cuba, after our run from the Bahamas and what a trip it has been.  And now, here in Havana, our last stop in Cuba, we have indeed saved the “best for last”.

Yes, I am looking forward to being home again in CT but as I sit here aboard Pandora in the “historic” marina Hemingway,  I have to say that it’s going to be hard to pry ourselves away from this beautiful city.

In a way, perhaps we’ll never really leave Cuba with so many amazing memories from our visit.

Dad, if you are reading along, and I hope you are, you would have loved this place and this post is for you, as they all are.

Enough nostalgia for now.  Time to get going as there’s just so much to see and Havana beckons.

Just a note to say that we should be in Havana on Friday night and will be able to update with several posts that we have written, both here and on Brenda´s site www.argoknot.com.

We have been here at Cayo Levisa for almost a week waiting for the strong easterlies to abate which should happen tonight.

Lot´s of interesting stuff to update on.  Stay tuned for several much delayed posts.

Don´t forget to check out ¨where in the world is Pandora¨ on the home page for a map with our actual location.

We should be heading north to Ft Lauderdale around mid week after a few days in Havana.

 

It’s the second half of April and after nearly two months in Cuba, I have to admit that my thoughts are beginning to be focused on CT and home.

Getting back to our “land home” for the summer, after months aboard down south is always a nice change of pace and something we look forward to with anticipation.    The idea of UNLIMITED INTERNET is particularly alluring and to be able to take a long shower and not worry about how much water we are using, is seductive in a big way.  And while Pandora’s custom mattress in our cabin is really very comfortable, Brenda and I are definitely looking forward to our “cloud bed”, as Brenda calls it, at home.  Oh yeah, and it will be just wonderful to be able to plan a menu based on what you want to eat verses what’s on board or available locally (not a lot).   As someone from the U.S. once said, “I want what I want, when I want it.”  Yes, sounds like a plan, indeed!

However, getting north and making our way the 1,300 or so miles that separate us from CT is no simple feat and to cover that distance in a reasonable amount of time is yet another kettle of fish.   And finding a weather window that will last a week to head north is not common but it is certainly easier than coming south in the fall with all of the cold fronts pounding the coast.  And, to add additional complications for a long run, I always worry about the wear and tear on the boat and the need to find crew that have the time as well.  As most of my friends are still working, it’s tough for them to take what can sometimes stretch to two weeks to make the trip.  In the last three years, I have found that it goes pretty well and usually takes about a week or so.

As far as crew is concerned, I have been lucky and generally can find a few friends who are willing to make the trip with me.  Perhaps it’s my good nature. “Don’t get to full of yourself Bob, it’s your biscuits”.

As far as getting back to the U.S. , Brenda and I will spend a few days in Havana and then head out for FL.  For sure, Brenda doesn’t “love” overnight sailing but after our nearly three day run from the Bahamas to Cuba and a few overnights here, Brenda seems willing, or at least “resigned” to doing overnights occasionally.  In reality I believe that it’s the “allure” of getting back to her “cloud bed” that makes her willing to “brave the darkness”.  Yes, that’s probably it.

From either Ft Lauderdale or Miami, it’s an easy flight back to CT for Brenda and a convenient (read: cheap airfare) place for my crew to join me.  One way or the other, I will likely be home with Pandora by mid-May or so.   And getting a weather window from Havana and then from FL shouldn’t be too hard as the prevailing winds are from an easterly direction in the south and then from the southwest as we get farther north.  And, as the trip from FL to CT, winds should be generally in our favor.   Well, that’s the theory anyway.   And, from FL to Cape Hatteras, there will be the Gulf Stream giving us a boost so we should be able to make good time for much of the run.

Of course, all of this depends on the almighty weather so only time will tell.   Fortunately, my crew can book their flights at more or less the last minute to meet me in FL so they should be able to avoid a long wait in FL for a window to begin heading north.

So, for now, we are still here in Cayo Levisa, anchored in sheltered waters and waiting for the winds to settle down from the cold front that came through a few days ago.  Even though it’s only about 60 miles from here to Marina Hemingway and Havana, our last stop in Cuba, it might as well be a thousand miles from here with the strong winds that would be on the nose if we were to venture out now.   However, all has not been lost as we have been enjoying the resort, eating in the restaurant and walking on the beaches.

The view from Pandora to the south is magnificent.  If you were to draw mountains that looked like these everyone would think they were fake.  I’ll bet that mountain climbing here will become very popular down the road.They have a very nice restaurant and bar on the beach.   Brenda and I had lunch and read a while yesterday.   It was very tough going, as you can see.Finding some great shells yesterday was good too.   Oh yeah, and an “occasional” mojito didn’t make it any worse.   Such is the life of the weather bound cruiser, tough as it is. “Yeah Bob, sounds horrible.  Just shut up already!”

Ok, ok.  Anyway, the good news is that I spoke with Chris Parker this morning and his report suggests that we can run to Havana on Friday where we will spend a few days prior to heading north to Miami and the good old U.S-of-A.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s been great being here in Cuba but the simplicity of “home” and all that it represents is beckoning.  Did I hear someone say “Amazon Prime”?   Yes indeed, it will be great to be home again.  And, when I get there, perhaps I’ll run to the store for “whatever”.

We anchored off of a small resort island, Cayo Levisa, our last stop before we head the 60 miles to Marina Hemmingway and Havana prior to heading back to the U.S..  This lovely little island offers great protection from the coming cold front that should hit us tonight bring with it strong northerly winds for the next few days.   There aren’t too many spots along the northwest coast of Cuba that provide good protection from such winds and being safe and comfortable is key for us as we prepare for the weather.

Our first night here Brenda made a wonderful pasta dish of bacon, tomatoes and fresh bok choi.  I mention this, not because it was a particularly unique dish as Brenda’s a great cook and we east very well aboard Pandora, but because it’s been 15 days since we have been anywhere to get fresh produce and our stores are pretty low.  I should note, we still aren’t anywhere near a produce stand so that begs the question of exactly where we were able to get fresh bok choi.    Hold that thought for the moment.

I have been struggling for the last few weeks of exactly how to describe the wonderful interactions we have had with the people, especially in the rural areas, here in Cuba and perhaps our “bok choi experience” is a good example.

As we move from place to place in Cuba, our travels are strictly monitored by the Guarda Frontera, a military/police force that check us in and out again from most of the places that we visit with the exception of the most rural cayos.   When we arrived here at Cayo Levisa, I headed ashore with our papers, passports, list of Pandora’s particulars, our USCG documentation and “despacho” or cruising permit to check in.

I was met at the dock by someone from the resort who informed me that I had to return to Pandora and wait there for two hours until the Guarda Frontera officer arrived from the mainland on the 18:00 ferry to check us in.

At the appointed hour the officer arrived on what appeared to be a dive boat from the resort which circled Pandora as it arrived, officer waving, and continued to the dock.  I jumped in my dink and headed to shore.  As is nearly always the case, I was greeted warmly by just about everyone on the dock including the Frontera officer, dressed in his uniform.  Black shoes, slacks and white dress shirt, complete with “official” looking epaulets on each shoulder.

The captain of the dive boat also introduced himself with a hearty handshake and presented me with a perfectly ripe, enormous papaya.  Now, I can’t say that I am a huge fan of papaya but I was very touched by the gesture.  So, back to Pandora I went with the officer and my papaya to complete our paperwork.  Sometimes the officers make a brief inspection of Pandora but in this case he didn’t and just filled out his paperwork.  They almost always ask questions about us and the boat that go beyond the information that they need for their forms so it’s clear that they are just curious about the boat, us and our travels.  It’s pretty clear that they don’t see many cruisers, especially from the U.S.  and are always interested in learning more about us.  Brenda and I always enjoy these friendly exchanges.

Questions answered, we said our goodbyes and I took him back to the dock.  I was still thinking about the gift of the papaya and had decided to give the captain a bar of soap as a thank you.   The captain accepted my gift with a hearty “gracias” and motioned for me to wait a moment.  He retreated to his cabin and emerged with a bundle of fresh greens, bok choi, leafy lettuce and some green beans, delivered with a big smile.  Now it was my turn and he gently let me know that if I had a tube of silicone or perhaps a spare screwdriver aboard he’d be very pleased as it was tough for him to get such things in Cuba.
Now, the more jaded among you might say that the whole exercise was designed to soften me up so I’d give him something, and clearly it was.  However, the process was done with such care and grace that I found it to be quite charming and a good example of our many exchanges where Pandora’s crew received something and so did they.

I told him, as best I could that I’d see what I could do and would see him “manyana”.  We parted with smiles.   The next day I presented him with a “Vicegrip” wrench that I had that was a duplicate in my tool box.  He seemed to be very pleased.

There are so many basics that we take for granted in the U.S. that Cubans just don’t have access to.  As a result, they are always looking for items to check off of their “wish list”.   Razors and lengths of line for boats are always very popular.  I wish that I had known as I have hundreds of feet of extra line at home that I’d be happy to give away.  Perhaps next time.

Another wonderful exchange occurred a few days ago when we were approached in a very remote anchorage by two fisherman that wanted to sell us some lobster.   They approached us in a small rough rowboat and showed us their catch.   They had come over to us from a “fishing station” a sort of “home base” on the water, a number of shacks and docks built on pilings out in the water where they managed their catch and lived between trips to the reef to fish.

Anyway, we bought their lobster for a few CUCs each.   After our deal was done one of the fisherman took off his cap and retrieved a single playing card, the queen of hearts.  After a bit of back and forth, it became clear that he was asking if we had any playing cards.  I didn’t know if he wanted to play cards with us or if he wanted cards but I “played” along anyway.

One thing led to another, I went below and returned with a deck of cards.  His reaction was amazing.  He and his partner both clapped their hands and let out a “whoop”.   What a great reaction and a good example of our many exchanges over the last two months here in Cuba.  In the U.S. it is so easy for us to get just about everything we need but here in Cuba they are on a constant quest for even the simplest items.  This experience was another example of the very friendly “culture” we have encountered, especially here in rural Cuba where the simplest gesture or “gift” is so appreciated.  I expect that this will be lost in the coming years as Cuba reengages with the U.S. and consumer goods are more readily available to them.

Don’t get me wrong, it is unfortunate that the fisherman had to work so hard to get something as simple as a deck of cards, but it was his approach and the gentle manner that struck me as so “Cuban”.  And I, for one, was pleased to be so appreciated by such a simple gesture of the gift of a deck of playing cards.   (Brenda wrote about this encounter too, but with her own take, and you might want to check it out at www.argoknot.com)

While I am on the subject of fisherman, how about this “boat”,  more of a raft made of a framework of boards on top of what appeared to be truck tire tubes stretched out with the cut ends tied with rope.  I can’t believe that they row miles offshore in these fragile craft.We bought some lobster from them too (our freezer is jammed now) and as they headed away they hoisted a rough sail to help them on their way toward the mainland, still miles away.   What a sight.As we made our way up the northwestern coast of Cuba over the last week we have visited some beautiful cayos with just spectacular scenery.   This shot of Pandora with the mountains in the background was particularly lovely.We anchored in the lee of some remarkable mangrove stands, some of which had trunks that were 18” in diameter and perhaps 60-75’ tall.  I have never seen mangroves of that size and have to wonder just how old they must be.In one of the spots we anchored for the night, we shared the cove with a group of fisherman on a ferocement boat.    The boat was very rough construction of iron bars with a cement coating.   I expect that they don’t last very long but this type of boat is very popular here in Cuba.They waved to me, I visited and was invited aboard.  The captain was very nice but his English was no better than my Spanish.One of the crew was happy to show me some of their catch.The next morning Brenda and I watched as each crew member donned a wetsuit and jumped in the water.  After a while we realized that they were picking up sea cucumbers from the bottom of the bay and filling their “baskets”. I haven’t seen this on any menus here in Cuba so perhaps they export their catch.  I know that sea cucumbers are very popular in Japan.It seems that like so much of life in Cuba, these fisherman are very opportunistic and catch whatever they can.  Fish one day, lobster the next and then on to sea cucumbers.  Their fishing techniques are so low tech that they are easy on the environment as they don’t have access to the sorts of equipment that is the mark of “industrial fishing” elsewhere.   I expect that a more “open” Cuba will lead to overfishing.

Earlier this morning I spoke with Chris Parker about the coming cold front and learned that there isn’t likely to be another “window” to make the 60 mile run to Havana for perhaps a week.  That’s a long time but fortunately, this is a lovely spot and the holding is good so, wind or not, we will certainly enjoy spending time here until we can continue our run east to Havana.

The island is a resort with perhaps 50 bungalows and a nice restaurant along with a great beach so being “weathered in” won’t be so bad.  It will certainly be better than being stuck in a mangrove swamp with 500,000 of my closest “no-see-um” friends, that’s for sure.

After we visit Havana and head home to the U.S., it will be good to be back in “civilization” but we will look back fondly to the wonderful people we have met in our nearly two months of cruising Cuba.    I have never encountered a group of people who are harder working or approach life with more grace and it has been an inspiration to experience, first hand, their pluck and determination.

Cuba will certainly change in the coming years and I encourage you to visit here soon to see for yourself this very unique place and culture of uncommonly nice people.

 

 

It’s Sunday morning and Pandora is clipping along at over 6kts on a broad reach and as we are being helped by a favorable current, our speed over the ground (SOG) is nearly 8kts.  That’s good as we have a long way to travel today as we make our way from Cayo del Rosario to an anchorage on the western tip of Isla de la Juventud, a large island on the south side of Cuba.  I should note that the “bottom” here is 13,000 feet below us and we are, amazingly, only 5 miles from shore.  Actually, even if we were less than a half mile from shore it would be over 3,000 feet to the bottom.   That’s deep.

Our destination today will put us more than ¾ of the way along the south shore of Cuba and will bring us to the point to where we will “turn the corner” and head NE toward Havana, our last stop prior to heading back to U.S. waters in early May.

Today’s run is nearly 80 miles so we had to get off to an early start, leaving by 07:30.  We plan on anchoring on the ocean side of the furthest tip of land on the largest island in Cuba, the nearly 100 square mile, Isla de la Juventud tonight.  The southern coast of the island has no harbors so we have to be sure that we can get all the way prior to nightfall or we’ll have to keep going overnight to the next anchorage which is about 100 miles further to the west.  However, as we are making good time so far, we should be able to arrive this evening with some daylight left.

After that, our next port will be Maria Cabo San Antonio and will mark our arrival at the most western point of Cuba.  To get there from Isla de la Juventud will require an overnight run as it’s over 100 miles and we can’t make that much distance during daylight hours.  Our plan will have us leave in the late afternoon so we’ll arrive the next morning.  And, with the best winds for sailing commonly occurring in the overnight hours here, we should have a good sail. Interestingly, as we round the western tip of Cuba, we will be only 100 miles from the Yucatan in Mexi co.  Amazing.

To that point, it’s been very interesting to meet fellow cruisers recently who have been to Guatemala and all over the Caribbean.   The “cruising horizon” for folks we have met here as much broader than anything we have found in the past with many having crossed the Pacific and a good number having been all the way around the world.   And, they talk about it as casually as though they had just gone “to the grocery”.  “Oh yeah, the snorkeling is great here but compared with Polynesia where we were last season…”.  It’s a very different perspective than anything Brenda and I have ever encountered.

The two couples that we had aboard for dinner the other night are good examples.  Monique and Garth, aboard Heartbeat began their travels in New Zealand, crossed the Pacific and have been all over the Caribbean.  They are making their way to Northern Europe and, after leaving Cuba may not stop until they reach Bermuda.   Another couple, Martin and Lisette aboard L’Eau-Dace came to Cuba from Honduras, where they had become friends with Garth and Monique,  They will be heading to Guatamala soon where they plan to spend the hurricane season.

The perspective of these cruisers couldn’t be more different than the folks back home “Oh yeah, we cruise a lot.  We cross The Sound most weekends to Greenport LI and go to The Vineyard for a week each summer”.  Both are fine perspectives, but WOW, these folks are HARD CORE and different in every way.

Our run yesterday, to Cayo del Rosario was not particularly long and we arrived there by mid-afternoon.   I had heard that the snorkeling was terrific there so after dropping hook, I headed off to a small reef nearby.   And as has the been the case in other areas I have gone, the fish life was remarkable, and much more substantial than anything that I ever saw in The Bahamas, even in the protected areas.

As Cuba is so lightly traveled and fished, the reefs are much like you might have seen perhaps 50 years ago in the Caribbean with abundant life of remarkable variety on the reefs.  The water isn’t as clear as it is in the Bahamas but it’s clear enough, with perhaps 50 foot visibility, to make for quite an experience.

After touring that spot, I headed off to another nearby where I saw a group of swimmers from one of two catamarans anchored nearby.  I prefer to snorkel with others but as Brenda doesn’t like to, I try to tag along, or at least be in the water near others.  As there are so few boats sailing around Cuba, it’s been tough to find others to tag along with.

The second spot that I tried was a larger reef that came within a few feet of the surface and then a 20′ abrupt drop-off to a sandy bottom.   The reef was quite dramatic, particularly so as a result of a wrecked boat that had foundered on the reef years ago.  It was a heavily built wooden boat with huge timbers and it’s “bones” were scattered over a wide area.  I have to say that I found the scene quite intimidating and decided to cut my visit short.

Perhaps the deciding moment was when I happened on a large ray, similar to one that had “stung” a Russian on charter boat a few days ago.  I understand that he had approached a ray and ended up with a “barb” that entered his upper arm and came out the other side of his arm.    It was a very painful experience and he ended up being flown back to the mainland for surgery to remove it.  We had enjoyed meeting him and the rest of the crew on that boat on the dock in Cayo Largo prior to his accident and were sorry to learn about what had happened.

Anyway, I was in no danger as I wasn’t “playing” with the ray but, never the less, that combined with the wreck, kind of freaked me out, alone in the water.  Ok, enough of that for now.  How about a walk on the beach?

And what a beach it was.  I had heard that there were many conch on the beaches there and I was stunned to see literally hundreds of fully mature conch everywhere in the shallows near the beach.   These conch had clearly not been bothered for many years as their shells were worn smooth by the surf.  In the Bahamas, most conch are harvested when they are barely mature, perhaps 6 years old, so their shells have quite sharply defined contours.  These, by contrast, looked like they had been abandoned by their owners years ago.   However, in nearly every case they were still occupied.  It was an amazing sight to see conch spread out as far as the eye could see and in such abundance.

I also found a few “helmet” conch with their dramatic brown markings and took them as the shells are amazing.  I also passed an area with snails on rocks, literally thousands of them.  However, unlike the Bahamas, where they tend to be about 1-2″ around, these black and silver shells were as large as an orange and they were everywhere, with perhaps 20 in a square meter.  It was quite a sight.

This is the “haul” and I only picked a few shells.  A remarkable discovery indeed.   The largest in this group are a foot across.   Clockwise, beginning upper left, conch and helmets.  In the middle, very large turbans.  In front, a small tulip and a lovely piece of coral.  Not sure about the names of the others.   Really nice shells and more “gems” than I normally find in a single day on the beach.

To see so many shells in a single area was a sight that probably hasn’t been seen in other areas of the Caribbean and Bahamas in over 50 years.   With improving relations between Cuba and the U.S. I fear that this won’t last long though.

The winds here in Cuba follow a pattern, as is the case in other areas of the Caribbean, where the trades tend to blow about 15-20kts and higher  from an easterly direction during the day and then shift to a more northerly direction overnight as the nearby mountains cool and the wind cascades down toward the ocean.  These “diurnal” winds occur near the larger islands so the wind direction changes at night and, in Cuba, you often have more wind at night than during the day.  It also means that finding an anchorage that is protected from both the trades and night winds can be tricky.

There are plenty of anchorages that are protected from the trades but few that are also sheltered from the diurnal winds and our anchorage last night was no different.  To make matters worse, we were anchored in turtle grass, a particularly tough bottom to get the anchor to hold well.

So as the wind piped up to over 25 knots last night, we began to drag ever so slowly with each gust which peaked at nearly 30kts.   I stayed in the cockpit until nearly midnight, with an anchor alarm set, and didn’t finally settle in until after the plotter track confirmed that we had finally stopped dragging backwards.  All and all, we probably dragged a few hundred feet and never actually broke completely free.   With several miles of shallow water behind us, we were never in any real danger of hitting anything.

There were three other boats in the very large anchorage so I was able to also watch the relative position of their anchor lights to see how we were doing.   It turns out that one of them, the one without an anchor light had some troubles of his own and this morning, when it became light, I saw that he was at least a mile from where he was when it got dark last night.  As he had dragged so far, I expect that he had no idea he was moving and was probably shocked when he woke up today.  Better him than me.

This post is the first in a month that I have been able to do when we didn’t have WIFI as my SSB e-mail modem (Pactor IV) is working again.   I have been having trouble with the unit since December and it’s been very frustrating, to say the least.  That combined with no cell services in Cuba for American phones, and we have felt very out of touch.

However, yesterday morning a fellow cruiser, Martin from L’Eau-Dace, came over to have a look at my installation.  After about a half hour he determined that the problem was likely centered on the USB plugs on my laptop along with the “old” cable that ran from there to my modem.  The good news is that I had another cable that had come with my new printer so after trying that one on the modem it worked perfectly.  I had predicted that the problem would likely turn out to have a simple fix but after fussing with it for weeks, I had run out of options.  Thanks Martin, for setting me straight.

With no form of communication available to us without the SSB e-mail when we were outside of WIFI, which has been just about all of the time, Brenda and I had been feeling like we had spent the last month in Cuba going around with a brown bag over our head.
Anyway, fingers crossed that the “fix” continues to work.  It will be great to be able to communicate more easily.

I should also mention that the easterly trades, which have eluded us for the last month, have finally filled in again.  This is good as now we have been sailing much of the time instead of motoring.  It is a very welcome change.

And it’s also a treat to be able to write this post underway and send it off to our son Christopher so he can put it up for me.   Of course, as the SSB is a VERY SLOW way to send messages so I am unable to include more than one picture.

I guess you will just have to forgive me and just read along.