Cruising Cuba

[barniclebobca]

I am looking for info on marinas in cuba, where one could leave his boat during huricane season.Beeing cnd. i will fly in and out of cuba without problems. Anybody out there doing this?

[osirissailing]

Considering that three hurricanes hit Cuba this past season, there is actually no safe marina or boatyard on Cuba to leave a boat during the Hurricane season. The country is not set up for large amounts of cruising boats to spend any length of time there so the demand for such boatyards has not developed yet. Come back in ten years and there will probably be lots of them. The nearest reasonably safe yard would be at Port Antonio, Jamaica.

In water storage is not really safe or sensible as the winds are one thing but add in 3 to 5 meters of storms surge and boats rise up over the tops of the mooring poles or docks, quays and end up on land or being blown away. A secure boatyard is one that is well up above the possible tide rise and has concrete or very secure tiedowns and one piece steel cradles to hold the boat. Next best are holes dug into the ground into which your keel is lowered. Then the main hull of your boat is being supported by land/earth and jackstands are not necessary.

[Bellamar]

There are fleets of Cats at Cayo Coco on the north shore and a raft of Cats out of a place near Trinidad. There are a few out of Cienfuegos as well/ Santiago de Cuba, Cienfuegos are well protected and have facilities. Marina Hemingway is reasonable in a storm. Remember that if you are there, the south coast has over a hundred miles of mangroves. The Cats they have are all crewed yachts chartered mostly to Germans and Brits. They have not really lost any boats due to hurricane, but they are all manned during these times. Whether you could leave your boat without worry is another thing. I knew a few French Canadians that keep there boats year round, and you have to remember there are permanent live abards in Varadero and Marina Hemingway.