February 2004 Jamaica, Cuba and Grand Cayman We had a great overnight sail down to the Windward Passage where we lost the wind a spent some time motoring in a confused and lumpy sea with very little breeze. One after the other we broke slugs on the luff of the mainsail, it was a good racing sail but the slugs were to lightweight for this kind of heavy cruising. We put a reef in the main to take the 'bag' out of the sail but it didn't help much. It was tough going but the wind eventually filled in and we made some progress. We were very happy to arrive in Port Antonio, Jamaica and get out of the swell. It was a late arrival but we had no difficulty and picked up a mooring in front of the Marina at 2230hrs to the sound of distant reggae. Port Antonio was a welcome change to us, we had been doing well without all the amenities of modern living however, there are some things we do yearn for in our Hobo existence. Thus we stayed for eight days on a mooring which we thought was very good value at $5 U.S./day including use of the (heavenly) showers which were newly constructed and nicely appointed. There was FREE Internet access with three computers available in the office. The town of Port Antonio is a little run down but the Marina area is all new and very secure. It is all fenced off and there is lots of security. Having said that, we didn't feel at all threatened when we were down town and outside the fence. Each day we walked ashore and round the town, we got used to the dirty and run down state of things; as I guess the inhabitants had also got used to it. The people were quite friendly though poor; it would seem that they are trapped in a situation beyond explanation in this document. I did hear that the Jamaican Government is trying to change things, trying to re-build the area and improve standards. They seem to have a lot of work ahead! We took a ride in a "jitney" along the coast to look at some of the bays and beaches, also to see how the locals live. I cannot say I was impressed by any of what we saw but the way the "jitney" driver threw us around the hairpin bends of the coastal road was quite memorable. From Port Antonio we sailed directly to Ocho Rios. This used to be a Bauxite terminal but the Bauxite trade died as prices fell on world markets and made all these small Bauxite ports unprofitable. Now its mainly a Cruise Ship Terminal and when we arrived there was the 'Master of the Seas' alongside, it took up most of the bay and there was little room for much else. Our arrival was a little exciting as we discovered that the electronic chart we were using was over a mile off on the Longitude. If we had trusted it for a night-time arrival there is little doubt that "Mr John" would be history by now. It was a timely reminder not to put to much trust in electronic aids and to keep an eye over the bow at all times. Everything in Ohco Rios is geared towards the cruise ships and they get a different one in nearly every day (sometimes two or three!). Thus ashore it was clean, tidy and quite presentable with the prerequisite KFC and Burger King etc. The beach was clean and you had to pay or have a special ID to gain admission, at least the dinghy was safe (and we didn't pay!). The anchorage was in good holding but you could have only got a couple of cruising boats in and it would have been full. The main problem was the Jet Ski's that went round and round us in little circles with lots of noise and wake. The bay was much too small for all this activity but with the lumpy seas outside, they had nowhere else to go! We went ashore to escape! The Cruise ship left in the evening and it went quiet for the night but as we left the next morning there was another Cruise ship waiting to come in and we had no doubt the circus would re-run the same each day. Our next stop was Montego Bay. I remember the stories as well as the song. In the sixties this was a great place where the rich and famous came to let their hair down. It had wealth, good government and exported its products all over the world. What the hell happened? Looking around I could still see a few old colonial type buildings down town and they gave an impression of once former grandeur or at least organisation. Not much of that today I'm afraid. I have never been to any other place that made me rush to wash my hands so fast after returning from ashore! There is Garbage strewn about all over, looks like the Garbage Men have been on strike for a year or so! There is a river / run off gully that runs through the centre of the 'down town' area and it is piled high with all sorts of Garbage and smells like an open sewer. The pavements are crumbling away; there are large holes and missing gratings, which make walking a hazard. The roads seem to be in a continual state of disrepair, just as we noticed in Port Antonio, there were potholes all over and drivers would swerve all over the road to avoid them. It would seem that everyone knew where the potholes were, but no one was prepared to go and fill them! We asked at the tourist office about the local vegetable market, as we wanted to stock up on a few items. We were told that it would be best to avoid the 'down town' market as it wasn't safe, even the guy in the tourist office said he would never go there! We were recommended to a local supermarket where, like most of the stores, there was a security officer on duty outside with a pump action shot gun!Yes, they have ways of making you feel safe! I actually counted three rivers or drainage culverts that passed through the city and into the bay. They were all equally full of the most indescribable garbage and sewerage. This all trickled its way into Montego Bay except, that is when they had a heavy rainstorm. At that time all the contents would be flushed out into the bay in a somewhat cleansing action. I have no doubt that this much improved the air quality 'down town' but it did little for the bay or the waters of the Caribbean. Less than a mile north of the town; stands the tourist hotels and beaches of the holiday brochures. People swim off the sandy beaches of their hotels or at Bathing Clubs. These are small sections of the beach that are cordoned off by security fences and under private control. They are kept clean, have facilities and are patrolled by both private security and local police. It’s a bit like the sun deck of a crowded cruise ship but with sand and salt water and for the life of me I cannot figure out why anyone would pay good money to use one. I was not impressed! Still, that's cruising, you get the chance to see and sample everything. On the Friday night they had 'Jump up' at Pier 1, the bar on the dock ahead of where we were anchored. It didn't sound much like jump up music to me, more like some guy getting castrated! It went on till 3AM and we noted in the Log not to anchor again in this area on a Friday night! Time was moving on and we were getting quite impatient to be away. The weather was not co-operating and the wind was screaming through the rigging each day. When we heard that a strong cold-front was headed our way we shifted anchorage over to where the Montego Bay Yacht Club had its premises. Once more we were very disappointed; the charges levied were well above those justified. The dock was exposed to swell and all the boats moored stern too would roll heavily when there was any bad weather around. The basin was the collection point for all that rubbish that got washed out from 'downtown' and drifted here with the prevailing winds. So as not to use the Yacht Club and escape the high tariff they wanted from us for using their meagre facilities, we took the dinghy ashore on the "beach". It was the filthiest beach I'd ever been on; we had to clamber over heaps of garbage to reach the road, we were caught between a rock and a hard place! As soon as the weather looked somewhat settled we left Jamaica and I was not too unhappy to see those Blue Mountains slipping below the horizon astern. Our trip from Jamaica to Cuba was not quite as expected we ran out of wind yet again and were forced to motor for fourteen hours. We flopped and bounced in a lumpy 'left-over' sea and eventually motored into Casilda early on Monday 23rd Feb. Welcome to Cuba, not quite! We were told that they were no longer handling International arrivals and that we must go to Cienfuegos to clear. By 0830 we were under way again and defeated the odds (from what it said in the Pilot Book) by not running aground in the harbour approaches either inbound or outbound. The wind came up fresh during the morning and we had good run down to Cienfuegos; actually, that wind came up and stayed up for the next two weeks. It was twenty knots plus the whole time for the whole area and we were not the only ones who were harbour bound for the duration. Our inward clearance went quite well, whilst we did have an endless procession and a mound of paper work the officials are very well organised and the process moves along. We went alongside at 1818 hrs and completed at 1954 hrs at which time we left the Marina and anchored a few hundred yards away. The next morning they brought a couple of dogs out to visit us for a good sniff. We had some fun getting them on and off due to the strong wind blowing through the anchorage but we managed. The dog did manage to find one of our onions that was going off and I was very grateful however I would have preferred if he hadn't slobbered all over the rest of our vegetables. The main shocker was that we ended up paying out $105 to clear in and then there was a further $10 when we eventually left On top of that we had to pay $10/day for anchoring and due to the weather we were stuck for eleven days….ooch! Despite all this we really enjoyed our visit, time flew by to quickly and there were never enough hours in the day. We spent most of our time ashore leaving the boat to bob about in the strong breeze, which honked through the anchorage. Fortunately the holding was very good and whilst I did put a second anchor out for security it wasn't required. As she lay into the waves the whole time it was rarely uncomfortable and we seemed to get our sleep, it was however a little wet getting to and from shore at times. Cienfuegos is a beautiful old city and although a little faded and crumbling in places you can clearly see its past magnificence. We were enthralled and Paula was taking lots of Photos, where ever we showed an interest in a building there was always someone who showed up to give us a tour, no matter what the building was now used for. No one put their hand out for this service; it was just that they were happy to show us what they had. In the more 'tourist' areas, where many of the buildings had undergone reconstruction, there were plenty of places to part with money. In fact I have to assure you that there is no more a Capitalist place in the world than Cuba, these guys really know how to get your money! We decided to do a couple of tours by bus, one to Trinidad (the Beautiful) and the other to Havana. Both of these were well-organised and great value for money. With regards to Havana, we concluded that it would be best to fly in for a week and stay ashore in the down town area. Our brief visit was enough for us to fall in love. Words cannot describe what a magnificent place it is. We found it an oasis of history and culture in a part of the world that is otherwise devoid of these things. One must have a week at least to do it any justice and without the burden of a boat to worry about. With Cuba it pays not to get confused between real history and recent history, the later being a somewhat sad and unfortunate episode now rapidly drawing to a close. Whilst we found many who believed otherwise I have faith that this chapter will end much the same as the Franco era did in Spain in 1977 (which was the time I first moved out to live there). We did enjoy our time in Cienfuegos, on two evenings we went out late to see the floor show at the Hotel Jagua. We paid $3 each to get in and this included a beer! Where else in the world could you get such good entertainment at such a great price? During our visit everyone seemed most helpful and courteous. There were more people begging on the streets of Toronto last time I was there than we saw in Cuba, in general the people are fit, healthy and happy. Sure enough, to our western values they seem to lack all those things that we take so much for granted. I don't believe however that this constitutes 'poverty', its just a different way of life and a different set of values. Perhaps the Fat Underbelly of Western Democracy (now under attack) could learn a little from our Cuban neighbours (before we lead them down the same slippery path of our own demise!). We left Cienfuegos early on Friday 5th March having cleared out the day before. The wind seemed light but it is deceptive on this coast. About four miles offshore the wind was waiting for us and filled in quickly, we had a very lively passage in twenty-five knots plus and rather lumpy breaking seas. Maybe I should have waited another day, however the guidebook indicates that this is more often than not a turbulent piece of water. We cut across the Prohibited Area and headed directly to Cayo Sal, a part of Cayos de Dios on the Banco Jardinillos. This was a nice stop over point; good holding ground but a little swell crept in and kept us rocking about. We had two nights anchored here and took the dinghy to explore and swim on the local reefs. On the following Sunday we moved down to Cayo Largo and anchored off Playa Sirena, a beautiful stretch of white sand beach but again the swell kept us moving. The next day we went in to the Marina and 'cleared in' with the local officials, it was nice and easy and the marina staff was most helpful. We didn't stay in the marina but moved out to anchor again finding a spot in the small bay just outside the Marina Channel and East of Playa Sirena. This was our home for the next ten days; it was more protected and less roly than anchoring off the beach, however the holding ground left much to be desired. Whilst we were there we saw several yachts drag and three of which spent some time on the beach! We did hear that they intend to start charging yachts for anchoring in this location starting some time next year. We went ashore and had a good look around, then spoke with several other yachts that had arrived from the west. Weighing up all the Pros and Cons, we decided that we would forgo spending another $30 to extend our visas and leave Cuba when our first month was up. The original plan had been to sail through the islands of this archipelago and leave from Isla de la Juventud to go to Belize. This was no longer possible as there was no longer anywhere to make an International Clearance between here and a new marina at Los Morros just north of Cabo San Antonio. I didn't want to give up all our 'easting' and the idea of sailing west only to have to beat back here to Cayo Largo was not appealing. However we were game enough to take a crack at it and sailed down to Cayo Rosairo one morning for a look around. On arrival we found the water murky and the anchorage exposed, even with our draft finding a snug anchorage was difficult. We both decided right then, that Cayo Largo, and the immediate area around it, was probably as good as we were going to get. We turned around and sailed back that very afternoon! It was a wise choice as we had a great time exploring the area and seeing the sights. It was also relaxing as we were not compelled to rush, we had easy days strolling on the beach, snorkelling the reefs and fishing from the dinghy. We discovered the Lobster and had some nice meals, there were also lots of Conch and fish. We even found time to catch up on some boat jobs. The weather continued to upset our plans and our final departure was delayed twice, we were having such a good time this was of little consequence except that we did want to be away before our visa's expired and we were forced to renew. Eventually our weather window came along and we departed on the Thursday 18th March. Departure time was critical as we knew that we had to clear into Grand Cayman during working hours for the Customs otherwise there was a $70 fee. It was a fair passage down, 'par for the course' with what we had already experienced in these waters. After the first couple of hours of good sailing the wind left us and we were forced to motor for six hours in lumpy seas with the mainsail flopping and crashing despite a reef to flatten it up. Then the wind returned and it went back to a twenty-knot beam reach with spray going all over and the occasional light head coming aboard. It was good however as we arrived and got cleared in normal working hours. The officials were helpful and friendly and the procedure did not take long, most important, it was free. We then left the dock and were lucky enough to pick up a free mooring, which was strong and well located. So there we were, the wind was howling through the rigging again and bouncing us around on the end of our mooring rope. It seemed that the heavy breeze was returning for at least a week and we were stuck again! We were not concerned though as we soon found ways to beat the system and keep our budget under control. We had lots to do on board and quite a lot that we wanted to do ashore. Thus we were well occupied right through to departure. We took a visit to Stingray City, it is just inside the North Sound channel (which is well marked and has plenty of water). There are free moorings so you don't drop your anchor and damage the coral. Once secure we went overboard and within a few moments were up to our necks in Stingrays… They were totally friendly and would come up for a cuddle They seem incredible and intelligent animals; we spent hours with them. A team of scuba divers arrived and their leader was able to coax out an eight foot Moray Eel, which was also almost tame and played about the divers also getting cuddles… Without tanks I had to keep coming up for air but still it was only 12ft of water and I was able to stay down a fair amount of time. All in all, it was a great experience and something you wouldn't want to miss if you were in this part of the world. If you had any ideas that Grand Cayman is a peaceful tropical island with a relaxed and laid back way of life. I have to shatter that illusion; that may have been the case in 1953 but now there are often five cruise ships anchored just off the town. Ferry boats rush madly all over the bay; moving nearly fourteen thousand passengers between their floating hotels and the elaborate tourist trap that lies waiting to take their money. It is unfortunate that most of these tourists do not get to see the real beauty of the Cayman Islands. For the beauty of the Caymans is all below the water. The whole place is a well-protected Marine Park and just below the keels of these rushing ferryboats lie some spectacular coral and a good assortment of reef fish. Knowing what most of the tourists seem to want, the downtown area of Georgetown has been transformed into a compact bazaar. It has that Caribbean flavour but looks just like St Thomas / St Martin / St. Barts and all the other tourist traps to which cruise ships go. There is even KFC and McDonalds just in case anyone feels homesick! The prices however are very high whether it is tourist goodies or basic foods. We couldn't afford to buy very much but hunted out enough bargains to keep us going. The most memorable of the bargains were the free samples of Rum Cake. Just about all the shops had taster trays outside. I could eat a whole cake in tasters whilst getting from one end of town to the other! Then we'd go and share a large coffee between us at the local supermarket just to wash it down. All in all, lunch out for just over $1! We went for a long walk every day stopping off to read our newspapers in the library. In the evenings we did manage to socialise (using some of that good Cuban Rum I'd picked up for $2.80 a bottle) or we'd exchange movies with another boat in the anchorage. Most mornings we'd work on the boat and do odd jobs; there is always plenty to do. Every day it was a pleasure to drop over the side and snorkel around getting acquainted with all the fish that lived on the reef below our boat. It was just a pity that I couldn't go down and spear one for dinner! After over a week of blowing, the wind finally died down and we cleared out for The Bay Islands. The first day and night of sailing were fine and we made good progress but after that the wind died away leaving us crashing about in a lumpy sea with not enough breeze to keep our sails full. We ended up doing about fifteen hours of motoring. That made it a fairly normal passage for this part of the Caribbean! John & Paula |
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