Sailing/Rowing from Louisiana along coast to Yucatan then Cuba

[liberationmoves]

I want to make this trip in a boat. If anyone has any experience sailing this area or information, share it. I want to do this in some real cheap boat something with sails and oars. if getting a boat in the US and going all the way along the the coast is too difficult then I would like to sail from the Yucatan to Cuba.

Is anyone seriously interested in this trip?

 

[sucuri]

That's quite an undertaking. I've got some experience in building sails on cheap wooden boats, but I've never taken them on the actual sea. I stick to rivers -- but even that is pretty nerve-racking at times. You already know how to sail, I hope.

The coast is one thing. Yucatan to Cuba is quite another. If you don't know what you're doing than you will very possibly disappear in the Gulf of Mexico. I reckon it would be a helluva a lot easier to follow the coast.

You can probably find a cheap wooden fishing rowboat in Mexico somewhere. I would lanteen rig it if I were you, augment the keel, and attach a solid rudder. Maybe even lee boards. I would not reccomend straying far from the coast, ever.

 

[MirrorLamp]

Is sailing to Cuba really that simple? All you need is a passport and they'll let you in? Or have you done some preparation for this?

 

[liberationmoves]

For those wanting to sail to mexico here are some relevant links - http://www.banjercito.com.mx/ There is a link for the boat importing permit in the vertical menu, in English no less.
http://www.sat.gob.mx/aduanas/vehiculos/importacion_temporal/Paginas/embarcaciones.aspx
http://www.mexonline.com/boatmex.htm

As for Cuba, the information I am seeing is that it will cost you about 55 CUC and then you need the tourist card if you plan to stay for more than 3 days. I cant find much more than that at the moment. This guy is selling a book and has dock prices - http://cruisingincuba.com/cuba_marinas.htm

One more thing , you have to have insurance coverage or buy it, its from 3 - 4.50 CUC per day. if purchased there.

 

[liberationmoves]

That's quite an undertaking. I've got some experience in building sails on cheap wooden boats, but I've never taken them on the actual sea. I stick to rivers -- but even that is pretty nerve-racking at times. You already know how to sail, I hope.

The coast is one thing. Yucatan to Cuba is quite another. If you don't know what you're doing than you will very possibly disappear in the Gulf of Mexico. I reckon it would be a helluva a lot easier to follow the coast.

You can probably find a cheap wooden fishing rowboat in Mexico somewhere. I would lanteen rig it if I were you, augment the keel, and attach a solid rudder. Maybe even lee boards. I would not reccomend straying far from the coast, ever.

Thanks for the advice. No, I do not have experience sailing. The passages looks about about 120 miles or less. How hard can it possibly be? I have never heard of lanteen rigging before.

 

[Matt Derrick]

i'm pretty sure cuba would want an entrance fee at the very least. i've also heard tales of folks motorboating a dingy from key west to cuba, but that's a pretty bad idea if you like the thought of living. definitely not possible without a sailboat from louisiana.

I can only say, how hard can it possibly be? Thanks for the advice, I have never heard of lanteen rigging before. What exactly do you mean by augmenting the keel? Adding a larger keel?

i think you're going to need to do a LOT more research before attempting something like this. it took us 2 days each way to sail from key west to the dry tortugas, which is about 60 miles, and that was in a 40 ft sailing vessel. without a serious sail and rigging you're just going to be floating about at the mercy of the ocean's flow and stand little chance of getting to cuba.

 

[MirrorLamp]

I'm definitely interested in seeing Cuba, but I don't know the first thing about sailing which is a shame because I'm probably heading to the keys soon.

 

[MirrorLamp]

Forgot to mention. Why are you trying to go from the Yucatan peninsula? Do you just want to go to Mexico first or is it something to do with the tides?

 

[liberationmoves]

Forgot to mention. Why are you trying to go from the Yucatan peninsula? Do you just want to go to Mexico first or is it something to do with the tides?

It's a proximity and USA citizen thing. I don't need to go to mexico first. I could buy a ticket to the bahamas or try to hitch a ride in Miami, but that sounds boring in the first case and difficult in the second.

 

[liberationmoves]

i think you're going to need to do a LOT more research before attempting something like this. it took us 2 days each way to sail from key west to the dry tortugas, which is about 60 miles, and that was in a 40 ft sailing vessel. without a serious sail and rigging you're just going to be floating about at the mercy of the ocean's flow and stand little chance of getting to cuba.

Yeah, I saw that thread.
I'm on the learning part. First order is finding a tidal chart and sea level map of the area. I know the gulf itself is a shitty area because of all of the traffic and oil platforms. Here is hoping the stretch I want to do is not too bad.

 

[MirrorLamp]

It's a proximity and USA citizen thing. I don't need to go to mexico first. I could buy a ticket to the bahamas or try to hitch a ride in Miami, but that sounds boring in the first case and difficult in the second.

I thought going through a proxy country was only for people going the conventional way.

I really need to do more research.

 

[liberationmoves]

Navigation chart http://www.oceangrafix.com/chart/zoom?chart=411

 

[sucuri]

How hard can it possibly be?

A lot harder than you think, man. This is the OCEAN we're talking about. Ask any fisherman in Mexico and he will tell you exactly how hard it could possibly be. When Fidel Castro and Che Guevara invaded Cuba from Mexico in the sixties they used a motorized boat to get there, and the crossing took several days because of bad weather and they almost sank many times. By the time they finally reached Cuba they were so exhuasted that they were useless for the attack against Batista that they had planned, and would have probably been wiped out by his army if they hadn't been able to escape into the mountians.

A Lanteen rig is a triangular sail that was widely used in the Medeterranian, Egypt, and San Fransisco (on the Italian immigrants' fellucca fishing boats) in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. It is the most effective sail for beating against the wind and is very versitile. The rigging is a little complicated, though. Nowadays you mostly only see them in the Egypt and on the jangadas of Ceará, in northeastern Brazil. As for the keel yeah, I would make a big one because if not you'll probably tump over.

Egyptian Fellucca

Jangadeiros on the Atlantic Ocean, northeastern Brazil

I would not make one as tall as the fellucca, though. Make it shorter and wider. You should DEFINETLY hang out in Mexico for awhile with the fishermen and learn to sail before you try to go to Cuba.

Also, I'm almost positive the Cubans don't charge anything. They don't even stamp your passport so Big Brother won't know you were there. They want dollars to be spent there. It's the American government that gives us shit for going to Cuba.

 

[liberationmoves]

A lot harder than you think, man. This is the OCEAN we're talking about. Ask any fisherman in Mexico and he will tell you exactly how hard it could possibly be. When Fidel Castro and Che Guevara invaded Cuba from Mexico in the sixties they used a motorized boat to get there, and the crossing took several days because of bad weather and they almost sank many times. By the time they finally reached Cuba they were so exhuasted that they were useless for the attack against Batista that they had planned, and would have probably been wiped out by his army if they hadn't been able to escape into the mountians.

I would not make one as tall as the fellucca, though. Make it shorter and wider. You should DEFINETLY hang out in Mexico for awhile with the fishermen and learn to sail before you try to go to Cuba.

Also, I'm almost positive the Cubans don't charge anything. They don't even stamp your passport so Big Brother won't know you were there. They want dollars to be spent there. It's the American government that gives us shit for going to Cuba.

I don't recall there being boat problems when I read about Fidel's incursion I'll have to reread about it again but I do know they went to Sierra Maestras, on the other end of the island.

That link I put in seems up to date on the prices of entry by boat and it works out to 55 CuC for the 3 different fees. Believe me I'm a firm believer in incrementalism so I wont just launch right away without testing my skills and the ability of any vessel to handle bad weather and maneuverability. I know when to push the limits, and when not to but necessity sometimes makes us push the limits. Sink or sail.

 

[sucuri]

Sink or sail.

By all means. I'm not trying to discourage you in any way -- because I've had plenty of hairbrained schemes that everybody told me I would die doing, and so far the ones I have actually carried out have ended up pretty sucessful.

But don't fuck with the sea, man. Just don't. She's a cruel mistress. DO NOT point your prow into the open ocean until you know damn well what you're doing. You say you have no expirience -- fine. Get some, and respect for the sea will come along with it.

And Fidel and el Che had LOTS of issues on that stretch. Reread whatever you read. Best of luck to you man, and listen to the Mexican fishermen. They know.

 

[sucuri]

As for the prices, I'm going off of what I've heard from the American travellers I've met here in South America who have been to Cuba -- and there's plenty of 'em. But even if you have to pay 55 Cuban pesos....what's that, like 10 dollars? Just a little bit more than Honduras. Basically free, man. You should see Brazil's visa charges: US$160 for three months.

 

[sucuri]

Okay, I will admit my info about Fidel's crossing is not entirely accurate, since they left from Veracruz and crossed 1,200 miles to Cuba. But it was horrible:

Purchasing decrepit yacht the Granma, on 25 November 1956 Castro set sail from Tuxpan, Veracruz, with 81 armed revolutionaries. The 1,200 mile crossing to Cuba was harsh, with food running low and many suffering seasickness. At some points they had to bail water caused by a leak, and at another a man fell overboard, delaying their journey. The plan had been for the crossing to take 5 days, and on the Granma’s scheduled day of arrival, 30 November, MR-26-7 members under Frank Pais led an armed uprising in Santiago and Manzanillo. However, the Granma's journey ultimately lasted 7 days, and with Castro and his men unable to provide reinforcements, Pais and his militants dispersed after two days of intermittent attacks.

But why didn't they cross from the Yucatan if it's only 120 miles? Currents, probably. There's some nasty shit in that route man, I garuntee you. Look into it.

 

[liberationmoves]

http://superiorcoastal.blogspot.com/2014/02/yucatan-channel.html

"We left where we had been and crossed the Yucatan Channel. It is about a 120 NM crossing but due to the 3.5 knot current you first go south about 50 miles then head due west. The northbound current carries you up to the vicinity of Isla Mujeres. Where we arrived about sunset. We are tired from the 35 hour crossing so just anchored and ate some left over pasta and now some real sleep. Sounds like we will be here about 3 days for groceries, Internet, laundry, showers. We will clear in tomorrow. Captain says we will go to a marina and pay some guy to chase around for paperwork. It's not the usual procedure. Anyway we can't get off the boat until we are cleared."

 

[sucuri]

All right dude. Best of luck.

 

[liberationmoves]

Who wants to go half on a boat and sail the caribbean? $1,200 total for this - http://pensacola.craigslist.org/boa/4695083719.html