Marina Hemingway to Bahia Honda
We were up and away fairly early this morning, stopping for fuel on our way out, and the obligatory check out procedures with the Guarda. There is great interest in our bicycles, and at each stop they confirm that we still have them – both on arrival and departure. I guess they are a valuable commodity here, and they want to make sure we have not sold them.
The trip from Marina Hemingway to Bahia Honda is a distance of 40 nautical miles, or about 5 hours. It was a lovely day with clear skies and very little wind, but we did hit a current going the other direction, which affected our speed and therefore our total travel time. Cava, our travelling buddies, were affected even more than we were, as they are unable to get more from their engines.
The coastline has become very rugged and sharp, with few towns visible now that we are west of Havana. The ocean was that beautiful deep sapphire that we love so much, and conditions today were close to perfect. Kokie was even comfortable enough that he actually played for a little while, a first for him when we are under way.
Our anchorage for the night was Bahia Honda, home to a ship recycling facility but also littered with the wrecks of ships that were either too far gone to recycle, or they sank while waiting their turn. The rusting carcass of an old dry dock marks the entrance to the bay. Despite all of this, it is actually very pretty, and we settled in for the night after a refreshing swim, a few drinks with Patrick and Jacqueline, and a light dinner.
June 16
Bahia Honda to Cayo Levisa
Cava left about an hour before us this morning, and when we left the bay we found beautiful flat seas with no wind and virtually no current. What a perfect day! Blue faded into blue, with no discernible horizon. On our left, the sharp coastline with an occasional white sand beach. On our right, infinity.
We caught up with Cava in time to follow them into Cayo Levisa where we plan to stay for the next several days as there is some serious rain in the forecast. We left the relative safety of travel in several hundred feet of water to cross the reef, sometimes in water as shallow as 6 to 8 feet. It is so clear that you can see the bottom at about 30 feet, so everything in less than 10 feet seems to be right at the surface. Michael had to trust the depth and forward scanner, as I wasn’t able to judge any depth from the bow.
We made it through without incident, but had a little difficulty getting our anchors set in the weedy bottom. We dragged up a ball of weeds and mud and roots bigger than a basketball at one point which I had to pull off the anchor. Never let it be said that I am afraid to get my hands dirty!
There is a resort on the island, and we are welcome to visit their beach, bars and restaurants while we are here. But first, we had to check in with the local Guarda. Patrick picked him up at the resort dock and brought him out for the clearance formalities, first on his own boat, then to ours. We provide all the copies of all the same documentation at each stop, and answer all the same questions each time. Each Guarda laboriously fills out his copy of the forms by hand, which Michael signs with great solemnity.
The resort is lovely, with no buildings above tree level. The palm thatched bungalows and common areas are spread out across the island, linked by wooden boardwalks across green spaces and sand dunes. The beach is fabulous, and we plan to spend some time there if the weather allows.
The mainland is fascinating...so clearly an ancient reef that now reaches skyward, with strange shapes mixed amongst sharp points. Impossible to capture with a camera what we can see with our eyes, but we’ll keep trying.
June 17
Had a lazy morning, and met P&J at the resort restaurant for lunch. The buffet is typically Cuban – fish, pork, soup, limited vegetables, lots of rice and pasta. Not great, but a beautiful setting on the beach, so worth the $8.00!
We made it back to the boat before the rain started, and got all the windows and hatches closed. And did it rain!!! The wind reached 30mph according to Patrick, and waves pounded across the anchorage. We watched very carefully to make sure our anchor was holding after the trouble we had setting it, and it held us perfectly!
Sunset after the rain was beautiful, as is often the case. I think I’m becoming addicted to sunsets.
June 18
We woke up to a beautiful full rainbow, but its been raining ever since, and the wind is getting stronger. We have done some inside jobs, and done a little tidying and reorganizing. And at some point during those activities, I suddenly realized that I have not been providing our mileage travelled in this part of the blog as I did when we were traveling down the rivers from Alabama. So here it is if you’re interested:
Date Start at Punta Gorda, Florida Miles Travelled Total Miles
Apr 11 Fort Myers Beach Mooring Field 56.6 56.6
Apr 12 Smokehouse Bay, Marco Island 42.8 99.4
Apr 13 Shark River Inlet 68.2 167.6
Apr 14 Boot Key Harbour 49.2 216.8
May 6 Anchorage south of Boot Key 3.4 220.2
May 7 Marina Gaviota, Cuba 114.6 334.8
Jun 5 Marina Darsena 24.3 359.1
Jun 6 Marina Hemingway 81.5 440.6
Jun 15 Bahia Honda 47.5 488.1
Jun 16 Cayo Levisa 29.9 518.0
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