Key West

Banyan House with tree spreading over two lots.

First lighthouse in Key West across from Hemingway's house. 

Chickens galore on the key.

My new friends at Southpoint, Key West.

Party girl at Fantasy Fest 2011.

Bicycle-Boom Box man seen at every parade in Key West.

Friends Janet & Chuck visiting for Fantasy Fest 2011.

Marilyn doing what she does forever. 

One of the mono-hulls racing next to the docks.

One of the 2 turbine powered catamarans.

The #1 turbine catamaran, Miss Geico, set record 2 weeks ago at 260 MPH
on Lake Michigan.

We made our sail to Key West where Lisa and I parted company. I stayed in Key West for a couple of months sight seeing, fishing and the never ending working on the boat. I've been told by cruisers that cruising means working on boats. I now know their right. It's mostly pleasant work, you have to like it cause it really never ends. In several cases the work is making a system better, smoother, faster and less trouble prone. I had a new crew lined up to sail with me and after waiting for them one month they emailed me to say they had some kind of tragedy happen in their family and wouldn't be able to make the trip. I decided to set sail solo and have some adventure. While sailing close to Cuba my hydraulic steering system came apart, that is a bearing slipped out of place and disappeared into the lazarette. After a careful search I gave up and used a screw driver handle as a replacement part. The bearing is nothing more than a piece of stainless steel about 7/8" in diameter and 1-1/4" long. The screw driver worked perfectly and got me into Marina Hemingway where I cleared into Cuba for repairs. The officials come out in number to search the boat, get several copies of ships documents and ask in various ways for bribes. I quickly figured out that as they asked for a gift I asked for one in return. That stopped them quickly as bribes here are illegal. I gave away several small gifts to people that helped me find things I needed to make my repairs. The people of Cuba are very nice, happy, sharing and helpful even while living under the repression they live under. If you travel to Cuba I suggest buying good things at garage sales, like clothes in all sizes, electronics, fishing poles with reels and other things we take for granted. The people here make very little money and many things are not available to them.

So on my arrival at Marina Hemingway I quickly noticed the number of American flagged boats present. Some stay here full time and others were stopping like myself. The marina is huge and very empty. It consists of 4 wide and long canals that can berth boats on both sides. There used to be water and electricity available at every berth, but now most of them do not work. The marina like the area around it at one time before the revolution was very well appointed, but now many things are decaying. Reminds me of a line in a Bob Dylan song, "everything is broken", that's how it is here. There are guards present 24/7 and no Cuban is allowed on your boat unless he or she is a registered worker with the Port Captains Office. In order to have a female visitor come on board in the evening one has to slip the guard in your area a $5 bill and she has to leave before 6 AM when the shift changes. There are many rules and for every one there is way around it, usually a small amount of money is all it takes. The guards work for the government like most of what's seen even though there is a company name present the company is government owned. The guards make $25 per month like most of the government employed people. They get a monthly food allotment of something like a dozen eggs, 5 lbs. of flour, an amount of vegetables of which the number I've forgotten and a small amount of chicken and pork. It's hardly enough to live on so everyone has to do something on the side to make ends meet. They get free Doctor care and hospitalization, free education and most people I spoke with love their country.

I spent a day in Havana where you walk among falling down buildings, sewage in the streets and it's associated smells and armed Army personal. There are buildings that are absolutely beautiful in design with ornate exterior furnishings that are decaying and pitiful. It was a very grandiose city in it's time, but now after being saved by the revolution it's fallen apart. Many huge, at one time beautiful buildings, stand windowless and the rains run freely through them. Certain areas that house the better hotels are a little better kept, but not much better. But again the people are mostly happy and helpful. The food is good in the small restaurants and very inexpensive like at one place I visit near the marina I pay $1.50 for chicken, rice, garlic and beans and plantains. Can't beat it, just don't drink the water. Cuban Rum is the best I've ever tasted and cheap. Some liters selling for $1.53 are OK if mixed, but the better stuff which will cost $6.40 a liter is good sipping straight while puffing on a hand rolled Cuban. Life is good in Cuba if your not Cuban, that's why the wealthy Americans visit often and are well taken care of. Arnold is one of the repeat visitors here and has made a name for himself in Havana. I'd like to visit all of the interior someday as I've heard from several people the beautiful sights to behold.

Now that my boat is repaired I am off to Mexico with an American crew member to visit Isla Mujeres, the Island of Women. I'll miss Cuba, it's nice here with so much more to see, but there's that embargo thing hanging out there. Ha, trading with the enemy, how did they come to be our enemy anyway?