Return to Cuba

A Continuation of Cruising Cuba-A Circumnavigation

Steven Jones

In December 2000 I slipped out of Key West aboard the s/v Sirius II for my fifth voyage to Cuba since 1997. I departed under a cloud of uncertainty as the US Customs Department had pronounced that its agents were increasing their irritating scrutiny of Americans traveling to Cuba to insure that we were not spending money in Cuba, that, we were not "trading with the enemy."

These concerns were addressed at an overflow meeting hosted by West Marine in Key West last November. Agents from the local US Coast Guard, Immigration, Customs, and from Washington, DC, the Director of the Office of Foreign Assets Control, Department of the Treasury attended the meeting. They took turns at issuing warnings of dire consequences awaiting those who violate these "Regulations." OFAC, as this regulatory agency is called, is empowered to impose civil fines up to $5,300 on any US Citizen who spends money in Cuba. This is not what those in attendance came to hear. Many were already registered to participate in an upcoming sailing regatta to Cuba!

Additionally, the Customs Department was making it more difficult to obtain special licenses, as the Regulations permit, to travel to Cuba. My own specific license to travel to Cuba to conduct videographic research was revoked in August 2000, while I was in Cuba doing professional research!

My interest in going to Cuba was twofold: l) My intended destination was the Dominican Republic. As I am sailing alone, a rest stop in Cuba is a prudent decision in order to break up the five-day trip. 2) Also, I wanted to visit Holguin, a city in Eastern Cuba, to touch basis with Marianne, a Cuban in the process of immigrating to the United States. It came to pass that nasty weather and mechanical problems made sailing to the Dominican Republic prohibitive. This did not prevent me from traveling about Cuba by land. I left the Sirius II for several days at La Isabela, an out-of-the-way small town on Puerto Sagua la Grande on the north coast of Cuba. As there are no transient facilities here, other than an old commercial dock, there are no charges. Hence, I do not have to spend money. Nevertheless, the guarda frontera still assign a guard to watch my boat day and night.

From here, I am able to travel by bus or train (see following story) to visit families who befriended me during my circumnavigation of Cuba in 1999. Travel about Cuba is very reasonable as long as you don't use transportation set aside for tourists. In some instances these costs can be absorbed by your Cuban hosts, who, in my case, were friends. How it is that so many Cubans have US dollars is still a mystery to me. But it seems that a shortage of consumer goods in Cuba might be a greater problem than a lack of money.

I first met Marianne in Havana in November 1997. As she was studying English, she struck up a conversation and subsequently we exchanged letters over the years. I visited with her and her family in Holguin in December 1999. This is when she informed me of her intense desire to emigrate to the United States, a desire shared by many Cubans as I have come to learn.

In May 20001 received a collect phone call from Marianne whereby she informed me that she has been selected to apply for immigration. As she has no family members already in the United States, she wanted to know if I could help her. Immigration is an expensive process ($3,000 - $4,000 I have been told). But of course she would pay me back! I don't have that kind of money, but agreed to send her $300, the maximum the Regulations allow, enough to cover the initial expense needed for her January 2001 meeting with representatives of the US Government in Havana.

As I had not heard from her since then, I was curious about what was happening. Upon arriving in Holguin I learn that Marianne has not been completely up front with me. It was not she who had been selected to apply for immigration; it was her husband whom she had married for just this reason-to increase her chances to immigrate. Now that the time to apply is nigh, he has either changed his mind about leaving Cuba or is not able to amass the necessary funds. Since Marianne's right to immigrate is depended on him, she no longer is eligible. Thankfully, when I remind her that I had advanced her some funds for immigration, she quickly assures me that this money would be returned. It was.

In Cuba the authorities expect visitors to use hotels or other licensed facilities for overnight lodging. This way the government can collect the 10% hotel tax, which they can't collect if visitors stay with friends. Thus, it is essentially unlawful for visitors to stay in private homes. Some local officials enforce this more stringently than others. In Holguin this provision is strictly enforced. Fortunately, my friends have a friend on the same street who is licensed to provide overnight lodging. This is a very comfortable, well-maintained, 19thh century Spanish style home. As the owner is a member of the local Communist Party, I know that this arrangement is fit and proper.

In Isla de la Juventud, on the other hand, this provision is not strictly followed. Isla, as it is commonly called, is a large island in the Caribbean south of the western end of Cuba. I flew there from Havana to visit a family who had befriended me on my last visit. The first night here, this family arranges for me to stay in the home of a friend who is licensed to board tourists. For the remainder of my stay, however, I stay with my friends. They will also apply for a private hotel permit and are eager for me to try out the room they are remodeling for just this purpose. The room is nicely done, with its own bathroom, but, of course, no seat for the toilet!

A request from this family: If I were to return, would it be possible to bring some #3 nails? The family horse can't be used on the surfaced roads without horseshoes. This is the size nail used for this purpose. I don't know if the US embargo will allow me to do this humanitarian gesture. Cuba, on the other hand, allows up to $50 of duty-free goods to be brought into their country.

Upon returning the Key West, I go through the usual procedures of checking in with Immigration, Agriculture and Customs. Customs had some different, intimidating, forms to be filled out, designed to better determine if and how much money American tourists spend in Cuba. But on the whole, the officials seemed to be more concerned that I pay the $25 fee for the 2001 Customs Decal required of all vessels longer than 30' upon retuning from a foreign country.