Dear Friend of CHARIAD:
Relatively warm and rainy Saturday before Christmas. I hope you are enjoying the holiday season in you part of the world. I just put up a Facebook post saying I am ready to decorate my Christmas tree.
I instantly got a response from Florida with a picture of a palm tree, “This is a real Christmas tree!”
Sailing from Key West to Havana
Many of you have heard me say I want to organize a sail from Key West to Havana. The adventure may happen in February.
If you are interested in joining this caper, let me know. I am talking to a charter captain in Key West who is working with a tour company that sets up “educational tours” of Cuba. In order to go to Cuba from the US legally, you must be part of an “educational tour.” I will get more details in early January.
We must submit our travel plans 30 days before departure. If you want to go, you will have to make a commitment and deposit by mid January.
When you stand on the beach in Key West, you know Cuba is only 90 miles away.
The distance from Marblehead to Provincetown is 50 miles. Cuba is another 40 miles. Sailing across the Gulf Stream and on to Havana will be half the fun. Seeing Cuba before it changes will be the other half of the fun. All the big hotels in Cuba are owned by the military so they can get foreign currency from the tourists. As Americans, we cannot stay in military owned facilities. We will stay on the boat at the Hemingway Marina or at local B&Bs if we leave Havana for a side trip.
I don’t know what the cost will be but assume it is similar to other boat charters. We will have the Key West captain on one boat so this will be at least a partially crewed charter.
Santa on the Charles
Each Christmas season, Community Boating on the Charles River gets Santa ready to take gifts to good boys and girls who are sailors.
Merry Christmas and may you have joy in the New Year.
Rick
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