WYUNA sailing north on the Atlantic, US east coast on pirate and battle routes …… 2016

Our long 1^st overnight-er was spent hand helming from Freeport, Bahamas to ST Augustine, Florida (the auto-helm stopped damn). Yes we were very relieved to arrive in the harbor, met by a thunderstorm, in our home away from home.  A rest up and up the river we docked for all of April to give WYUNA a new rig, polish, spring clean and do her annual services at the marine center.

Our friends Annie & Daryl welcomed us of NO Rehearsal. They live on board preparing for their pacific crossing – thanks to them we had get togethers at day’s end, a glass and home cooked cockpit dinners helped us unwind, plan our route and enjoy the jokes and camaraderie of workers on land.
For fun we had a big night out seeing Chicago & Earth Wind & Fire in a brilliant array of percussion music and both bands playing " if you leave me now", riveted to our basketball stadium seats.

We needed sail mates to join us to make it offshore on 17 April, and were very glad to see Robbi & Peter arrive!
(Phew no more work for a while).

Wyuna was ready to go north on the east coast, a Spanish pirate route ,with a good breeze & 4 of us on board cruising offshore for 2 weeks.




First to Amelie island, an old British town where we walked our legs off to the marshlands of national parks looking for REAL alligators.WE luckily bumped into a wildlife photographer who seeing how interested we were

showed us how to look for a rare sighting of mum moving her 7 babies downstream!





In these old coastal southern towns- historic parks are framed by leafed canopies of old oaks & Spanish moss dangling, picturesque and shaded places. We saw many colonial timber mansions of Gone with the Wind fame here. How wealthy were some British colonial settlers!

Every town has generations of families, who are happy to chat, give directions, and have a laugh -where y’all from? Even offered to buy us lunch if we bought a house from a realty man.  A few streets back live many black families who live in small cottages and like to ride bikes, sing and say Welcome, enjoy de ya stay here.

Our full day sail in 15knts was a hoot to Brunswick Landing, Georgia marina. It''s a yachtees haven, and a huge surprise was seeing friends Linda & John, and catching up at potluck dinners -byo own pot to share, with Liam & Annie from oz who have been cruising, living on board over 10yrs.

Many people live on boats here and the club has FREE beer, bikes to ride, and endless social nights for everyone - and transients like us a welcomed to join in. Gr8t can this happen in Melbourne town?

Happy sailors make for a great day on board. We  sailed on to Salepo sound, stopping overnight in inland waterways of peaceful marshlands and rivers to rest and be merry. Frogs and shrimp noises went all night long.  Peaceful on the deck at dinner, we all slept well with no other boats here.

Shrimp boats are everywhere on the 

Atlantic ocean and inlets so we are always on watch, so fresh shrimp & grits are a tasty and must treat in seaside restaurants.

Harbour entrances can be 10 miles into an anchorage. (Active Captain app is gr8t). Docking on City Dock at the Savannah Historic Area was brilliant- rows of old cotton houses, now bars, cobblestone waterfronts with market sellers, woman making swamp baskets. A stunning town of ornate houses and parks to soak up the beautiful neighborhoods, ice creams and arts designs. Yes most city's have municipal run marinas for short and long stays.

One day we visited the indigenous Gullah peoples crab & oyster farm closed in the 50's/museum in the swampland in their town to hear about the early days of women processing & men fishing.  Old hand built wooden boats and basic tools and processing made for a hard days work for women and men making a living. A strong community still runs this and live here.

We had a gorgeous night out together dining at Victor’s restaurant in a 17c terrace, next to a 17c War of Independence hand drawn Map, eating southern treats of fried green tomatoes, enchanted more than intoxicated. Thanks to Robbi & Peter’s generosity of treating us before leaving us! Yes our 2 weeks flew by and we've had a terrific time and we missed them, they drove in 1 day and we sailed on to Charleston in 3 days- the slow way.

Going 2 up on the leg to Charleston we learnt to anchor in silt & mud at Ediston river, avoid USA Navy Aircraft Carriers at sea, and look out for grey bottle-nosed dolphins to enjoy them playing on the bow.


Charleston is renowned for southern hospitality and a GRAND history where plantation owners built antebellum style mansions - living privileged lives. A tour of Calhoun Mansion is a fine example, now owned by a DC international Lawyer and collector, it’s his other home! The markets and art galleries are of southern crafts- we drank craft amber beers and ate delicious crab cakes and Maine blue mussels just like Portarlington’s.

On our next overnight-er it rained all day then wind came at night and ships all round us- love the Radar alarm and AIS ships register on route. Four flying fish landed on our deck, and a school of dolphins dived along the hull. We arrived at Moorhead City a seaport of powerboats on weekends and game fishing dock for marlin and wahoo. - not our sport.  Daryl’s tip to go to Beaufort instead, 3 miles up around the inlet was fortuitous.

Beaufort, Nth Carolina is a charm, a full anchorage. We went up river in this small fishing village where wooden boat and marine history is alive and well post-civil war. Most famous for the sinking of Blackbeard’s schooner Queen Anne’s Revenge 17c, still being salvaged 1.25 miles of coast.  ARghh love a pirate true story!  

Friendly local sailors, Jim & Anechy invited us to their home for BBQ shrimp lunch with other Leopard sailors Serge & Nicole, to taste home cooked fare and gave us a history walking tour. We felt at home laughing together over funny stories of foods, loves & sea antics going to the marine museum and local wine bar for pizza together.

So 2 Leopards catamarans tag sailed around Cape Hatteras outer banks an infamous coast of wrecks, battles and winds.  Thanks to Bruce’s weather watch, our 43 hrs cruising around the cape was magic- a gentle sail, motor, rain-out, morning fog, moon halos and dolphins on calm seas ( a quiet birthday at sea) -letting us float the last night, before motoring into Norfolk Port alongside huge ships and US navy carriers heading out the channel.

Going Ashore by dinghy we had shrimp, drank Napa valley wine , but a storm had gone through to 30knts.  Next day we toured the Fort Monroe museum the site of Union barracks ,beginning our entrée into the route of Civil & War of Independence of Virginia’s history trail – as British, French, African and Indian peoples battles for land and sovereignty was based right here and slaves escaped from Nth Carolina to these barracks.

LAST week we docked at Hampton City dock to do a driving to tour Richmond, Williamsburg and Jamestown the 1^st British settlement in America. Civil War museums and battlefields form a huge tourist trail to see relics, re-enactments and hear stories of families, soldiers and leaders affected by these wars. A history deeply embedded in americans culture and our conversations.

Last night we joined in the street party of the City of Hampton band & street dancing and browsing in local shops and bars to experience the local community sunday all ages event- no one is shy to get up and join the dance line.

We had booked Aretha Franklin’s queen of soul tour in Durham, NC for May 19^th.  Jim & Anechy kindly asked us to stay at their other home nearby for 3 nights, so lucky us, we got to enjoy their hometown and countryside. Our walks, café stops, and drinks with their mates brought laughs about oz dropbears, the US Primaries Hilary& Bernie v’s Donald now GOP leader unabashed voting of delegates and  fun joining Anechy in cuban dancing after dinner.

 Aretha IS queen of soul, harmony, R& B, gospel and big band rhythms! The 5,000 die hard fans danced, sang and clapped all night as she sang deep and lifted us higher with diva songs. ‘Aretha we love you’ we screamed as she played piano. For her finale of Natural Woman everyone went silent in awe of her talent and lifelong dedications. A woman of gold in sequins and pearls!

A quiet drive back to Hampton, along the Blueridge mountain parkway of the Appalachians gave us a taste of the 2000 ft high country forests of hickory, oak and pines where rolling bright green, tall trees and hiking trails are thick. Rain and fog stopped us walking too long.

Having a pint of British blood in us, we wanted to see James and York towns here to better understand the undying beliefs of Americans about British settlement and rebellions, 10,000 yrs. of Indian peoples and the immigration of African slaves to work on tobacco & cotton plantations for colonists to prosper and establish profitable colonies. Taxation, epidemics, hurricanes, greed & poverty led to fierce battles& losses til the wars resulted in abolition, freedom and voting rights- american liberty won.

The sites of confederate and union battlefields are big attractions. For us we hear from people of the  desperation of people to become independent and free from the mother country is echoed and still talked of as abolistionism, rights, laws and inequalities–and talking over dinners- most people we meet are disparaged by the presidential primary nominations process. A much more costly, long and endurance test for leaders than ours.

We've continued this week to follow the path of American battles, including Martin Luther King Jnr,s walk to the Capitol and President Obama’s victory to the White House at Washington DC-

by motor sailing up the Pontomac river for a week’s stay. Democracy at work!

Today's Memorial Day in DC, 100s of motor bikers are riding, Rolling Thunder in the Mall and the concert the concert is on so we're going to the Capitol lawns.

Wyuna's Cuban land travels cross country and seas April 2015

Baracoa  Cuba

Ola  (Hello)

At 4.15pm, 30 March on the VHF radio ,“Sailing vessel Wyuna come in the entrance of the lighthouse keeping the green markers to port (yes the marks are reverse over here) and proceed 1 mile to the harbour- call on channel if you have any questions”. Porta De Vita.

Cuba’s a 70 mile sail hop from Ragged Island to Porta de Vita- Gaviota marina, on the NE coast. We arrived at the entrance in calm seas, motored & anchored ready for customs- with a Frank Virgintino Cruising Guide, Lonely Planet(LP), US $’s, soaps, casa & restaurant cards, no satellite radio or data and with writing & toilet paper on hand for our travels.  

This blog is a longer story for other cruisers keen to go there and those who gave us useful tips and facts.

Horse drawn taxis

Our month of April land adventure began in rural Holguin with our sail mates on No Rehearsal (Daryl, Annie & Jay)… our intro to the island life of Cuban villages, was driving alongside horse & cart buggies… later we traveled thru Spanish colonial towns on bici-taxis and heaps more!  

Viazul, Tourist bus

Our plan was to leave our 47 ft. catamaran in the marina for $35cuc (US$40) a night and go independently; by plane, Viazul tourist buses, except Habana, where we jumped in Old 50’s collective taxis.

After a car rental with NR on day 1 going to Santa Lucia , a tiny country town for spaghetti lunch, then Holguin main town– the ignition key broke, a flat tire, no night driving nor drinking - we decided, "let bus drivers take us"; in towns you don’t need one.

Lunch stop Annie& Jay

We were always in the hands of helpful local people (we don’t speak Spanish)- taxi drivers, casa owners, tellers, market sellers, troubadours and museo guides. Having a route plan & time to; detour & stay out late, go on tours, walk hours in the streets- did let us explore Cuba’s rich life and sleep well!

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Tourist info

Where we traveled

As self-guided tourists with LP we visited to Infotour & Cubatur offices, forever asking... 'how can we, where is, can we stay X nights?' using only 50 words of Spanish, silly hand signs & maps, - was heaps of fun.

Holguin- Santa Lucia, Gimbara.

We started with a few days in Holguin 30km drive with NR,.  Yani in the marina office helped book us a Casa Particular (family house with a room for 2/ bathroom for 2 nights at 25cuc) and delicious fresh fruit, juice, tortilla and cafe breakfasts to start (5cuc).

We headed to centro Parque Garcia bustling with old baroque walkways to shade you and shops/bars.
After exchanging at the Banco US $ to Cuc 0.96 and $100cuc to local paseo (rate of 1: 25) for stall buys,  Only 1 of our MasterCard’s worked over the teller counter draw cash but NOT in any ATMs in Cuba.  Visa is used in ATMS.

Daryl led us to our first stop for Mojito’s at upmarket Salon 1720, with tattooed heavyweights, then we booked to fly to Habana for 100cuc in 2 days.

Keen to see more we went to Museo de Historica of indigenous, socialist, decorative and arts all in one building – full of authentic stories and artifact's of Holguin- including a Taino Indian skeleton and dress & weapons of the 50's uprisings.    

Historica Museo Holguin

We felt excited sitting in the parque lined with 18c colonial buildings and when asked - Ola, Ola taxi, taxi senor? by well-dressed drivers across the street we replied No gracias senor.  

On our first & last night we went out at sunset to try Restaurant 1910 Cuban food, of chicken soup, criolle lamb and Spanish flan- with Chile vino. Deliciously cooked with friendly waiters who spoke English.

Flambe 1910 Restaurante Holguin

Habana – Verdado, Centro Habana, Vieja

Holguin airport

The afternoon flight to Habana was a 2 hrs smooth ride, (beats a 12 hr bus trip), then a fast taxi trip to Centro where Yani had booked a Casa. It was booked out so Esther the owner drove us to her sisters in Verdado for our stay in a stylish Art Deco apartment with her family.

Our room was very comfy, our host sang songs while whipping eggs at breakfast & coached us in Spanish words and places to go!

Gina & Danae

Over 7 days we explored by foot famous sights - eager to see firsthand and learn of the leadership struggles, creative talents, foreign relations and contradictions (of urban/rural, justice/ imperialism, afro roots/colonialism) and typical things Cuban do .
Everywhere you see colonial architecture of ruins and restorations- where the hard working Cubans live & work.

Centro Habana

Verdado home

Landmark sites are close by, like the Necropolis, the LP 2 hr  historic walk of Centro Habana Architecture, the Malecon waterfront of 15C – 1950’s high-rises, where teenagers flirt on the seawall and Plaza de Revolucion a huge historic monument and museum of the revolution.

Plaza de Revolucion Habana

Dodgy Bruce, Daryl & Annie

We enjoyed the Museo de Bella Artes contemporary gallery installations & watching a 1 hr video of the political struggles with the US, celebrating the release of 5 prisoners that week. Early footage of the mafia, in cahoots with corrupt leaders explains the grandeur of Habana’s mansions and many ruins.

Buena Vista Social Club

AT night we went to a fabulous Buena Vista live show to hear close up a fastbeat Cuban son & salsa band with dancers in suits,hats and fishnet stockings. Oolala.

One night we got lost so took a taxi to the Casa de Amsitad, Verdado and sat outside all evening watching cuban musicians perform, afro folkloric, rumba and romantic popular songs.   

Military HQ & Che's home 1960s Habana . 

We caught a local ferry across the harbour
to walk the hill to Che Guevara's Military HQ displaying
his rooms and roles as leader in the battles &
til his death in Bolivia & return of his ashes to Habana.

Vieja

At lively Plaza de Armas we found old Cuban books, collector art posters and were entertained by troubadours in the afternoon.

The Vieja district of narrow lanes, and sculptures outdoor eateries is quieter and close to the water too!

We really liked Habana's buzz,. After a week, at 8am we took a 6 hrs Viazul coach for 25cuc along the caree terre highway, stopping for lunch at a rancho style restaurant for a pan sandwich and guava juice.

On route farmers were ploughing the fields with oxen, we passed Russian trucks; buses for locals, and bill board signs of Fidel& Che with slogans of victory & socialism gains for all. It was an easy trip (if prepared with toilet paper, some don’t flush, have no seat and 1 cuc to use).

Sancta Spiritus- Trinidad

Casa Trinida

Our last casa host kindly booked a Casa by phone for us. We were met at Trinidad station by a man holding a handwritten sign Gena & Bruz who grabbed our bags in his tri wheeler bici- (cycle) taxi peddling us up cobblestone streets in the rain to our door.

Mercedes greeted us warmly, gave us café, showed us thru a leafy courtyard to a separate room with views from a rooftop over this UNESCO Spanish colonial town- OMG, as we signed the booking form- Cuban live music sounds were the only noise!

Bici-taxi

Afro cuban rumba

Instantly we felt at home! All the town is restored. It’s renowned for its CASA de la Trova music hall, open every day & night, to enter its 1 cuc..We sipped Cuba libres and watched fabulous salsa dancers & bands. One day in the cultural municipal gallery the curator invited us to a 4pm exhibit & awards opening of local artists.

On the hottest day we took the hop on bus from Cubatur 15 k’s to Playa Ancon beach to cool off. Most days were hot, humid, 30+c til after sunset.

Plaza Mayor Trinidad

To learn more about human rights and slavery of Cubans we took a half day tour by Cubatur to old sugarcane sites of the 17c where the guide explained the migrations from Haiti of French and West Africa and Spain.

Horrendous historical facts & records of slaves treated as animals by plantations owners were clearly exhibited.

In Trinidad traditions of colonial life are still practised like fine embroidered cotton made by craftswomen and childrens marching bands.

Seriously, the whole town of museos & houses are original and Plaza Mayor is a tribute to the local leaders who won UNESCO status to restore the Centro in traditional materials & artifacts of the early settlers.

We liked how all old casa’s have a wrought iron window for fresh air so residents can watch the street.  In the afternoon people catch up, Horses trot by and kids play marbles on stone streets.

It’s a town full of stories, like the Museo Bandidios proud history of students training in the mountains to join the struggle in Fidel’s army in the 50’s rebellion- all told in pics & artifacts.

Museo Historica de Bandidos Trinidad

A week’s stay also gave us time to climb the back streets, visit the Santeria African temple practised by many Cubans, the fabulous Museo Romantico spanish casa and the sth coast Gaviota Marina in a safe mangrove harbor. Then we rode 4 hrs on the Viazul to our next destination, thru sugarcane fields past clapboard farm houses, snacking on peanut brittle we bought from a street seller.

Camaguey

A short 3 night stay in the old Centro of town was a contrast, of malls, ice cream parlors, tapas bars located between neoclassical grand theaters, a 1 km walk from our Casa.  We easily found the Plaza Maceo, paid tribute to the only saint of Cuba at an elderly citizens home, but got lost in the labyrinth street layout trying to find the studios of Cuban painter Joel Jover and small collectives. 

Plaza Camaguey

Each day we joined locals sitting on parque seats to chat & take a break.

An endearing bronze statue of the Father of independence-Jose Marti and child stands in the Parque Marti to admire. Dressed in his notorious dinner suit and large moustache- the Cubans adore him and his writings.


Coming here was a change to urban life – our casa was new, with a pair songbirds to wake us, perfectly balanced rocking chairs and flamingo garden statues in the patio where we are breakfast in the cool.

Casa

3 days later we took another a Viazul 4 hrs, 15 cuc returning to Holguin, then taxi to Wyuna for 2 nights to run the engines and check the stern tie up to the wharf. All was safe, but it was too hot and noseems biting.

We left by taxi for Holguin to catch the Viazul 4 hrs sth after Yani booked us another Casa.

Typical farm casa

Santiago de Cuba, Guantanamo,

“Its hotter in Santiago” so by the time we arrived it was siesta, Georgina our casa host put the aircon on, later our taxi driver took us out of Centro to a local restaurant treat with a swing, frappe daiquiris and grilled lobster!


Walk we did, all day til 3pm siesta, taking in the Bacardi grand mansion, a visit for 15c to the oldest grand cuban house of de Diego Valazquez a Spanish conquistador with original furnishings.

Santiago is  a mad, hectic, buzzing place with motor cycles overrunning people, parques full of young people, cake shops and an early Haitian settlement near the water.

A quiet place was the 17 C Morro spanish fort overlooking the harbor and Caribbean sea and used as a prison for independence leaders.


We also wanted to understand the history of the Revolucion fought here.The best museo was Moncada Baracks with bullet holes on the walls.  

Note the bullet holes

Our Guide gave a passionate oral history in english of 2 battles of independence fought here with photos of  Fidel, Raul 21yrs old & 116 revolutionaries - most of whom were caught, imprisoned & tortured in the barracks.

Baracoa

After 3 days we took the Viazul west to Baracoa in Guantanamo province, and were met by a frenzy of casa owners in town- our bici taxi guy was glad to see us- he took us to Evelyn’s Casa right in Centro town 1 street from the parque and main st.

Main calle Baracoa

Here a green, mountainous, tropical forest of hills covers the western province to the Atlantic sea. In an old Pontiac taxi off we went along the coast road with a guide to the river walk and boat trip to see the canyons and cocoa garden and eat fresh octopus lunch with a family.

Baracoa is small, friendly and full of walks- we did the 90dg. walk to the ancient Taino Indian burial caves with an enthusiastic Archaeologist guide telling us of the chief’s skeleton, 450yr old ceramics and hammock invention was for real!  (Columbus has a lot to answer for killing 100,000 people.)

We talked with young artists at the collective close by, saw the old fort at sunset overlooking the harbor, and bought roasted peanuts in paper tubes to have with Cristal Cuban beers after it cooled at 6pm.

Instead of retracing our route, the local hotel told us “if 10 people register you can take the Transtur mini bus for 30 cuc along the nth coast bumpy road to Holguin, to see the mountains & sea taking 5 hrs”.

We saw the landscape on the road til we got to a huge nickel mining area then headed inland to dryer farm lands.

  Last stop

After landing in Holguin on Saturday our Casa host did a brilliant job of convincing us in Spanish, to come to the Holendaras street fiesta. We walked 2km at 7pm following others- first we saw the orchestra playing, then rows of colored restaurant tables, pigs roasting on spits and families walking dressed to enjoy.

A unique performance was men playing Cuban traditional songs on an antique wooden pianola organ on the footpath while a band played slow salsa and couples danced arm in arm- a delight. We stayed late and strolled home chatting abut the spirit of cubans who love to party.

At the heart of Cuban typical life it seems to us stands a proud, agile, social salsa dancer of all ages reveling in the beat and sensuality of rolling hips in symmetrical rhythms- we watched street dancers each night. Now we have CDs of Cuban music.if we ever try salsa?

Adios Amigos, we thanked, hugged & waved Yani goodbye sorry to leave here and our fondness for Cubans and their island behind.

Casa owners greeting us at the Viazul station  in Baracoa

Within 24 hrs of returning to Porta de Vita the no seeums were biting , we cleared customs at 6am, left gifts & motor sailed out to the calm seas, sog 5knts, til 7pm pm arriving back in the Jumento islands at  Hog Island Bahamas to drop anchor.