Since about 1030 we are docked in the Marina Gaviota, Puerto de Vita, Cuba.

I feel it is not easy for me to describe the positive experiences we had today. I’ll try to sketch it a little bit.

It started while carefully following the well indicate waterway in the long and narrow bay, where the marina is located in a side arm, completely framed in mangroves. I suddenly recognized that there is no garbage to be seen at all. No plastic floats in the water or got stuck at the mangroves trees or drifted by the wind to the many small sandy beaches.

When we called the marina on Ch 16, we got an immediate response. Additionally a guy came in a motorboat to us and ask us to drop the anchor just outside the marina and please wait until the doctor comes on board to check our health situation. (It needs to be said that there is neither an antigen test nor a PCR test needed to enter Cuba. Only three vaccinations must be proofed.) Waiting in such a position for a health check is nothing special because we are international sailors arriving from another country and want and need to make inbound clearance. Puerto de Vita is the Port of Entry in the NE.

About 5 min later we were called on the VHF and asked to come into the marina; we will be advised on where to dock. We followed the request and a gentleman in a white doctor’s coat indicated us where to dock and gave us a hand with the lines. We docked with our PRT side.

The gentleman introduced himself as the doctor, who will do the health related clearance. We all took place in the cockpit and he did what needed to be done. This included a check of our vaccination certificates etc, etc. The most important thing for us was the very friendly atmosphere in which he did his job. We all had an interesting conversation even on personal matters.

When he left, he took our passports with him to give them to the harbor master. Later we understood that a few document were already filled in with information from the passports.

Next came a full crew. Harbor master, border control, customs, and a dog. As Cuba lies on one of the highways for drugs to the USA – the US citizen are simply in so much need of drugs to stand their daily lives – a dog to sniff drugs did but surprised me. The dog was the first guest on board. Looking at him, he gave me the impression, he is already bored as he knows there are no drugs on our boat. A quick bored walk through all the rooms and we were “drug cleared”. Then 2 officers had a look through our boat, opened her and there a door of a cabinet. After 3 min the first one greeted us again friendly and wished us a good time in Cuba. The other one, from border control/immigration helped us to fill in a 4 page document. Very friendly and very helpful when we explained the situation and what to fill in.

I needed to smile when he looked at my 4-color FMB pen. I got the feeling that he would like to have it. So I put it into the pocket of his shirt and he smiled very happy.

OBM, I need some more FMB 4-color pens!!!

He did a good job, was friendly, like we were, thus we all had a pleasant time.

Stressless inbound clearance without not really functioning special apps or homepage to be filled and getting wrongly analyzed by poorly working AI in situations, where we don’t have good internet or no internet connection at all.

We got our visa for 30 days and the permission to sail in Cuban waters. What else do we need?!

Next we know we need to go to the marina office. We established already via email a good contact with Yaney, the lady in the office. She came to our boat shortly after the doctor left and introduce herself. It is just pleasant, to meet and talked with this lady. When we walked up to her office at the top of the little hill, she was in the restaurant to stand some things there. As the wind flows through the 2 1/2 sides open construction, it feels cool sitting there under the reed covered roof. She took the document she already filled in with all the information I sent by email. Explanations for all things we wanted or needed to know mixed with a lot of stories and jokes. We learned we need to go by car Santa Lucia to buy food and get a SIM card for Cuba. Then she introduced us the driver, who will bring us there and back to the marina. Assuming that we are interested about his car he invited us to have look at Today only so much that I was shocked about what car he has. He even opened the engines bay lid and I was even shocked more. This part of today’s experience tomorrow, after we had a ride in this incredible vehicle.