Diapensia - The Arctic Flower - Southing

[lubeckmaine]

Renee Dawson and Jimmy Buehner are southing on their CD 36, Diapensia. This morning we left Newtown Creek in Greenpoint, Brooklyn after departing Lubec September 17 bound for Bar Harbor so Jimmy could run with his daughter, Morgen, in the Bar Harbor Half Marathon in Acadia Park. We then sailed to Damariscove Island ending up in South Portland and Falmouth at Handy Boat and Hallett's Sails where we had a dodger installed. Other ports have been York Harbor, Gloucester, Marshfield, Marion Harbor, Fairhaven Boat Yard, Newport, and Snug Harbor at Pt. Judith where we had to repair frayed alternator wiring. We picked up a mooring in the Mystic River and slipped on the frost on deck in the morning as we had at Fairhaven. Most recently, we dropped the hook in Manhasset Harbor with a view to fireworks over New York Harbor to mark the NYC Marathon, thence to Greenpoint. At the moment, Renee is at the helm, the wind is pissy from the S SE in the lower bay, so our thoughts are to hang in Raritan Bay until favorable NW due Wednesday. We're hoping that we can get some heads up from folks as to where to drop the hook in Raritan. We're also looking for fuel.

Jimmy and Renee Diapensia, Lubec, Maine

[Carl Thunberg]

It sounds like you need this information right now since it sounds like you're already there. This is Cathy's home turf, so normally I'd let her respond, but it doesn't sound like you can wait. Here's a link to the event write-up for the Raritan Bay Float-in we recently held from October 3-5. Here goes. Hopefully someone from that area will respond with information about fuel and more local knowledge.

http://www.capedory.org/fleetevents/NE- ... ayInfo.pdf

[lubeckmaine]

Carl were in the anchorage between Perth Amboy and Staten Island:
N40 29.74
W74 00.80
Got some friends here, a cutter rigged mega yacht to port and a tanker lighting up the sky astern. In the morning we'll look for fuel. We see sticks over on the Jersey shore. Wish we had more crew to push to Cape May. We just finished 36 hours of sailing and motoring from Mystic R. in Fisher Island Sound and LI Sound running aground in Guilford, Ct. foolishly attempting to get into the East River there. Kedged off with a stern anchor and a Danforth at the bow after four hours of waiting for the flood, and finally free and anchors back aboard about midnight, set sail for Port Jefferson, which we fetched at about 9am. With Renee napping below, with a second wind, I pressed on to Manhasset Bay sailing and mortoring where we dropped the hook just in time to catch fireworks over New York Harbor...

[lubeckmaine]

Motoring here from the anchorage at Perth Amboy we overheated in the shipping channel. Quickly adding coolant and restarting the Perkins, we got out of the way of a tanker bearing down on us on its way out.

Reaching Atlantic Highlands, we picked up a AHYC mooring putting on our own pennant and rested for the night. Walking about the AH Municipal Marina, the guys at the security shack suggested diesel mechanic Vince Lauricella who reaffirmed our own suspicions the heat exchanger may be leaking coolant into the raw water. The old Perkins 4-108 is running too well to suspect a cracked head as the guy at Foley Engine was insisting.

Subsequently, I measured all the HE piping diameters just to be sure and ordered a new unit, which came overnight from Bellingham, Washington. Renee and I have just finished the installation but we're too tired to fire it up to check for leaks and top off the engine oil- we had to remove the oil filter to ease the unit in place. Tomorrow is another day, Sunday, and the winds look fair coming from the W. We think we'll run up to YC happy hour and relax and see if we can find somebody to thank for the tie-up here and find out more about the friendliness or not of West winds as we continue to Cape May.

[lubeckmaine]

The Fish Harbor is a great contrast to the glitter of OC as we approached -little bit hard to find in the dark since green can #5, a flashing green, was dead to the world. It has very much the appearance and feel of Nova Scotia Provincial harbors, all fishing boats, no blow boats. We complain, somewhat, of the energy spent lighting up the entire shore, but, plugged in, Renee is screeching yahoo from the head that the shower is working like it's supposed to- plenty of pressure and hot water from motoring the last 5 hours after the wind died just south of Delaware Bay, - and lucky for us too because Brooklyn was the last time we felt warm, fluid molecules cascading over the bod.....

Well, in the morning I feel we must explore- on land. Two nights ago we were en route from Atlantic Highlands to the Cape May Canal where we anchored just below the Coast Guard Station in 8 feet of gray mud clay. We were off the next morning - not too early: we were recovering from the 23 hours from A.H.- so it was like a Slam Bam, Thank You, Maam. So, clean Renee is cooking tofu and I'm about to strip and get under the molecule cascade.

[lubeckmaine]

Very Briefly, Diapensia is in the Riviera Beach Marina preparing for the crossing from Lake Worth to West End, Bahamas. We're toying with circumnavigating Cuba and landing in Havana anticipating that the new administration will liberalize its relations with this country, a visit to which would be a step back into time. I know that other cruisers have been welcomed to Cuba, in fact, we have met two adventuresome Germans who plan to sail in a 30 foot Etap to Havana directly from West Palm Beach... Does anyone know any Americans who have successfully sailed there and returned to the States without running afoul of US Customs?

[Russell]

Does anyone know any Americans who have successfully sailed there and returned to the States without running afoul of US Customs?

I have met dozens of US yachts who have sailed there durring the bush administration since it became hostile to visits there. Not once heard of a problem first hand, but plenty of second hand stories of problems. Personally I would love to cruise cuba as well, but I wont. The risk is too high to me, technically they can confisate the yacht with little recourse. For me, the sign it is safe to go again is when the Key West to Havana regatta is able to run again, its ending and following legal battle was the first signal we couldnt go anymore.

[Sea Hunt]

I agree with Russell and would strongly caution against travel to Cuba at this time. There are both civil and criminal penalties that can be imposed for violating the travel restriction, including the seizure and forfeiture of any vessel used to travel to Cuba.

If you want to read about the travel restrictions and what you need to do in order to legally travel to Cuba, the following is a State Dept website discussing travel related issues:

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_t ... quirements

Living in Miami (sometimes referred to as "Havana North"), I am familiar with the arguments for and against lifting trade and travel restrictions. There are meritorious arguments on both sides.

I have Canadian diving friends who tell me of the pristine reefs and abundant sea life along Cuba's coast. I would love to go someday. My "adopted" sister is from Cuba. She hopes to someday return as well - but not until Cuba is free.

[Russell]

I do not like getting political here, but there is no avoiding it when it comes to cruising cuba.

In the past, in all administrations prior to W. Bush, the state department turned a blind eye. The rule was basically you are not allowed to spend money in cuba, thats it. If you could go there without spending money, you were fine. Its was well know of course that if you did actually go, you did spend some amount of money, I mean seriously, a rich american going to cuba and being given everything free?

In the days of the key west to havana regatta, the loophole was hemingway marina acted as a "sponsor", ie they vouched they were hosting you, thus you did not have to spend money. In reality, you spent money on your berth there and anything else. But pre W. Bush, the state department could care less about a few yachts visiting or a few people flying in via jamacia or mexico.

It is entirely different now, getting caught taking a yacht to cuba is legally a huge deal. Flying there via another country is still no big deal, they can slap your wrists and little else. But if you take your own yacht there and get caught, be prepared to lose the yacht.

Granted, and I hate to get political, the W. Bush administration has been extream in many ways and likely the new prez will order the state department to treat cuba more like prior administrations did, but do not try it until you know for sure. Again, the key west to havana regatta is a good sign, if they start running again then you know you are safe.

As I said in my previous post, I do know many US boats who have cruised cuba in recent years. But they did so with extream caution. They literally taped over their boats name and hailing port to hide it, paid close attension to their approach to cuba to avoid US coast guard notice (ie from the south or extream east via bahamas). You can rest assured that the US keeps very close monitoring of all traffic around cuba via long range radar and satalite. Likely, if you go, they will see you, its a crap shoot if they do anything about it though.

To give you an idea though, of how seriously its taken these days, two years ago, some british friends of mine, in a british flagged boat, left FL for cuba. When clearing out of customs, declaring their next port as cuba, they were told they were not allowed to leave! Not a single US citizen aboard, boat is not US, but they were still threatened with their boat being impounded if they left US waters for cuba. Of course this is ridiculous, as the boat technically belongs to the crown being british flagged (admiralty law is a crazy thing to learn about!) so US custums has no juristiction in telling them where to go. They still tried to tell them they couldnt, they just told them they were going to the bahamas and went to cuba anyways. Once out of US waters they could not be told no. I have heard many similar stories from canadian yachts as well.

The point is though, they try to tell foreign yachts they are not allowed to go, and you want to take your US yacht? Its a huge risk and one that can cost you dearly. I have wanted to cruies cuba for a long time, and ideally I would like to cruise it before the US embargo is inevitably lifted and things drastically change. But I decided awhile ago, while I would love to cruise cuba now, its not worth it, there are a hundred countries out there to explore, amazing places to see everywhere. Sure cuba sounds amazing, I have no doubt it is anything less then what I have heard. But you know what? Every other nation in the world we are allowed to take our yachts to (and when you look at that list you do wonder!), there is many amazing places to go and see, why focus on one country that can get your boat seized? I am in Dominica now (NOT dominican republic), about my 6th time here, its gorgous, cuba sounds nice, but its a big world, check out Dominica (or whereever).

[Kevin Kaldenbach]

It would not have been political if you would said post 911.

[Russell]

It would not have been political if you would said post 911.

Tighter enforcement of the embargo has zero to do with 911.

[lubeckmaine]

Russell -Dominica by all reports is a sweet place to be. Alas, it is further than I want to go on this trip, ergo, the appeal of the proximity of Cuba allowing an early summer return to Maine. Your advice is well taken, however. The penalties, pathetically, are severe for cavorting with a dangerous threat to American security, and its ability to spread democracy around the world. I thank thee. Basically, without getting political, the policy sucks. JB

[lubeckmaine]

Where are we to stow 4 cases of beans in a 36 headed for the Bahamas?

[lubeckmaine]

In the Boot Key Harbor at Marathon, Diapensia rides comfortably on the hook as the East coast bends to the snowy wind. All kinds of circumstance lead one to wait for the proper moment to weigh anchor. So, Diapensia remains stateside but making new friends and enjoying the camraderie and amenities of the Marathon City Marina, incredibly, for nearly a month. The only piddly excuse I can muster for more dallying, besides the wrong winds roiling the Gulf stream, is that we've ordered self tailing winches on backorder from Lewmar.... And the weeks here have enabled the final installation of the Cape Horn self steering control lines leading to the cockpit. Now to try it out. Intent is to cross the stream from here to South Riding Rock at a time we can safely anchor in Andros at Morgan's Bluff, then over to the Exhumas.

[Sea Hunt]

I assume you have hooked up with Bill Watson ("Kittiwake"). I think he at the City of Marathon Marina (or close by).

Bill was very helpful to me last year when I was looking at a CD 28 moored near him. Unfortunately, our paths did not actually cross.