Journey From Havana to Varadero

We left Havana mid day and set sail to Varadero. It was a beautiful sunny day and winds were blowing in our favor. We sailed along the coast for 8 hours and once the wind died, we took down the sails for our night watches to begin. The total trip took approximately 17 hours from start to finish. The sky was clear but no sign of the moon. Halfway through the night, the moon rose on the horizon full and bright orange! It was a beautiful sight!

While underway, Steve was at the helm on watch and Ashley was down below sleeping, all of a sudden water started dripping on Ashely’s face and she woke up thinking the boat was sinking!!! Turns out, we were running the water maker and the tank beside the bed filled and overflowed!!! We quickly shut it off and cleaned up the mess! We planned to dry everything out as soon as we arrived at our destination.

When we arrived at Varadero it was still dark but the seas were flat as glass and incredibly calm. It’s our preference to go into a new marina in daylight to spot obstructions so we decided to shut down the engine and drift until the sun came up. Once it was light enough to see, we approached the channel to marina Darsena. Just as we came to the entrance a dolphin greeted us by swimming in front of our boat! The sight of a dolphin in the sea will never get old!

Once we arrived we checked in and then took a long nap while it was still cool! Even though it was an almost 80 mile journey, this passage suddenly began to feel more comfortable and routine! Tomorrow we will head to the beach!