Malua is at 19:50.49N 77:44.20W at Cabo Cruz on 8/4/2013
I left Santiago pleased to get away from the drain on the funds having seen many sides of Cuban life, tourist, local and cruisers. The family who looked after me certainly do well during the cruising season but must find it hard when the cruisers don't arrive and they have to go back to normal everyday Cuban life.
My sail down the coast was uneventful except for one incident which highlighted the isolation Cubans and especially the locals feel. I saw in the distance a small, about 20 ft fishing boat, adrift almost 15 nm from land. The fellow in the bow was waving franticly. I had the main up and a poled out genoa so not an easy rig to change course. I tried just to ignore the fellow but my seamanship got the better of me so I took all the sails down turned on the motor and turned up wind to come alongside. One of the three fishermen was holding up a engine part asking if I had one on board which I did not. They had a sea anchor out and head to wind. I continued up wind went below and put together a few packets of cigarettes, two small bottles of rum and some sweets. I wrapped then in a plastic bag and returned down wind dropping it into their boat as I passed. A great cry of thank you went up as they looked inside the bag. That would give them sustenance till they fixed the engine. I have heard of yachts towing these boats some distance towards land but thankfully the sea was too rough for me to do that today.
Cabo Crux extends far off the actual end of the dry land so I took a wide berth past two red buoys and came into the anchorage just after lunch. No sooner had I dropped the anchor that a young lad appeared off the stern with a large crayfish and a bag of tomatoes wanting to barter these for things or CUCs. I traded the crayfish for a small bottle of rum and a razor. He was not interested in a selection of fish hooks. He tried to come aboard but I refused. This was where Cadiz was boarded during the night and some shoes and fins stolen. I secured everything that night.
Fried crayfish on the menu that evening.
A magical moment on Malua.
I left Santiago pleased to get away from the drain on the funds having seen many sides of Cuban life, tourist, local and cruisers. The family who looked after me certainly do well during the cruising season but must find it hard when the cruisers don't arrive and they have to go back to normal everyday Cuban life.
My sail down the coast was uneventful except for one incident which highlighted the isolation Cubans and especially the locals feel. I saw in the distance a small, about 20 ft fishing boat, adrift almost 15 nm from land. The fellow in the bow was waving franticly. I had the main up and a poled out genoa so not an easy rig to change course. I tried just to ignore the fellow but my seamanship got the better of me so I took all the sails down turned on the motor and turned up wind to come alongside. One of the three fishermen was holding up a engine part asking if I had one on board which I did not. They had a sea anchor out and head to wind. I continued up wind went below and put together a few packets of cigarettes, two small bottles of rum and some sweets. I wrapped then in a plastic bag and returned down wind dropping it into their boat as I passed. A great cry of thank you went up as they looked inside the bag. That would give them sustenance till they fixed the engine. I have heard of yachts towing these boats some distance towards land but thankfully the sea was too rough for me to do that today.
Cabo Crux extends far off the actual end of the dry land so I took a wide berth past two red buoys and came into the anchorage just after lunch. No sooner had I dropped the anchor that a young lad appeared off the stern with a large crayfish and a bag of tomatoes wanting to barter these for things or CUCs. I traded the crayfish for a small bottle of rum and a razor. He was not interested in a selection of fish hooks. He tried to come aboard but I refused. This was where Cadiz was boarded during the night and some shoes and fins stolen. I secured everything that night.
Fried crayfish on the menu that evening.
A magical moment on Malua.
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