Sailing the High Seas: Family Adventure from Isla Mujeres to Cuba!

After spending three days clearing port authorities in Isla Mujeres, Mexico, the crew aboard Sailing Big Lost faced an immediate scheduling conflict. Mexican maritime regulations mandated that vessels depart within 48 hours of completing outward clearance, yet strong northeast winds had shut down their planned weather window toward the Bahamas. Rather than re-entering Mexico and repeating the administrative clearance paperwork, Connor and the crew chose to head east toward Cayo Largo, Cuba, to seek shelter and wait for favorable conditions.

Departing Isla Mujeres in the early evening, the catamaran motored directly into heavy ocean swell and persistent headwinds. Together with crew member David, who lives in Mexico and carried a local bank card as financial backup, they pushed through day and night conditions on a demanding 297 nautical mile crossing to reach Cayo Largo, Cuba.

A Rough 297-Nautical-Mile Passage to Cayo Largo

The passage proved arduous from the start, forcing the crew to motor-sail directly into opposing wind and waves. Heavy seas pounded the bows as the catamaran worked its way across open water. After hours of pounding through rough conditions, the vessel arrived outside Cayo Largo, where the crew found protected waters and dropped anchor in the bay to recover from the transit.

Entering Cuba presented unexpected financial and administrative logistics. Because local merchants and banking facilities do not accept American credit cards, obtaining currency required advance planning. While in Mexico, the crew located an automated teller machine that dispensed US currency, though withdrawals were restricted to a limit of $500. Upon clearing Cuban customs, the crew learned that the country had transitioned away from paper bills toward digital transactions. To pay for harbor fees and provisions, they visited a local bank branch to purchase a prepaid digital Visa card using their cash.

In contrast to their three-day experience clearing out of Mexico, checking into Cayo Largo was straightforward and welcoming. When the crew inquired about duration limits on their travel visas, the port officials offered a surprisingly open arrangement: “when I asked how long we could stay they said as long as we want.”

Sea Turtle Rescue and Hurricane Preparations

While anchored at Cayo Largo, the family visited the local marine turtle rescue facility, where staff were engaged in an urgent conservation mission. Ahead of Hurricane Raphael’s landfall in November, biologists had gathered turtle eggs from vulnerable shoreline beaches. If nesting sites become waterlogged during severe storm surges, the trapped eggs suffocate and fail to hatch. To prevent total nest loss, the rescue team transferred the clutches into artificial nesting enclosures within the sanctuary.

At the sanctuary, the crew observed juvenile turtles housed in plastic recovery tubs. Several of the young turtles had purple antibacterial medication applied to their necks and flippers. Facility staff explained that juvenile turtles frequently wrestle and bite each other to establish dominance, requiring topical treatments to prevent minor scratches from developing infections. The children participated directly in handling the animals, naming two active turtles Ronaldo and Cornelius. Maddie marveled at the up-close access, stating: “Because I get a hold Turtles like when do you ever get a hold of turtle.”

Staff also displayed a massive loggerhead turtle skull and pointed out an albino turtle that cannot be released into open waters because its lack of natural camouflage prevents survival in wild marine environments.

Heavy Seas Deck Damage and Field Repairs

A thorough post-passage inspection revealed multiple equipment failures suffered during the rough beat across the channel. Connor had purchased the catamaran in the British Virgin Islands, where an initial purchase survey noted minor hairline deck fractures adjacent to the forward trampoline. For 10 years, the boat had operated strictly in the sheltered conditions of the Virgin Islands without issue. However, pounding into steep blue water waves subjected the bow structure to severe hydraulic loads.

Because the trampoline mesh openings were too tight to permit rapid water drainage, the forward deck acted like a heavy shovel, scooping incoming seas. The resulting weight created a significant structural fracture along the port deck edge. To prevent water intrusion until permanent shipyard composite work could be scheduled, Connor executed a temporary repair by sealing the fracture with 5200 adhesive sealant.

Other components showed strain from the passage:

• Forward Hatch Covers: External Lewmar sun covers were torn loose or snapped in half when breaking seas forced their way beneath the frames.
• Deck Hatch Gaskets: Aging rubber gaskets leaked sea water into the cabins under heavy deck wash; David coated the sealing surfaces with lithium grease as a temporary water barrier.
• Cockpit Backrests: A mounting flange on the cockpit backrest bar snapped under wave impact, gouging the fiberglass gelcoat.
• Tender Davit Mounts: Primary tie-down hardware securing the 15-foot dinghy to the stern davits failed in heavy seas, prompting the crew to lash the tender with Dyneema rope.

Diesel Fuel Scarcity and Mast Halyard Failure

The crew had intended to replenish their fuel supply at Cayo Largo before heading north, as regional nautical charts marked an operational fueling dock. Upon arrival, however, dockworkers reported that no diesel was available and could provide no delivery timetable. The reality forced a shift in expectations: “just because there is a diesel station it doesn’t mean that they have diesel.”

With only a quarter of a tank remaining, staying anchored was risky. The catamaran’s solar array could not supply total domestic electrical consumption without running the generator for a few hours each day to top up the battery banks. Anticipating headwinds on their northward course, the crew weighed anchor to search for fuel along the Cuban mainland.

As they sailed along the southwestern coast of Cuba, their main halyard suddenly snapped inside the mast. Seeking to salvage the line, David donned a bosun’s chair and ascended the rig in 20-knot winds and open ocean swells. Upon returning to deck, David delivered his evaluation: “All right I have a good news and a bad news.” The internal halyard had slipped beyond reach inside the spar, prompting David to reflect on the persistent failure: “it’s happened twice in a year in a year that’s crazy.” Without calm water, running a messenger line aloft proved impossible.

Bypassing Marina Hemingway after other sailors reported that obtaining diesel there involved difficult negotiations in a near-deserted facility, the crew pressed past Havana at sunrise. Commercial docks in the capital declined to sell diesel to cruising yachts. Along the shoreline, local residents fished offshore from makeshift floats crafted from blocks of styrofoam.

Refueling and Mast Rigging at Varadero

Arriving at the marina docks in Varadero, the crew finally secured fuel for their empty tanks. Before pumping diesel into the yacht, they tested the fuel quality in an inspection bucket with a light, confirming the liquid was remarkably clean without water sediment. Connor treated the supply with an all-in-one diesel improver and reviewed fuel filter maintenance, emphasizing the role of the transparent bowl on the water separator in catching particulate matter before reaching the engine injectors.

Following a celebratory dinner ashore in town, Connor and David tackled the broken halyard in the calm waters of the marina slip. Working aloft without wave motion, they used blue handle pliers to release the shackle, untangled internal lines, and successfully threaded a fresh halyard through the mast crane.

Frequently Asked Questions