Chartering in Cuba: entry, marinas and permits for the coast

Cuba offers reefs, mangroves and empty cays, but little infrastructure. Charter bases are mainly on the south coast, for example at Cienfuegos, from where the island groups offshore are within reach. The marinas are few and basic, diesel, water and food are not reliably available everywhere, and the charts are not accurate in every area. Anyone chartering here plans for more stores and fewer miles than in the rest of the Caribbean.

To enter, visitors need a tourist card and proof of health insurance valid in Cuba, plus an entry form completed online beforehand; check the current position with the Foreign Office. With the boat, the border guard, the Guardia Frontera, issues a permit for each leg before departure, the despacho, and checks the boat again on arrival at the next harbour. Where the crew may go ashore is not freely open everywhere. The base explains which route it allows and which papers and permits must be on board.

Move between the reefs only in good light with the sun behind you, and many bases rule out night sailing. The hurricane season runs from June to November, so most charters take place in winter and spring. Before you book, ask how much experience the base wants, whether a skipper or pilot is required and how the deposit and payments are handled, because cards are not accepted everywhere. If you damage someone else's boat or property with the charter yacht you are personally liable, so your own skipper liability insurance belongs in the preparations.

Worth remembering

In Cuba you plan the route with the authorities, not just the chart.