On Thursday 07 December we finally made our way toward Cayo Largo but could only manage another 20 mileas against current and wind. We anchored in Cayo Avalos, saw a hovercraft, snorkled on a wreck, and waited for the wind.
On Sunday 10 Dec. we moved another 20 miles to Cayo Rosario. It was beautiful there, and without a doubt the diving/snorkelling here is some of the best I have ever seen. The amount of fish make up for the relative lack of diversity found slightly more south. The fish here show no fear of predation, and a snorkeller splashing into the water is met head-on by an army of inquisitive sea life. Taking photos with Liz's "Disposable-but-dad-found-a-way-to-reload" underwater camera was quite difficult with so many fish around.
After four wonderful days there (21.36.29Nx81.55.96W)we left for Cayo Largo and finally made it on December 15. We were asked why it had taken 18 days after arriving in Cuban waters to get to an official port of clearance. Well it seems that Cubas burgeoning tourism industry is rather immature in the way to deal with matters like this, and the small facts like "Sailboats cant go into the wind directly" seem to escape them here. We were subjected to three days of Judicial hearings, Officials flown in from the big island, and threats of fines ranging from 3000 to 10 000 US$. Finally I landed up with an official letter of warning, which might keep the Cayman Agricultural oficers letter company. Cayo Largo is a tourist machine, nothing else, save that its location is superb, set in cays and reefs washed in waters of unusual clarity.
The old Russian radial engined biplanes still fly daily here alongside turboprop and jet engined craft. The New airport is built to military specs and could probably land a Mig 29 at full tilt with no brakes, it is so long. We were moored right near the numbers, and could hear planes running up before takeoff. By the time they reached the end of the runway we could no longer hear them. The old airport is now a discotheque.
Liz befriended the guy at the turtle farm and spent a very educational couple of days there, in fact looking after the place while the Octavio (the turtle guy) was away.
That was the day that the 5hp Outboard motor seized. Here is a warning to all owners of Yamaha 5's. When you tilt the motor out of the sea water at days end, do not allow the motor to rotate. If you do, it will turn 180 deg, and put the thermostat in the cylinder head at the bottom, allowing all trapped water to collect there and corrode the thermostat into the stuck-closed position. I was putting along, opened the throttle and the motor sounded rough and then immidiately seized. Damn!, Spare parts here are made of an element called unobtainium. There are none. I stripped the motor, and removed the piston, and sat down in the cockpit and filed it back to a semblence of normality. Cleaned the rings, removed rust from the lower main roller bearing with neat hydrochloric acid (until it sounded right) and honed the bore with a foam roller wrapped in waterpaper. It is back together now and running fine (knock-knock).