A complete collection of Cuba stories by David Allester and his cruising mate, Eileen Quinn, traveling minstrel of the Caribbean.

A cadre of boatyards
 Cuba’s future recreational vessel repair facilities

By DON BARR

When the political climate changes in Cuba, and more boaters are cruising its waters, will opportunities exit for them to have quality work done at Cuban yards? I enthusiastically think so.

Having completed several boat building and repair projects in Cuba over the last ten years, I have observed Cuba’s well-sheltered bays and have worked in its many boat yards using their respective equipment and labor. Currently, there are no travel lifts at any yard in Cuba, and hauling is done with marine railways or large cranes. Though the machinery is old, the yards are generally well equipped and accommodate large vessels with panamax-size drydocks.

Since most yachts arriving from the north will likely cruise west around the island, this article focuses on the seven main boat yards located in the area spanning Havana to Cienfuegos.

Marina Hemingway

The yard most familiar to yachtsmen who have been to Cuba is in Marina Hemingway, which is not a conventional marina with docks or piers. It was dredged out as a series of four canals about half a mile long each, and yachts lay to the wall on each side. The canals are 100 feet wide with some 100 yards between each. Here, boats are lifted with a construction crane brought in specifically for each job, with a limit of about 45 feet and 25 tons. As boat traffic increases at Marina Hemingway, the yard will no doubt cease operations, as dock space will become too valuable.

Astigal Casablanca                                 (All photos by Don Barr)

The yard with the best potential is Astigal in Casablanca, located just across Havana Harbor from the old city. It has three marine railways with a capacity of 150 tons and 80 feet in length. The side rail can accommodate the hauling of six vessels at one time. The yard is well equipped for all types of work including mechanical, electrical and woodworking, with a bronze foundry on site.

Chullima: These are the kinds of vessels now being produced for the tourist industry.

Another yard of interest in Havana is Chullima on the Almendares River, just past the swing bridge. The Chullima yard specializes in fiberglass and has completed many new vessels for the tour and fishing boat industries. This yard has a small railway and crane and can accommodate boats to about 50 feet in length. No doubt it will become a major yacht facility because of its location in central Vedado, between Old Havana and Marina Hemingway.

Muriel

To the west, the next major harbor is Muriel. This port has large ship facilities with some yacht capabilities, and has recently completed a couple of sailing ship conversions. There are four railways starting at about 250 tons up to large ships, with many cranes capable of handling up to about 100 tons. The downside of this yard is its close proximity to a generating station and large cement plant, resulting in a lot of dust in the air.

Nueva Gerona: A fixed crane for hauling.

The first good yard after rounding Cape San Antonio is in Nueva Gerona on Isla Juventude. Nueva Gerona is well equipped to do any kind of work. Hauling is done with a large fixed crane. This yard was built in the 1960s to maintain a hydrofoil fleet that operated to on the mainland. Formerly the Isle of Pines, the Isla Juventude is some 80 miles south of the mainland of Cuba. The closest mainland port is Batabano. A high-speed ferry service was established when the island served as an agricultural school in the early 60s. A large building was also constructed in which to build a fleet of fiberglass yachts for a charter company. That production never went into operation.

A hydrofoil lies upside down at Nueva Gerona.

Cienfuegos: One of the two yards on this South Coast port.

The most active port on the south coast is Cienfuegos. There are two yards here that work on fishing boats, tugboats and local sailing charter yachts. Hauling is done with railway or crane, and there is always one or two yachts having work done. This yard has a capacity to handle boats ranging from small yachts to large ships.

In addition to the major yards, a few smaller ports build and repair fishing boats. These facilities could do yacht work if the demand warranted it. Two of the most likely yards on the north coast are in La Esperanza and Los Arroyos. Both are small ports but maintain a fairly large fishing fleet. Hauling facilities in these ports have a capability of approximately 50 tons. Their current activities involve boats made of wood, steel, fiberglass and ferro cement, so they have well-rounded capabilities.

Los Arroyos: Work in wood, steel, fiberglass and ferro-cement.

In addition to the major yards, a few smaller ports build and repair fishing boats. These facilities could do yacht work if the demand warranted it. Two of the most likely yards on the North Coast are in La Esperanza and Los Arroyos. Both are small ports but maintain a fairly large fishing fleet. Hauling facilities in these ports have a capability of approximately 50 tons. Their current activities involve boats made of wood, steel, fiberglass and ferro cement, so they have well-rounded capabilities.

Cuba has a long history of building ships, yachts and boats, with generally good workmanship. All Cubans are educated; most shipyard workers have engineering degrees. However, they have very little experience in what we call yacht finish. Most jobs currently being undertaken are for the fishing and tour boat industries. This work is in steel, fiberglass and wood, with some new construction, but mostly just repairs. Occasionally, though, highly skilled craftsman from Cuban furniture factories are involved in yacht finish.

Demex, a Dutch company that manages the two main shipyards in Cuba, Havana and Santiago, has recently trained Cuban workers for its own operations, in aluminum welding and spraying epoxies and topcoats such as Interlux. Demex is also building ferries in Batabano and Nueva Gerona for Cuban services. Other training comes from International Paints (to boost sales), which is the only paint currently being imported into Cuba. Also, the Cuban government has brought in people to provide training in aluminum welding.

Yacht Pilot Marine Service, owned and operated by the author and his daughter, has been involved in a few projects (50 to 135 feet) in Cuba during the past ten years. They have provided project management, deliveries, and survey logistic services for yachts cruising the Canadian Maritimes. Overall, the owners were well satisfied with the price and workmanship. While Cuban workers are skilled and fast learners, the pace of work was quite slow, and getting materials always presented a problem.

The main reason for slow work pace is that there is no incentive to motivate the workers. Cuban workers typically earn about $10 dollars per month. Since they cannot make more, there is no incentive and no hope for any kind of advancement. (Though when Cubans receive pay “under the table,” things do seem to work better.) This condition would improve if the system in Cuba changes to where people have an incentive to work hard, as evident in U.S. Cubans.

Cubans have changed a lot in the past 10 to 12 years. With increasing arrival of tourists and yachts, Cubans are now realizing what the rest of the world is like. Until 1992, information exchange there was tightly controlled, but that is no longer possible. Younger Cubans, those under 50 years old, are anxious for that change.

With so many well-sheltered bays around the coast of Cuba, the possibilities exist for many yacht facilities to be established. In time, given the right political climate, Cuba could well become the largest yachting center in the entire Caribbean.