Caribbean Compass Yachting Magazine - April 2021

Info & Updates
For yachts sailing to Cuba
Sailors interested in including Cuba as a possible destination and those who for
safety reasons wish to arrive in our country due to force majeure can contact HIYC
to obtain updated information on the open marinas and the protocols that apply to
them. We are also at your service to assist you in coordinating your navigation along
the Cuban coasts with the objective making your journey as pleasant as possible.
Contact HIYC at yachtclub@cnih.mh.tur.cu or yachtclubcnih@gmail.com, or
Facebook: Cnih de Cuba.
NHC weather forecast news
The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) will release routine tropical weather
forecasts starting May 15th, 15 days earlier than the official start of Atlantic hurricane
season. Why? Because 2020 was the sixth season in a row when a storm formed
before June 1st. An NHC committee will decide if the start date for the season
should be moved to May 15th.
The NHC is also now providing several new experimental weather forecast elements
for mariners in the tropical North Atlantic, Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, and the
tropical eastern North Pacific. The Tropical Analysis and Forecast Branch (TAFB) of the
NHC continues to work toward improving services for bluewater mariners by
introducing new experimental weather forecast elements via a Marine Graphical
Composite Forecast map. While this is internet-based and not necessarily available
to everyone offshore, it is designed to help any mariners who may have limited
access to the internet in port, such as relatively low-bandwidth WiFi in remote areas.
The new experimental weather elements are available via the existing TAFB’s
Marine Graphical Composite Forecast maps for the Caribbean Sea and Tropical
North Atlantic at www.nhc.noaa.gov/marine/forecast/enhanced_atlcfull.php
Visit www.nhc.noaa.gov/marine/forecast/info.php?large for more information.
New VHF net in St. Vincent
Blue Lagoon Hotel & Marina in St. Vincent started a new cruiser’s VHF net on March
1st. Tune in every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 9:00am for a notification on
channel 16 followed by the net on channel 68.
Commodore Escrich of the Hemingway International Yacht Club (HIYC) of Cuba
reports: Because the epidemiological situation in Cuba is still complex due to the
number of people infected with Covid-19 and the pandemic does not appear
uniformly in the territories where our international marinas are located, the protocols
that are applied to sailors from other countries who arrive on the island have been
updated with a view to facilitating the stay of yachtsmen during their stopovers in
these marinas or navigation along our coasts.
CCA recognizes Salty Dawgs
Last spring, as the world was becoming paralyzed by the Covid-19 pandemic, the Salty
Dawg Sailing Association (www.saltydawgsailing.org) organized a Homeward Bound
Flotilla to help 473 sailors aboard 184 vessels get from the Caribbean to the US East
Coast. It was an extraordinary effort involving on-shore coordination, 24-hour emergency
assistance teams standing by, weather routing, tracking and fast-paced thinking.
The Cruising Club of America (www.cruisingclub.org) has recognized this effort and
awarded the Homeward Bound Flotilla Salty Dawg team its Special Recognition
Award. This is an award that is given in select years to someone who has made an
exceptional contribution to the sailing community. Congratulations!
CA awards Don Street honorary membership
The UK-based Cruising Association (www.theca.org.uk) has awarded honorary
membership to Don Street. He has been an ordinary member of the CA for many
years but in his 90s he has decided to give up cruising, although he sails his Dragon
at home in Ireland.
—Continued on next page
APRIL 2021 CARIBBEAN COMPASS PAGE 5
Martinique Offi ce
Douglas Yacht Services
Marie-Eugénie Kieffer
M +596 696 25 08 56
E marie-eugenie@douglasyachtservices.fr
sevenstar-yacht-transport.com