The Life of Brad: April 2026

In this month I spend some weeks in the Varadero area until the USA puts the squeeze on Cuba. Then sailed to Bahamas with essentially no crew and have a few first impressions of the new country where I'll be for the next months.

Good morning Cuba. Put the boat in the Gaviota marina, got Erwin off to his boat and settled in to expat life in Cuba including the Sunday market which is a 1+ hr bus ride (no me gusta).

Getting off customs dock

Everyone helping transport
Erwin's 500 lbs of stuff.

As expected, classic cars

Not bad and only $7

my set up to use shore power
as there is no propane in Cuba

Nathan's great suggestion
"move the knife block"

Sunday market in Santa Marta

It was chilly

The chicken man where you can
get the "other money"

I did not buy meat
only smoked ham

Nice little spot on the tip of Varadero
Gaviota Marina

And they have a bowling alley
Sort of...

Oh crap, left composter too
long with out use and gnats
and eggs everywhere.

And here I thought the corner spot was good

I mean close to shore, but...

Checking out Erwin's monster 65 foot catamaran that normally has a mast, but that was lost at sea. Cuba is a great spot to get work done and the shop can do most services.

Video of the accommodations on Shangri-la.

Doesn't look big in the
distance but like double the
length and width of my boat.
Only $265,000!

My official pass card for
Gaviota marina

Need the pass card for beach access and
getting back in to the marina

First looks at the lovely Paradise beach

A little video about the hotel and marina.

If the price is right I can eat
the same things everyday

At government store the prices
can be crazy high, but not bad

Not much variety and pricey by Cuban standards

Erwin! you can't leave a half
drank beer. The Dutch do
whatever they want

off to Varadero for the night

Fresh chickens

Sargazzo...oh no

The salty gang
Tim, Shawn-ky, Erwin, Ken

A feeling like Varadero has more
money than the rest of Cuba

Little walk around the Harley rally in Varadero. Even with a gas shortage the Harleys still ride.

A little clip of the live music at the Harley Rally. Rock of course!

Not every moment is great...Shawn got a little too drunk and jealous and punchy. After the video the night was ruined and fearing he would do something to my boat I taxi'd back to the marina. Hoping to tell Tim and Ken to watch out for crazy I ran right into him at Tim's boat and a punch in the face. A bad situation for sure and to be on the dock with too many drinks to throw punches I chose to do nothing and walked away. Shawnky immediately realised what a stupid move that was as I got up, grabbed my stuff and went to my boat saying "We're done here".

I took the week off drinking and never really spoke to Shawn except to say "Don't talk to me, or touch my boat and were good". The Ex-Pro Arm Wrestler and bouncer and 25 year steroid user got the point.

Shawnky Punched

The rest of my days were more quiet of course and focused on getting out before the USA bombed or did whatever to Cuba. Sad...

Goodbye Pat and Monica from Calgary

Quick vid to get a feel for the sights and sounds of the Sunday market.

$2 lunch

"We are community"

Boat repairs with the help of the Cuban marina service group at Gaviota lead by Ayala. I would have done a lot more but since I live on my boat I need to prepare for Ayala's crew meaning everything gets turned upside down which is stressful. Plus the Cubans were having struggles getting to work due to fuel storages. Oh and of course Erwin's boat was priorty

Very wise and experienced
Roberto the mechanic

Not the best position for me, but hey he was
fixing the steering cable!

Vid talking about dinghy motor almost dropping in the water. We did it with the forklift putting it back.

better way

Only place to eat at hotel now

Video of hotel closed and no lights on at night

Erwin working hard
to get his boat out
of Cuba too

Ernesto the electrician

removed a few things
and connected a few things

Came up with a solution for
poor designed spinnaker crane

Needed to protect tank due to
aluminum corrosion issue

Erwin lent me some epoxy

Time to go, a little clip explaining the situation

not happy to live

Top of tank all glassed in
"keep an eye on it"

Super happy with this weld and addition for
my crane piece extension $20! ($300 in USA)

Neat; Dinghy glider

Well, during all the boat work
fridge relay got turned off so all
frozen meat needed to be cooked

Decided to try Varadero one more time for a Saturday night and this time going to Havana Club night club. Rented a little airbnb after the hotel tried to rip me off claiming I had to pay a "new" rate when I arrived at the sister hotel to pay by their functioning internet. 3x times the price so I grab a Casa en Renta next door for $15 usd. Close to the beach, close to the centre and next to the main street for the bus the next day to Santa Marta market. Only missing internet, but no big deal for a night.

Quiet town these days

Love these peanut bars

Most local transit can not take
foreigners

$6 lobster!

Met siblings Fabian and Laura Colombians who
were in the same situation as me with the hotel

2 blocks from main street

Sargazzo but not the quantity like Mexico

Rental casa

Checked time so I wouldn't
sit in line at the club later
(I still did and paid $5 later
to jump the line)

Even with low energy in Cuba the tourist
spots get priority

Not only delicious cheap good chocolate here
but good meals too at "Casa del Chocolate"

Not open 24 hrs

live show

"Havana Club" like the rum

A bottle of 3 year old $9!

Danny and Yeni, who broke up the next day?

Rental Casa owners

Not many buses these days

Back at marina restaurant

Then it was Bill and Vivian's turn to leave

Quebec Mario seemed friendly enough.
He would be my crew to the Bahamas

Ready?

Erwin's boat getting close to go

A jet ski right out of star wars

Had a little time so decided to clean air conditioning strainer which was full. The bad part was I almost couldn't get it sealed again which put me in panic although I could simply shut the thru-hull valve, but wouldn't be able to run the A/C until that was fixed. I solved it luckily. Good to sail off...

old gasket hard to
re-seat

Time to get out of Cuba. We had hoped to leave at sunrise, but were delayed waiting for the Customs Officer who was helpful but a victim of the limited buses due to fuel shortage.

Captain's Log 2026.02.19 - Crew: Mario B - Anchor: Cay Sal, Bahamas 23 41.774N 80 23.616W - 55 Nautical miles

Varadero to Cay Sal using one motor and sails on close reach all day in order to make it before sunset. Mario claimed to have captain's license, but struggled to keep the boat straight. I suspect he may be retarded.

Side Story: I found out later Mario signed up to go with me as flights back to Montreal were $1500 from Cuba so he could save money by jumping on my boat for 5 days. In the end he only had to pay gas, food and things he broke - $225 usd. Then taxi and flight $50 + $300 from Nassau. Sweet deal for him.

Here we go

deep water

Apparently Mario couldn't keep the boat straight, yet in the video it shows that the boat does it on its own. Oh captain Mario..."Brad, just give me a chance, that's all I ask" (heard this over and over).

So focused or
is he sleeping?

Hated this bike box full of;
bicycle, wind foil, kite board,
25 ft of water ski tow line,
set of golf clubs, etc. 100+lbs
AND too big to fit inside!

Sailing can be very hard but there are pay offs.

Solo sailing basically

Captain's Log 2026.02.20 - Crew: Mario B - Anchor: Damas Cay, Bahamas 23 51.933N 79 46.402W - 37 miles

Motored at 5kts most of day on port engine. Appears crew is wasting lots of water brushing teeth.

Side Story: I noticed a small speed boat around 11pm the night before that had no lights or power and I thought it was an abandon boat, but in the morning as we were getting ready to go 4 men started up the speed boat and drove passed us. They weren't gone far when they decided to turn around and come back. Mario and I grab some kind of weapons preparing for what may come. They stayed 5 boat lengths away asking if I spoke Spanish and then if I wanted cigars. I gave them a stern "NO" and they took off. The irony is I had forgot to buy cigars and wish I could have bought some cigars.

Rise and shine

Kermit still with us from Florida

Chau Cay Sal

A good spot for Mario
Easy to keep an eye on him

Damas Cay video. Feeling accomplished to be into Bahamas yet very isolated. Good to have my home with me.

Freedom and peace...

Captain's Log 2026.02.21 - Crew: Mario B - Anchor: West Side Andros in the middle of nowhere, Bahamas 25 05.871N 78 23.341W - 113 miles (Biggest day yet)

Crew lifted 120ft of anchor manually and we motored into the deep at 3:30am raising a head sail with low wind for the rest of the day needing to make up the most distance of the trip until 23:00. First bucket #2 and wont be the last. Anchored in the dark in the middle of nowhere on a calm evening. Becoming a single hander.

Don't love night "sailing" yet

The fire of the morning sun

Deep crossing over 3000 to 5000 ft (1000 to 1700 m)

Vast and deep

Crew working hard in his
PINK SPEEDO!

Suicidal flying fish

For some reason I feel calm in the shallow water of the Bahamas bank. I'm not a fan of swell in the big sea.

Another day under the belt

Captain's Log 2026.02.22 - Crew: Mario B - Anchor: Morgan's Bluff, Bahamas 25 10.524N 78 01.575W - 50 nm

Made our way up to North passage going over some shallow and basically touching sanding bottom a few times as we watched the Canadians blow the Gold Medal to the USA. A bitter sweet day as we finally had some big wind sailing 18-20kts getting to a max of 8.6 kts!

Lots going on with shallow water, the Olympic Gold Medal and Mario.

The red is between 3 and 0 ft

Big M, Kyle and me at Below Deck

Riding out the big Northerly blow on the wrong anchorage (open to the North), but the only one we could find as we had to check in at Morgan's Bluff. Check in happened the day before on a Sunday. A surprise for sure which came with a price of $50 to immigration and $60 to customs as they travelled (5 min) to Below Deck. At this point I was just relieved to be in Bahamas and close to getting rid of Mario who had run out of food and was likely skimming off of my reserves.

Custom quote: "Do you have any guns on board?" me "No" Customs "you should"

Kyle tried to leave
but engine issue

Captain's Log 2026.02.24 - Crew: Mario B - Anchor: Fort Montague, Bahamas 25 04.331N 77 18.277W - 42 nm

Set all my sails solo, got up to 8.8 kts in route to Nassau crossing the Tongue of the Ocean with depths of 9000 ft. Great to get to Nassau.

A disturbed anchorage due to all the tourist boats, but close to shops and a few restaurants. Nassau has buzz in locked doors on all shops signaling that it definitely isn't a safe place as mention by many. Although I never got the feeling of danger aside from the locks on the doors.

Kicked Mario off the boat Feb 25 which was one of the happiest days of my life (I need to get out more). Took him, huge box, huge luggage, electric guitar and heavy backpack to shore all in one trip and left him there cheering "You're the worst crew ever" as I sped back to the boat to relax getting a relief from the close talker.

Met Harry/Miriam (Calgary, spear pole) SV Delphi and Blaine/Lisa (Ontario, fillet knife) SV Caoan who were just what I needed helping me with a few things, donating gear I would need and having me over for a few sundowners.

Mail boat in to Morgan's

Chau Morgan's Bluff

In the deep again

Nassau ho!

Amazing, so close to land but still deep!

Forrest...

Party over there

I'm so curious about cruise ships. Just so massive!

How many stories

The one on the end!

Fort Montague

Made it

Side Story: At "Poop Deck" for dinner Mario on his phone the whole time, $7 usd for a lemonade!! Then Mario did a shave in the bathroom for 15 minutes while I sat waiting to pay...be gone dumbass.