Sailing to Hemingway's Cuba

Dave Schaefer, who lives in Burlington, Vermont, decided that his "some day I'll go cruising" dream would start now. The destination would be forbidden Cuba, the home of his high school hero, Ernest Hemingway. Often alone and sometimes with a crew made up of friends who joined him when they could, Schaefer and his 20-year-old, 32-foot sloop Dream Weaver made a 2000 mile voyage to the Florida Keys. The plan: First, poke around in Hemingway's quirky Key West. Then, haul anchor, sail west above the Gulf Stream, turn south in the darkness and watch the skyline of Havana rise out of the morning mist.

While the government denounces America and Americans, Cubans welcome American sailors and dollars, love Hemingway, and wink at the laws. Old Havana, once the Queen of the Caribbean, is a stunning Spanish Colonial city of hot music, beautiful women, spies, exceptional rum, the world's best cigars, and a Cuban spirit that refuses to be repressed. Hemingway's home near Havana has been perfectly preserved.

Coming home can be the hard part. While Cubans welcome Americans, a sailor returning to the US is assumed to have been "trading with the enemy" in violation of the US embargo.