We have been docked in Grenada at Port Louis Marina since March 24, 2020. It is now May 9th and we have not moved the boat. We have also not been in the water, on a beach, snorkeled a coral reef or socialized with other cruisers. Grenada is under strict lockdown with curfew and restricted movement and have hardly left the marina perimeter in all this time. In the month of April, we walked 175,000 steps! As you can imagine, we were still getting very restless! So, we kept ourselves busy with a 25 day varnishing job on all our exterior teak.
We have been waiting for our Spectra watermaker to be repaired and returned. That took 6 weeks, as we dropped it off March 25th and it was returned May 6! The parts were in one parish and the watermaker repair technician was in another parish. Road blocks between parishes even on shopping days prevented the delivery. Permission from the police was granted on May 4th, it was repaired on the 5th, and returned and installed the 6th.
Now that the watermaker is back, installed and working, we can actually leave this dock and anchor out. BUT…now we think we need to sail north to the safety of USA via USVI and Puerto Rico. We have no idea how this pandemic effect will restrict the Caribbean islands, so we feel we need to move out and return first to the USVI. Of course, now the winds this week are at 20 knots gusting 27 and waves are 5-7 feet at 6 seconds, not great but doable. So, we are looking for an exit and an opportunity to sail out to USVI. We are so confused on what is best to do. After working hard thru all the options, we still cannot figure it out. Here is a chronological photo essay of the past few weeks…..
Thank you for following along
Thank you all for following along and for sharing in our sailing adventure. We are safe, secure, and working thru all the challenges that covid-19 pandemic has caused worldwide. Normally we plan our our every move and each year’s sailing goals. We are struggling with what to do now. On Facebook, we have posted about this struggle and we appreciate that many of you have given your input and ideas. The frustrating aspect is that every day, every few hours, we can convince ourselves that any one of the options is best. Then for the next few hours we work on that option. Four hours later, we think it is a bad idea and we work on another option. Next, we go to bed and wake up with another option and another viewpoint. It has been very unlike us because we have always had most things planned out. For this, we have no plan, like everyone. So, please recognize this and please try to understand. We will work it out, and we are sure it entails sailing out, sailing to somewhere. After all…… DO WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY….and sailing makes us very happy. 🙂
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Beautiful!
You are clearly ready to go…..someplace
Don’t forget to take lots of that hand sanitizing stuff…there’s still a shortage here….you could make some bucks selling it.
A perspective from outside observer; Your boat is safe and so is the crew.You are healthy and making the MOST of globally bad situation.Nobody REALLY knows how this will shake out.
Go with your gut and don’t second guess yourself.;and prayer is always a good starting activity.
I would not comment on what you should do. I don’t know what I should do! This pandemic is probably coming back so just get somewhere comfortable for you.
Florida is opening up some but as you know Pennsylvania – at least around your house is not. Be happy your dad is not in an assisted living residence. The worst thing is no rum- you’ve got to get out of there
Beautiful photos. We arrived from Michigan in February in the BVI. We spent two days trying to resolve charter boat issues including a bad engine. They finally gave us a different boat and we set off. Even though we had these problems, they were so miniscule because after leaving the freezing weather we just kept saying “This is paradise.” I am sure being in lockdown takes a bit of the sheen off of the finish but you are in a most lovely location to sit out a lockdown. I would just suggest that if you feel you must leave, make sure you have a rock solid plan to get back.
Your teak looks quite beautiful. I have to refinish my rear teak this spring. Nothing like the moisture beading up on freshly varnished teak.
Where did you get the plastic window covers? I like those and would like to find some for my boat.
Fair winds, happy sailing.
Vic
Great post, Hayden! Happy to see you guys are making the best of your time. I love the picture of the “hand sanitizer ” – I would bet $100 it’s exactly the same as the rum, but with a different label!
Having spent the last 2 months in the VI, I think you should make that run the next time you have a perfect forecast. It’s so much nicer there, as you can move the boat around, take the dinghy into town (we were in Caneel, 5 minutes from Cruz Bay), the beaches are open, even the little snack bar on Caneel is open. Assuming you can schedule haulout in PR, that’s what I would do. (In spite of your last experience, you KNOW that’s about as safe a place for IS as you can find, outside of Grenada.)
It will be interesting to see how the situation unfolds here in the US as the states begin to open up. I was looking at some CDC information this morning and the modeling is showing an upsurge at the end of May as a result of restrictions being lifted. Some areas are paying to social distancing and face coverings while other areas are completely clueless it would seem. We’re staying put for the foreseeable future.
Good morning Radeen & Haydon,
Your situation is somewhat akin to our own experience five years ago when we decided to leave our boat in Florida year-round instead of bringing it back here to Maryland. Of course an advantage we have is that we have a dehumidifier running all the time when we are not there and a person that attends to the boat very frequently. Don’t know if you can make similar arrangements there or not. We keep it in a marina with a floating dock arrangement. Your familiar with it on Hutchinson Island. Nice hurricane hole.
Might consider a similar arrangement for Island Spirit there at least until there is a vaccine developed. Sounds like Grenada has figured out how to cope with the virus better than the US.
Stay safe.
Larry & Gerry
Galileo
LOVE the photo essay!
I’m not, never have been, and pretty sure I never will be in your situation.
So I have ZERO advice anyway.
Like everything else
If you’re trying to figure out what is best for YOU then YOU are the best one to make that decision!
So Best of Luck and Fair Winds! ❤️
Don’t second guess – at the time, going to Antigua was just as good as anywhere else. The only reason we went where we did was that was our plan anyway – to keep working towards the US.
RE: St. Croix – while we usually love it there, it’s mainly because of the scuba diving, and the shoreside activities. (Both C-sted and Fred-sted are fun towns.) But you don’t dive (much), and the towns are mostly shut down. The anchorage at C-sted is nothing to write home about, and we left Fred-sted because it never stopped rolling in 8 days. Just sayin…
Varnish renovation looks great, cetol? gloss coat on top?
Great pics guys, IS varnish looks beautiful! Sad to see all restaurants closed. Must be lonely and too quiet. From your map route, looks like some long days and nights sailing. Weather looks super. Stay safe, have fun!
Hayden & Radeen:
What an adventure – the teak looks wonderful! Making the decision to stay or go to USVI is a difficult one. I guess one factor is your trust in the medical system – Grenada or USVI for effective covid care. Best success in wherever your decision finds you.
Hope your ship’s log has all the pertinent info for your travel book(s).
all the best, Kevin & Anne. S/V Tiller the Hun