“Are those dock lines virus proof”. We believe they are, but not as effective as a saltwater barrier.
We are still tied up alongside at Rodney Bay Marina and the good news is that the engine work has been completed successfully. Followers of Kalunamoo know that we spend most of the time at anchor and only come into marinas in order to fly back to the States for visits or, as now, for repairs. But the world has changed in the 2 weeks that we have been here. Most of the East Caribbean Island have implemented either closed entries for non-nationals or implemented quarantine requirements. These have complicated sailing to different ports. We believe our plan to be in Trinidad in June is still viable despite the daily changing circumstances. Living day to day is the modus operandi.
In practice this has crimped everyone’s business as a necessity to get a handle on the whole virus pandemic. We are self-restricting travel ashore to get provisions and an occasional restaurant meal while we continue to ply our “live aboard” lifestyle. Being retired and physically isolated (as needed), the restrictions and requirements are not all that disrupting. Our planned short visit to NYC in May will not happen as the disruptions of daily life ashore multiply. For our children and grandchildren it may not be that simple. The reality of economics will be challenging. Opportunities that seem to be closing now for them will give way to future ones. The best we can wish for them is to not lose faith in their own ability to overcome the challenges they (and we) will face in life. On a very personal level, we have lived a good life and the future is with our children, and our grandchildren and our actions should be directed toward their future.
As many have wrote and said, it is a time of concerted effort by all to address the reality of a pandemic. Each will react differently emotionally, but our actions must be coordinated. In that way, isn’t that what civilization is all about? Coordination of action benefits all while coordination of our emotions leaves us open to the manipulations of the savvy. As the storm clouds appear to gather, we are hopeful that they will pass quickly and we all remain afloat.
The resorts in these islands have begun emptying out while the whole tourist season ends prematurely. Not an usual situation in the hurricane belt, but it now is world-wide. The charter sailboats have returned to port, the marina restaurants are sparsely populated, and we sit watching the birds and fish. But we can still go swimming!
One of the benefits of being in the marina is the excellent wifi service. This enables free phone calls, internet connections and constant contact with the world. At anchor, we have limited availability but are never totally cut off. So the question is, when do we go back on the hook? With the constantly changing conditions we are not sure. As written above, it is on a day to day basis.
Kalunamoo 