With the Covid19 problem spreading across the world, things are both frozen in time and also changing for us in our little anchorage several times a day. At first, Andrew and I were both monitoring the VHF Radio, our anchorage WhatsApp Group, conversation with our entry agents, and notification from government authorities. But, soon, that level of constant vigilance wore us both out. So, now, we are taking “watch shifts” to maintain sanity. One day on, one day off.
We are isolated on our boat. Per current regulations, we are not allowed to socialize amongst other sailboats, visit land (inhabited or uninhabited), but we may swim around our boat in reasonable proximity. The Maldivians are delivering fresh fruit and vegetables and fuel provisions about once per week, and that will keep us safe in perpetuity. They have installed several coast guard vessels around our anchorage to monitor the ongoing quarantine and help keep us safe. We are in communication with the government to make sure we can move to a different safe anchorage if the SW Monsoon winds fill in heavily making this anchorage unsafe. We know everyone is experiencing a similar level of isiolation/quarantine, and we are quite happy with our current situation.
Dolphins visit the anchorage at sunset every night. Yesterday, they swam right beneath me during my evening swimming lap! The water is clean and clear so the water maker is handling the desalination process well, and we are enjoying our daily laps around the boat.
Nice picture of Sonrisa + Anchorage Dolphins courtesy of Ingrid aboard S/V Winddancer.
I’ve even figured out a way to relax with my feet in the sand - despite being confined away from land:
1 minute and 35 seconds with my feet in the sand.
Other than that, though, there isn’t much of a story to our situation. We are waiting. Sheltering in place, at a stand still until international borders re-open and travel by sailboat becomes welcome and safe again. We don’t know what this means for our sailing route for 2020. We are sitting at a cross roads between turning North toward Europe or South toward South Africa - and depending on what time of year it is when we can move again, either route is viable. But, in general, we see no point in speculating until we know how long this takes to blow over and which route will open during a safe and proper sailing season.
So, in the meantime, I thought I might go back and fill you in on parts of the trip we skipped or haven’t had the chance to write about, yet. Stories about our time spent in Sri Lanka is up next, I’ll fill you in on our trip to New Orleans with my family while we were visiting home in January, and there may be a few left over stories I didn’t get to from Thailand. Hopefully, by the time I get all that filled out, we will be on the move again and I will have something exciting to report from where we are now.
Stay safe and healthy, everyone. Our thoughts are with the whole world, hoping we can put this disease to rest and minimize the damage.
P.S. Andrew’s keel is still firmly attached, per our latest underwater inspection.
