Where can we sail to avoid COVID-19 pandemic? We have the freedom to hoist our white flappy things, let them fill with air and head in any direction – don’t we? We can sail to an island/country that doesn’t have the virus yet. We can head for a deserted island. Yeah?!
Unfortunately, it’s not that simple.
Watch the video and then carry on reading below to find out what our plan A, B, C, D and E are.
Where Can We Sail To Avoid COVID-19 Video
Even if the virus hasn’t made it to a remote location it’s more than likely that the country will have already closed its borders. In the Caribbean, there are a small number of countries still open to sailors, several that are imposing a 2-week quarantine upon arrival and then there are those that have closed the country complete – if you enter the country by boat the officials will tell you to turn around and go away. Every island in the Caribbean has at least one reported case now.
Grenada is one of those countries that has completely closed up shop.
Imagine sailing down to Grenada and being told to turn around and go somewhere else? Fortunately, St Vincent and the Grenadines, the next country north of us, is still open.
Every day things are changing. At first, we all thought we’d be okay if we isolated ourselves on our boat and made minimal trips to the grocery store. Then the government issued a statement saying that liveaboard cruisers couldn’t come to shore at all. The statement has been rescinded since it’s release a couple of days ago but I do wonder for how long. The airport shut and all flights stopped. We then heard from the US and the UK that we need to come home.
Stories abound of boaters trying to get into one country or another and being turned away. Many are scrambling to get their boats hauled out only to discover that their flight home has canceled and nothing is lined up for the foreseeable future. Many boatyards have closed down. Some stranded people are reaching out to boat owners asking if they can hitch a ride to an ‘open’ island where planes are still flying.
What are our plans regarding where can we sail to avoid COVID-19?
As mentioned in the video we have a plan A, B, C, D and E. For the time being, we are going to stay where we are in Grenada. As it stands we are in a relatively safe spot, we have a good community around us and the Government seems to be okay with us being here.
If we are forced to move due to safety reasons or the Government asks us to leave we will head for America. It’s a 12 day non-stop sail. Fortunately for us, we’re okay with long passages and are happy to just head north. The longer we wait, however, the better the weather will be for the trip. On the flip side, it’s questionable as to how long food will be available?
Of course, we can’t wait too long as the hurricane season will soon be upon us. So we either need to stay where we are or head up to the Northeast of America by mid-July. If we can’t get into the US or it’s not a good place to go, we may just sail over to the UK.
Lots to think about.
And I’d be lying if I said our plans were solid. Every other hour we’re making considerations for a variety of options. At the end of the day, however, we keep deciding that staying put seems most logical for the time being.
But watch this space – it will change within the hour!
Any thoughts or comments, please leave them below. Stay healthy. Stay safe.
