Waiting it out
Anastasia
Phil May and Andrea Twigg
Wed 18 Mar 2020 20:10
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Much has transpired since our last blog entry.
After the visit from Stephen and Hilary we returned to Benjy Bay for a
couple more weeks of hanging out with Edie and Blair before we set sail for the
US.
We depend on mains electricity for cooking and I was not happy about
setting off with only the backup inverter operational because it can only power
one ring on the hob when the generator is not running. The primary
inverter is 5 kilowatts (two rings and the oven), but it failed the day before
we launched. Victron said the unit was obsolete and anyway they will not
supply replacement circuit boards direct to the consumer, so I spent a week
trying to repair the blown board. I haven’t given up trying, but it was
taking too long and so I imported a new unit from the US, which is now up and
running.
We spent some fun afternoons swimming off the beach at Calivigny Island
with the Gydes. I got the drone out and shot some footage of
Honahlee and Anastasia at anchor. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_7MfRtknJI
That was when the virus trouble all started and since then our plans have
been changing by the day. Originally we were sailing to Florida and
hauling out in Fort Pierce, but that is not going to happen. They would
not let us into the country even if we turned up there. Hopefully BA will
let us change our flights without too much penalty (currently booked from Miami
to the UK on 1 July)!
For a short while the plan was to sail up to Martinique to have access to
the free (for now) European medical facilities, but the hospitals are likely to
be swamped and what chance for a post-Brexit patient getting access to a
respirator?
Remaining in Grenada was the obvious choice. Hobson’s choice really,
since all the islands (except Dominica) have now closed their borders.
So here we are anchored in Tyrell Bay, Carriacou, waiting to see what
happens with the Corona virus. Apparently it was sunshine and fresh air
that cured the Spanish flu, so at least we are getting plenty of that.
We have enough fuel to make power and water for six months. We have
food for a couple of months, although we will run out of fresh vegetables in a
few more days. At some point we will have to venture out to the
supermarket.
This is starting to sound post-apocalyptic. Particularly since
Grenada has no recorded cases yet, although I think it is only a matter of
time. You can’t stop the spread of a pandemic, only try not to be one of
those that make up “the hump” in all those graphs people are sharing.
On a lighter note, we spent a few days on the mooring balls at Sandy
Island, which is a beautiful spot with good snorkelling. Here is a photo
and more drone footage. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yD2rY18LycA&t=7s
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