27 March Quarantine

One week into our two week quarantine and we are doing well. We've lived aboard for so long and had many occasions when we haven't been able to get off the boat for a week or two. This is very different. Before we left the States in November we filled Jackster with provisions, no shortage of toilet paper for us. We can top up our local Digicel SIM online and we have kindly neighbours and the radio. Fellow strandees on SV Cloudy Bay, Glenn and Oana, who arrived here before the port closed are able to go shopping and popped over to ask if there was anything we needed. Our thoughtful Samaritans brought us back a bag of fruit, vegetables and orange juice to add to our supplied.

Each afternoon there is a press conference to update on the situation in the islands which we listen to on the radio. As an island nation of 65,000 people they are more able to control the spread of Covid-19 by closing schools and businesses, closing the air port and closing the sea port. There is a soft curfew between 5am and 7pm when people can leave their homes for essentials, ie groceries, pharmacy, fuel and banks. At night everyone, except essential workers have to be in their homes. To further segregate and protect the vulnerable only people with surnames beginning A-K can go out on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. Surnames L-Z have the other days with everything closed on Sunday.

While we are honour bound to stay home I try to do boat chores in the morning, listen to the press conference at 2 o'clock and then go for a long swim. With marine traffic reduced to the Harbour Pilot and the police boat it is quiet and much safer than when there were hundreds of dive boats, fishing boats, jet skis and cruise ship tenders plying back and forth. The water is clear and warm so why not swim everyday. I just wish we were allowed to go diving, but we are in quarantine not on holiday.