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19 November 2020

5 November Planning for departure to Bermuda

What would we do without internet for research? We've been monitoring the weather everyday and David feels we have a favourable opportunity to leave in four days from now. A few days ago today looked like a good time.

Over the last month I've been checking Noonsite.com and the specific Government advice for sailing to Bermuda and St Maarten to ensure we have every I dotted and every T crossed. Biosecurity requirements, pre departure travel authorisation and the rules for pets. Polly went to a vet in Annapolis a month ago to be current with her vaccines and rabies shot. We don't want to have her confiscated on arrival or us denied entry.

For humans Bermuda requires us to take a Covid PCR test within seven days of our departure. If it is negative we can apply for and pay $75 each for Travel Authorisation through their dedicated website. The hard part of this is timing – coordinating which day to take our test, waiting for the results, applying for TA and still have a good weather forecast to leave.

I found an online Covid test for $119. You download the app, register, pay the fee and they send a kit which includes a prepaid UPS overnight return service envelope. On Monday we took our tests and I dropped them off at a collection point in Phoebus. Next morning we had confirmation the tests had arrived at the lab in California and on the next morning we had an email to say we were negative. So far so good. Step three was to complete the TA and submit to Bermuda for approval. The OK came back by return. We have clearance to leave between now and Monday, 9 November. 

 Let's hope the forecast holds good.


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