Passage Prep
Our real reason for visiting the USVI was to receive our Phizer Covid vaccines. The two doses needed to be taken 3 weeks apart, allowing us some relaxed time to hang out and visit these territories of the United States. I’m still not quite sure what “territory” means-not a state, but with some non-voting representation in Congress; no duty on exports or imports; an easy Caribbean beach destination for Americans without passports. USVI also has one of the highest countrywide per capita murder rates in the world after Honduras and El Salvador, something which is not mentioned in the glossy brochures. The fact is skimmed over presumably because the USVI isn’t a country. And because it’s bad for business. Automatic gunfire erupted several times at night in Frederiksted, and even though we were several hundred yards offshore in the anchorage it was unnerving- and I’m from Memphis!
The anchorage at Frederiksted, St.Croix, USVI.
Nevertheless, we found a congenial group of friends, including old acquaintances Dan and Lori from SV Bebe, and we had several fun happy hours onboard Helacious. It’s always gratifying to give tours, she never fails to impress. One evening we went for a night snorkel at the pier. The fish life was disappointing but the coral colors in the bright light of the underwater torches was beautiful. On another windless night 4 dinghies tied together and just drifted through the anchorage, chatting and regaling each other with sailing stories.
Float night! Lori’s hair doesn’t really look like that (thanks funky pano!).
One of the main topics of discussion towards the end of the winter season south of 30N and the beginning of hurricane season is “Where are you going?”. Many cruisers we met make an annual circuit up and down the Caribbean, hauling out or anchoring in the ABC’s or Grenada or even Trinidad, areas that are, while not hurricane-proof, are statistically much less likely to experience a cyclone in any given year. During this year of Covid, the question has become even more fraught, as tests are required, traditional safe harbors are closed or restricted and there is a general air of uncertainty. Another large contingent treks back north every year. Dan and Lori, for instance haul out in Maryland and return to the UP in Michigan for the summer, then head back south in October.
Very glad to have the US Army administering the vaccine site; smooth and organized-and free!
While never really considering leaving the boat in the Caribbean, Helen and I have waffled between heading back through the Bahamas and then to the Chesapeake and on up to Maine, or trying once again to achieve one of our Big Goals: the Trans Atlantic. Our traditional thinking on this has been to sail to Bermuda and then to the the Azores before heading to landfall in Ireland or the southwest of England or Scotland. Last year we had planned to do this route from Georgetown in the Bahamas before the virus changed everyone’s plans. The Bermuda route is more miles than direct to Azores but it breaks the trip up somewhat, and besides, Bermuda is meant to be interesting.
We are not chicken!
Back and forth we went with endless discussions of the pros and cons of both options. Oh great providence, lucky us to have these options and be free to make a choice! We had our first vaccine, and many others were getting theirs. The UK was ahead of the curve on rates and there seem to be rays of light appearing through the doom and gloom of the Covid year. Things seem to be opening up. Plus, we aren’t getting any younger or fitter and passage making is a difficult endeavor, both physically and mentally. A transatlantic passage is a Big Goal. Ah, but there is uncertainty, you say. But if we wait a year there is still going to be some uncertainty about the future state of nations, there always has been and will be. Worrying too much about some imagined future scenario causes paralysis that locks one in place and limits horizons. Who has a crystal ball? While we cannot control the future, we can certainly take steps to provide some credit chips in the bank to call on when events unfold unfavorably. Studying the weather patterns, knowing how to work the amazing electronic navigation and communication gizmos that are available, knowledge of all ship’s systems, spare parts-these are all part of passage prep. Did I mention spare parts?The same careful, methodical work and study and planning that allowed us to retire early to pursue this crazy, wonderful, thrilling, sometimes terrifying life afloat help to insure safe and enjoyable passage making.
A gift of beautiful bananas from this roadside beauty.
Of course we decided to go for the gusto and head across the Atlantic Ocean in Helacious, the boat we built in our backyard. Maine can wait for when we’re old. The Bahamas, too. We sailed to St. Johns 30 miles north of St Croix and spent a few days on a mooring in the national park waters. There we visited with Jill and Michael on Sv Gerty whom we had met in November in English Harbour as part of the Salty Dawg Rally. They were also planning to go TA, rhumb line to the Azores. From there they were unsure of their next move. We still needed our second dose of the vaccine so we sailed to the Brewers Bay on the west end of St Thomas, stopping at Christmas Cove for a day to say farewell to our new pals. Gerty messaged us that they were setting sail for the Azores that evening. We were still planning for the Bermuda stopover option.
Sugarcane field and craft distillery near Frederiksted.
Permission to enter Bermuda is contingent upon a negative Covid pcr test. We had learned of free testing on Tuesday at the Home Depot (yes, there’s a Home Depot on St. Thomas, very Americanized) and were pleased to be saving the $300.00 testing fee that the hospital charged. There was still the test timing/weather window issue, but we figured we could always get another free test if the weather didn’t cooperate and we had to stay longer. After the nasal swab we stopped at a dreadful vegan restaurant across from the shopping center. While waiting ( and waiting) for our food we suddenly got a text message with our test results. Of course we were negative. But the results had arrived within an hour, far too soon for a pcr test to be processed. It was a rapid antigen test, not acceptable to the authorities in Bermuda! In our glee over free, we had never even thought to check. I said to Helen over our dismal plates of dry fake meat tacos and tasteless cold roti, “Let’s skip Bermuda and go straight to the Azores”. She looked at me and said,”Hmmm. Why not?” In a matter of a few minutes we cycled through the details and decided to sleep on it.
Helen contemplates the easy method of going trans Atlantic (hint: it involves wings). This is Brewers Bay, our last anchorage in the Caribbean for awhile.
By morning It was obviously the right decision: fewer total miles, more time in the fabulous nature of the Azores, save the money (about $500 for the testing and admin fees for Bermuda, none for the Azores) and besides, Bermuda didn’t have a crater lake surrounded by lush rainforest. The downsides were a slightly longer continuous time at sea, about 18-20 days, missing out on the history of Bermuda, and that was about it. Gerty had started out on a rhumb line (direct route) but soon found themselves becalmed in the high pressure area known as the Horse Latitudes. We were advised by our weather routers to head straight north to at least 30N before turning east. Oh, and the time to go is NOW, they said, on Wednesday morning. Fortunately we had already been provisioning in Charlotte Amelie and just needed to get clearance papers from customs and grab a few more cans of beans. On Thursday morning, April 29, 2021, we raised anchor, visited the fuel dock and headed out into the big blue on the next chapter of Helen And Brian’s Big Adventure.
