Home Of The Brave
30 May 2020 | St. Augustine
Thursday 28 May 2020
Early evening passing West End, Grand Bahama, experienced first rain in awhile and boat is a sieve. Bimini let water through to soak cockpit helm area and seat on both sides - no place to lie down for a nice nap while on watch. Damn, guess we'll have to stay awake and, you know, keep watch. Fixed light above sea berth also leaks. Water drips on shoulders while trying to sleep off-watch. That one had been rebed a few years ago... apparently not well. Cleaned and taped outside frame for temporary help.
Nice ride up Stream in mild conditions. Big boost of two to over three knots should last until early evening when we cut toward landfall and flow begins to slow. Throttle pulled back to avoid arrival before sunrise tomorrow. Thunderstorms were behind over Little Bahama Bank and ahead off mainland overnight, but we split the seam, had stars, a sliver of waxing moon and stayed dry. Rain dissipated during morning, but probably returns tonight.
While waiting over weekend at anchor near marina will attack leaks and windlass down switch. Due worn gypsy, anchor chain periodically jams during retrieval requiring short reversal to free. Jan works down switch in cockpit, sometimes for every meter of uptake. PIA.
Except for French Polynesia all South Pacific nations are closed to entry including Australia and New Zealand. Estimated three hundred up to possible five hundred cruising yachts are currently stuck in Sopac cyclone belt. No fun, but they have a few months before season starts. Also seems restrictions many places around the world are just a wee bit too strict. Given politicians limited focus surprised breathing is still allowed. Brit mates in Cayman can't even swim, snorkel or dive from their boat. They cheat.
Friday
Arrived early through St. Augustine Inlet and anchored north of marina. Attempted to inform CBP of arrival on their required app, ROAM. It had been update two days ago and wouldn't accept entry without reinstallation. Then, after filling out online form it was refused because their server is down. Called phone number, but they don't open until 1130. Got it all sorted, but US remains in first place as most frustrating country to enter.
Saturday
Having heard about draconian measures instituted in many areas of US was surprised to see a very relaxed response in St. Augustine. Some people wear masks. Most don't. There were no capacity limits or mask requirements in retail stores that we observed. Kingfisher Restaurant, which was excellent, possibly had more widely spaced tables than usual, but otherwise no restrictions or masks. Few places are shut down. Gives one hope that measured response and critical thinking will sometimes prevail.
*** Seriousness Alert ***
A few tidbits of information: A fair body of evidence indicates that masks are of little help. Except for a few very high density areas where preventing facilities from being overwhelmed is prudent lockdowns to "flatten the curve" are apparently not helpful and won't reduce the total number of infections. Closing schools likely creates more problems than it solves for many reasons. Suicides and overdoses have spiked and in some places exceed deaths from virus. Destroying people's livelihoods may have long term consequences that outweigh any benefits from crippling the economy.
Politicians have elevated one criteria of risk to the exclusion of nearly everything else at least until people get fed up, as recently, and tell authorities to go pound sand. Since widespread immunity is the only way to end the health emergency, various forms of quarantine only extend that time period, a vaccine is well into the future, lockdowns will not and cannot continue and government authorities (particularly federals) have much less information about your situation than you do, they should gather and publish the best scientific information/recommendations and allow people and businesses to make decisions in their own and their communities best interests. Hope we've learned something from this experience and that citizens will get most freedoms back that have been "temporarily" suspended.
*** End of Alert ***
Well, that was an awfully grim entry for a blog that is intended to be ironic, sardonic, a wee bit mocking, but mostly fun. Sorry about that.
Jack & Jan