Grenada
02 August 2020
Dick van Geldere
Tough quarantine rules in Grenada:
"Remember you are at Quarantine and this means NO SHORE LEAVE. This means that you cannot take your dinghy to the dinghy dock at Port Louis Marina, or Foodland or Foodfair to do grocery shopping. This also means you are NOT allowed to swim up to and visit other boats in the anchorage. The Coast Guard is monitoring this and if this is found to be happening you will be prosecuted. Breaching a quarantine order is an arrestable offence , subject to fines and imprisonment. Please be guided accordingly. "
In the bay were about 80 yellow Q flags... But as we were exempt from the compulsory 14 days quarantine, after being nearly four weeks offshore, on Monday we could go ashore straight away for a Quick Test - just a little pin prick, all three negative of course - and were cleared within hours. So were the Valentinas and Carlos (Mirniy Okean). With improvised masks we ran to the Victory bar, and after signing in, taking temperatures and handspraying, the nine of us hugged and toasted like in St Helena. The completely new world order for us, was so far not bad for us at all. Next day dinner with Rob (Pauline Claire) and Karl & Kara (Grainne Mhaol) in the Grenada Yachtclub - no other guests...
Grenada is hardly affected by the Covid virus, but suffers from the lack of tourists. Only yachties coming in and leaving asap. So hotels, resorts and restaurants closed. Only local stuff was open. Good for us.
We toured this green spice island by car, but as Brian was eager to go back to business again, we sailed soon for a brief visit to Carriacou, to give the crew a taste of the Caribbean feel. To sail to this small and laid back sister island of Grenada - 30 miles North, wow, 30 miles - you get close along the active underwater volcano Kick 'em Jenny!
Had a very nice time in Carriacou and Sandy Island. Then back to Grenada for haul out at Grenadamarine, just in time for the earliest ever most southern approaching hurricane Gonzalo. Spooky atmosphere on the island, but eventually Gonzalo dissipated.
Aurore hitched a ride on an Outremer 45 - by far not as good as a Catana 42, she apped - back to Carriacou, to catch a small Piper Cub to fly to Martinique and then to Paris. Brian took a Learjet to Barbados, to fly to London.
That left me without their pleasant company for two months, all alone now in a BnB in a very green valley with no seaview.
Going back home to The Netherlands, where we have no house and where Covid is rising again, is not very attractive. In stead Monique plans to come to Grenada - hot and boring, but that's what she is craving for, after all the misery with her poor mother. She did a very good job for her mum ,and skipped the very end of her circumnav. Even rejected a challenging MSF job in the Med.
So we are looking forward to the end of this hurricane season, to sail on a bit, before ending our maritime adventure.
But more than ever - sorry to repeat - our planning is written in the sand at low tide...