Before you read this I just want to say that I am not moaning. I have a wonderful life and the amazing places we see, people we meet, food we eat and our general day-to-day living I would not change for anything. It was our dream and we are now living it. This is just how I am feeling about now and the immediate future. I am not a doomer and gloomer and like to think I see the positive in most things but this has been a very strange year so far for everyone across the world.
We are currently in Menorca Spain. The weather is gorgeously hot, the water is azure blue and sky a vibrant solid blue and as I sit here in the cockpit of Cordelia I see the beaches and hotels empty of holiday makers but the waters full of boaters.
The boating world and community seem's to have had a growth spurt whilst the rest of the world, apart from the manufacturers of face masks and hand gels, are still suffering the affects of Covid-19. There have been amazing stories of people helping live-aboard boaters with provisions and water when they have been unable to get ashore. Humanity is a wonderful thing.
When we go for provisions we have to wear face masks all the time. The only exception for face masks at the moment is if you are on a beach or under 6 years old. It is mandatory everywhere else.
A rental dinghy has just passed with 6 adults and 6 children who all looked under 12. Every single one of them had face masks on. What a world it has become that we are not able to enjoy outdoor activities without covering our faces. Our children and grandchildren are now living in a society hidden behind a mask. It brings tears to my eyes to think that my grandchildren are having to wear a mask because the WHO (World Health Organisation) says it what we should do in order to reduce the number of Covid cases. This may be the case, we have yet to really see if wearing them is really helping to stave off a 2nd wave of the virus. What I do know is that those closest to me are now naturally reaching for their masks when they leave the house, as you do your coat or shoes. That is NOT normal.
We are planning to winter in Ragusa Sicily from October to March 2021. This is a worry too. If we go back to the UK to visit family, who we haven't seen for 12months, firstly we have to quarantine for 2 weeks when we arrive and then, will we be able to get back to our boat? If there is a 2nd wave of the virus will they close the borders down again? If so, there is a risk we would not get back to Cordelia in March. She is our home, we live on her full-time. I don't want to leave her knowing I may not be able to get back. Many many people this year were unable to get back to their boats having left them for the winter to return home, only to find borders closed and airline companies had stopped all flights. Even more than normal I want to see my family. This has a been a time when family needed to pull together to help each other get through this and we have been thousands of miles away.
We are fortunate that living on Cordelia means we are relatively safe.
We only ever leave the boat to do our shopping, laundry or dump the rubbish. Even then we try to do that all in the same trip so that the potential exposure to the virus is reduced.
We had planned to cross the Atlantic to the Caribbean last year and put that off a year because we were having so much fun on the Portuguese and Spanish coasts. Now this year we have put it back another year because of the volatile state of the Caribbean. We want to make sure when we cross that ocean we are going to an area where we can provision properly and where borders welcome boaters again and somewhere we can easily move around and not be held up because a government have placed restrictions in some way or other.
We will continue our cruising life because it is our way of life. We will continue to abide by the restrictions laid down by each country.
Life will be different but that doesn't mean we can't enjoy
it. Masks will disappear one day, our children and grandchildren will breath the air normally and live without fear and be allowed to be children again. I just pray that that time comes quickly and we as a planet do not have to suffer too much longer.
Keep safe everyone, we are in this together and will come out of it together x
We are currently in Menorca Spain. The weather is gorgeously hot, the water is azure blue and sky a vibrant solid blue and as I sit here in the cockpit of Cordelia I see the beaches and hotels empty of holiday makers but the waters full of boaters.
The boating world and community seem's to have had a growth spurt whilst the rest of the world, apart from the manufacturers of face masks and hand gels, are still suffering the affects of Covid-19. There have been amazing stories of people helping live-aboard boaters with provisions and water when they have been unable to get ashore. Humanity is a wonderful thing.When we go for provisions we have to wear face masks all the time. The only exception for face masks at the moment is if you are on a beach or under 6 years old. It is mandatory everywhere else.
A rental dinghy has just passed with 6 adults and 6 children who all looked under 12. Every single one of them had face masks on. What a world it has become that we are not able to enjoy outdoor activities without covering our faces. Our children and grandchildren are now living in a society hidden behind a mask. It brings tears to my eyes to think that my grandchildren are having to wear a mask because the WHO (World Health Organisation) says it what we should do in order to reduce the number of Covid cases. This may be the case, we have yet to really see if wearing them is really helping to stave off a 2nd wave of the virus. What I do know is that those closest to me are now naturally reaching for their masks when they leave the house, as you do your coat or shoes. That is NOT normal.
We are planning to winter in Ragusa Sicily from October to March 2021. This is a worry too. If we go back to the UK to visit family, who we haven't seen for 12months, firstly we have to quarantine for 2 weeks when we arrive and then, will we be able to get back to our boat? If there is a 2nd wave of the virus will they close the borders down again? If so, there is a risk we would not get back to Cordelia in March. She is our home, we live on her full-time. I don't want to leave her knowing I may not be able to get back. Many many people this year were unable to get back to their boats having left them for the winter to return home, only to find borders closed and airline companies had stopped all flights. Even more than normal I want to see my family. This has a been a time when family needed to pull together to help each other get through this and we have been thousands of miles away.
We are fortunate that living on Cordelia means we are relatively safe.
We only ever leave the boat to do our shopping, laundry or dump the rubbish. Even then we try to do that all in the same trip so that the potential exposure to the virus is reduced.
We had planned to cross the Atlantic to the Caribbean last year and put that off a year because we were having so much fun on the Portuguese and Spanish coasts. Now this year we have put it back another year because of the volatile state of the Caribbean. We want to make sure when we cross that ocean we are going to an area where we can provision properly and where borders welcome boaters again and somewhere we can easily move around and not be held up because a government have placed restrictions in some way or other.We will continue our cruising life because it is our way of life. We will continue to abide by the restrictions laid down by each country.
Life will be different but that doesn't mean we can't enjoy
it. Masks will disappear one day, our children and grandchildren will breath the air normally and live without fear and be allowed to be children again. I just pray that that time comes quickly and we as a planet do not have to suffer too much longer.
Keep safe everyone, we are in this together and will come out of it together x
