We’ve been anchored at Hoffman’s Cay for 11 days now. Technically, we were anchored off Devil’s Cay for the first three days, but it was a little rolly there so close to the inlet, so we moved to Hoffman’s Cay about 3 miles northeast. There are generally 11-14 boats anchored in this area on any given day. Many have been here longer than us.
These are uninhabited islands, so we can walk along the small beaches and swim and snorkel off the boat or from one of the beaches and stay socially distanced. The waters off the beaches on this side are stand-up shallow for a couple hundred feet, so it’s easy to snorkel from shore as well as from the swim ladder on our starboard sugar scoop (those are the steps down to the water). One of the beaches near us has a 500 foot path across to the Atlantic side with a gorgeous, longer beach that’s great to walk along especially at low or falling tide (see post picture). The sand feels great on my feet and there is always a fresh supply of shells (and sadly plastic and other human debris) to discover. There’s also a 2-mile long beach a little further up from “our beaches” that is fabulous walking at low tide, but with fewer shells. We’ve settled into a routine that usually involves one excursion ashore and either a swim, snorkel or dinghy exploration. Late afternoon is for relaxing aboard with some sort of afternoon drink (though we have to ration our rum). Then there’s dinner followed by a game and/or movie before bed. We are extremely fortunate to have this little slice of paradise amidst the chaos of the COVID pandemic.
We’ve met and talked with a few of the other cruisers anchored here, maintaining our 6-foot distance, of course. Usually we’re talking dinghy-to-boat or dinghy-to-kayak, but yesterday there were three sets of people on that 2-mile beach I mentioned above, so we actually had a land-based conversation. I find it comforting knowing we’re not alone in this situation and that there are others close by, just in case. Most are planning to stay here as long as possible, waiting for the pandemic to settle down a bit before returning to the US or Canada. Those we’ve met so far are much better provisioned than we are; they’re not newbies like us.
How long we are able to stay here depends first and foremost on our ability to get additional food supplies. Unlike our cruiser buddies here at Hoffman’s Cay, we did not provision for the apocalypse. Learning to live aboard is a steep enough learning curve. I wasn’t prepared for doing this during a pandemic. So Monday or Tuesday we will cruise the 5-6 hours back up to Great Harbor Cay and follow whatever protocols they have in place for cruisers to come ashore for groceries and hope the mailboat actually arrives Tuesday with new food supplies. This is a small island, so we anticipate being able to get staples like rice, flour, butter, eggs, cheese, maybe some frozen meat, hopefully some canned fruits and veggies. Thanks to one of the Bahamas Facebook groups I follow, I have a contact at the GHC Marina who will keep me posted about the mailboat, but was also able to tell me that other than flour and fresh produce the local grocery was fully stocked yesterday. Hopefully Bahamians don’t get scared, especially on the family islands, and start being afraid of cruisers and refusing them access to food and fuel. Fear can make humans act poorly and misinformation flies around here as much as it does in the US and elsewhere, despite the PM’s efforts to communicate clearly.
There are currently 24 confirmed cases of COVID in the Bahamas, and 3 deaths. Most of the cases are in Nassau, a couple are on Grand Bahama, but the first death was of a person from Bimini who was so ill he was flown to the hospital in Nassau where he later died. The Prime Minister is a very good communicator, and a medical doctor himself, which is very good in a health crisis. Since 3/19 he has made at least 4 addresses to his people reiterating, clarifying and adding to his original executive order. (We don’t have sufficient cell coverage or data to watch them, but we read the transcripts.) Apparently his people are not all following the rules of social distancing and curfew, however, especially on the “family islands” (those with small populations like Great Harbor Cay). He’s tightened things up a bit as a result, including more police patrols and a complete shut down this weekend of all stores and services, and he directed everyone to just stay home- period. The order lasts from 9pm last night until 5am Monday morning. Then we’ll see what happens. Cruisers are held to the same restrictions as the Bahamians, as is only fair. Bahamians are allowed outside in their yards only, cruisers are allowed to swim around their boats or go ashore to uninhabited island beaches for quick walks. Bahamians and cruisers can only leave their homes/boats for groceries, fuel, money or medicine (or water, for cruisers). Inter-island travel is banned for all, except cruisers can move to get the essentials I just listed or to head back to their home country.
We should be able to clear out of the Bahamas from the GHC marina when the time comes. From there it’s only about 130 miles to the inlet near West Palm Beach, so all we will need is a good 2-day weather window for the crossing. Hopefully we do not end up needing to head back to the US before the virus settles a bit, because we feel safer from it here.
Stay safe and healthy and take care of each other!
Life on Lady 