Last Updated on October 19, 2023 by Jill
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We are leaving the U.S. Virgin Islands for our sail home. We have been here since the end of February through a large part of the Covid-19 Pandemic.
We were actually thinking of doing remote work from the boat here, but with the virus that just isn’t possible right now. Most of the islands are closed and we are unsure when they will reopen. For us, with the dogs taking the risk of being stuck here during the hurricane season is something we have decided isn’t our best plan. On top of that, we are concerned if we can get into some of the southern islands and will there be an issue now with the dogs. Too many unknowns for us right now. Key West has opened up so it is time to sail home.
What that means
All of the islands on our route are closed. Even though we are U.S. Citizens we could only get into Puerto Rico under duress. It’s a bummer we never got to do the Spanish Virgin Islands but it will have to wait. We have joined up with the Salty Dog Rally going home. There are a lot of other boats sailing home. So, we will be able to communicate with other sailors along our way. The nice thing is that the Salty Dog group actually got us authorization to anchor in Bahamian waters for emergency weather only. We can not go ashore but if we need it, it is nice to know it is there. It is nice being a part of this group, really great that they took care of that for us. They also provide weather updates, tracking, Chris Parker, and a whole lot more. Check them out what a great group.
It will be our longest sail to date. We did a 4.5-day sail to Puerto Rico from the Bahamas in 2019. With all the islands closed, it will be anywhere from a 10-15 day sail with a stop in Key West for fuel. Once we get fuel in Key West we will sail on to Galveston, Texas. We have checked everything and checked it again. We replaced our radar mount, and radar that we lost off the coast of Florida. All of the provisions are purchased and stowed away and we are ready to go. See you back in the states.
Cheers,
Jill
