Alarm goes off at 0600 for listening to the weather. Stumble to the bathroom to put in contacts to see. Then to the galley to make coffee. We still use a 12 cup stainless steel percolator on the stove top.
Next, turn on the SSB radio and tune it to the channel and then wait for the broadcast to begin. The first segment is the weather in the Caribbean - all the way down to the coast of South America and up to the Greater Antilles. Going to make you Google that for your geography lesson for today. After about 30 minutes, the weather for The Bahamas comes on. I listen, take notes, and many days record this. The forecast period is for the next five days so we can decide if we want to move about or not.
All the while, we are drinking our coffee and afterwards looking at news, weather on internet, and emails. Then at 0815, a cruisers net begins over the VHF radio. We obtain information about the local area, closings, introduce ourselves to others in the anchorage, and pass important information.
So at around 0830-0900, the day begins. If we need to get any groceries, we begin getting the dinghy down for a trip to shore. We gather up our grocery bags, shoes, VHF radio, and any trash that we need to take in. We tie off at a private dock that the locals generously allow us boaters to use. We tie off along with around 10 other dinghies at the dock. We walk about 1/4-1/2 mile up the road to the grocery store. It is about the size of two convenience stores in the states. The store received a shipment on Wednesday so there are many supplies to be stocked and NONE of the shelves are empty. We pay and load our bags for the walk back down the hill. If we were not under orders for only essential services to be open, we would stop in at Sou’Side and have a beer (at least Ann would) - an open air bar and restaurant on the road.
Back at the boat, we unload the groceries and stow them. Some are dated so that stocks can be rotated (remember Ann was a nurse). We have a cold drink or water and rest. I forgot to add that the dishes were hand washed and dried before going to the store. Nope, we don’t have a dishwasher.
Since the recent changes, all our meals are cooked on the boat but that is not at all unusual for us. I’m sure many in the States are learning how to cook and plan meals right now. The biggest issue for me is that there was not a lot of time to prepare for the shutdown. Liquor stores and a few gas stations sell beer none in the grocery stores. If I ration, I can have one beer per day for the imposed period! AND if supplies get critical, I suppose some bartering among cruisers could take place! Surely someone needs SOMETHING sewed!! Lol
We read, watch movies we have on DVD (no TV reception here) that we have already seen before. We polish stainless steel there is a lot on our boat. We check social media and news and emails again. We nap, we eat lunch. We might go to the beach for a walk. Or Darrell goes spearfishing with a fellow boater and brings back bounty from the sea!!
Late morning, with good sun, we start up our water maker. We will run it every few days for around 2-3 hours to supply our fresh water for drinking, washing dishes, and showers. Having it since 2013 has given us freedom to roam about without worries of when and where to refill our tank.
With this fresh water, I am considering making extra. We do not have a washing machine on board so I am considering doing some more hand laundry. Many ports have a laundromat close so we frequently walk but the closest one to us right now is several miles, requiring a rental car or hitch hiking. We’re afraid no one is willing to pick us up because of the pandemic and we don’t want to ask for a ride. Normally, they are constantly stopping to see if you need a ride. It’s a long way to lug that heavy bag of dirty clothes and the cleansers required to get the job done. Fresh air is a great smell in your laundered sheets and clothes!
Now, it’s time for a nap. Lol
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