Friday, April 10, 2020

Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, USVI
18.20.016N
64.55.440W

I didn’t write yesterday because, to be quite frank, there wasn’t anything to write about.  Dale and Gerry found a reason to run to a marine store (shockingly Dale didn't find a thing he needed), Nicky and I stayed back.  The huge yacht that had been a fixture at the marina left today.  Dale said that we’d have to be careful when we approached the dinghy dock from now on as there is probably a reef left behind. 

I heard from Texas Crewed that they were intending to head in our direction today. 

I read various facebook entries.  I am gathering several clever names for the current virus or the corona situation:  WuFlu, Coronapocalypse, coronaithians.  By the time this is all done, there should be loads of astute descriptions. 

Texas Crewed

Today, we were supposed to go to the Post Office as one of our daughters sent us a care package but it was closed.  
Texas Crewed did make it.  Once they were anchored, we all gathered our shopping bags, dinghied in and fought for space at the dock.   We were on our way to the taxi area, when our previous driver saw us and met us half way (the taxi drivers are really hurting with all of the cruise ships gone).  We all piled in and took off for the Home Depot and Cost U Less experience.  When they were done, we teased Gene and Renee that we would have to fill their dinghy with the groceries they purchased and they could ride with us.  After sitting on a mooring ball for a month with no provisioning to be found, they really needed supplies.  They no sooner emptied their dinghy onto the boat than they headed back out again to shop at Kmart and the little grocery store across the street. 

Dale Trying to 

Dull the Edges

Things didn’t seem to be as crazy this time.  No long lines but we did have to stay the 6’ distance between each person.  Dale got in trouble for stepping too close to the woman in front of us.  The guy keeping everyone in line said that there had to be 6’ between each shopper; if you were married, 10’.  I saw a joke about a couple who had gone shopping but when they got home and took off their masks, the lady realized she brought home the wrong husband. 

Dale busied himself for the rest of the day putting heavy duty plastic around and blocking areas between the solar panels.  If you remember, I told you that we had severed our main sheet during the night on our transit from Puerto Rico to here.  It was such a clean cut our only thought was that it had slipped around one of the sharp corners of the solar panels and then sliced through when tension came up suddenly.  Hopefully, this will take care of it.  If that wasn’t the issue, we’ll have to go back to the drawing board.