Saturday, April 11, 2020

Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, USVI
18.20.016N

Tropical Easter Flower

64.55.440W

Well, today was the day we got busted!

We began our day by walking about a half mile into town to go to the Post Office to retrieve our care package.  We entered and got in line.  Stayed within our 6’ delineation marked on the floor and after about 15 minutes reached the clerk.  We asked for our general delivery package and was told that we had to go to the next room to get our package.  Dale explained that he had previously picked up a general delivery package right there.  She said she would check but that in the future, general delivery packages should be picked up in the next room.  She came back and said that the package wasn’t there. 

I called our daughter for the tracking number as the clerk walked Dale over to the next room where there was a very long line of people waiting for parcels sent to their P. O. boxes, nothing about general delivery.  She asked if we had a tracking number and to write it down on a piece of paper.  We did and went to hand it back to her but were told to get in line and give it to the clerks handling the boxes.  Dale took it in stride, which I found amazing as he hates waiting in line.  I wasn’t happy and the longer we stood there, the less happy I was, as I looked up the tracking number on line and found that yes, it had been delivered 2 days earlier. 

When we got to the head of the line, they took our number (and 5 others standing in line), I showed them on my phone that their tracking info indicated that it had been delivered.  I could see that the woman who took our number, handed it off to another, who went to the other side of the building, where we had been originally, came back immediately with the package but put it on the table by the window.  The woman who took our number gathered all of the other packages and handed them out and then took more numbers.  Then the woman who had actually found our package, told the woman at the window that she couldn’t tell if we needed to sign for it or not as it clearly had been inspected by customs (it contained all sorts of cooking ingredients, soaps, and candies – who knows what it looked like on an x-ray machine.) The woman in the window handed out the next group’s packages before she looked at ours, asked for an ID and then gave us the box.  REALLY?  Dale started to open the box there but I persuaded him to go back to the first side and open it in front of the clerk who said that it wasn’t there.  I know, petty, but I wanted to make a point.  We had been standing there for over an hour.  Dale had kept track of it. 

We walked back, stopped at the supermarket for a couple of items and then to Wendy’s for an early lunch before making it back to the anchorage. 

Rum Truffle

As we approached, we saw Texas Crewed moving behind us and that Rum Truffle had arrived and was taking their previous position.  We maneuvered between them and over to Opal to drop off a purchase we had made for them.  They told us that while we were gone, the Harbor Patrol had come through the anchorage with lights, sirens and bull horns, stopping at each of our boats to inform us that we had to fill out anchoring permits and a heath questionnaire that could be found online at the Department of Natural Resources.  We had heard previously that they had been considering some type of permit, certificate and fee but we thought it would have been through Customs and Border, Coast Guard, even Harbor Patrol but Natural Resources, that’s a new one. 

In any event, we returned to the Palace, located the website, proceeded to fill out the forms, locate a photograph of our boat and copy our Florida registration, print out the forms to sign, scanned and returned everything.  Not once were we asked the date we had arrived but that we now had to monitor our symptoms for the next 3 days and self-isolate for the next 14.  Since we’ve been in the country since March 16, I think it’s a little late.  Now we wait to see what happens next.  When we arrived in March, there were different rules in effect.  These rules became effective 1 April. 

At this point, I’m terrified that we’ll be told to head to St. Croix to check in as they are not allowing boats to check in here as of the first of April.  St. Croix is a day away.  Did I mention that my hair is falling out in handfuls?  Dale says its stress.  Ya think?

We ended the day having drinks and nibbles on Opal.  Texas Crewed joined us on board but Rum Truffle hung off the side in their dinghy as they are social distancing. 

Tomorrow I’m having everyone on our boat for an Easter dinner.  My faith is always with me but I don’t preach or make a big point of it.   In fact, I love to speculate about extraterrestrial possibilities, I’ll give you a run for your money on the latest conspiracy theory and I can swear like a pirate when the mood strikes.  This past year has been very trying and I’ve been a bit grumpy lately.  I need to remember to be thankful for what we have and lean into the winds that are blowing hard against us all.  Times such as these have me returning to that faith, gathering inner strength from something I can’t explain but I know who made it possible.  A Blessed Easter to all; and a silent prayer that not all of my hair falls out.