What a difference a week makes!

What a difference a week makes!
The WHO declared the COVID-19 virus to be a pandemic on March 11, 2020 and that seemed to create panic, at least in North America.  Borders began closing to those that had visited areas badly affected by the virus.  Travel advisories were issued recommending that people avoid non-essential travel. Toilet paper sold out! And then, caring family and friends began sending us scary news headlines and imploring us to either stay in the Bahamas for a few more months or to return home right away. 
So much for enjoying our last few days in the Bahamas.  From Nassau we hightailed it to Soldier Cay in the Berrys, then Grand Bahama Yacht Club in Port Lucaya and then Old Bahama Bay in West End.  Even flew our spinnaker most of the way between Soldier Cay and Port Lucaya.  We sat in West End for a day for the waves in the Gulf Stream to reduce and the wind forecast to increase. Interestingly, we met 3 young 30 - 40 something couples in West End setting out to live their dreams!

A lovely sunset at West End

 We crossed the stream yesterday without incident motorsailing all the way.

Always happy to be across the stream

The problem is, we want to get our boat home!  We are done with the Bahamas, and tired of paying exorbitant marina fees and insurance premiums for the privilege of leaving Trekker in a hurricane zone!  
So, thinking we are a reasonably practical couple, we dug a little deeper into the travel advisories and headlines.  The Canadian Government says to avoid all “non-essential” travel.  So what exactly is non-essential travel?  The government website says  that each individual will need to make that determination based on their particular circumstances.  Well, as far as I’m concerned, getting the boat north is essential.  The next biggest concern seemed to be that our travel health insurance would not respond if we were to get the virus "because they are changing the policy wording" or “because a travel advisory has been issued". So I called our insurer and they have assured me that since the effective date of our policies was before the travel advisories were issued, they are not impacted and are in full force and effect until the end of the policy period. 
The next question is: are we putting our health at risk bringing the boat north up the ICW through the United States?  I have searched State websites and been sent maps detailing the locations where cases of the virus have been confirmed, and while the status is changing daily, the coast seems nearly clear of cases up to the Chesapeake. At that point population density increases as does the risk of interacting with an infected person.  That said, we figure we can socially distance ourselves in our little floating capsule for a week at a time, at which point we will need groceries, diesel, a pump out and water. But wouldn't we have to buy groceries at home too? 

Essential supplies and an uninfected friend to socially distance ourselves with

So that gets us up to NY City where I read that Mayor De Blasio is warning New Yorkers that they might have to “shelter in place“.  I don’t even know what that means … does a boat count? Can your "place" move? But if we can get through NY then we are back in Ontario, home free!
Unfortunately, with restaurants, bars, brew pubs and potentially marinas shutting down, the trip that we were both looking forward to will not be nearly as much fun!  You could argue that it has turned into a boat delivery.
Yesterday we used the CBP ROAM app and were welcomed to the US. Today we got our cruising license from CBP without any problem.  
We have the mast scheduled to come down Tuesday March 23 and it is scheduled to ship at the beginning of April.  I got the turnbuckles loosened up today, so tomorrow we will get sails off, and prepare the mast to come down. Those are current plans but with circumstances changing daily, it really is one day at a time!