Ahoy Sailors
Another week in lockdown. Some good news for us - we're transferring our personal lockdown from the hospital to the farm house tomorrow! After nearly 8 weeks since Axel was born, we get to take him home. THANKS to everyone who emailed in messages of congratulations and support - Mia & I had a really nice time reading all of that positivity.
We've just today received a couple emails about our plans with the boats now, as dates fast approach. Yesterday was supposed to have been the joining date for the crews sailing BVI-Bermuda. Alas here we are, no sailing happening anytime soon....
2020 SAILING
It's now no longer realistic to think we're going to hit any of our sailing schedule in 2020, on either boat. The domino-effect of our calendar means that once we miss one passage, the others fall down the line. With ICEBEAR stuck in Grenada and ISBJORN stuck in Tortola, we have no options at all until borders open up, not even for a skeleton delivery crew.
Last week BVI announced it was shutting its borders to foreigners until SEPTEMBER! Yikes. Grenada is week-to-week with their lockdown plans, but more COVID-19 cases are popping up there weekly, so I can't imagine we'll get any good news out of that island either.
So, for those of you set to sail with us in 2020, you can now assume the trips will not happen this summer and plan accordingly.
ALL MIGHT NOT BE LOST
The irony of this situation to me is that for most of 2019, our busiest season yet on the boat, I longed to get home to the farm and relax in one place for a big chunk of time. But now that that is being forced on me, I miss the boat even more. I'm sure many of you can relate!
If we can sail in 2020, we're going to try, but it won't be on the original schedule. We're working on a contingency to have a friend in the BVI sail ISBJORN north to Annapolis for the summer ahead of hurricane season. My thought is that if things become more clear by October, maybe we can add an offshore passage south again with paying crew in early November, then continue with a Caribbean season in fall/winter 2020/2021.
If we can't do that, both ISBORN & ICEBEAR will be de-rigged and battened down for hurricane season in BVI & Grenada respectively. We have deposits paid to hold our spots at the boatyards on both islands. At least that way we can pick back up again in the fall/winter with a Caribbean season, potentially, if the virus situation becomes more clear by then. But nobody knows at this point.
FURTHER AHEAD
Regardless, the longer-term tentative plan is that we pick up with the 2020 season one year later, in spring 2021. I think I mentioned this as a possibility in the very first COVID-19 email. In this case, anyone set to sail with us in 2020 would be on the exact same schedule as we are now, just one year delayed. This actually feels like the cleanest solution to me. If we do manage to add any Caribbean trips next winter, you'd certainly be to able to transfer your deposit to that, or any other trip with us for that matter. If this happens though, we'll have to make adjustments for the crew signed up for 2021 as well, but we've got time to think about that.
You'll note I haven't said 'canceled' in this email, which feels like just about what every other organization trying to manage plans around this crisis is saying. Right now we're on an extended delay, and because of that domino effect, that delay is going to stretch into the next safe trans-Atlantic season, which is spring/summer 2021.
QUESTIONS?
If anybody has any individual questions feel free to fire away. We're trying to stay productive in the meantime with these livestreams we've been hosting, and working on some teaching opportunities. I have a handful of articles to write for SAIL Magazine, and of course we'll be spending lots of time with Axel on the farm!
We appreciate the continued support from our crew. That day when we can meet onboard the boats again, cast off and sail over the horizon...that will be a good day indeed.
Until then,
