After the virus, what adventure awaits?

In our case we will be fairly much limited to local weekend cruising for a while as we have businesses to try to get going again. We're working the hardest from home right now that we've worked in years, well since we retired in 2012. Unfortunately boating falls way down on our list of priorities. We haven't even done any planning on cruising as we have Plan A, B, C, D, E, F, G and more on business and no idea which if any of them we will pursue. I'm guessing perhaps next winter we'll be able to cruise the Caribbean as we intended this winter.

My Mum is now in a Care Home, so we've had to sell the family house. All my photos and Dad's designs and his father's are sitting there and can't be moved due to Antiguan lock-down.

140 years of family yachting history is just sitting there and no way of preserving it. Anything could happen.

Not happy

Last night I was thinking of the billions of dollars spent and all the time , worry and protections we implemented because of computer viruses. . If we only spent a equal amount to prepare for this virus. We all knew this was going to happen.

This Easter I had planned to run to Grenada for a few days, but alas, life happened. I hope when this is all over to spend a 10 days at the anchorage in the Grenadines.

Hopefully you can put on a mask and do something to protect that legacy Fish. It would be an added tragedy (and not just to your family) to lose that history. A prayer goes out for your mum.

Mountains. Hiking. Campfire. Shmores. And no cell signal.

I think your post makes it so clear that there isn't a return to what was, that's not going to be possible. There's some form of new life, that none of us know quite what it is. Yachting is the least of it. You're losing so much of your heritage. Others losing family members and loved ones. Others losing businesses. There will be a lot of unused boats and a lot for sale.

I think for many this will be a reestablishment of values. Being able to gather with family and friends will hold a special place in our lives like never before. We have family in Myrtle Beach and just holding our niece in our arms will be far more important than boating. The kids in the orphanage in NC that we will have been the longest we've ever been without seeing them, although we do see them on webcams. Just holding things together. Every day we spend focused on how to retain jobs for all our employees through the unknown. Meanwhile we have many in NC and SC working right now making surgical gowns instead of fashion lady's apparel but we worry every day that will lead to one of them getting Covid 19.

The world will never be the same. None of our lives will be. Our trip to the Caribbean, our summer in the Mediterranean, are likely far away, but we'll treasure just a day trip with friends and family to Miami. A weekend to Key West will be heaven as somehow I imagine Key West always there, never changing, just as it's survived hurricanes.

I feel for your losses but at the same time I worry about the health of your mum and hope she's ok through this.

Alzira; I’ll play;

My future plans are to slowly cruise up the east coast spending money and lavishly tipping at every bar, restaurant and marina I encounter.

I’m realistic that summer 2020, and maybe all 2020 could be unlikely for travel; but I’m optimistic that mankind will survive this latest attempt to snuff us out.

In my Forrest Gump career I was a stockbroker in 1987 and saw/felt that crash, then got into the software business in 1990 where many times we were on the wrong side of technology, cash flow or competitors... but survived.

Yes, this is different; unlike anything we have ever seen. And every religion and every country has a major celebration that can be summed up to:

“Something tried to kill us. We won. Let’s eat”

Corona virus is trying (and will succeed for some) to kill us, but we will ultimately win; and like Alzira says, let’s dream of where we will eat in the future and reflect back on these hard times we are living in.

I wish you all red skies at night
I wish for our nation to put aside bickering and pull together to take this challenge on
I wish everyone strength to face this challenge soberly and squarely

An old saying is
“In times of peace, prepare for war”
So in times of war, let’s prepare for the peace that will come.

Perhaps I am overly optimistic, but I believe that our summer cruising season will be somewhat normal. I'm making plans to have the boat ready for a New England season.

I like your attitude. I just secured my seasonal slip on the sound.

Even if you don't use those slips this summer it pays. You know that you'll still have a slip available in following years when boaters will be scrambling and running into wait lists. Also you're helping to keep your marina in business through these hard times.

No big plans, been retired 5 years, it is normal to be home every day and go boating 4-5 times a week.
A bit restricted to local boating for now, hoping to go back to the FL Keys and the Bahamas before Hurricane season.
Miss restaurant and bar hopping for lunch and dinners, but my liver and my bank account thanks me for doing eating and drinking at home.
(For the puritans on this site: We take Uber rides when going out to drink.)
Had 2 European vacations planned this summer, but fortunately we bought tickets and hotels that are refundable and credits are coming back to my Visa card every week.
The dog thinks she won the lotto as we are home every day and no kennel stays. Happy dog, happy life..

Now there is the true answer.

I was planning to do my version of the Great Loop this summer; Cape May outside to Norfolk and north up the Chesapeake to the Islands, Smith Island , Tangier Island, Tilghman to visit friends, and other spots on the bay. Then back through the C & D canal to Cape May.
Lol, it's a big trip for me. Time is very hard to come by, along with other things...$$, and those darn responsibilities .
Will see what happens.

My favorite thing is new territory, seeing something I haven't seen before. It started as a kid looping Dune Rd in the Hamptons, grew to looping Long Island and Manhattan Island. It eventually lead to the Great Loop. Can't tell you how many great spots I've been to, the great things I've seen, adventures encountered and the great people I've met along the Chesapeake Bay and Delaware River. It's not the length of the journey that matters. It's the moments you enjoyed and the things you've learned along the way. Loops of any kind are great for that.

We were supposed to be in Bahamas this entire month cruising for 1st time in the Bahamas on our new boat....obviously that is off, and then up to the Chesapeake for summer where we've been for last 30 years.....but now not sure we will get too....hopefully this crisis slows up soon!
Stay healthy everyone!

Aside from Hurricanes, the Bahamas are very nice in the summer time. Water is calm, water is more beautiful due to the extra sun and less wind, etc. It can be hot, but is very very nice and less people and easy to get dockage. I should be in the Exumas right now, had a April 1-12th trip scheduled for 3-4 months and I'm at home......

My next adventure is running another yacht down to the Panama Canal and through the Canal. I've only done the canal once going West and if you're going West, it's at night......so you don't see anything. Unfortunately this one will be going West as well. I only ran one yacht from the Panama Canal to here, but they had already taken it through the canal for my arrival to bring it up. I don't look forward to the trip down to Panama, as your stops are extremely few and far between, but at least it's in a new/fast Sportfish with plenty of fuel...….so will cut down on overnight legs to one, instead of 4 overnights on the 62' MY I brought back for the same owner a year ago.

In the Exumas Days are longer too and water is warmer in summer. In July and early August the odds of a storm are petty low.