4 Oct 2020

Everyone has a 2020 Story

by | posted in: Uncategorized | 44

2020 Geez

I guess we had a good run. For many this COVID thing isn’t a problem. Working from home and creating new hobbies etc. For others it’s devastation. Businesses closed, employment unavailable. I have several friends working from home and getting full pay who don’t see the carnage. All you have to do is go to the mall and see the closed stores and clerks getting 20 hours of work versus 40 and the reality hits home. Yesterday our president was diagnosed and headed to Walter Reed. Yes, these are strange times and I can only think back to 9/11 when our country faced surreal uncertainty. But you don’t read my blog to get my take on current events you read it to find out what’s up with Happy Together so let’s get on with that!

Should We stay or should we go

After a summer of dodging tropical systems and leaving the boat in St. Thomas we HAD to make a change. Remember, in St. Thomas the marinas are exposed so you can’t leave a boat there during a named storm. Lennie and I were glued to the National Hurricane Center website along with Windy and every other tropical system site you can imagine. Since most boats headed back to Florida or the Eastern Seaboard, we started to think we should just bring her home. For a 4-week period that wasn’t even an option since an open ocean sail from St. Thomas to Fort Lauderdale is over 1,000 miles – much of it without a safe bailout marina. Storms like Hurricane Joaquin formed in 32 hours so the idea of being halfway during a weather event was a non-starter for us.

Chewie get us out of here

The eastern edge of Puerto Rico lies just 40 miles West of St. Thomas and we were anxious to get into one of their HUGE protected marinas so that Happy Together could be well tied and remain safe (no guarantees). The problem was that after St. Thomas went into their second lockdown so did Puerto Rico. Their governor of PR not only shut down the island but she shut down any boat traffic in or out of marinas. So now we sat home waiting for something to give. Finally, St Thomas lifted their lockdown and Puerto Rico’s was set to expire on Friday the 11th of September. We had no idea if Puerto Rico would actually open or not but with 7 systems at once alive in the tropics, we decided to make our move.

 Stuck in the middle with you

 Once again, we hopped a flight and went to St. Thomas and provisioned for what we hoped would be a 4-day trip that would end with us in Puerto Rico. We left the harbor with 2 days left until PR would be “open”. We anchored in between two islands off the north side of St. Thomas known as Lovango Cay anchorage. We were the only boat and we took some time to dive and have our ever-famous Rose’ dinghy cruises. After two days the Puerto Rican Governor allowed the lockdown to expire without renewing it. Hooray! We “thought” all was good and headed west for an overnight stop in Culebrita one of the Spanish Virgin Islands halfway to Puerto Rico. This is one of the most beautiful bays in all the Caribbean and once again we overnighted alone. We called Homeland Security upon arrival and they told us we were allowed to enter Puerto Rican waters and could use the “Roam App” to clear our arrival. Once the app sent us a message that we were “officially” in Puerto Rico we cheered out loud. It had been a long time and we needed to get here but…

Ready or not here we come

 The next morning, we called the marina and said we would be there at around 4 pm and the marina manager said “You can’t enter Puerto Rico until the Director of Navigation releases the restriction” WTF? I said the lockdown is over and the marina closures coincided with the lockdown so therefore we shouldn’t have to ask. The marina manager said they could not let us enter but she had sent an email to the director and she was waiting to hear back. We sat in the anchorage at Culebrita for two days waiting for this clearance even though Customs and Border protection said we were checked into Puerto Rico. AND we are American citizens. The bureaucratic nightmare was unnerving. Finally, we were at a point where we had to either head to PR or turn back to St. Thomas. What to do……I remembered that during the previous lockdown when we originally asked for permission to enter the marina gave me the email address to the Director of Navigation two months earlier. I tried emailing directly with no response. Then I searched my deleted items and saw an email I had sent him about the previous lockdown. I had asked him if the marinas would open when the lockdown order ended and his one-word response was “Correct”!!! I felt like I had a smoking gun. We picked up anchor and headed to Puerto Rico and into the marina. Although nervous we would have a showdown, we noticed dozens of Puerto Rican boaters out on the water enjoying themselves so this marina shutdown must be over. We pulled into the marina and right into a slip. I said on the radio that I had “an email from the Director” essentially authorizing us. We tied up and met our caretaker and were on a plane within hours as we figured they couldn’t kick us out if we weren’t there. When I forwarded the email to the marina manager, she agreed that based on the email I should be allowed to enter. And that my friends are the politics of Covid and Yachting in 2020!!!

Culebrita Chilling
Rose Sunset
Alone in Culebrita
Culebrita Lighthouse 1880

44 Responses

  2. JOHN BAUTE
    |

    Glad to have read your update! Persistence pays off. We’ve had to reschedule our BVI bareboat charter twice…

    Should the world ever return to any resemblance of “normal”, and you guys find yourselves back in Panama, we would love to show you some of the beauty the country has to offer.

    John & Perla

    • happytogether
      |

      Hi John and Perla, We will be back someday!! Thanks!

  3. Manson Boze
    |

    Hopefully on the backside of the risk curve!

    Best you you and Lennie!

    Manson

  5. David Miller
    |

    Informative story. I have made arrangements to have my L45 rescued from BVI & moved to Red Hook later this month. The we are sailing it to Marina PDR, PR. Sound familiar?
    Stay Safe!
    Dave & Mary
    SV UNCAGED

    • happytogether
      |

      Hi Dave, Good job. There new protocols are going to ruin this season so get her out!

  6. Thomas Farrell
    |

    Happy to see you and Lenni are still alive and HAPPY TOGETHER.
    My story is that closed borders have me not seeing my home and family since Feb, the pup I had is full grown and thanks to FaceTime and technology we are coping well. The one good thing about Covid is that friends from decades back have reunited (just older) and that’s a positive for me.
    Missing your adventures…

    Tom Farrell

    • happytogether
      |

      Hi Tom, Wow, Like I said everyone has a 2020 story. I hope you get home soon!

  7. Brian Spence
    |

    We’ve really missed you guys. Hopefully someday you will be back to making YouTube videos. Nights on the sofa in front of the TV just aren’t the same any more. Glad you are doing well.

    • happytogether
      |

      Hi Brian, Ha, Thanks man. That time in my life may have passed but I will probably make a series of videos in the Pacific one day!

  8. Robert Huta
    |

    Outstanding! Glad you and Happy Together are well!

  10. Paul Geiser
    |

    Greatly appreciate the update, glad you were able to get into the harbor safely and on your way back home. I’m sure the both of you and your family along with me and my family cannot wait for this year to be over. I was sound asleep when 2020 rolled in but I will be up to wish this worse year of my 69 years good-bye.

  11. Phillip
    |

    Nice update Randy. Sounds like the boat is safe and I’m good hands. Here’s hoping all of this craziness calm downs with a vaccine and we can all start traveling again.

  13. Ed Goldinger
    |

    Stay safe HT Randy my wife and I are counting on meeting you you and Lenny. -Ed Kristi G.

  14. Mike Bevers
    |

    That’s great news! My friend who is a dentist in the US Coast Guard PR finally boat a 36ft boat at Nanny Cay. We plan on going their early December to help him sail it back to PR.

    • happytogether
      |

      Hi Mike, That will be a great trip. Hope they let you in easily

  15. Billy Gouty
    |

    Glad to see that you made it to Puerto Rico! Ginger and I were in St. John last weekend, and she said your AIS had come up with you in Puerto Rico, so we didn’t reach out!

    We appreciate the posts! Take care! Billy and Ginger

  16. Casey S
    |

    Bottle to face in Rose Sunset picture is everything. Hilarious! Watching you two has taught me many things, but one lesson is crucial. You often find a way to get ahead of the problem. “Fake” wallet in high theft places and boat safety / security to name two. What did Gretzky say? He skates to where the puck will be, not where it is? You guys are masters at this.

    PS – There are safe anchors in Philly. See you soon? JK, but not really. Ok, fine, JK. (:

    • happytogether
      |

      Hi Casey!!! So glad you like it. Nice to hear from you!

  17. Bartholomew Wellisley
    |

    Glad all is well!! We’re doing well. I scored a huge Bull Elk on my 3rd ever hunt in CO in archery on a solo hunt!! Can’t wait to get him back home, as next week he should be ready for pickup and he will be proudly displayed in our home! This will be my passion until I am able to get a boat and live on the high seas. 🙂

  18. Mark A
    |

    Randy and Lennie – how is the crew of SV Happy Together doing these days? Are you still landlocked?

    Where is SV Happy Together currently? Hope she survived the recent storm and lack of open water sailing. I am sure she misses you guys as much as you miss being onboard sipping Rose.

    Stay safe and healthy.

    Mark & Amy

    • happytogether
      |

      Hi Mark and Amy,

      We are still in St Thomas for now and have been to Puerto Rico as well. You can only cruise this area since all others require a 14 day quarantine and we only come for 10 days per month. So the USVI it is! We received your comment last night while we were drinking a bottle of Whispering Angel. What timing! Boat is in great shape. No idea what our plans are for 2021 at this point.
      Randy

  20. Dan & Beverly Sutton
    |

    Hope all is well with you both! Just a quick note that Beverly and I made a move to the North Georgia mountains. We will be in town occasionally to take care of business, but won’t be running into you much! All the best to you both

    • happytogether
      |

      Hi Dan and Beverly, You will be missed!!! Thanks for the note and hope to see you again soon!! Randy

  21. David Coombs
    |

    I really enjoyed this update because I’ve been so curious about you two, and how the pandemic has been impacting your ability to enter new ports as non citizens. Glad to hear that things have worked out well so far. I have my sights set on cruising in similar fashion in a few years, so your updates and details are so helpful, and they keep that light shining at the end of the tunnel. Thank you, and good luck!

    • happytogether
      |

      Hi David,
      Thanks for your comment. Glad you are enjoying our show. Updates are few and far between these days but happy to hear someone is listening. Check us out on instagram at svhappytogether for more up to date info. Randy

  22. Douglas Allen
    |

    Good Afternoon Randy. We exchanged a couple of messages on YouTube.
    Perhaps one day after the Holidays we could sequester a few minutes for boat talk.