ARC woes

[Star-Lord]

it's actually 50/50 . We paid for ARC Portugal and it is now rescheduled for mid-August with HUGE chance of being postponed until 2021. I would plan something in Europe for 2020 . Plan D?

I would never recommend ARC Portugal LOL they give you all the safety briefings and checks and then they are quite happy for you to set sail across Biscay into an eye of a Storm like last year.. It was carnage!! Seriously just cross Biscay on your own - there are many ways to do it... But ONLY THE SKIPPER decides when to set sail not an organisation that has booked berths in advance.

ARC Atlantic may be a bit different but the problem is always THE SKIPPER should be the one to decide when to cross NOT anyone else ever.

I would consider World Arc because they do all the paperwork! And I suppose Atlantic Arc would be OK because you will get bad weather whatever happens over 3 weeks but crossing Biscay and sailing down Portugal (and not spending summer or at least 2 months in Galicia is criminal negligence imo) in a big rush to get to Little Britain Marina in Lagos is a joke imho.

You miss out on sailing the Tagus into Lisbon - you miss out anchoring in Sesimbra (almost the most beautiful nigh time ever from on the hook) you miss the bay in Setabul - with two great anchorages and easy marina for landing tender - and anchoring in Cascais - with train into Lisbon - and you go to some god awful wind swept marinas which are fine for cheap berths or winter storage but not for paying guests on a rally!

Please excuse the rant! Lagos town is very nice.

If i had limited time I would cross Biscay and summer in Galicia and leave boat there on the hard.. PM me and I will tell you a good spot in Vigo.

 

[Star-Lord]

delete

 

[Sailfree]

Portugal is in lockdown at present but if Covid 19 risk allows be good to get experienced in summer sailing south. Not sure how much longer distance sailing you and wife have done all experience before the ArRC would be good.

If you pay for a berth in UK you will be pleasantly surprised how cheap a winter berth can be in Europe.

We sailed our boat down to Nazare Portugal over 2yrs ago. Last year after a sudden impulse we sold our Nazare home to design and build our own house more inland so now living on boat in Nazare marina until house finished.

There are currently 3 other boats locked in until lockdown finishes and they can sail south.

 

[Ningaloo]

We are all pondering the same thing. I'm doubtful that sailing will be possible in the UK before the autumn at best. I am pretty sure international travel won't be possible for much longer.

I have just left Australia after being questioned by 5 different sets of border control staff. Australian residents cannot leave their home region, let alone travel to another state or country. As a non-resident citizen I needed prior approval to return to UK where I am resident (ironically on a boat that I cannot get access to).

No chance of any non-citizen entering Australia right now.

Australia has a policy of eradication of Covid-19 then contact tracing any new cases. The less populated states have single figure new cases each day and most of those are traced to international travel, especially cruise ships. Despite this the current lockdown is expected to be in force for at least 3 months.

Europe and USA are a long way from getting to this position and other than a few more relaxed situations in Sweden, Netherlands etc don't seem to be ready to do any pro-active contact tracing as seen in Hong Kong and Singapore. I can anticipate the quandary that human rights activists will be in: allow government to track every move you make, or accept being restricted from any but essential local movement!

I anticipate international travel from "dirty" countries which still have infection will continue to be very restricted throughout 2021 unless/until a vaccine is found and available in the quantities required to treat the bulk of the (global) population.

 

[geem]

...or they will be desperate to see visitors come back and wake up to the fact that people who have been at sea for three weeks have already been quarantined; maybe some hard currency will be warmly welcomed.

...or law and order may be the challenge and we might rather not be there.

I think law and order could become a challenge. Lots of islands have no welfare and now they are all locked down, no income.
We are still getting food here in Carriacou but for how long? This might not be sustainable for months at a time.
Grenada has been locked down for a week and its now extended to 20th April. Those people will have had no way to earn a living for three weeks! How do you get money for food if you dont have any? It is going to be a challenging time for law and order

 

[RJJ]

I think law and order could become a challenge. Lots of islands have no welfare and now they are all locked down, no income.
We are still getting food here in Carriacou but for how long? This might not be sustainable for months at a time.
Grenada has been locked down for a week and its now extended to 20th April. Those people will have had no way to earn a living for three weeks! How do you get money for food if you dont have any? It is going to be a challenging time for law and order

... that's a microcosm of the pressures billions of people across the world will face, the longer the lockdown continues, and why at some point the risks of releasing lockdown will be accepted and transferred directly onto those most at -risk of the virus. Getting the economy going again is, for some people, life or death.