Category: Life On A Boat

Our First week in Bonaire

It’s been one week of freedom for us and we are savoring every moment. Here’s how we’ve kept busy and entertained in our first week in Bonaire.

Checking In

Checking in to a new county is more complicated during Covid-19. Instead of just heading right to the customs and immigrations offices, Bonaire has a few more steps we had to complete, after 2 weeks quarantine, of course. On our last day of quarantine, we had to call the health department, tell them we finished quarantine and don’t have any symptoms, and within 24 hours they provided a letter of health for us to bring to customs and immigration.

We walked from the marina to the government offices on Thursday morning. While it was hot outside, we didn’t mind at all because we were off the boat! It was our first walk in 2 and a half weeks so it was the most exciting experience for us! Kralendjik is a charming town, with colorfully painted buildings and vibrant street art, so we enjoyed the hot walk to customs.

Flamingo Statue Bonaire
Flamingo sculpture Bonaire
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Quarantine On A Sailboat in Bonaire

We knew what we were getting into but it’s still a challenge. After arriving in Bonaire, our requirement was 2 weeks quarantine on the boat. Currently on day too many, here’s what it’s like to be in quarantine on a sailboat in Bonaire.

Our Surroundings

Sava is docked in slot B52 at Harbour Village Marina in Kralendijk. It’s our first time in a marina since last November when we bought new batteries in Martinique.

I can’t talk about the marina because I can’t see or explore it being stuck on the boat since the moment we arrived.

The amenities include water, power, and wifi. The wifi is the best part because we haven’t had lengthy access to that since before the pandemic lockdown in Antigua. That explains the profusion of blog posts since I’ve arrived.

I am sure it’s a fine marina, but all I can see are some rental villas behind our boat, water, and a few other boats on our dock. We are next to the end of B dock with only one occupied boat near us. The couple on that boat are very nice and have even loaned us some boat equipment. They’re kind of keeping us sane too. Quarantine is lonely so it’s nice to have some interaction with other humans.

Our other marina friend is the very nice guy who works here. His name is pronounced Eeedee, but I don’t think that’s how it’s spelled. He comes around a few times a week to check on us and take garbage. He’s been great to us.

We have a little dock next to our boat which we are allowed to walk on but not for more than a few minutes. Each of us goes on the strip of wood at least once a day just to turn on the water. It doesn’t feel like freedom, but it’s all we’ve got.

Boat at a dock during quarantine in Bonaire
Our little strip of “land” access
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Sailing from Antigua to Bonaire

We made it to Bonaire safe and sound. We made a successful multi-day passage which was a huge relief since it was by far our longest sail yet. It wasn’t a perfect sail but sailing from Antigua to Bonaire went much better than expected.

Leaving Antigua

Brian and I love Antigua, but after five months in the country, we were ready to go. Checking out was so easy but a little sad too. Over our last weeks in Antigua I realized what a special time we had there and I’ll always cherish the memories.

We checked out of Antigua!
Checking out was easy
Ready to Sail

We received our approval to enter Bonaire on Friday, June 26th, with an entry date of July 1st. Our provisioning was already done except for a few last minute foods which we bought in Falmouth on Saturday afternoon: hummus and pitas, and peri-peri chicken. Otherwise, Sava was packed up, filled with gas and water, and we were ready to haul anchor and set sail for our longest trip ever!

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