We have only 170nm to go before reaching Charleston. With any luck we will arrive within the next 24 hours.
We’ve talked about the fact that our re-introduction into “the real world” may come as quite a shock, and that we’ve probably not appreciated our past two months in Barbuda enough. We’ve read all the news, but we suspect that until you actually have to deal with “stay at home orders”, wearing masks, and social distancing on a daily basis, you can’t really understand just how much things have changed.
So, we’ll reach out here and ask for some suggestions.
– What should we expect?
– Should we try to avoid meetings with friends and family?
– How safe do you feel going out for groceries and other supplies? – Are you wearing masks? When?
– What supplies are difficult to find?
BTW – I think we lean hard towards the “be extremely careful” side of the spectrum.
Perhaps many have learned to deal with COVID-19 and are “moving on”, but we think it’s crazy that many states are loosening restrictions before meeting any of the criteria that have been published by the federal government. It’s equally unbelievable that the guidelines developed by the CDC are not being published. And, I’m sorry if this is a touch political, but how bizarre is it that Trump is actively encouraging states to reopen now, before they meet any/most of the criteria that he personally announced.
Honestly, I wish I could have found a way to stay away!!
Please do let us know if you have any suggestions.
Thanks!!
Morpheus Sailing 
You are right to think things are not being handled well here, they are not. Try “Instacart” for $10 a month or $100 a year to have groceries etc. delivered from a number of stores. In Charleston it looks like these would be Costco, BJs, CVS, Aldi, and Publix. Prices are sometimes a little higher but it is a good place to start until you figure out what is safe and what is not.
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Thanks Mark! Will put these suggestions to work sooner rather than later. People down here seem to think they’ve gotten the all clear sign. I suspect they will change their minds in a couple of weeks.
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Here in Charleston (at least on the Mount Pleasant side), most people are not wearing masks when outside. Outside dinning has opened again…but I haven’t partaken of any food services yet…and probably won’t for awhile. At Whole Foods, they restrict the number of people in the store at one time. They offer masks if you don’t have one. They ask that you wear a mask inside the store, but don’t mandate it. About 80% of the people wear masks when I’ve been there. Harris Teeter is a bit more relaxed. Both places disinfect carts between shoppers. I carry hand sanitizer with me when out and use it after I touch almost anything. We also bring disinfectant wipes with us when we go out.
Hard to find items are TP (weird!), paper towels, bleach, disinfectant wipes. Whole Foods has a fair supply of foods, but meats are in short supply, so you’ll be able to get meats, but maybe not the cuts you like. We’ve had a hard time getting pork loin, boneless chicken breasts, and a few other cuts at times. All the loose foods such as nuts, dried fruit, self portions of olives, etc are shut down.
Most South Carolinians seem to have a pretty relaxed attitude…perhaps too relaxed. The virus hasn’t hit as hard here yet as it has in the Northeast, FL, and GA.
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We go out when necessary. In Contra Costa County, everyone is required to wear a mask. I wear gloves as well because I would never touch my face with gloves on. Stores here limit how many people are in at one time and usually have someone at the door managing it. There are 6’ marks outside most stores so if you are standing in line you should be 6’ apart. 6’ is supposed to be the magic number to avoid respiratory transmission. At stores with carts do not take one from the parking lot, you take it from the clean carts by the door. When you are done with the cart you leave it near the person who is cleaning them for the next person. There are limits on paper goods and I believe in your area chicken is hard to get. I carry a bottle of hand sanitizer to use once I get in my car or leave a place where others are. The very best thing you can do is wash you hands when you first get back to the boat. Here restaurants and non-essential retail are closed for browsing but many have online ordering and curbside pickup.
Sorry for the long message. I’m just trying to describe life here, right now. All that said I am sure South Carolina is nowhere near as stringent. So that mean if you understand the risk, you will have to be even more vigilant as the strangers you will encounter will not be.
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Thanks Allison. Good info. We will venture out only when we need to but good to be prepared
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We are meeting you on the dock with face masks, rubber gloves and sanitizers! You’ll be all set. Beware of ANYONE not wearing a face mask in Public…….
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Thanks Peg! Was great to arrive at an unfamiliar port and see two familiar faces waving from the dock!!
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Welcome back to the NEW REALITY. Life is very different now. Yes – folks should wear masks and gloves when out of their “safe place” and stay 6 feet away (social distance”) from anyone you don’t know. Stores are difficult and low on inventory in general.. Impossible to find masks, sanitizing wipes, toilet paper & paper towel.. Groceries stores are low on lots of food & may restrict the quantity you can buy. Most restaurants are order ahead & take out only. Some states are loosing up the restrictions but the smart folks are still wary of this pandemic.
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Thanks Dick. Things down here appear to be very loose. We’ve seen crowds in restaurants, bars, and at the beaches. Very few masks. Unbelievable to us. Their daily infection rate has declines very little from its peak. What are they thinking??
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