Covidiot Cruisers in the Solomon Islands

[Dsanduril]

Originally Posted by ArmyDaveNY

Viruses are traditionally named after the area they are discovered. Examples of this include Marburg (Marburg, Germany), Spanish Flu, Zika (Zika forest in Uganda) Norovirus (Norwalk, Ohio USA), Lyme Disease (Lyme and Old Lyme, Connecticut, USA), and many others. The list is fairly extensive. Covid-19 is now being supplanted in some cases with SARS-Cov2. Much like another famous disease, it is easier to say Spanish Flu than H1N1 and prevents confusion.

Actually, Spain had nothing to do with the “discovery” or “first case” of what became known as the “Spanish Flu”. The likely contenders for origin are/were France, Britain, the US, and China. But all of those Western powers were in the midst of a major war and muzzled their presses to prevent the other side from finding how bad it was. Spain was neutral and their press openly discussed the terrible costs of the “French Flu” as it raged through their country.

[arsenelupiga]

Originally Posted by El Pinguino

Apoligies to your friends for suggesting that they were covidiots if this was indeed an emergency stop.

It does raise two questions though... idle curiosity has me wondering what the destination is if - having left Fiji - the Solomons are on your track.

The other involves over reliance on their water maker.... and what appears to have been a very small reserve ..

if you are costal sailing in one country then no issues. If not better have your capable boat ready to carry extra 500 kg per person (water, food, spares) to be able to return home non stop from anywhere on earth. So for couple this is 1 T. You will take performance penalty especially if you describe your boat as performance oriented. It may even become dangerous as will be overloaded or risking situation like these guys. Have seen seriously overloaded performance cats and is no joy looking at them sailing. And then breakages.

If one is serous traveller needs to take above in consideration.

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by ArmyDaveNY

Viruses are traditionally named after the area they are discovered. Examples of this include Marburg (Marburg, Germany), Spanish Flu, Zika (Zika forest in Uganda) Norovirus (Norwalk, Ohio USA), Lyme Disease (Lyme and Old Lyme, Connecticut, USA), and many others. The list is fairly extensive. Covid-19 is now being supplanted in some cases with SARS-Cov2. Much like another famous disease, it is easier to say Spanish Flu than H1N1 and prevents confusion.

The virus is SARS-CoV-2. The illness is COVID-19. They are seperate entities.

Now you can call it whatever you like - that is your opinion and you are free to have it and I for one won't complain about your opinion.

However you stated the Australian government is concerned about "Wuhan virus".

This is untrue (as in - it isn't factual). You will not find any reference to the "Wuhan virus" in any official Aussie government source and vanishing small number of Aussies who would use that term. Just setting the record straight!

[daletournier]

Originally Posted by El Pinguino

Apoligies to your friends for suggesting that they were covidiots if this was indeed an emergency stop.

It does raise two questions though... idle curiosity has me wondering what the destination is if - having left Fiji - the Solomons are on your track.

The other involves over reliance on their water maker.... and what appears to have been a very small reserve ..

They are heading home to the Philippines. It's a 36-37 ft yacht, not sure of tank capacity, I know they have a large engine driven watermaker and also know that it had been causing them problems since being fitted in Trinidad.

They are at the end of thier circumnavigation, therefore experienced cruisers, I haven't whizzed him further in regards to why their water was so low, all I know is that they were trying to contact authorities to ask permission for an emergency stop due to low water .

I know several cruisers that have had to make emergency stops this year (not the Solomons) due to unforeseen difficulties ie broken shroud, out of fuel and another had a furler issue , all contacted authorities of the various nations and were given permission, none left their boats and they wore masks gloves etc, it's an unusual year this year, many boats have been caught out a long way from home , things dont always go to plan.

[StuM]

Originally Posted by daletournier

I know one of the boats quite well.

They had no intention of stopping in the Solomons, they were very low on water, watermaker issues. They tried repeatedly to contact authorities, but it seems VHF isn't monitored, they had no intention of going a shore, they anchored and waited.

Which raises the question of why did they sail 130 miles through the middle of the Solomon Islands between San Christobal, Mailaita and Guadalcanal and anchor up for a week 30 miles from the port of entry at Honiara.

[daletournier]

I should add I think they had arranged permission to stop in Papua New Guinea (dont know where) prior to leaving Fiji, I'm not sure of that ,I just remember he was in contact with authorities when I was with them last in Fiji and he mentioned they could stop. As I said, I'm not sure about this, I'm not asking them about the details, he has more on his mind at the moment.

[daletournier]

Originally Posted by StuM

Which raises the question of why did they sail 130 miles through the middle of the Solomon Islands between San Christobal, Mailaita and Guadalcanal and anchor up for a week 30 miles from the port of entry at Honiara.

I do not know all the details Stu and neither do you, all I know is hes a decent guy , hes not an idiot.

[fxykty]

Originally Posted by daletournier

I do not know all the details Stu and neither do you, all I know is hes a decent guy , hes not an idiot.

If not entering at an official port of entry in anything but a life-threatening emergency (low water level does not qualify as such) then that implies foul play.

Also, why didn’t they use a phone or other form of communication other than VHF to reach officials? Weird.

[SalingSue]

Originally Posted by Wotname

The virus is SARS-CoV-2. The illness is COVID-19. They are seperate entities.

Now you can call it whatever you like - that is your opinion and you are free to have it and I for one won't complain about your opinion.

However you stated the Australian government is concerned about "Wuhan virus".

This is untrue (as in - it isn't factual). You will not find any reference to the "Wuhan virus" in any official Aussie government source and vanishing small number of Aussies who would use that term. Just setting the record straight!

Isn’t Australia very intertwined with China?

Many people call it the China fly or Wuhan flu, there is a reason everyone knows exactly what you’re talking about when you use that name. I don’t see the problem, and if offends the government of China, well, good.

[StuM]

Originally Posted by fxykty

If not entering at an official port of entry in anything but a life-threatening emergency (low water level does not qualify as such) then that implies foul play.

Also, why didn’t they use a phone or other form of communication other than VHF to reach officials? Weird.

And why expect VHF to be useful when still 30 NM away from the port of entry?

[NevilleCat]

Originally Posted by SalingSue

Isn’t Australia very intertwined with China?

Many people call it the China fly or Wuhan flu, there is a reason everyone knows exactly what you’re talking about when you use that name. I don’t see the problem, and if offends the government of China, well, good.

Well yes, if by intertwined you mean soon to be appropriated and suitably subjugated.
The Chinese government is currently not happy with it's dumb and lazy southern associate who has until recently been apparently quite willing to prostitute itself after the application of generous bribes in all areas of business and property.
With the potential closing of certain lucrative or duplicitous avenues due to new foreign investment and ownership restrictions they have determined we kept whores are trying to get above our station and have initiated a blatant bitch-slapping by systematically banning all Australian imports one at a time. At this point they have given up bothering to present even the most flimsy of justifications and are openly campaigning an anti-Australian viewpoint in their state-run media.
All sovereignties might do well to watch and learn, it seems obvious the Chinese government has big plans and has fingers in many pies and I'm sure much of the worlds governments and business are compromised.

[theDangerz]

Originally Posted by SalingSue

Many people call it the China fly or Wuhan flu, there is a reason everyone knows exactly what you’re talking about when you use that name. I don’t see the problem, and if offends the government of China, well, good.

"Many People" and "everyone knows" both sound like solid logic and factual evidence when you're talking about and informed by only the like-minded neighbors who also live in your gated FL community... but it also shows zero understanding of what's going on anywhere else in the world.

Please spend a little time venturing further and broadening your mind and context... and if that isn't possible or unlikely to happen, please at least understand that the entire world does not revolve around nor share all the ideas and logic of your little neck of the woods.

If you step outside your current silo, you'll learn that most of the world does NOT actually use that terminology and as has been shown by the broader global community here is actually seen as both insulting and ignorant.

The only reason most people in other countries around the globe might know what you're referring to at this point is because the rest of the world is watching in horror as they try to figure out if the nightly news coming out of the US is actually an accurate depiction of current events or a bad SNL skit (sadly, it's getting harder and harder to tell the difference).

[wingssail]

Originally Posted by daletournier

I know one of the boats quite well.

They had no intention of stopping in the Solomons, they were very low on water, watermaker issues. They tried repeatedly to contact authorities, but it seems VHF isn't monitored, they had no intention of going a shore, they anchored and waited. I've been told this by the captain of one of the boats. I know Mike was in communication with authorities of the various nations on route prior to leaving fiji, hes not a stupid man and not one that is disrespectful regarding the law.

I'm not making a judgement of right or wrong , they are just trying to get home like many others out there, he didnt stop to make a Utube or to be a tourist, it's a complicated world at the moment.

Low on water? Stopping and waiting? Waiting for what? Rain, or to be caught?

It is also foolish to set out on a passage without enough drinking water to make it to the next port. Relying on a watermaker is risky.

From Fiji they would have passed through Vanuatu, They could have pulled into Port Vila, put up a quarantine flag and declared an emergency.

Same thing at Guadalcanal, pull into Honira, put up a quarantine flag, and declare an emergency.

Without more information I would have to conclude that their excuse was just that, an excuse.

[wingssail]

Originally Posted by daletournier

One other thing, I read upstream that they left French Polynesia and Fp has a major covid issue. The reality is when they left Fp there was no covid problem, I know this because they left the same hour as I did, they also had a covid test the day before with me and crew. The covid issue came after we left.

Also upon arrival in Fiji they had another covid test. When I left Fiji there was no community transmission of covid.

I know yachts that have shown no respect for border closures, have left places like Fp and just arrived elsewhere deliberately not giving a s.....I can a sure you Mike is not one of these people. Hes a decent guy.

Dale, I am sure he is a decent guy but what you are explaining is that because of test he took and the situation in the islands from where they departed, they believed there was little risk of carrying Covid aboard. Therefore they entered Solomans in violation of that country's rules because they thought it was safe.

But we don't all get to decide for ourselves what is OK and what is not. The countries we sail to make the rules and we are not entitled to ignore them, thinking we know best.

It's the same here at my marina, the rule is masks, all the time, if you are on the marina premises, but some people have taken to saying, "Well if I am walking by myself I am no danger, so it's OK not to have my mask on."

My neighbor says that because he is so healthy he could never catch Covid, so he doesn't need to wear a mask, and never does.

But once you allow people to override the rules with their own judgement, you have no rules, you have anarchy.

So tell us, why did not Mike pull into an official port, put up a quarantine flag, and declare an emergency? I am sure they would not have arrested him for that.

[JPA Cate]

I think it was arsenlupiga who raised the concept of the weight of water as the basis for catamarans relying on watermakers. No worries, as long as they keep working. It is not safe practice, no matter how frequent it may be. It is also related to using more fresh water for various things than is strictly necessary, and is due to people not wanting to change their water consumption habits.

These folks above, may really need to water up, if their plan for topping up their tanks has failed due to the watermaker failing. You can get by up there, on 2 liters per day per person, if you use salt water for everything possible. It is what we did. You should plan on watering up with enough water for 50% longer travel than.

I haven't been to the Solomons for a long time, but good luck trying to find a phone! These have been extremely isolated islands for a long time, with one of the higher malaria rates worldwide, a horticultural, tribal society. There are some eco-tourism places that might have a phone, but you'd certainly have to go ashore to find them, and people with 36 ft. sailboats do not normally have satphones.

I hope they can get their problems sorted.

Ann