Bahamas - EMERGENCY POWERS (COVID 19)(NO. 1) ORDER, 2020 ???

[Woodland Hills]

I see there is another case in the Bahamas bringing them up to 5. Does anyone have any details?

[a64pilot]

News said it’s another female, this one with no travel history and they are tracking her contacts.
First case is out of the hospital, others are at home without complications so far.

[Ben51]

Originally Posted by Woodland Hills

I see there is another case in the Bahamas bringing them up to 5. Does anyone have any details?

She is a Female in Freeport. She has respiratory problems but as yet is not hospitalized.


More details to come to day supposedly, however the Gov. Health officials seemed extremely concerned about the case. Way more than the 4 cases in Nassau.


Could be a number of reasons for this, none of which are good.


As I said there should be another press conference this afternoon.

[Ben51]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

....Strangely though there still is no order that affects private yachts, either we are so small in number we have been forgotten about....

I believe that you are wrong in your assumption. And I see that you relate to that in a later post.

The 2nd order includes everyone in the Bahamas. Citizens, Residents & tourists. (cruiser are tourists).
General point covering everyone: SHELTER IN PLACE - Every person shall remain confined to their place of residence. -(for cruisers, that's your boat!) It is a 24/7 curfew.

Also no physical social activities: No parties, private or other wise,
no social events, no meetings - (So that means do not get off your boat and visit others in your anchorage/marina!)

Specific to Cruisers: Paragraph 10 & 11.
All ports are closed to all boating
No visitor shall be permitted to enter or disembark for any reason, including transiting through the Bahamas.
No person shall ...seek to travel on any....inter island private,(or) commercial sea transport.
(So no you are not allowed to go island to island!)

EXCEPTIONS: You are allowed to go and get fuel. Also allowed to go to food stores & Pharmacies, doctors, clinics, hospitals.
You are allowed to leave the Bahamas and thus can transite through the Bahamas doing so.

So the two Emergency orders do cover cruisers. The Gov. is of course more concerned about the land based people, in particular Nassau & Freeport the two largest population centers.

You are most likely safer here than in the States or Canada, so I am staying here.
But I am trying to follow the rules.

[a64pilot]

Here is the link to order #2.

https://www.bahamas.gov.bs/wps/wcm/c...df?MOD=AJPERES

Show me please where Private Yachts are called out. It only calls out private commercial vessels, those sources are water taxis and ferries for instance. Why are not private yachts or vessels called out? I have no idea, but doubt it’s because they just didn’t think about it.
Private vessels were called out as not allowed to enter, so they don’t forget about them.
I have not, but others have called and strangely gotten confirmation that they may travel as long as they have a valid cruising permit. The Royal Defense force was called as well as I believe Customs that issued the cruising permit.
Now I’m staying in place myself, I believe that is the spirit or intent of the order, but I don’t see where it says I can’t leave or travel.
I won’t cause that would be stupid in my opinion, but where you are, are not new boats showing up every day? They are here in Long Island, about 4 Yesterday and a couple today so far. They may be coming from the Raggeds and therefore can’t get news I assume.
Three power Cats and I believe a Herresshof Ketch yesterday. The Herresshof caught my eye as they aren’t common and they anchored near me.

[Ben51]

a64pilot: So since they didn't actually "called you out" you don't think you are covered?
The questions concerning the Cruising permit allowing you to travel inter island and do what you want, was one of the reasons Order #2 came into force. To stop that!

As far as people doing what they want and "new boats showing up everyday", it's the Bahamas. When did they ever enforce rules or at least enforce them evenly?

Anyway, you can read and interpret the rules as you wish.

Be safe & Safe sailing.

[a64pilot]

Ben look at the way you posted the rule number 11, where you put a comma between private and commercial. private, commercial, but they twice published private commercial with no comma separating them.
They way you did it means both private and commercial boats, they way they did it means private boats used commercially, the water taxis in George Town for instance.
A. Prohibited movement by mail boat
B. Prohibited movement by private commercial vessels
C. If they wanted to prohibit private boat movement they would have put it in C.

But they didn’t do that, I have no idea why, perhaps they made a mistake, but I think they are better than that.

No, I’m not moving, see no reason to move. I believe the intent of their regulation is for us to not move, but to shelter in place. I’m following what I believe the intent of the regulation is.

However they didn’t restrict us from travel, and I can’t explain why, maybe the meant to and messed up the language, but as I said I’d bet they ran that declaration past more than one lawyer making sure they dotted the i’s and crossed the T’s.

But people are idiots, after the first emergency declaration came out and established a $10,000 fine and or imprisonment of up to 18 months for people not complying, In Georgetown on the radio, one cruiser was organizing a play time for all the kids on flip flop beach, during the cruisers net, they announced that there would still be water aerobics, but they were going to “social distance” and another cruiser was trying to get up a volley ball game after 3PM when it cooled down.
All of which was punishable by the Emergency declaration by fine or imprisonment because they were organizing public gatherings.

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by Ben51

She is a Female in Freeport. She has respiratory problems but as yet is not hospitalized.


More details to come to day supposedly, however the Gov. Health officials seemed extremely concerned about the case. Way more than the 4 cases in Nassau.


Could be a number of reasons for this, none of which are good.


As I said there should be another press conference this afternoon.

Just from a quick glance at the news as I am extremely band with limited, it seems the concern is from case #5 is in a different location and has nothing to do with the first 4, so there is a different vector if I use the word correctly.
It’s going spread, they know it, they aren’t stupid. I assume these restrictions are meant to slow the spread, but that’s my opinion.
A small part of me wants to go ahead and get the thing and get it over with, I assume if you recover you have immunity?

[Montanan]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

Ben look at the way you posted the rule number 11, where you put a comma between private and commercial. private, commercial, but they twice published private commercial with no comma separating them.
They way you did it means both private and commercial boats, they way they did it means private boats used commercially, the water taxis in George Town for instance.
A. Prohibited movement by mail boat
B. Prohibited movement by private commercial vessels
C. If they wanted to prohibit private boat movement they would have put it in C.

But they didn’t do that, I have no idea why, perhaps they made a mistake, but I think they are better than that.

No, I’m not moving, see no reason to move. I believe the intent of their regulation is for us to not move, but to shelter in place. I’m following what I believe the intent of the regulation is.

However they didn’t restrict us from travel, and I can’t explain why, maybe the meant to and messed up the language, but as I said I’d bet they ran that declaration past more than one lawyer making sure they dotted the i’s and crossed the T’s.

Seriously getting down to arguing about an inclusion or exclusion of an comma. The Prime Minister order chose to use the conjunction "and" to be explicit as one can possibly be, instead of relying on the utilization of an Oxford comma and no conjunction.

There should be no confusion. Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis yesterday announced a complete nationwide lockdown that will close the nation’s borders to all visitors, and introduce a 24-hour curfew with the exception of visits to essential services.

The Emergency Powers (COVID-19) NO.2) Order 2020, which mandates a curfew for twenty-four hours per day, will take effect at 9 am today and will remain in effect until 9 am on March 31.

Border closure

The order mandates that to prevent and suppress the spread of the virus, all airports, and fixed-based operation shall be closed to incoming international flights carrying any visitor, without the written permission of the “competent authority”; all sea ports shall be closed to regional and international seafaring and private boating; no visitor shall be permitted to enter or disembark for any reason, including transiting through The Bahamas.

https://ewnews.com/new-order-closes-...s-for-business

https://opm.gov.bs/wp-content/upload...ID19-No.-2.pdf

The Shelter in Place order pertains to residents remaining in their land based residences (inclusive of their yards). It is evident that since there are not to be allowed any disembarkations or transiting within The Bahamas, foreign - non-Bahamian boaters are to kindly go away.

Go home, stay at home, pretty much defines one half of the world presently.

[a64pilot]

That quote you have is for arriving vessels, not vessels already here.
That makes a difference, what it is saying is that the borders are closed, if your not already here, they aren’t letting you in.
It does not say that foreign boaters already here cannot disembark, and are go away.
That may happen tomorrow, who knows but it’s not happened yet.

[Montanan]

The PM used the term visitor in the clearly phrased mandate, you can take up the debate with him as to his intended official scope of coverage as to who is and who is not a visitor.

"all sea ports shall be closed to regional and international seafaring and private boating; no visitor shall be permitted to enter or disembark for any reason, including transiting through The Bahamas."


Definitions of the word visitor, copied from the web:

"A visitor is someone who is comes to a place temporarily. If you spend a week on an island during the summer, you're a visitor there, unlike the people who live on the island year-round."

"A caller, guest, visitant are terms for a person who comes to spend time with or stay with others, or in a place. A visitor often stays some time, for social pleasure, for business, sightseeing."

"A non-resident."

"An alien."

[a64pilot]

Your taking that quote out of context though, that quote is meaning for people not already in the Bahamas with a Visa and a Cruising permit.
Its for example and aircraft has to land for fuel, the passengers may not get off, or a boat is transiting through Bahamian waters, they must stay on the boat, the aren’t allowed off.
It’s not for people already here that have checking in through Customs.
They may decide to kick us out, but they haven’t yet.

[chris mac]

I always find it interesting how different people can interpret the same statement different ways. My solution is to find out how it is understood by those who inforce the rule.
The local police officer here in staniel cay offered some guidance to the yacht club to inform the cruisers on a morning net.
We are supposed to stay aboard our own vessels to eliminate physical contact. However we can go into town for food(grocery and takeout) , fuel, pharmacy/dr, 90 min per day of exercise. Always staying 2 meters away from anyone else.
Beaches are closed, however the intent is to eliminate parties and gatherings. If they see you jogging alone, they will most likely allow it as exercise.
We can move the boat from Anchorage to Anchorage. Moving to towns for supplies, moving to more secluded areas as more effective self isolation. Moving for weather, Or moving to a jump off point for going home. As long as we stay aboard as much as possible, they don't seem to concerned with where our anchor is.
I agree we should all isolate as much as possible, reduce, or ideally eliminate, contact with others.

We are stocked with food, fuel, and water. So we are going to be moving to a more secluded area, away from people.
Everyone stay safe, and hopefully this will be over soon.

[zboss]

Originally Posted by Ben51

General point covering everyone: SHELTER IN PLACE - Every person shall remain confined to their place of residence. -(for cruisers, that's your boat!) It is a 24/7 curfew.

Also no physical social activities: No parties, private or other wise,
no social events, no meetings - (So that means do not get off your boat and visit others in your anchorage/marina!)

Specific to Cruisers: Paragraph 10 & 11.
All ports are closed to all boating
No visitor shall be permitted to enter or disembark for any reason, including transiting through the Bahamas.
No person shall ...seek to travel on any....inter island private,(or) commercial sea transport.
(So no you are not allowed to go island to island!)

EXCEPTIONS: You are allowed to go and get fuel. Also allowed to go to food stores & Pharmacies, doctors, clinics, hospitals.
You are allowed to leave the Bahamas and thus can transite through the Bahamas doing so.

I agree with those points.... if you are going to stay here then you are subject to the same general rules as everyone else but if you are leaving and need to get fuel, we will make that easy.

We left Long Island yesterday and are making our way back north at a steady pace. Quite a few of our friends that need to walk their dogs on the beach have gotten skowls from the locals (who are out?).

Time to go home.

[a64pilot]

Some of the locals would rather us not be here, they are afraid and an out of Towner is a stranger and strangers are always feared / disliked whatever in hard times, and I’m sure some think we are carriers. The disease is coming to them from other places, and we came from other places.
Others are still glad we are here. The Lady at the gas station gave me a hard time about buying fuel, but her Father who helped load the cans in his truck and drove us short way to the dock, thanked us for being here.
Now I think the lady was afraid, probably didn’t like having to work as she is more exposed, and as I am not a resident, I was an easy target.
But so far as walking the dog on the beach, you can’t. Public beaches are closed, and all beaches on Long Island are public beaches. Surely the dog has been trained to go on the boat?

I don’t know if we should leave or not, history shows you can’t run from a pandemic.