HEALTH NOTICE FOR CRUISERS
Until recently, for most cruisers the word “corona” conjured images of a golden beverage best enjoyed with a lime wedge, preferably in range of a beach with swaying palm trees. The rise of the novel coronavirus has changed that for now. The infectious disease with a rapid international trajectory called COVID-19 is impacting cruisers in a variety of ways.
In the Mediterranean, a cruiser at one of the Sicilian marinas popular for wintering over wonders if they’ll be locked in as countries block or quarantine arrivals from Italy.
In the Caribbean, a cruiser with plans to fly home for a wedding worries about missing the big event if their travel record includes countries with growing infection rates.
In the South Pacific, cruisers approaching French Polynesia after weeks at sea wonder how requirements have changed and if they’ll have trouble with clearance.
While the disease and government responses to it will shift between now and this magazine’s arrival on readers’ screens and in mailboxes, one thing is
certain: COVID-19 is impacting cruisers and their plans. Below are a few of the ways to anticipate being affected.
Upon arrival in a new country, you might need to present a health certificate signed by a medical professional within five days of departure from your previous port.
Available ports of entry might be narrowed to funnel arrivals through stricter clearance procedures.
New clearance steps such as a health screening might be added to the process.
It’s possible to be barred from entry or quarantined to your boat if recent (specific) transits include a severely affected country.
While the situation might be in flux, valuable resources for cruisers to remain informed are more consistent. For top-level information and links to country-specific details, noonsite.com is an invaluable resource for cruisers to consider how COVID-19 affects their routing: A banner on the home page directs to its information hub page. By region, then by country, are summaries of changes to entry requirements, with links to those countries’ detailed formalities. A government’s own website will have official information; Noonsite can help shortcut your path to those sites and details.
The complication for cruisers researching information from smaller countries is that initial restrictions focus on commercial vessels and flights. Private yachts are an unspecified afterthought.
Regional Facebook groups can be a good way to connect with someone who has recently arrived and can validate their experience if official details feel thin. It’s also a great reason to send information to the Noonsite editors, along with your source, to support the greater good.
Start by being prepared: Have medical records and immunizations cards for all on board, a document listing recent itinerary and ports visited, and recent travel history of all crew. Be ready for stricter biosecurity requirements to be implemented on little or no notice. Keeping health records for crew during transit (daily temperature monitoring, for example) might improve your reception.
For most cruisers, living on our own floating islands—provisioned up for months, with capability on board to be self-sustaining for basic needs—might be the perfect place to ride out this storm!