A quick dose of reality, a worthwhile read, and in the "Just rats leaving a sinking ship" department...
"Le bateau c'est la liberté, pas seulement le moyen d'atteindre un but."
Bernard Moitessier really did hit the nail on the head when he said that and while it still applies the world has become a whole lot more problematic where freedom is concerned.
One thing I've noticed in various discussions regarding the words freedom, cruising, and their application to the current Covid-19 situation is that a whole lot of folks don't exactly understand where freedom and responsibility converge.
Seriously, cruisers complaining about the projected rules for the reopening of the BVI in December don't seem to get it at all as they apparently don't have a clue to the meaning of the word freedom or an inkling of what passes for the required responsibility of a captain and crew arriving in a foreign port. What makes it even more off-putting is that those with the loudest voices are coming from the country with the most Covid-19 cases and deaths.
On most cruising boats the yellow "Q" flag gets a lot of use and well it should as boats for the last couple of thousand years or so, have been a prime disease vector and continue to be. If you need an example just consider the floating Petri dishes better known as cruise ships.
The thing is, we really do have a lot of freedom on boats as we can decide whether to go to a place or not. That said, once you decide to go someplace you're accepting the responsibility of following that country's rules and customs while you're there.
Face it, what passes for normal post 2020 is going to be a whole lot different than what it used to be. I expect that we'll find that a lot of countries will require proof of vaccination for a variety of diseases as well as more intense border screenings and various new hoops to jump through. On the plus side maybe the added rigors of cruising will keep some of the entitled folks who think freedom is all about doing what they want without regard to the greater whole back home.
Listening to some Jerry Jeff covers.
So it goes...
