April 26, 2020
The anchor is well set, the yellow quarantine flag has been run up, the water is 80 degrees, and the crew of Estelle said they are too busy relaxing to send an update but the Station Manager interviewed El Capitán and the Galley Wench just a short time ago. This short post contains the jist of those two interviews.
At the time of the interview, the galley wench was sunning on the deck, El Capitan had just received a text from Customs & Immigration (El Capitán is to report with passports and boat docs at 0900 hours tomorrow morning), Robert was in the kayak exploring the shore, and Gregg was on the phone with Carrie. The Galley Wench said her main objective today was to get fresh produce on board…when she wasn’t engaging in R&R.
Yesterday, the Governor of Hawaii extended the 14 day quarantine of all visitors to Hawaii to May 31st. So the crew is quarantined on Estelle for 14 days or until they leave Hawaii, which ever comes first. Being in quarantine means the crew cannot go on any public land, including the beaches. (Although they can pick up provisions delivered to the shore.) Estelle may sail around the Big Island of Hawaii (and may do so later this week) but if they go to a neighboring island, Maui, for example, the 14-day quarantine clock would start all over.
The good news is, however, that they may swim and snorkel, kayak, and fish, as much as they would like. So that’s what they plan to do, outside of re-provisioning Estelle, attending to some minor repairs, and making her ship-shape once again after their 21 day voyage.
Estelle has fewer neighbors in Hilo Harbor than the crew expected. Two sailboats, one Californian and one Canadian, are the only other transient yachts around them–the rest are all local boats. So not the mass exodus from French Polynesia and Mexico that some had forecast…at least not to the Big Island.
All in all, the crew sounded happy, rested and ready to go snorkeling–proud that the first leg of their voyage is now under their belts, grateful to be off watch, and enjoying their Hawaiian anchorage, despite not being able to go ashore.
Aloha! The Station Manager
Sailing Estelle 