Totem and crew are on the Pacific coast of Mexico; this winter, we’ve been based at the town of La Cruz de Huanacaxtle, near Puerto Vallarta. We intended to depart in early April for French Polynesia, plans canceled for some weeks now.

What restrictions are there in Mexico?

With news from north of the border of closures and hoarding, the situation in Mexico has been surreally calm. No tussling over the last package of toilet paper or empty shelves of cans; stores here are well stocked with fresh and long-term provisions, there are few changes to typical everyday activity.

That’s beginning to shift during these last days in March. After the US state department declared Level 4 and Canada called for repatriation, the daily spring break booze cruises stopped and our coastal town emptied out. Mexico’s Federal messages are to continue life as usual, but states are introducing some restrictions: near us, the governors of Jalisco and Nayarit recently requested everyone to stay at home for five days, and bars/restaurants have new spacing requirements for patron tables.

While the blasé mood may be good for some stress levels as people go about their everyday business, it’s bad in others as movement of people means movement of virus. Absent meaningful action by government, an explosion feels imminent; the incidents to date are likely masked by low levels of testing, but cases are starting to take off.

The cruising community is jumpy, and riddled with rumors. Panicky statements about closures in marinas and ports that don’t exist, people passing inaccurate “news” without checking sources or facts. While it seems clear we should all anticipate significant impact and prepare ourselves and our plans, these reactions prompt bad decisions and ultimately compromises instead of assuring safety.

At this writing, the only port closure is a small harbor near La Ventana – a destination for kite surfers in the southern Sea of Cortez. Just two marinas have closed, and others are filling as some cruisers end their season early or choose to store their boats and repatriate. It’s a good time to make decisions based on where you want to be for the long haul, with an eye for your family’s best interest and the greater good of the communities around us; Mexico’s medical facilities may be overwhelmed. In our observation, care to prevent virus spread is not internalized in the local community.

Where to from here?

There is a very real question of greater good when considering where to go, or where to remain; a lot to think about in working towards an ethical choice. Even though we are low risk, that “What If?” tickles the back of my mind. Should anyone on our boat need help – we could take resources away from someone who needs it. It is incumbent on us – on all cruisers – to be model citizens in safe behaviors, if we choose to remain guests of a host country. Repatriation isn’t an option for us; we have to be very conscious instead.

For now, we’ve resumed life on our floating island – engine work completed, the umbilical cord of a marina cut. Our expectation is that we’ll meander north into the Sea of Cortez for hurricane season, but first, a period of self-isolation. We’ll try to make sure we’re OK, and stay tuned into what’s happening around us. It’s going to take a while, but we’re prepared – very prepared! Totem’s lockers are stuffed with provisions (dark chocolate, capers, gin…ok rice and beans), we generate our own power, some fuel is the tradeoff to make water, and there’s enough propane for several months with a solar oven to stretch even further. We’re hoping to keep largely to ourselves, enjoying socially-distant socializing once that feels appropriate again.

Is it stressful?

Sure it is. We face an unknown future, like everyone else. It is the biggest shift that has ever happened in the lives of our kids, who don’t remember or weren’t born on 9/11. The economic hit coming could be very tough to our family, too (…our coaching service is OPEN again, by the way!).

For more detailed reflection on routing decisions in the time of Coronavirus, specifically for:

1) boats planning to sail for French Polynesia, and

2) ways to find compassion for bad decision-making under stress,

see The South Pacific is Closed.

Sources we’re relying on for information:

• Noonsite, particularly #biosecurity updates for Mexico
• Banderas Bay Cruisers
• Sea of Cortez Cruisers
• US Embassy MX Covid info
• Nayarit government
• Jalisco health dept
• Jalisco official page for Covid19

Behan
SV Totem
SailingTotem.com 

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• More COVID-19 Field Reports
•  COVID-19 Coronavirus: Special Procedures Being Introduced in Ports of Entry Worldwide

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Please share your current experience with COVID-19 restrictions and how it has affected your cruising plans. Contact Sue at [email protected] with your field report.

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The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not reflect the view of Noonsite.com or World Cruising Club.