I had been enjoying a fun filled winter season in Mexico and after nearly 5-months I had Sailors Run pretty much kicked back into shape. Little did I know that I was soon to come face to face with the Covid-19 and with my 75th birthday just two weeks away, I suddenly was somewhat skeptical whether I would make it.
I had been hearing that the Covid-19 was raising “hell” in Mexico, yet I had yet to meet anyone that I knew that had gotten it. It would seem that most of a sailor’s life is spent out on the sea either at anchor or making passages in lots of fresh clean air.
My encounter occurred when I went out to lunch with another boating couple in La Cruz and I followed that up with a visit to their boat the next day where my friend downloaded some charts on my computer that I very much needed and appreciated having. Later that evening I found myself “munching” on some chips and exploring the charts and dreaming of far off places.
The next morning I was shocked to get a call from my friends and they informed me that they started feeling very ill after I had left. The day before they were tested for the Covid-19, and discovered that they were both infected and my friend recommended that I wipe my computer down with alcohol before getting on it because he had been all over it. I took his advice all the while knowing it was most likely too late.
I had asked them how they think they got Covid-19 and they believed it happened when they and two other couples all went together on a provisioning trip in one car and one of the couples had just attended a concert two days before the shopping trip. I was shocked that in the La Cruz anchorage there were now three boats that were infected and I was rapidly becoming the 4th one. After just three days I was showing the first signs- a cough and it felt like I had something wrapped around my chest making it difficult to suck in a full breath. On about the 4th day I was running a slight fever and had chills as my cough grew worse and by the 5th day I was losing my senses of taste and smell. My friends were concerned and checked on me daily after all I was out in an anchorage by myself and might need help. Several other friends were alerted to my condition and offered to get me whatever I needed as I was basically self-quarantined to my boat.
I heard encouraging news from my friends that just after 7-days they had been retested and were found to no longer be able to spread the covid-19 even though they were still coughing having headaches and no sense of taste or smell.
I had not been tested nor did I want to be as I planned to check out of la Cruz and sail for Mazatlán, where I had a flight back to the US on the 20th of April some three weeks after contacting the Covid-19 and knew I would have to pass the covid-19 test in order to be on my flight home and of course this concerned me and my wife Debbie.
After a little over a week I checked out of La Cruz with the Port Captain and did a 19-hr overnight passage to Mantachin bay, Mexico. I have to admit I was still very sick coughing and feeling weak at this point and thinking I was starting to become very congested in my lungs and sinuses. I had absolutely no taste or smell and eating a can of tuna fish was like eating “Cardboard chips” from a can! I was so exhausted upon arrival at Mantachin bay that once the hook was down I just collapsed into my bunk and slept for 16 hours. When at last I woke up I decided it was time to start taking antibiotics for the infections that were secondary from the covid-19. Ampicillin was my choice of drugs and somehow gave me the confidence to tackle the last leg of my voyage to Mazatlán, a 31hr. leg that seemed monstrous when you are weak and sick with no safe secure anchorage to stop at along the way. Making the trip more difficult, the electronic auto pilot is out and the winds are typically very light along this route making the wind vane little help and me being at the helm for the full duration of the passage.
The antibiotics started kicking in towards the end of the passage and the winds were up better than normal allowing the wind vane to steer at times taking some load off the old man and making turning 75 a real possibility.
My arrival at Mazatlán Marina was such a welcome relief, that once I had slipped into my slip and gotten some temporary lines on the boat securing it to the dock I dove below and had a good 6hrs sleep.
The day for my flight came fast and yes, I passed the covid-19 test trying not to cough all the time I was being tested. I did celebrate my 75 birthday on the 17th of April and after another 5-weeks recuperating under Debbie’s diligent care at home I now feel fine and Debbie and I are planning a 6,000 mile trip on the motorcycle this summer. We plan to pull a small trailer behind the bike that is a pop up tent that will be our home when needed along the way.
Wishing you all a great summer out there -Your Amigos, Jeff& Debbie. 6/23/2021