I was talking to my brother yesterday and the conversation revolved around the ongoing crisis - COVID-19. Particularly, we talked about how his very affluent neighbours were preparing for the worst. My brother lives in New York, but not really in the "city". He lives in greater New York City along the Atlantic Ocean.
Many of his neighbours are affluent and have nice cars, as well as boats docked in their marina space. My brother is pretty much the only person in the neighbourhood who doesn't own a boat. He's a pretty accomplished guy, but boating isn't really his thing. We laughed about how it may have been good to have picked up the hobby from his neighbours.
From their marina, a good boat could pretty much leave the United States. It links directly to the Ocean, via some water systems. In fact, some of this neighbours have done this in the past - sailed up to Canada, and even the Caribbean! We talked about how sailing your own boat is the most isolated way to travel internationally, which could really come in handy in this case.
New York is on the brink of of a medical disaster. While my brother has done a good job distancing himself socially in his house, not everyone has done the same. If the proverbial shyte hits the fan, his neighbours are ready to just up and leave. The ability to take flight from a situation has always been the privilege of the rich, but where would they go? Well "somewhere else, anywhere else but New York".
The conversation with my brother got me thinking about the UK. Many people own boats here too. I've seen some very capable boats at St Katharine Docks, London, that would be able to make a journey away from Europe - perhaps even as far as West Africa. As long as you keep close to the coast and don't venture too far out to sea, I can't see much difficulty in that.
St Katharine Docks open into the River Thames, which exits into the sea In Essex, or Kent depending on what bank of the river you're on. The English Channel opens up into the Atlantic - you could either go north towards and around Scotland or south. Going south would take you around the beautiful Kent region of Thanet.
For someone that lives in a crowded city like London, it's pretty hard to find open air spaces that are totally isolated. I know some spots, but many other people know those spots too. In Thanet, however, there are so many spots that are nicely isolated, even in the busy touristy summer months. That's the kind of place I'd love to be right now - to be able to spend time outside walking for hours without bumping into many people, if any.
The houses there all have huge garden, not that they need them. There's so much open space around them. It's a dog owners paradise I'm sure. It would be one of my pit stops during a coronavirus exodus in my boat. I'd be able to grab some fuel from Margate, I suppose, and maybe even some food supplies. Re-fill :)
There are some of the best beaches in the UK around here too, some are even sandy beaches. The Beaches near the towns like Margate are usually quite busy, and definitely not recommended for social distancing, but there are many secluded spots that are not easy to get to, hence are usually very quiet.
It's all fantasy, of course. I don't have a boat (yet. Come on Hive moon already!), and I don't live near any water body. I can imagine, though, that the people that own boats in the city are seriously considering their options.
That's another thing. What about those people that permanently live in boats. Some of those narrowboat communities you see in Hackney and Bow. Imagine self isolating in that small space? I'd go mad!
Do you have a 'get out' plan?
Peace & Love,
Adé