Couple at sea reveal 'surreal' experience of learning about coronavirus pandemic after landing at Caribbean island

After 25 days at sea Elena and Ryan learned about the full extent of the coronavirus pandemic
Elena Manighetti

A couple who were living their dream of sailing across the Atlantic have shared their "shock" of returning to land and hearing the news about the global coronavirus pandemic.

Elena Manighetti and Ryan Osborne had told their families not to contact them with bad news while they crossed the Atlantic.

They set sail from Lanzarote on a 3,000 nautical mile journey on February 28, when the Covid-19 outbreak was mostly confined to China.

Elena, who is from Lombardy in northern Italy, told the Evening Standard: "We didn't want to wait until we retire to make our dreams come true.

"We couldn't afford a house, so in 2017 we joined the minimalism movement and got a cheap small boat instead. We work while we travel the world, very slowly."

The couple, who used to live in Manchester, spent the first three years sailing in Europe exploring the Mediterranean, and then found themselves "lured across the Atlantic Ocean by the promise of an endless summer."

They first heard about the extent of the pandemic after reaching the Caribbean island of Bequia on March 25.

Ryan and Elena's initial plan was to land on Guadeloupe. However, on March 15 while they were in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, they learned that some Caribbean islands were closing their borders.

Elena and Ryan decided to live a frugal life on a sailboat
Elena Manighetti

"We were shocked," said Elena. "The number of deaths and cases recorded blew our minds, as well as the spread - the virus had infected the whole world.

"It all happened in March, when we were out in the middle of the ocean, with no 3G. 3G only works up to about 10 nautical miles from the coast.

"By the time we left to sail across the Atlantic, at the end of February, the WHO hadn't called it a pandemic and it was affecting mainly China.

The World on Coronavirus lockdown

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"No one was familiar with the world lockdown. It's easy to forget how sudden the change was, worldwide."

The couple have been documenting their experiences on their Youtube channel. The only means of communication they had when crossing the Atlantic was a satellite device which could only receive 160 character messages.

Elena and Ryan are still in Bequia in Saint Vincent and are unable to return home until the pandemic subsides.

Elena added: "There's no restrictions here - there's only 12 cases in this country and life is almost normal, albeit quiet. It's surreal to be here and read the news."

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