Unusual Neighbours

After our unintended night time anchoring adventure at the south-west end of Grand Turk, we awoke to find ourselves in a somewhat industrialised area, mainly reserved for freighters.

To starboard - the government dock

To port - wrecked RoRo ferry

Astern, a rust bucket

Fortunately Follyfin was far enough in towards the beach that she wasn't in anyone’s way. 

Stats from the voyage:

Distance (rhumb line) - 426.5nm

Distance sailed (actual) - 511.7nm,

Top boat speed - 10.7kn

Average boat speed - 6.6kn (until the wind died and we had to motor!)

Maximum wind speed - 35.5 (F8)

Engine hours - 9hr (of which about 8hr were on passage when wind died)

The Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) are notable for a few things:

- the Atlantic Humpback Whale breeds on shallow banks near here and migrates up the 22-mile wide Turks Passage to New England for the summer. Unfortunately we are just too late to see them.

- Tourism and offshore finance...lots of duty-free shopping.

- Wonderful snorkelling and diving in gin-clear turquoise waters

- Once used by USAF to support the initial orbital flights of the US space programme. Their mission was to recover space capsules after splashdown in the adjacent ocean waters. From space monkeys to astronauts, including John Glenn, they all returned to these paradise islands.

After clearing in with Customs and Immigration, we refreshed ourselves with beer and burgers at Jack’s Shack beach bar… along with what seemed like several hundred very loud cruise ship passengers. Then weighed anchor to move up the coast a couple of miles to anchor off Cockburn Town. Found a good spot on sand in 3.5m but a long way out! See Follyfin in the distance, to the right of the only other neighbour.

A dinghy trip into town the following morning revealed a now-faded but once prosperous community with major British institutions represented...

A nice little bijou residence with sea view for someone?

... but now defunct since the salt industry died and tourism with daily cruise ships calling, sometimes two, took over. However the remnants of the salt pans support a small population of flamingoes.

The other important source of income for the TCI is Banking….it is a centre of international finance and a tax haven.

We paid for a 7-day permit to stay in the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI); staying longer requires an extra $200 so we are anxious not to overstay. As the weather forecast was for strong winds, we moved on across the shallow Caicos Bank with its numerous coral heads to the south side of Providenciales, the largest of the TCI. The Caicos Bank is a 60nm wide circular reef-fringed atoll with depths varying between 0 and 6m so we had to keep a sharp look out for coral heads for the 8hr it took to get across. Found a safe anchorage on the other side but Follyfin was rocking and rolling more than was comfortable. And as the winds became stronger and stronger, the prospect of a couple of nights in the shelter of a marina became very attractive. So this is where we have been since Saturday 29 April, - the South Side Marina - and much enjoying the relative luxury of unlimited showers and above all, stability!

The winds are gradually dying down so we plan to leave on the high tide this afternoon so we can negotiate the shallows and coral heads in daylight, anchor near the exit from the main coral reef, and then sail overnight to Mayaguana, the nearest Bahamanian island, about 60 nm from here. This strategy will enable arrival in daylight as there is yet more coral to see our way through when we get there.

A true tropical paradise

Jiim Just 10 days ago we were enjoying peaceful times anchored in Benures Bay, so nice we stayed two nights there. Today, Tuesday 25 April, we are nearing the end of a 3-day passage to the Turks and Caicos Islands. As I write this on the afternoon of the third day, it is again peaceful, reminiscent of the first few days of our Atlantic crossing. But the last two days have been anything but peaceful. In the space of 48 hours we experienced a lightening storm (near but thankfully not over us), veering, increasing wind and ever increasing seas, and today a calm sea with next to no wind. So these conditions have reminded us of our Atlantic crossing 16 months ago when all various sail sets had to be tried to cope with changing weather and sea conditions. But we have missed our extra crew, their humour, height, strength, tactical talk, endurance and baking abilities. All good experience for us of course, but it took its toll on the First Mate, caught napping on watch yesterday afternoon when the weather had at last abated. Nothing that a hearty fry-up couldn't deal with…

Now a brief résumé of the intervening period since leaving Benures Bay. First a quick provisioning trip into Road Harbour on the main island of Tortola. The cruise ship, Norwegian Gem, moored close by was just a tad bigger than Follyfin.

Not wishing to join the Norwegian party, we popped over to Cooper Island for the night. Easter Sunday provided us with a frisky up-wind sail to Gorda Sound again, our purpose to join a Cruising Association (CA) cruise in company organised by the Honorary Local Representative. On the way, we had to dodge a chartered motor catamaran who obviously thought the rule ‘sail takes priority over motor’ did not apply to him, hell bent as he was on crossing our path at right-angles to get to his destination. The weather was due to change for the worse so a sheltered anchorage was required and achieved there, in the lee of Prickly Pear Island again - a mere stone’s throw from Branson’s Necker and Mosquito Islands (see previous post) and Eustatia Island, owned by Mr Larry Page, and of course you all know who that is… just Google it! 

The next couple of days were overcast and not at all the weather expected in the BVI in April. In the event Follyfin was the only CA boat which turned up on time for the meet at Saba Rock. So instead, on the first evening, we enjoyed good company ashore and a delicious Caribbean BBQ dinner at the Bitter End restaurant as guests of Christopher and Vivienne Lloyd. On the following day, with the weather improving, we sailed 12nm north on our own (instead of ‘in company’) to the paradise island of Anegada. With Follyfin’s lifting keel, we were able to anchor in the inner harbour with only a couple of other boats, leaving the masses crowded together on moorings.

View from Inner Harbour

The masses outside!

Anegada is renowned for its north coast beaches and its lobster. Sampling the former, we took a taxi to Cow Wreck beach. Stayed awhile and then took our time walking back along the beach to the anchorage on the south-west side. As can be seen from the following photos, it is an unbelievably beautiful sea-scape, crystal clear shallow turquoise waters over fine white sand, and ideal for swimming, which we did several times on the way. A true tropical paradise.

Was calm for us!

The Conch rules

OK!

The Beachcomber is still alive and kicking!

As for the lobster, a picture speaks a thousand words, and the beach location is idyllic, despite masses in the background.

Addendum: Wednesday 26 April

Arrived in Grand Turk at 22:30 last night having motored for the final 8 hours of the passage. Eventually anchored safely in the dark - not a piece of cake!