Grand Waves to Grand Turk

Update: The winner from the challenge in the last post is John M.

This is a short nose batfish!  Thanks John!  I’ve been told there are some very entertaining YouTube batfish videos (I can’t access them with my 2G service or I would link one for you). Also, when offered the guava paste prize, John told me to ‘pay it forward’ to some needy person here in TCI…stay tuned.

It has been a busy and eventful two weeks, since my last post.  After carefully examining the wind forecasts, and our schedule, we changed our plans from heading to West Caicos to heading to Grand Turk.  Grand Turk is the farthest destination we have planned for this season, and we decided to take the weather window to get there…then slowly work our way back.  We have still been running and hiding from wind, and we are still having problems with the hiding part of that equation.  

This chart will give you a better idea of the geographical layout of TCI.  The Caicos group of islands has offered more protection than any other island on this southern route, if we can stay on the southwest side if the chain.  With prevailing winds out of the east and northeast, we did get a reprieve from the effects of swell and surge while anchored in Sapodillo Bay (the pink star on the left).  We traveled across Caicos Bank to South Caicos (the star in the center) with the intention of exploring that area for a few days before heading to Grand Turk (the star on the right). However, the wind dictated that we leave after two nights, or be caught in a harbor totally unprotected from a west wind.

Caicos Bank is fabulous.  The depth remained 12-14 feet during the entire 50 mile trip, but constant attention at the helm is necessary as there are numerous coral heads. If you enlarge the chart above you will notice a lot of + marks, each of these symbols represent a coral head identified by satellite.  This area is designated VPR, which means Visual Piloting Rules apply, since it is essentially unsurveyed.  It is important to cross this area on a clear day, with the sun overhead to clearly ‘read’ the changes in water color.  

On the morning of our departure from South Caicos, this amazing rainbow was the backdrop to my anchor duty.  It was actually a double rainbow, but the secondary rainbow wasn’t as bright, so I decided to post this picture of the enlarged primary rainbow.  It isn’t often you can clearly see each of the colors!  The Roy G. are particularly clear, while the three colors that make up Biv are a little convoluted, but still incredible!

Note for my grandchildren: Roy G. Biv is a tool (made to sound like a name) used to help you remember the colors of the rainbow…red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet.

During our crossing to Grand Turk I saw the largest swell waves I have ever seen.  These waves weren’t extreme height-wise (probably around 5 ft), but the girth was unbelievable!  When looking across the horizon it looked like a train of large hills rolling toward us.  Each wave was hundreds of feet wide, but since we were crossing them at a shallow angle the motion was fairly gentle.  Even so, at the crest and trough of each wave, I experienced the sensation of an elevator stopping and dropping, or stopping and rising.  

Grand Turk had an active cruise ship schedule last week.  A total of five ships came and went during our four day visit.  We had every intention of visiting the island, however, between the rough seas on the west side of the island (where the town accessibility is located) and the thought of sharing the 5 mile island with 15,000 of our closest friends we decided to stick to the uninhabited places around Grand Turk.

Without going ashore, we learned that there are a lot of donkeys on the island.  I don’t know if you are familiar with the sound they make, but Keith and I agree that it is similar to ruckus laughter.  Every evening when the donkeys started to bray we couldn’t help but to laugh…in the four days we were there, it never got old. We cracked up every time we heard it😂

Gibbs Cay is 1 mile from Grand Turk, which is the appropriate amount of space needed to social distance from a cruise ship (you can still see the ship in the background.

While strolling on the beach we noticed a coconut that was cracked open and contained about 10 hermit crabs eating what was left in the coconut.  Always interested in scientific experimentation, I thought we should share some of our lunch to see which items hermit crabs preferred.  We added pieces of carrot, apple, and prune to the area, then took a little hike up the hill.  When we returned (only about 20 minutes later) the number of hermit crabs had tripled, and they were devouring everything in sight.  The unscientific conclusion is that hermit crabs will eat just about anything.  To my untrained eye, it looked like they were really enjoying the prune!

This was the view from the top of Gibbs Cay.  There were numerous coral heads between the two island that we snorkeled before lunch.

After lunch we headed north to snorkel a different spot.  I was leaning over the bow of the Whaler watching the anchor drop to the bottom (to make sure it lands in sand) when a shark swam right out from under the boat and scared the bejeezers out of me.  I’m not sure if I mentioned this before, but I startle easily!  Anyway, Keith laughed at me and started to get his snorkel gear on when we noticed several sharks swimming around the boat.  In all, the count got up to six sharks circling under the boat during the 15 minutes we sat there and watched. This picture was captured when Keith stuck the camera in the water.  We both agreed we would look for a different place to snorkel.

We traveled about a half mile farther north and found another beautiful coral head.  This one seemed to have only one shark, so I agreed to get in because it seems like keeping an eye on one shark is much more doable than keeping track of six.  I know people reading this are thinking I’m a big sissy (which I am) because ‘they are only nurse sharks’…well let me tell you the internet is full of nurse shark biting people videos! Anyway, I try to calm my fears by thinking reassuring thoughts like, ‘if this shark bites me I probably won’t die!’ And then I repeat in my head…be brave, be brave, be brave!  

We snorkeled that reef for about 20 minutes, and that shark followed us the entire time! Most nurse sharks will check you out then swim away. Not this one! For 20 solid minutes this shark was either right behind…

Or directly under me…ugh!!!

Our time off the coast of Grand Turk was great, but we decided to head back to South Caicos as clocking winds starting from north was forecasted, and Grand Turk has no protection.

Finally able to explore South Caicos, we started at an outdoor cafe for lunch.  There we met a young man named Ryan, who was VERY interested in helping us with anything we might need. He wanted us to visit his house after lunch to see some ‘authentic’ souvenirs.  He also told me that he could show me where there were flamingos.  We made a deal that if I got a picture of a flamingo, I would buy one of his souvenirs…I think I found John’s ‘pay it forward’ guy!

We walked a short distance to the interior abandoned salinas (salt beds), where salt harvesting was big business for Turks & Caicos for more than 300 years…and guess what, there were flamingos!

This site has a natural Boiling Hole (a subterranean cave system connected to the ocean) that delivers seawater as the tide rises.  Ryan told us that a diver attempted to go down into this hole to see where it led, but abandoned the mission after reaching a depth of 100 feet.

Rock walls were built to separate the salinas so that as water evaporated the increasingly briney water could be pumped (by way of a windmill) to different beds.  

If you would like to learn more about this very interesting history, please follow this link.

https://www.visittci.com/nature-and-history/history/salt-industry

Ryan assured us that if we stayed until sunset we would see the entire flock of flamingos return to the salt flats.  This did sound amazing, but we were determined to get in a snorkel session before dark so we had to decline.  We followed Ryan to his home and bought conch shell art souvenirs from him, and two bead bracelets from his mother.  He then took us to the best grocery store so we could get some fresh veggies, and he carried the bag back to our boat.  All of this attention earned him a tip for his dedication😉 Pay it forward, mission accomplished!

And our snorkel experience was magical…

By the time we got into the water it was close to 4:00, so the sun was getting low on the horizon.  As you might guess, I wasn’t feeling great about how dark it seemed under water (isn’t this the time of day large things come out to eat?)…be brave!  Within a few minutes I saw something very large coming straight toward me at a fairly high rate of speed😳.  As soon as my brain processed a ray, my heart started to beat again. I quickly got Keith’s attention so he could get a picture.  

Still, this wasn’t like any ray I had ever been in the water with before.  The first Spotted Eagle Ray had a wingspan of approximately 5 feet.  It sped past us flapping its wings as it flew through the water.

Within a few minutes a second Spotted Eagle Ray, even bigger than the first (with at least a 6 foot wingspan and an 8-10 ft tail) soared past.  Over the next 15-20 minutes, those two rays glided past us 5 or 6 times as they cruised around the reef.  Being in the water with them was incredible, magical, phenomenal…feel free to insert any of my favorites words here!

Goodbye South Caicos!  Hopefully we will have more time to snorkel during our next visit.

We are preparing for company to join us on the boat.  Patricia and Dave are flying in from New Hampshire this week…FUN!!  I hope their systems aren’t in for too much of a shock!

Welcome to TCI

The final leg of our journey (60 miles, about 8 hours) to Providenciales (called Provo) Turks & Caicos Islands (TCI) was probably the easiest leg since rounding the northern tip of Long Island, Bahamas.  We left Mayaguana at first light, and for the first time since we arrived we saw no white caps on the outside of the reef.  Yippeee…that’s a good sign!  There was a three foot swell for the first few hours, but the waves were wide and gentle with a period of 9-10 seconds, which allowed us to glide over (as opposed to crashing and slamming). A few hours in, the swell disappeared and we had 1-2 ft waves with no real pattern, but it was calm enough to bait the lines and do a little trolling.

Unfortunately, the only thing interested in our ballyhoo was this barracuda.

The procedures for entering TCI are fairly straight forward, but quite expensive compared to our experience in the Bahamas.  Everyone entering must prove vaccination, negative Covid (within 72 hours), and proof of health travel insurance (which must include medical expenses, isolation costs, and airlift home if required).  For those planning to spend a week in TCI, this is probably a nominal fee, however, when I entered a 60 day stay into the quote calculator the cost came out to $500.  Yikes!  After comparing several companies we decided to purchase a one year policy ($740 for both of us), since we are hoping to spend this summer in Canada this insurance give us additional peace of mind.

All of our paperwork was submitted online, and we received our travel authorization for Monday, Jan. 3. However, by Sunday we knew the weather forecast had changed, and the wind wasn’t going to stop blowing until Monday night.  By this time we were already checked out of the Bahamas, and could not get another Covid test in Mayaguana.  Tuesday morning as we pulled the anchor we received an email saying that our travel authorization expired.  A previous conversation assured us that we could get a Covid test in Provo if we were unable to get on in Mayaguana, so we were determined to get here and work it out when we arrived.

TCI is the first place we’ve been that requires radio contact before you enter their waters.  As required, twelve miles out I started calling ‘Provo Radar’ as instructed in a previous email, which was attached to our entrance authorization approval. It took several attempts to get a response, but after asking our intentions and destination the officer instructed me to call back once we were anchored in Sapodillo Bay.  Once anchored (around 3:00 pm), I called back and was informed that we needed to go to a marina to check in, as the Sapodillo Bay ‘Port of Entry Office’ was no longer in operation…ugh!  

Finally, I was told to take my dinghy to the nearest marina (4 miles away) at 9:00 the next morning, and customs and immigration officials would meet me there.

The next morning after a long hard 4 mile slog into very rough conditions I arrived (soaked through) at South Side Marina.  No customs or immigration officials were on sight, but the marina called them and they met me there a short time later.  Thankfully, I had time to sit under the veranda and notice this amazing hummingbird nest (the first I have ever seen). We should take the good camera back to get better pics.

The officials met me at the picnic table to complete the transaction.  Luckily, I brought a significant amount of cash, because I was worried my card might be flagged since it was the first use in TCI.  I never imagined that a card wouldn’t even be an option…they wanted cash. There was a $50 entry fee and $300 for a cruising permit for boats staying longer than 7 days…and after all the fuss and expense, neither the immigration officer or the customs officer asked me anything about our Covid information. No request for vaccine, Covid test, or insurance documentation…ugh!

Note: most countries allow only the captain to come ashore to check into the country.  All other crew must remain onboard until the captain returns.  This is the first time I have gone ashore to check us into a country.  My two officials were mystified and shocked as to why my husband would stay onboard and send me through a 4 mile dinghy ride in rough seas to check us into a strange country.  They wanted to know if something was wrong with him…was he sick or injured?  When I explained that I was the captain (I didn’t say today) they both shook their heads and chuckled.  They either thought Keith was the craziest man alive, or the smartest man alive…it was hard to tell with the dark glasses and face masks🤷🏼‍♀️

After 3 hours I returned to the boat victorious!  Raise the Turks & Caicos flag.

The following day we went ashore and played tourist for the afternoon.  We are anchored at the public beach, which is a tourist magnet with vendor huts, food delivery, and numerous water sport rentals.

During initial explorations we have discovered many isolated beaches.  Apparently, TCI has a fairly large immigrant population from Haiti.  This is most likely one of the vessels involved (I’m sure they didn’t make radio contact 12 miles out).

What is this?  I have not been able to identify this creature.  It was very slow and wobbly swimmer. Similar to a tadpole whose legs have sprouted…it didn’t know whether to use the tail for propulsion, or the back fins, but they seemed to be working against each other.  

Here’s your challenge…The first person to make an accurate identification will win guava paste (our new addiction).  

There are many large rock outcroppings that might make good snorkel sites.

We explored an interesting little cave.

While sitting on the back deck with my coffee one morning, this flock of birds landed right on the boat.  I’m not sure why they thought this would make a good rest stop considering how close they were to land.  I quickly decided that they were cute, but they needed to move on before they deposited a huge mess on the rails.  I thanked them for their visit and shooed them away.

They didn’t go far…apparently they weren’t ready to leave.  Looking past the birds you can see the capsized hull of a vessel.

This is the close up.

Getting our bikes on shore was a bit of a chore, but well worth the effort after visiting two grocery stores on a 7 mile round trip ride.  This is what $85 worth of groceries looks like in TCI. TCI gets most of their food from the Dominican Republic so the grocery experience was new and interesting with many items I have never seen before.  There seems to be a huge Asian influence, with an entire isle dedicated to curries, sauces, and noodles from Japan and China.  Happy to be out of the food desert, and looking forward to trying some new things.  Berries were available, but very expensive so we substituted with the frozen fruit pulps (100% fruit) for only $2.50 for two 7 oz packets.  We think they will be perfect in either yogurt or rum!

I definitely need to learn more about root vegetables.  I am intrigued by the yellow Jamaican yam that looked and felt like a tree branch.  I have found a recipes for yam stew, and plan to try it on our next visit to the store.

Winds have still been high, but we have been enjoying great protection in this anchorage…with NO surge!!  Forecasts are for much lower winds in the coming week, so we plan to visit West Caicos for world renowned snorkeling.

A Mayaguana New Year

Happy New Year!!

We welcomed the new year from our anchorage in Abraham’s Bay, Mayaguana, Bahamas.  We have still not reached our destination of Turks & Caicos, as the wind is still pinning us down for extended periods of time.  It wouldn’t be so bad if we were pinned down in protected anchorages, but there is little real protection along this path.  Most anchorages provide reef protection, which does increase the safety factor, but does not necessarily provide a comfort factor. 

We’ve been crossing passages where the ocean is 7000 ft deep, and so far, our experience has been that a lot of swell energy accompanies these depths. When large ocean swells hit an island, the wave energy wraps around the island and forces it’s way over reefs and through openings. Once that energy starts sloshing around inside anchorages (almost always coming from a different angle from wind waves) it’s called surge, and surge make your boat rock from side to side.  Surge has been the bane of our existence since we left Georgetown!!

In our 2 1/2 years of cruising we have experienced surge problems several times, but along the east coast of the US, and most of the Bahamas there are several anchoring options so you can simply move.  Clarence Town, Long Island, Bahamas taught us that surge in the south Bahamas can be very bad, and there are few/no options to relocate. The picture above is the marina in Clarence Town, and as you can see by the fortress wall of defense they provide the only option to get away from the surge.  We didn’t stay there, but probably should have.

There were a few places we could escape the crazy rocking motion of the boat, but it took us a few days to even be able to launch the Whaler safely.  Unfortunately, this calm spot is too shallow for the big boat.

We met a very interesting young man (the only other person suffering in the surge with us) who was bringing his boat back from Panama where he spent the summer surfing.  Paul joined us on Right Hand, for Christmas dinner, where he regaled us with stories of his experiences single hand (which means alone, he has both hands) sailing, free diving, and spear fishing. He also provided us with some delicious fresh fish. It’s great to meet so many adventurous people.  Only cruisers invite a total stranger to Christmas dinner, but he is a stranger no more!

Our next leg took us to Acklins Island, where the anchorage looked like it might provide the best protection yet. However, once we checked the weather forecast we decided to only spend one night so we could make it to Mayaguana before the next large front moved through bringing high winds for another 7-9 days.

This is what the anchorage looks like on our chart.  

This is what it looks like in real life.  It looks like we are anchored in the middle of the ocean! Actually, the white breaking wave line in this picture is the reef line shown as the tan color on the chart pic.  During low tide the reef does an amazing job of keeping the surge out, but at high tide we have to resort to our safety classification method devised while anchored in Chester Town.  The ability to safely complete your morning routine (MR) is the inspiration for this rating system.

Rating    Points Of Contact      Action required to remain upright and uninjured 

MR1 = 1 POC required           Hop out of bed, and put shorts on one foot at a time

MR2 =  2 POC required         Step out of bed, and hold onto wall as you lift each foot to 

                                                put shorts on.

MR3 =  3 POC required.        Hold onto wall while getting out of bed, and sit on bed to 

                                                put shorts on.

MR4 =  4 POC required         Carefully climb out of bed holding wall and bed while 

                                                walking…forget about shorts!

MR5 =  5+ POC required      STAY IN BED!

This is the glorious reef currently protecting us.  As you can see, there is only about 18 inches of water over the ref at low tide, so most wave energy is stopped.  However, when only two feet of water is added to the equation…a LOT of wave energy gets over the reef.

As soon as we anchor, Keith grabs his snorkel gear and ‘dives the anchor’.  He visually checks to make sure the anchor is in sand, and is set correctly.

While he’s down there, he moves any creatures who might be harmed by our chain.  This Sea Biscuit is thankful!

This Sea Biscuit wasn’t as lucky.

Almost always…he has an escort!  For some reason barracuda also take anchor checks very seriously!

Welcome to Mayaguana.  This picture was taken the day we checked out of the Bahamas.  As you can see in the background, we are the only boat anchored here…you might need to enlarge the picture to see Right Hand.

This is what $37.00 worth of groceries looks like on Mayaguana.  Of course, I didn’t need much…just hoping for some eggs, and any type of fresh fruit and veggie.  I felt quite guilty when I realized that I have much more food on the boat than this island (of 200 people) has in the store.  I did buy the last dozen eggs, but only because there were chickens everywhere and I’m sure there were more close by.  As you can tell, this egg carton has been used many times, and after transferring the eggs to my container, I returned it Reggie (the owner of the store and a restaurant) who was very happy to have it back. I didn’t really need the OJ or (frozen) ground beef, but they were safe purchases, and I wanted to leave a little money at Mayaguana. Keith and I also returned to Reggie’s for lunch the next day…he made some very good fried chicken.

The one thing Mayaguana has an abundance of is fresh seafood.  I also put a little green in the pockets of two fishermen who delivered the biggest lobsters I’ve ever seen to the boat.  Every two or three days we would see two men take a small boat along the reef and spend several hours in the water Speer fishing.  They had a cooler full of amazing looking fish, but with our concern about ciguatera poisoning we decided to stick with the lobster.  I have been saving a recipe for years for a time when lobster was plentiful…well that time has arrived.  I used the smaller tail to make coconut curried lobster of rice, and it was AMAZING! The largest tail is in the freezer waiting for our next boat guests😉

On our way to the police station to check out of the country, we met Scully…who introduced himself as “the internationally known Scully”!  He makes his living catering to cruisers…he would be happy to take you on a tour of the island, or guarantee a good catch on a fishing trip.  He carries a VHF radio in his pocket, just waiting for someone to call for him.  As you might imagine, business has been down for the past two years.  If we ever return to Mayaguana, we will be sure to hire Scully for something.

While this looks like a picture fail…I kinda like it!  I was trying to get one of those really cool shots that shows half underwater and half above water, but I guess I need a better camera. 

Today, January 3, we have spent our low tide time (MR1/2) readying the boat for the Caicos Passage.  The Whaler is strapped, deck is clear, fishing rods are tied to the rails (pelagic fish don’t carry ciguatera), and our quarantine flag (we are currently without a country) is flying.  Tomorrow morning we are heading to Caicos!