Turks and Caicos

The Turks and Caicos are waiting for you… and so are their ponies. And puppies.

He said, “Facebook it, Twitter it, whatever it is you all use, use it. Turks and Caicos is open and ready for business. People don’t know we’ve recovered. Show them we have!”
Those were the words of Ian McLeod, Operations Director of Ocean Club Resorts in Turks and Caicos, to a group of travel writers (myself included) in December. He’s not wrong in his criticism. We’re living in a time where reporters mix up Bermuda and Barbuda on national television, so it can be understandably difficult for cruisers to know which islands in the British West Indies and the Caribbean have recovered from Hurricanes Irma and Maria, and which have not.

McLeod encouraged our group of writers to extensively document everything on our visit to show how well the island had weathered and recovered from the unprecedented storms of 2017. “There was no electricity on the property, so I made my way to the airport to check on the flight status to get guests off the island. And all of a sudden, here they come,” he says, referring to the British aid and recovery workers, who arrived at the Providenciales International Airport. “It was an incredible thing to witness.”

I must admit, I was taken aback at how green and abundant the landscape looked as I took my initial taxi ride across the island of Providenciales, known locally as Provo, to Ocean Club West. My perceptions prior to arrival were as McLeod had feared. I had assumed I’d be traveling to a decimated island ruined by hurricanes. I asked our driver, Virgil, of Virgil’s Taxi Service, if all the vegetation had been destroyed during the
storm. “Most everything was gone,” he said. “It was brown or it was blown away.” But less than three and a half months later, the greenery and life have returned to the small island chain. Now, Turks and Caicos are just waiting on the return of visitors and tourists,
and when they do make the inevitable return, they will find a haven of relaxation at both of Ocean Club Resorts’ locations on the island.

“We’re unique in that you can stay at one resort but enjoy the amenities of two,” said Nathaniel ‘Nat’ Rigby, Ocean Club West’s Resident Manager. He would know—Nat started
his career at the original Ocean Club before moving to Ocean Club West when it opened in the late 1990s, and he’s been there ever since. It’s easy to see why he stayed on. The two Ocean Club properties are located directly on picturesque Grace Bay Beach, just a 15-minute walk apart on one of the friendliest islands in the Caribbean.

The suites at Ocean Club Resorts are also unique. With full suites of varying sizes and configurations, you’d be hard-pressed to find an accommodation ill-suited to your needs. Each suite comes fully equipped with a kitchen or kitchenette and a washer/dryer combo. The airy floor plans provide sweeping views of the beach, pool or gardens, and innumerable windows let in ample sunshine that bounces off whitewashed ceilings. Accommodations include studios as well as one-, two-, and three-bedroom layouts. With
approximately 90 units per property, the overall feel is intimate and friendly without feeling small. The flowing layout of the pools and gardens offers an experience akin to your own private oasis, and the sprawling expanse of beach ensures you’ll always find a place to relax under a signature pink umbrella.

More than one location also means more than one place to eat. Ocean Club West boasts Solana, an alfresco dining experience complete with a sushi bar and rotating menu. For those who see no reason to leave the comforts of your beach towel, beachside service is
available during lunch. Order the Drunken Lobster while you relax in the sun.

The dinner menu changes, and you’ll find an Asian-fusion vibe, carefully crafted by restaurateur Ajay Vyas, who also manages three other island restaurants. Solana standouts include the grilled lobster tail and the seared grouper, but save room for the mango cheesecake.

If you’re feeling up for a ride, borrow a complimentary beach cruiser from the lobby of Ocean Club West and bike over to The Cabana Bar and Grill at Ocean Club for lunch. Cabana Bar and Grill offers an open-air dining experience for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. For a more formal setting, take the free shuttle to Ocean Club and dine at Opus Wine Bar & Grille. Treat yourself to a bottle of one of the many fine wines and a menu chock-full of seasonal Caribbean flavors. You won’t be disappointed by any of locally sourced seafood dishes or the atmosphere; trees wrapped in string lights cast long shadows to create
an ethereal dining experience.

The warm, clear waters of Turks and Caicos practically beg to be explored. Leave your boat in the slip and, instead, climb aboard the S/V Atabeyra for sailing, snorkeling and island hopping. First stop is to Princess Alexandra National Park, a conservation area off Provo’s northern coast. You’ll see plenty of fish in the preserve and dolphins if you’re lucky. Captain Matt and his crew have been sailing Atabeyra for several years and provide you with all the necessities for a day on the water: snorkel, fins, and rum punch. From there, it’s off to explore the island chain meandering up the coast and the shallow waters of Fort George Cay. Wade for sand dollars, search for sponges or collect shells. You’ll end the day salty, sandy and happy.

You’ll be equally as salty and happy if you choose an excursion at Provo Ponies, a local horse rescue turned trail ride. Provo Ponies started rescuing island horses more than 15 years ago and once they regained their strength, a business was born. Group rides are offered twice daily or you can opt for a private outing. Ride the ponies to Long Bay Beach and prepare to get wet; the horses love to get in the water to cool off.

Post-ponies, quench your thirst at Da Conch Shack—really more of a large beach bar than a shack, imbued with rum and relaxation. The menu is extensive, but who are we kidding? Get a pitcher of punch and order some cracked conch, conch salad, and the island’s best conch fritters. You’ll be invited to the weekly “Hump and Bump” party and if at all possible, you should attend to mingle with visitors and locals alike.

Salt Mills Plaza is the place to buy your requisite Turks and Caicos souvenir t-shirts and jewelry, but it’s also home to Potcake Place—a puppy rescue. Potcakes—a local term for the old food baked into the bottom of pots and pans—are a mixed-bag breed of local dogs. When litters are found roaming, locals call the not-for-profit rescue, which takes them in to find them homes. Tourists and locals can visit the (adorable) puppies, take them for walks on the beach and ultimately adopt them. Now, there are numerous potcakes in the U.S. and Canada, brought by local couriers from the island to their new homes.

On our last night on the island, a writer in our group recalled an earlier conversation about the way the island had recovered from the hurricane so well with the help of the British government. “Well, maybe,” Nat said, sipping his Campari and soda. “But really it was the locals. The way they came together and helped to rebuild, I’ve never seen anything like it. If you needed ice, if you needed fuel, someone would help you out.”

I wouldn’t have expected anything less from the people of this island community, who are intent on rehabilitating ponies, puppies, and as it turns out, each other.

Cruiser Resources for Turks and Caicos

Blue Haven Marina
An official port of entry, open for both short- and long-term berthing in Turks and Caicos.
Leeward Settlement TKCA 1ZZ
bluehavenmarinatci.com
1.855.756.7519

Ocean Club
118 Grace Bay Road
Grace Bay Beach, Providenciales
oceanclubresorts.com

Ocean Club West
54 Bonaventure Crescent
Grace Bay Beach, Providenciales
oceanclubresorts.com

Provo Ponies
32 Dolphin Lane, Providenciales
provoponies.com

Potcake Place
Salt Mills Plaza, Grace Bay
potcakeplace.com

Sail Atabeyra
Leeward Settlement TKCA 1ZZ
suncharters.tc

Da Conch Shack
Blue Hills Road, Providenciales
daconchshack.com

Story and Photos by Erin Brennan, Southern Boating February 2018

Emerald Bay

Emerald Bay is a very well run marina strategically located in Great Exuma for those cruising the southern Exumas and preparing for travels further south. As we approach the hurricane season, Emerald Bay offers a hurricane refuge for boats up to 50 feet on the inner pontoons. I would not recommend the marina for large yachts in extreme weather when there can be a dangerous surge in the area where they moor. All vessels should exercise caution when entering or leaving in strong northeasterly winds.

Spanish Wells Yacht Haven

The refit of Spanish Wells Yacht Haven is now complete. The docks have been rebuilt and have all new electrical wiring. Beautifully appointed rooms are available in four new buildings, and the restaurant, Wreckers, has a full-service bar. The food is as good as you will find anywhere in the Family Islands with a well-balanced menu: ribeye steak, cracked conch, fresh grilled fish, upscale pizza, and several Greek dishes. Head chefs Jo Douvlis and Dino Xenopoulos are in charge. The marina has been almost full every day since mid-March, so reservations are strongly recommended, especially for boats over 60′. Contact Dockmaster, Leroy Kelly, at 242-333-4255. facebook.com/swyachthaven

Hurricane season

The devastation of Hurricane Joaquin is a lesson in the power of nature and our imperfect ability to forecast approaching storms. As the next hurricane season approaches it is best to review these lessons. Plan your itinerary with potential storms in mind and take early action. Be prepared and you can have plenty of fun. It’s a great time to cruise The Bahamas.

Turks and Caicos

The Turks and Caicos now operate a radar surveillance station that can be reached by calling “Provo Radio” on VHF16. The station provides navigational warnings and weather. This service provides improved safety when operating anywhere in the country. I recommend you call the station when you get within range so they can track you and pass important information such as new navigational hazards.

Sand Dollar

Bahamian beachcombing is as good as anywhere, and it is fun to learn to identify the shells, beans, and glass that you collect. I still recommend that you carry Blair Witherington’s Florida’s Living Beaches to help in your beach endeavors. The common five keyhole sand dollar (a flat round marine animal related to sea urchins) has a legend that is fun to know. Break a sand dollar to release the five doves it has inside. These doves can be part of your collection. Find out about the legend at traditioninaction.org/religious/f024_SandDollar.htm

Watermakers Air

Cruisers who need to return to the U.S. intermittently during their Bahamas cruising season will be glad to know that Watermakers Air has expanded its services for passengers and freight. Flying out of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, the destinations now include:

• North Eleuthera

• Great Harbour Cay

• Chub Cay

• San Andros

• Fresh Creek

• Congo Town

• Staniel Cay

• Exuma International

Their freight and passengers services are excellent and fairly priced. Watermakers can be reached at (954) 771-0330. watermakersair.com

Blackbeard the manatee

You don’t need a big boat to have a great time on the water. Photo: Barbara Crouchley

Tracking manatees in The Bahamas has become an exciting cooperation between scientists and local observers, and anyone can join in the fun. The Bahamas Marine Mammals Organization (BMMO) run by Diane Claridge and Charlotte Dunn welcomes all observations. They ask for photos so they can make positive identification of individual animals. Sightings can be reported on their website. Anyone can follow the tracks of the manatees on BMMO’s Facebook page. bahamaswhales.org; facebook.com/bmmro

Nina Sanchez, a student in Grand Bahama, recently took a video of manatees in a canal. The video is posted on You Tube as “Manatees in Sunrise Canal.” One turned out to be a manatee named Blackbeard who can be identified by the crescent cut in the right side of his tail. Blackbeard has been tracked for several years and has been seen as far south as Long Island.

Navigation notes:

For those of us who have cruised through the Windward Passage to enter The Bahamas at night, the Matthew Town lighthouse was a very welcome sight. The good news is that this and several other lights have been put back in service, and the Royal Bahamas Defense Force says it is doing its best to relight and maintain the major lights throughout the islands. Great Isaac, Hole in the Wall and Matthew Town are now operational as are several smaller lights in the Abacos. In these days of radar, GPS and chart plotters lighthouses are not quite as essential as they were years ago. However, it only takes one lightning strike to disable your boat’s electronics and put you back in the old days, loving every functioning aid to navigation—all lighthouses included.

— by Stephen Connett, Southern Boating Magazine May 2016

The magic of Eleuthera

Long-time resident of Governor’s Harbour Katie Black Frost is the author of Eleuthera, a beautiful work about the island with photographs from Marc Coeffic and Harry Paungger.

Eleuthera has a long, fascinating history starting with the arrival of the Eleutheran Adventurers—a group of English Puritans and religious Independents—in the mid-17^th century. The island is known for its livestock and agriculture—eat an Eleutheran pineapple in season, and you will not want to leave. With more than 200 miles of coast and miles of pink sand beaches, Eleuthera is a gift to fishermen and tourists. On her website, Frost invites readers to “Come immerse yourself in Eleuthera… lose yourself in her magic.” The book is available online at eleutherabook.com, at the Haynes Library or at Tippy’s/Pineapple Fields’ gift shop in Governor’s Harbour. Read the book and feel the magic of this island for yourself.

Birds of a feather
What better way for a birder to get around than by boat? Birding can be a family activity or a full-on academic profession, and The Bahamas is one of the world’s great places to see birds.

The repopulation of the flamingos in Great Inagua is hailed as a conservation success story. Other birds like the Bahamas parrot have also been saved, and the effort continues. Birding is constantly growing in popularity throughout The Bahamas, and the National Audubon Society has recently trained 80 Bahamian bird guides.

The Bahamian government has designated The Jolters north of Andros as a protected area. Hundreds of migratory piping plovers are now seen there every winter. The Jolters has an anchorage that can be reached with a 4′ draft on the high tide. You can also anchor outside Morgan’s Bluff and run out in your tender.

Birding tours are available throughout the islands and most have websites. Carolyn Wardle (bahamasoutdoors.com, 242-362-1574 or 457-0329) leads the Bahamas National Trust Bird Club, and her organization Bahamas Outdoors has run birding and nature tours for many years. Contact Wardle, who has worked throughout the islands and has innumerable contacts, for more information.

Yet you don’t have to wait for a guide to get started. Just grab your binoculars, camera, bird book, and go for a walk or get in your dinghy to cruise the mangroves. A recent newcomer, Linda Cooper, in West End, Grand Bahama, identified more than 130 species in her first year alone.

Rum Cay, Crooked Island, Acklins
Electricity and communications have been reestablished in these islands that were devastated by Hurricane Joaquin, though rebuilding will continue for many months. The citizens of Rum Cay have scheduled their annual homecoming for February 26^th—try and make it down there for the event to provide moral support and help the hurting local economy. To find out more information and how to help call Bobby Little at (242) 525-0184. Homecomings are great occasions for relatives and friends to reunite and an opportunity to welcome new friends.

Reach down to the anchorage north of Landrail Point from Rum Cay and if you need help with anything, go ashore and ask for Willie Gibson or Michael Carroll. Cruise east from Landrail to Lovely Bay, which has an anchorage inside the reef or go on to Atwood Harbour. This is a natural cruise track for boats headed for the Turks and Caicos, but it is easy enough to cruise to Crooked-Acklins and return downwind to Clarence Town, Long Island. The citizens of all these islands love visitors, and anything you can do to return the hospitality they have extended throughout the years will be much appreciated.

Little Harbour, Abaco
Little Harbour is a harbor with exceptional charm. The Johnston family, winter residents and yachtsmen provide alluring art, good fellowship and the must-go-to Pete’s Pub Beach Bar. Those entertaining a visit would do well to read Randolph Johnson’s autobiographical Artist on his Island: a Study in Self Reliance and check out petespub.com for general information.

There is now controversy over a proposed new marina in the harbor that could use up some of the limited mooring space, put added pressure on the environment and change the ambience. It’s the age-old tension between developers, environmentalists and those who want to protect a way of life. Friends of the Environment is monitoring the process and will surely act if there is a serious threat of long term environmental impact, but change may well come to Little Harbour, so the time to visit is now.

Old Bahamas photos

“Tee Time” courtesy of Bahamas Country Club Golf Tournament. Photo: oldbahamas.com

If Bahamian history piques your interest go to oldbahamas.com, where there’s a large archive of historical Bahamian photographs. The images range from the sponge fishery to colonial architecture and the development of Grand Bahama in the 1950s. The website is instructive and a lot of fun.

Navigation notes:
Northwest Light has finally been replaced. This is an important aid to navigation for those cruising from Cat Cay and Bimini to Chub Cay and Nassau. The light, however, has been reported out, so don’t depend on the marker at night—find it with your radar.

by Stephen Connett – Southern Boating Magazine, February 2016

Hurricane Season in The Bahamas

Hurricane season is upon us again, but summer and early fall are great times to cruise in The Bahamas as long as you have a good hurricane strategy. (Southern Boating readers know they need a hurricane strategy any time they’re in the hurricane zone no matter where they’re cruising.) If you look carefully at the charts and read the yachting guides you will discover that there are some excellent hurricane holes throughout the north and central islands. With good planning and a close eye on the weather forecasts you can keep yourself within reach of one of these harbors and ensure you’ll be securely moored in plenty of time. Make sure that space is available in your haven of choice and that your tanks are always topped off. The choices will depend on the size and draft of your vessel, where you want to cruise and whether you plan to stay on board during the storm.

Generally you want to choose harbors that are enclosed and small enough to have little fetch. It is also good to be tucked in behind some land and not just a breakwater. If you plan to stay at anchor make very sure that the holding is perfect. A few good choices are:

• Grand Bahama: Bradford Marine in Freeport and Port Lucaya Marina in Lucaya,

• Abacos: Baker’s Bay Marina

• Berry Islands: Great Harbour Cay and Chub Cay

• North Eleuthera: Spanish Wells Yacht Haven

• Nassau: Atlantis and Hurricane Hole

• Cat Island: Hawksnest Marina

• Exumas: Compass Cay Marina and Crab Cay

The southern islands have very few natural harbors. Fast powerboats can cruise these islands with greater safety because they can run back to Hawksnest or down to the Turks and Caicos in a few hours.

If you are new in The Bahamas local knowledge is strongly advised. Inexperienced cruisers will quickly learn that Bahamians have a very healthy respect for hurricanes and are more than willing to help anyone on the water.

Be sure that you have communications systems on board that will provide you with up-to-date hurricane warnings and tracking. The Miami Hurricane Center (nhc.noaa.gov) is available on the Internet, and Chris Parker’s Marine Weather Center is available by email or single side band (mwxc.com). Be extra careful to maintain your float plan with a reliable friend or relative. We also suggest daily communications with at least one other boat cruising in your area.

San Salvador

San Salvador, the “Living Jewel” of The Bahamas, is a lovely destination with good facilities and some of the most abundant wildlife in the islands. Scuba divers swim with beautiful coral, reef fish, turtles, and sharks all along the southwestern shore. Birders find a variety of land and sea birds—Birds of San Salvador, Bahamas by R. Hays Cummins et al. is available from Kindle—and sport fishermen troll for pelagic fish on “The Hump” off the north end of the island. Bonefishermen work the flats in Pigeon Creek, and students and scientists are in residence at the Gerace Research Centre (geraceresearchcentre.com) year-round to study the island’s flora and fauna and geology. Historians still like to argue the evidence that the island was the place that Columbus first came ashore in the New World.

Best of all, the people of San Salvador know how fortunate they are and have worked relentlessly to preserve the island’s environment. For the last 10 years citizens have worked with the Bahamas National Trust, BREEF, the Gerace Research Centre, the Nature Conservancy, and the Bahamian government to achieve permanent protection for important habitats on the island and in its coastal waters.

At a ceremony in Cockburn on April 23rd the Deputy Prime Minister, Phillip “Brave” Davis, announced the establishment of five new national parks in San Salvador. The parks will be managed by the Bahamas National Trust. Most important to cruisers are the protected area on the west side, Graham’s Harbour and Pigeon Creek. These parks are part of the growing number of no-take marine protected areas that will protect at least 20 percent of Bahamian near-coastal waters by 2020 as part of the Caribbean Challenge.

By Stephen Connett, Southern Boating Magazine July, 2015