Then a Step to the Right

X-ing File #5_Antigua to Bahamas (perhaps) continues…

Turks & Caicos Islands: Providenciales

Oh, for the Open Ocean...maybe

With WJ3 sporting shiny, new guardrails, rigging and a jaunty raked mast (very sporty), and tired of strong katabatics smacking us on the nose in the Lagoon night AND day, we were determined to leave in the next weather window.  Our schedule was also blown out of the water, so we toyed with ideas to catch up a few days.  A dawdle through the reportedly windblown British, US and Spanish Virgin Islands was definitely out, as was the plan to shelter along the south coast of Puerto Rico.  We settled on making for St Croix then staging our leap for Turks Caicos from Culebra.  Even that seemed too complicated in the end, so we agreed on just the one, long (5 day) haul to Providenciales in Turks Caicos.  And a few rest days in a marina, for sure.  With luck, we would beat a strong westerly forecast for the weekend, blowing courtesy of a storm over the US east coast.  Oh well, it really is winter here!

Waiting our turn to exit the Simpson Bay Lagoon

The conditions were generally very good with the only rough patch after hitting the Atlantic NE Trades exiting the Virgin Passage.  It soon settled and we floated over some “marketing magazine” turquoise waters along the Puerto Rican north coast.  It was still windy enough for us to be the only sailboat out there.  Customs & Border Protection made itself known (in a variety of ways) along the coast however we made an uneventful entry into San Juan Harbour to refuel, toyed briefly with the idea of staying in a slip, only to see sense and continue on.

The old fort marks San Juan Harbour where we refueled

Once past the Mona Passage and in the lee of the Banks, we made good time with very pleasant sailing conditions under a full moon.  Whales come to give birth in these waters at this time of year (Jan to Mar) but they too must have become fed up with this unseasonal weather and moved off early; we saw not one flipper or fluke! 

An early morning arrival at the Caicos Bank suited us just fine, so we cautiously took the Freighter Channel, hoping it was wide enough for two freighters to pass (it isn’t) and therefore no threat of a grounding over coral heads.  We only had a fine magenta line on the chart to follow, so wobbled our way up to Sapodilla Bay to hover whilst we contacted the marina. 

We made it in.  Just.  Now, can we make it out?

Three men in a dinghy and holding a depth measuring device met us on our way to the marina.  Thanks guys!  Magenta lines offer little comfort - to quote our Cruising Guide (Bruce Van Sant) “think of rice pudding and just avoid the brown bits!”  Only this rice pudding is wafer thin, brilliant turquoise and see-to-the-bottom waters.  It’s a precarious ride and very shallow.  Somehow WJ3 floated in 4.5ft of water (our keel is 5.5ft?) but another sailboat following us in, ground his keel to the metal.  We all needed a stiff drink after that effort.

Tucked up in South Side Marina, we can reflect back to 2007 where it all started in the BVI’s when the Cap’n set eyes on the still lovely, Miss WJ3.  We came to cross our wake, although sadly had to miss floating by Nanny Cay, Tortola, and to celebrate our 11^th year/season of cruising.  Who could believe? 

Even more unbelievable, the Cap'n & his two minute, 3kg Tuna...