Turks & Caicos Here We Come!

The past week has been spent sailing from Puerto Rico across the Mona Passage to the Dominican Republic, then continuing our sail along the rough northern coast. We're now ready to sail north and east to the Turks & Caicos and ultimately on to the US. Farewell to the Dominican Republic!

Here we come, Turks and then Caicos!

Kent, his brother Jerry, and I departed from Ocean World Marina, on the northwest coast of the Dominican Republic, to the Turks and Caicos Islands. We had relatively calm seas and about 8 to 10 knot winds, not enough to sail us across the 100 miles passage quickly. So, we motor-sailed most of the way, with sails up for stability and motor running for extra speed, to avoid anchoring in the dark in the Turks. We made a safe crossing to Great Sand Cay, just south of Grand Turk Island.

Great Sand Cay, or Big Sand Cay as the locals call it, is a very tiny island. It's uninhabited and has a long, white, powdery soft beach. Walking along the beach feels like walking through a few inches of fresh snow. The sand is actually made up of shells pulverized by the surf into a fine powder. The cay is home to iguanas and birds, but not much else. It was a drop-dead gorgeous place to anchor and spend the night, and ours was the only boat there. The skies and sunset that night were stunning! I wish I had pictures of the beautiful white beach but I was afraid to get my camera wet as we went ashore.