Bob's Place, Cruisers' Welcome Wagon in the Caicos

21.45.46.80N 72.13.42.40W.

If you set your course for these GPS coordinates, you will sail right to the South Side Marina on, of course, the south side of Providenciales in Cooper Jack Bay in the Caicos Islands. If you're cruising sailors, you've come to the right place.

Marina are described and advertised in cruising guides. Some marinas call themselves full-service marinas, offering fuel, water, ice, bathrooms and showers, maybe laundry facilities. The fancy ones sometimes even boast of having a swimming pool and a restaurant. But our experience has shown that the reviews and the advertisements are not always entirely truthful. Often, not all the services are available, or cleanliness is a problem, or the facilities need updating or repair. So we weren't sure what we'd find at South Side Marina.

Conch shells along the walls at the marina

We decided to take a dock slip there because we needed fuel and someone to service our two Volvo diesel engines and the dinghy engine before we head off to the Bahamas. The cruising guide said South Side Marina  was full-service and had a nearby boatyard resources for repairs.

Kent and I set our course for the marina and arrived mid-afternoon, after dodging the coral heads and shallows. The shallow depths as we entered the channel to the marina dipped to a record low for our boat: two feet nine inches on our gauge. Many boats, especially monohulls, wait to come and go from this marina according to the tide schedule so they don't run aground on the way in. The wind was blowing hard and we struggled to dock our boat stern-in. However, there were two dock hands ready to take our lines and help us dock securely without incident.

That's us

It turned out that the dock hands were Bob Pratt, the marina owner and manager, and his assistant, Julien, who multi-tasks as "dock hand, fuel operator, landscape maintenance operator." Julien comes from Haiti originally but has lived in the Turks and Caicos for several years.

Bob Pratt, owner, manager, tourist guide, go-to guy at the marina

We were also greeted by one of the marina dogs, a gold retriever and German shepherd mix, Gemma. Gemma, we were told, is the enthusiastic "welcome dog." Her job is to be the first to greet new arrivals and find out if "by happy chance, they have children or dogs on board." Effie, a yellow lab and German shepherd mix, came by later to introduce herself to Trooper. She is "senior dog and perimeter guardian." Dogs are very welcome here and Trooper is delighted. Both dogs like to hang out at the bar with the cruisers, hoping for a handout at the Wednesday night BBQ. Gemma in particular, is a big beggar!

Effie

Gemma

We got a warm welcome from Bob Pratt at the dock. Bob, a Canadian who has lived in Providenciales for over 40 years, is always smiling, friendly, and always helpful. He brought us a brochure about the marina and services and resources available. It states that it is a marina "managed by cruisers, for cruisers" and "a small but very friendly marina" where "you may get your questions answered 24/7." And really, it turned out that that's what made our stay in the marina so nice. Kind of like Welcome Wagon on the sea.

At the dock, looking one way

At the dock, looking the other way

For those of you who read a previous post about the lovely gangway we discovered in our lazerette, we used it at the dock here. It makes it so much easier for us and our guests to board and disembark. 

The brochure describes the marina services as usual, plus welcomes cruisers in a big way. All the services and other resources listed are geared towards the needs of cruisers. It has a directory of shops, salons, medical and dental resources, marine and hardware supplies, veterinary services, dive shops, car rentals, and airline information. Very few marinas have a guide of this sort, providing compiled information like this. Island magazines are distributed with information on all the restaurants and things to do on the island.  Bob is like a tourist guide, full of information, handing out maps.

Bob's brochure

Maps and magazines are included in
Bob's welcome package for cruisers 

He designed and built a lovely bar on the premises, Bob's Bar, and schmoozes with all the cruisers. It's just up the little hill next to Bob's house with a view overlooking the harbor. His office assistant doubles as the bartender. It's a friendly meeting place for the cruisers in the evenings.

The plaque outside Bob's Bar

The odd assortment of decorations hanging from the ceiling in the bar

Bob's Bar, a short climb up the stairs

Handmade ceramic pots from the Dominican Republic are lit
from within and scattered on the posts in the bar area

There is also a gazebo with twinkly lights in front of the dock where cruisers are encouraged to gather. It's complete with power outlets so cruisers may work at their laptops or use the Internet outside. We were grateful to have good, fast wifi available around the clock at the marina. Most marinas have wifi available but it is often unreliable and SLOW. Also, if you'd like to have the use of a cellphone for local use, Bob will lend you one for a small fee.

There is even a cruisers exchange library (take a book, leave a book). And laundry facilities, although we use our own washing machine onboard.

We like our neighbors at the dock, all of whom whom we met later at Bob's Bar...

Ever After, a 45-foot center-cockpit Hunter

Serenity, a 35-foot Jeanneau

Honeymoon Forever, a 45-foot center-cockpit Hunter

Every Wednesday night, Bob hosts a BBQ in his bar, where cruisers bring a dish to share. Local ex-pats come too. Bob supplies the ice cream. All the cruisers come and everyone meets everyone. It was dusk, so the pics are a little dark. It was fun to trade stories and "boat cards" with the other cruisers. Most cruisers carry boat cards with them, with the name of the boat, names of the cruisers, and phone and email. Sometimes a picture. Cruisers trade them and keep track of each other on websites, blogs, Facebook, etc. We have a card too, and we're building a nice collection of cards from other cruisers.

I found a handsome sailor to take me to the cruisers' BBQ

Sailor's version of watermelon salad

Bob's Bar, hangout and meeting place for locals and cruisers 

Virginia and Robert, from Florida, live-aboards on Honeymoon Forever

Jules and Frank, from Arizona, live-aboards on Ever After
(their dinghy is named Happy)

Will, left, and Guillaume, from France, enjoying a
9-month sail in the Caribbean on Serenity

I just love those ceramic pot lights!

Night bocce ball at the BBQ

Bob is the island's popular host of Cruisers Net radio broadcast every day 7:30 a.m. on Channel 72. He is full of weather information and news pertinent to the island and the areas around it. He is the cruisers' go-to person for weather updates and will help you decide when it's best to make the next leg of your voyage.

Listening to the Cruisers Net broadcast on our radio each morning

If you need a rental car, Bob will arrange to have one come to you at the marina. If not, Bob drives into town every day at 12:30 p.m. and offers a ride to anyone who needs it. He'll take you to the supermarket, marine store, wine shop, the bank or ATM, completely free of charge. We asked him for a restaurant recommendation for dinner and he drove us to the restaurant that evening, free of charge. We asked him about getting a taxi home, and he explained where to get one. Kent realized he had only a little cash, and Bob loaned us $200 out of his own wallet, which of course we paid back the next day.

Paula, happy sailor, having breakfast in our outer salon

By the way, the local Italian restaurant that Bob recommended, called Baci, was fabulous. It was right next to Turtle Cove Marina and we ate outdoors with a lovely view of the boats. We shared a Caesar salad, then I had veal scallopini marsala and Kent had mushroom ravioli. Delicious. We cleaned our plates! Sorry the pictures are so dark.

Kent at Baci

Baci Italian Restaurant

Dining al fresco by Turtle Cove Marina

Veal scaloppini marsala 

Mushroom ravioli with goat cheese  

Bad selfie

Baci

After our dinner, we walked down the street to the casino, where the doorman called a ride for us. The driver usually shuttled guests between their resort and the casino but he agreed to take us to the marina. He is a retired professional international basketball player and we really enjoyed hearing about how he came to settle in Caicos. He dropped us right in front of our boat, then refused to take payment or a tip!

Our trip to the supermarket the next day was a wallet-opener. The market was very clean and had lots of choices, very much like a high-end American market. The prices were very high. $17 for a large pack of toilet paper. $9 for a small package of goat cheese. We needed to provision meat, fish, fresh vegetables and fruit, and paper goods for our next crossing. Our bill at the register was almost $400. Yikes!

$66.99 for a six-pack of special Guinness

$24.99 for a bottle of Yellow Tail

Luckily, we didn't need to purchase any wine, beer or liquor!

Kent mentioned to Bob that we needed our engines serviced. We also needed to have someone look at our Honda dinghy engine, which cuts out when least convenient, i.e., when we are crossing to shore! Bob found us a great local mechanic, who offered to drive Kent to the marine store to pick up the oil and products we needed. The boat engines were serviced . The dinghy engine needs more work and we are waiting for that work to be completed at the boatyard.

Peering into the black hole--one of our engine rooms--
a tight space for a big guy to  get into!

Checking out the dinghy motor

You can't hear the noise of the compressor but the oil is
actually being blown out of our engines to change the oil

A few more pics of our dock surroundings...

The dive shop

Tanks from the dive shop

A $2M boat which ran aground speeding through Molasses Reef
 six months ago is docked next to us. The reef is a conservation
 area and criminal charges have been filed against the captain. We're
 told that the damage is irreversible. It may be sold for scrap,
even though it's pretty new. 

The damaged propeller from the yacht after getting
hung up on Molasses Reef

The Sea of Love is now out of commission

Will and Guillaume were the first of our cruisers' group to depart South Side Marina. They sailed off on Serentity for home, France, expecting an uneventful 21-day sail across the Atlantic Ocean. We all went down to their boat to say goodbye and to help them with dock lines. Bon voyage, Serenity!

Provisioned and ready to go

Goodbyes are happy, wishing good seas and safe travel

Serenity is off to France!

The next day, Frank and Jules sailed off to the Dominican Republic. We are very sorry to see them go! We enjoyed their company and friendship, and hope to stay in touch.

Ever After sails off to the Dominican Republic

A day at the beach swimming and snorkeling with friends Robert and Virginia, on Honeymoon Forever...

The Creature from the Aqua Lagoon

There's a nice protected reef here for snorkeling

Soaking up the sun 

Ultra-soft white powdery sand

Kent and Robert

Beach near Turtle Cove

Bon voyage to our friends Robert and Virginia on Honeymoon Forever as they head to the Dominican Republic...

Untying the dock lines

Back 'er out

Safe crossing, Honeymoon Forever!

We are shooting for a Tuesday departure to Mayaguana on the eastern edge of the Bahamas. About 50 miles from Providenciales, Caicos. Getting closer to the U.S.!

What Coral Heads?! Crossing (Carefully) the Caicos Banks

Our sail from Great Sand Cay in the Turks to Sapodilla Bay in Providenciales, Caicos, was about 75 miles. We had beautiful weather and skies for crossing the Caicos Banks.

Kent, his brother Jerry, and I did not expect a particularly difficult crossing to Providenciales. At the end of the day, I was surprised by the intensity of the experience. About 45 miles of the 65-mile crossing was shallow, sometimes as shallow as 4'9", and filled with coral heads. Most of the coral heads, which appear as dark areas against the turquoise water, lay at a safe distance beneath the surface of the water but a few were a danger. Coral heads can easily rip a serious gash in your boat's hull.

Our trip was complicated by the fact that our new Lowrance chart plotter stopped performing properly early in our trip, making it necessary to use the navigation program on my iPad. We very carefully followed a recommended route marked clearly on our chart. We motored quickly because we had to cross in daylight and needed to be able to quickly react as we steered around coral heads. With Jerry seated in a dolphin seat on the bow watching for coral heads and me giving Kent directions from my iPad, we safely maneuvered in depths of 5 to 7 feet beneath the shoal and across the Caicos Banks. One of the books we use as a guide in our travels mentioned that this crossing should never be made in the dark. No kidding!

We anchored safely (and before sundown) at our intended destination, in Sapodilla Bay in a sandy area between dark patches of coral heads. That night, after our long day crossing the Caicos Banks and avoiding the coral heads, I was able to catch a few moonlight shots at anchor in Sapodilla Bay. 

Moonlight off the bow in Sapodilla Bay

The airport in Providenciales was just over the hill a couple miles north. Sadly, Jerry flew back to to Portland, OR in the afternoon the next day. Kent and I are so grateful for his help and companionship for the last month. We will miss his sense of humor! Thank you, Jerry, we love you. And thank you to Robyn, who shared him with us for so long!

Jerry

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.