Tag: Weather

Stuck Outside of Provo

Proof again not to make plans on a sailboat came this week in Provo, Turks and Caicos. We brought Captain Jeff on board on Wednesday and were ready to go for our passage to Puerto Rico. Provisions were in, boat was clean, we were ready. It wasn’t to be: the engine conked out on our way to the fuel dock and we are stuck outside of Provo, Turks and Caicos.

Engine Problems

We hadn’t even left the island. An hour in, heading to a marina to fill up the water and the fuel for the journey, I smelled burning. I mentioned it and Jeff saw smoke. Brian turned off the engine and we went down below to check out the damage. Based on our history, we tried adding coolant. Then turned the engine on and looked. It looked like we needed a water pump.

After sourcing a pump from the U.S., we think it will be here on Tuesday. Maybe we will get out on Wednesday. But I know better than to make any plans!

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Down Time on the South Side

We are in Provo, Turks and Caicos for a few more days, hanging out and getting ready for our next big jump. While we are here, we’re exploring our surroundings and taking down time on the South Side.

Moving South

We moved from the north side, Turtle Cove, to the south side, Sapodilla Bay, on Friday. Though only a 30 minute car ride from here to there, the sail took most of a day.

Turtle Cove to Sapodilla Bay Providencia Turks and Caicos Map
Quick drive from Turtle Cove to Sapodilla Bay
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Nassau Day Tripping With Guests

Planning for new overnight guests makes me stressed. I want to be a good host, but don’t know how to prepare people for life on board. It’s cramped, the amenities aren’t the greatest, and anything can go wrong. The weather is a huge factor and we have no control over it. Despite my concerns, we just had our first long weekend visitors, and it was a success! Since their visit was short, we spent the time Nassau day tripping. You don’t need to travel too far from Nassau for fun and adventure.

Nassau First Impressions

We sailed into Nassau last Thursday from The Berry Islands and it was a big change. Traffic, noise, big buildings, garbage and smells. On the other hand there are friendly people, boat suppliers, cute seafood shacks, and great hot sauce!

Nassau is a good location for frequent flights, marinas, and stocking up your boat. But if we had known better we would have bought more nonperishables in Florida. The supermarket prices are way higher here! A packet of hot dogs is $6 and sausages start at $10, for example.

Getting around Nassau was okay. We got lost on the bus once and walked a lot.

Brian and I spent one day and two nights in Nassau, welcomed Dave and Freya from Toronto, and got out of the busy downtown to visit some local islands for the weekend. We had a lot of fun just outside of Nassau day tripping.

Rose Island

The first island we sailed to from Nassau was Rose Island. The anchorage was beautiful with super clear water and great swimming and snorkeling. We took the dinghy to a couple of spectacular nearby beaches.

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