Going Sailing in Turks and Caicos
By Zeke Quezada
When you first lay your eyes on Grace Bay in Turks and Caicos it is hard to believe. You question your acuity. The blues are more white than you think they should be and the whites seem to transition to aquamarine. The water is transparent and the sand is powdery yet solid at the same time. It is as if a postcard has come to life. You may think you are in a travel brochure but all that is really happening is that you have just discovered your own slice of paradise in Turks and Caicos.
As we glide across the water on the Atabeyra, a 77 foot schooner, the winds rolls across the deck and air dries my hair fresh from a quick snorkel. If there was a way to feel as removed from life as possible without going to the end of the earth this would prove to be it. I glance into the clear water and we hover over and pass sea stars and coral reef patches. The white sands on land are in stark contrast to the mesmerizing colors of the ocean off the coast of Turks and Caicos.
We head to a speck of sand in the horizon. The boat is beached and I wander over an endless supply of coral and sea shells that would make any collector giddy with excitement. Instead, I place a few in my hand and continue on a brief exploration that my imagination takes as a cue to dream about shelving my life and finding myself lost on a lonely Island in Turks and Caicos.
Lunch awaits and along with a little impromptu dancing and a couple of Turks Head Lagers I feel the sand beneath my feet and I wonder if I’ve dreamt the entire scene.
From the deck of the boat I am summoned as our sail will continue back towards the dock and then to a Caribbean inspired dinner. For a little time, a snapshot in a hectic schedule of everyday life, I was removed, I was transported to the simplicity of the sun and the sand.
In the distance the water changes so many colors I wonder if the locals have names for the many hues as do the Eskimos for snow. Fish are swimming by and the feeling is a total release you only get from a vacation that is predicated on pure relaxation.
Soon Jojo, the Turks and Caicos resident dolphin, is dancing along the boat and the sails are bulging with a Caribbean wind.
Sun charters in Turks and Caicos offers sailing and snorkel tours in the crystal clear waters of Grace Bay and the Caicos Cays.
Need a place to stay in Turks and Caicos?
Ocean Club Resorts, Turks and Caicos
Post Office Box 240
Providenciales, Turks & Caicos Islands British West Indies
Phone 649-946-5880
Reservations: 1-800-457-8787
Email: res@oceanclubresorts.com
