Getting Ready To Sail Again

It’s been a very quiet and relaxing visit to the Turks and Caicos. After arriving last week we have done a lot of regular maintenance on the boat. Polishing the chrome is a regular job because of rust. Laurie has polished all the chrome in 2 days and Mauna Kea is looking good again. I have change the oil and filter, reseated a leaking fuel filter, placed a lock nut and lock tight on the bolt that back off from the rudder that holds the steering in place. Also remounted our repaired davits so we can carry our dinghy on the back of the boat. I have been in touch with Mantis Anchor Company and explained the anchor shank was bent. The have sent me a new shank and it is waiting to be picked up at the FedEx depot here in the Turks and Caicos. Now that’s great service! I have inspected all the fittings on the boat and that all looks ok. I have also replaced 2 water hoses that looked a little worn. So I think we are good to go. We took a trip into the fish fry the other night and it was a great treat to get away from the boat. Our friends Frank and Mary Grace took us and then we had a little drive around the Grace Bay area.

 

 

 

 

 We love this little marina and the owner Bob is so good to everyone. We will come here on the way home. We checked out with Customs on Friday but that night we decided to stay until Monday because of the weather. We have been watching a weather window starting Tuesday. So our plan is to pick up our new anchor shaft on Monday morning and then leave on the next high tide. We will anchor behind an island for the night and then leave early Tuesday morning. After we leave everything is up in the air! We have to arrive in the Dominican in the morning so timing is everything. It’s going to be 150 miles to Luperon Dominican Republic and that should take around 30 hours. It going to be another overnight sail, we don’t like that but that’s the way you get around. It will be more interesting getting around the Dominican. If you sail the north side of the Dominican (that’s what we’re doing) you have to sail at night. During the day the trade winds come up from the east and the waves are too big to sail. At night time the land starts to cool and the wind will begin to blow away from the island and push the high seas about 30 miles out. That’s when you have to move around the north shore. In the morning the land starts to heat up and the wind and wave start to fill back in and you should be in a protected area by then. So next stop Dominican Republic.  

 

And now once again it's time for"

So Here's Interesting Tidbits! SHIT for short

 

 

Restoring Endangered Coral Species to TCI Reef

“ RESCQ”

There is a lot of loss of corals especially the Staghorn corals in the Caribbean. Coral Reefs form some of the most diverse ecosystems that provide protection to beaches, habitat for fish and are a natural source of carbon from the atmosphere. Corals build from calcium carbonate which they get from carbon dioxide dissolved in sea water. 85% of Acropora Coral covers the sea floor near shore zones of the Caribbean.  Unfortunately the coral reef zones have almost disappeared from most islands.

  These Corals have become” Critically Endangered “from the result of White Band Disease. This has huge negative effects on the underwater landscape. The Turk’s still having several healthy reefs. There is a slow regrowth on these reefs. Coral reproduce in two ways. Both sexually an asexually. It occurs when coral polyps release bundles of sperm and eggs into the water. When a sperm bundle comes into contact with an egg bundle baby coral is formed. Thus is called “planulae”. These free swimming planktonic babies swim to the light on the surface and drift with the current until it settles on the sea bottom to form new coral.

  Asexual Coral occurs when a piece of coral is broken. This coral fragment can form a new coral when it lands on the sea floor. 

  In the Turks there has been a three year project to restore these reefs by establishing a coral nursery on the island. They grow coral fragments and then transplant the new coral to restoration sites. These coral fragments are harvested from heathy Staghorn and Elkhorn corals. They do his by using a series of bamboo poles suspended between two ropes. Each ladder is anchored to the sea floor and has floats to keep the structure in the water columns. The small pieces of coral about 2 inches are attached to this ladder with monofilament lines. After six months to a year these will grow into a much larger coral and then transplanted to a reef where they will continue to grow. 

  The TCRF has started an “Adopt a Coral Program” You can adopt a coral fragment for $50.00 and you will receive a certificate and a photo of your adopted coral. There government will run out of funding so they are hoping for resident and visitor support to keep this program going.

 

Ok lets make some coral!

Next time we hope to have better SHIT!