Times of the Islands Summer 2018

TIMES
OF THE
SAMPLING THE SOUL OF THE TURKS & CAICOS ISLANDS SUMMER 2018 NO. 123
ISLANDS
HIDDEN TREASURE
Discovering the jewel of Salt Cay
A FRESH BREEZE
Caicos Sloop build project
WHOSE TREASURE?
Preserving plunder

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contents
Departments
6 From the Editor
13 Island Heritage
A Fresh Breeze
By David Douglas
46 Island Business
Adding Up the Benefits
By Snjezana S. Andrews, MBA, CPA
65 Faces & Places
Back in the Day
Story & Photos By Candianne Williams
66 New Development
The Islands’ New Cay
Turks Cay Resort & Marina
By Kathy Borsuk
72 About the Islands/TCI Map
77 Where to Stay
78 Classified Ads
80 Dining Out
82 Subscription Form
Features
20 Hidden Jewel
By Kelly Currington
32 Whose Treasure?
By Ben Stubenberg
Green Pages
26 Mapping Out Protection
By Gwawr Jones, Katie Medcalf, Jamie Williams
and Eric F. Salamanca
Maps By Environment Systems Ltd.
29 Killing Them Softly
By Don Stark & Autumn Blum
31 Straws Suck!
By Amy Avenant
34 Welcome Back!
Story & Photos By Heidi Hertler
TIMES
OF THE
ISLANDS
SAMPLING THE SOUL OF THE TURKS & CAICOS ISLANDS SUMMER 2018 NO. 123
On the Cover
Photographer Marta Morton took a much-anticipated
trip to Salt Cay in early April, where, among some
5,000 pictures, she captured this intriguing shot of the
island’s iconic donkeys. Marta reports that the donkeys
are well-fed and watered, and love to be petted by visitors,
especially youngsters!
You will find more of Marta’s beautiful photography
throughout this issue. Most of the time, she can be
found running Harbour Club Villas on the south side of
Providenciales! Visit www.harbourclubvillas.com to
learn more.
13
Astrolabe
52 The History Man
“Bertie” Sadler
By Marjorie Sadler
57 Childhood Memories
By Emily Malcolm
Photos Courtesy Sailrock South Caicos
Archival Collection
MARTA MORTON–WWW.HARBOURCLUBVILLAS.COM
4 www.timespub.tc

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multi-million dollar estates in the upscale Turtle Tail area on the southern shore of Providenciales. Spanning
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panoramic turquoise ocean views. Contact Bernadette for further details on purchasing this property.
Bernadette Hunt
Cell ~ 649 231 4029 | Tel ~ 649 941 3361
Bernadette@TurksAndCaicosProperty.com
Bernadette has lived in the Turks and Caicos
Islands for over 21 years and witnessed the
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into a significant tourist destination. Based
on independent figures her gross transaction
numbers are unrivalled. Bernadette has
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Turks and Caicos Property is the leading
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Caicos Islands with offices located at Ocean
Club West Plaza, Ocean Club West Resort
and Le Vele Plaza on the Grace Bay Road.
Bernadette’s reputation and success has been
earned over time through her dedication,
enthusiasm and passion for real estate. Her
personal experience as having practiced law
in the islands for more than 10 years together
with owning and renovating a number of
properties means she is well-placed to advise
her customers and developers on what to
anticipate in the purchasing and construction
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Bernadette delights in working in the real
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make her a pleasure to work with.
Grace Bay Beachfront - Villa Cerulean
Villa Cerulean is a one of a kind 4 bedroom/6 bathroom modern villa boasting 118 ft. of water frontage
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designed to maximize the waterfront location and to provide privacy within an open plan living space.
Please contact Bernadette if you would like
to find out more about owning real estate in
the Turks & Caicos Islands.
US$6,500,000

from the editor
PENRHYN BROOKS–PENNYLAINE PHOTOGRAPHY
Clive Stanbrook was an eternal optimist and loved life in the Turks & Caicos Islands.
An Extraordinary Life
I’ll always think of Clive Stanbrook as the most enthusiastic of the shareholders of Times Publications Ltd., the
company that produces Times of the Islands and TCREA’s Turks & Caicos Real Estate magazines, and for which I
have worked for 25 years. Clive died in April following a long, successful battle against two types of cancer. His
wife Julia told me that Clive had been miraculously declared “cancer-free” in early 2018, and his death was due to
an undiscovered side effect of a previous surgery. The world, the Islands, and everyone who knew Clive have lost an
extraordinary man with tremendous energy and a big heart. As Julia put it, “Clive was a total optimist—you couldn’t
knock him down. And he believed in people.”
I admit I was always a bit intimidated by Clive’s reputation as a criminal lawyer who had defended mercenaries
and dictators in dangerous parts of the world. He was the “Stanbrook” in Misick & Stanbrook, as well, one of the most
esteemed law firms in Turks & Caicos. But I discovered his kindness when he talked of his farm in Malawai and the
villagers there he employed and helped. And when I worked with him on a small magazine to support the opening of
Graceway Sports Centre back in 2003, which he correctly envisioned as being a welcoming and affordable place for
TCI youth to play. And when I saw how Graceway IGA, of which he was an owner, consistently supported community
events, provided scholarships, sponsored teams, and opened its arms to the public after major hurricanes.
Clive’s “extraordinary” life is too big to be contained in this editorial. We’ll tell you more in the next issue. But I
do know that the Turks & Caicos Islands were beloved by Clive Stanbrook and he was always supportive of anything
we published that presented the Islands in their authenticity. Thank you for that, “Mr. Stanbrook,” we’ll miss you.
Kathy Borsuk, Editor
timespub@tciway.tc • (649) 946-4788
6 www.timespub.tc

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PG advert_Layout 1 5/10/17 9:10 AM Page 1
TIMES
MANAGING EDITOR
Kathy Borsuk
OF THE
ISLANDS
ADVERTISING MANAGER
Claire Parrish
“Escape to the extraordinary.”
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Snjezana S. Andrews, Amy Avenant, Autumn Blum,
Kathy Borsuk, Kelly Currington, David Douglas,
Gwawr Jones, Dr. Donald Keith, Heidi Hertler,
Emily Malcolm, Katie Medcalf, Michael P. Pateman,
Marjorie Sadler, Eric F. Salamanca, Don Stark,
Ben Stubenberg, Candianne Williams, Jamie Williams.
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
Amy Avenant, Penrhyn Brooks–Pennylaine Photography,
Chris A. Crumley, Paul Fearn, Heidi Hertler, iStock,
Dr. Donald Keith, Marta Morton,
Michael P. Pateman, Marjorie Sadler, Sailrock South Caicos
Archival Collection, Search for the Slave Ship Trouvadore/
NOAA, Turks Cay Resort & Marina, Candianne Williams.
CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS
Environment Systems Ltd., Pamela Leach,
Wavey Line Publishing
PRINTING
southeastern, Hialeah, FL
Times of the Islands ISSN 1017-6853 is
published quarterly by Times Publications Ltd.
Copyright © 2018 by Times Publications Ltd. All rights reserved
under Universal and Pan American Copyright Conventions.
No part of this publication may be
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Submissions We welcome submission of articles or photography, but
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While every care has been taken in the compilation and reproduction of
information contained herein to ensure correctness, such information is
subject to change without notice. The publisher accepts no
responsibility for such alterations or for typographical or other errors.
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12 www.timespub.tc

island heritage
Blue Hills, Providenciales, was an important settlement for the construction of many a Caicos Sloop.
MARTA MORTON–WWW.HARBOURCLUBVILLAS.COM
A Fresh Breeze
One Design project to resurrect the venerable Caicos Sloop.
By David Douglas
“You can’t know where you’re going if you don’t know where you’ve been.”
This summer, the Caicos Sloop One Design team and the TCI Sailing Association will embark on a novel
boat-building project based at the TCISA headquarters in The Bight Park, Providenciales. The intention is
to build five identical 17-foot Caicos Sloops from a traditional plank-on-frame design but utilizing modern
methods and materials. These boats will be used to teach traditional boat-building, sailing and racing
skills to the general public and to visitors.
Times of the Islands Summer 2018 13

Few local cultural icons are more authentically “TCI”
than the Caicos Sloop. These small, handcrafted sailboats
were the mainstay of transport, trade and fishing in the
Turks & Caicos Islands until the advent of the power boat
in the latter 1900s.
At the height of the Caicos Sloop era, more than
100 boat builders were found across the main inhabited
islands in the Turks & Caicos. Primarily because of the
availability of larger trees, North Caicos, Middle Caicos
and Providenciales supported the greatest number of
builders.
Although Caicos Sloops were trading well into the
1970s, they have been replaced by power boats. In fact,
the sailboat has almost entirely been replaced by the
power boat in the Caribbean as a vessel for commerce
and industry. Small fiberglass and wooden skiffs with
outboard motors are now the primary workhorses for the
small-scale fishing industry in the Turks & Caicos. For
trade and transport, larger steel vessels are now the standard.
Along with the Caicos Sloops themselves, the knowledge
and skills required to build and operate the vessels,
once passed down from generation to generation, have
also faded. The 2016 documentary “Vanishing Sail”
(trailer: https://vimeo.com/134722055) follows the
strikingly familiar narrative of the demise of the Carriacou
Sloop in the Grenadines. The continual loss of the traditional
work boats (and the skills to build them) is a
problem that most Caribbean countries, including the
TCI, must now contend with. Today, only a few Caicos
Sloop builders remain.
As the Turks & Caicos Islands continue development
at a rapid pace, the TCI Sailing Association believes it is
important to remember the resourcefulness and shared
sense of community of the Turks & Caicos Islanders who
laid the foundations. The Caicos Sloop One Design Project
is intended to pay homage to the Caicos Sloop and sloop
builders and sailors. The mission is to preserve, honour
and enhance the heritage of the Caicos Sloop and to
inspire a new generation of sloop craftsmen and sailors
in the Turks & Caicos Islands.
The traditions of boat-building were critically important
to the livelihood of Turks & Caicos Islanders all the
way through the early 1980s. Locally built boats were
the backbone of the TCI economy. Smaller boats were
used to harvest fish, lobster and conch and larger boats
traded primarily dried conch with neighbouring countries,
especially Haiti. A fisherman with crew could hook
and process over 1,000 conch in a day. Those conch were
consolidated into a large cargo of dried conch and sailed
COURTESY MARTA MORTON–WWW.HARBOURCLUBVILLAS.COM
The South Caicos Regatta has been a time-honoured celebration that commemorates Queen Elizabeth’s visit to South Caicos in 1966.
14 www.timespub.tc

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The sloop Tradition (pictured here at the 2015 Regatta) celebrates the
Dean family’s long history of boat building in the TCI.
overseas on Caicos Sloops where they were traded for
durable goods.
Boats also moved people and goods throughout the
Islands, and for many years were the only way to travel
between Islands. The Caicos Sloop One Design project’s
purpose is to celebrate the independent spirit of this
small island nation by helping to keep the TCI traditions
of wooden boat building and sailing alive and thriving.
By early 2019, we plan to have completed five One
Design 17-foot (“C” class) Caicos Sloops, built locally
along traditional lines but with modern methods and
materials. Designed with both tradition and sustainability
in mind, they will be versatile and durable—built to stand
the test of time.
Each vessel will be built under commission. The current
estimate is $18,500 per sloop. This would include
a ready-to-sail 17-foot sloop, complete with spars, rigging,
sails, graphics and a trailer for storage. Key features
include: cedar hull with glass exterior and epoxy interior;
marine ply decks with epoxy and glass; hardwood rub-rail
and chafe points; pressure-treated frame and ladder; awlgrip
paint, aluminium mast and boom; stainless rig and
fasteners; 9-oz Dacron Main and 7-oz Dacron Jib; and a
purpose-built aluminium trailer for storage. Owners will
MARTA MORTON–WWW.HARBOURCLUBVILLAS.COM
16 www.timespub.tc

have the opportunity to display their logos on the sails
and boats, coupled with photo packages that can be used
for marketing purposes.
The build project will operate from the proposed
Sloop Pavilion in The Bight Park, providing all-comers
an opportunity to witness first-hand the building of
traditional Turks & Caicos Islands vessels. This has the
possibility to become a popular tourist attraction.
The Caicos Sloop One Design Project includes a
team with a range of unique skills who share a common
passion for the building, sailing and promotion of the
Caicos Sloop. This includes Master Boat Builder Goldston
Williams. With dozens of local boats to his credit, Gold is
one of the few remaining active TCI boat builders. He will
be the primary builder of the sloops, and is currently building
a 15-foot Caicos Sloop for the TCI National Museum.
Having apprenticed in North Caicos under Master Builder
Elbert Higgs, Will Gibson will be the primary designer,
best known for the Lick Off, the gold standard among “A”
Class Caicos Sloops. Elry Lightbourne is the co-founder
of the Blue Hills Heritage Sailing Club and is the designer
of the proposed “One Design” Sloop Pavilion. Other members
of the team include David Douglas, Matt Gorvin and
John Ward. In addition to the project team, there is a
local network of key suppliers, partners and stakeholders
involved in the project.
Goals for the Caicos Sloop One Design Project
include:
• Selling the craft on a commission basis to sailing
enthusiasts and to grow a sizable fleet.
•Creating a self-sustaining boat building, sailing and
racing regimen to demonstrate and teach the skills for all
three disciplines.
• Providing vessels, skippers and expertise for current
and new regattas, and in so doing help to promote
the TCI brand.
• Introducing our boat building and sailing programs
as curriculum in all TCI schools, and in so doing, help tell
the story from whence we came.
• Establishing a Caicos Sloop Sailing Centre that will,
with the support of the TCISA, stand the test of time.
This important National Heritage project will help to
perpetuate the art and craft of sloop-building/sailing and
showcase TCI boat building as a cornerstone of our culture.
A dedicated team from various sectors will ensure
that this unique and important program becomes firmly
embedded in our community, serving as a clarion call for
the preservation of TCI boat-building and sailing heritage.
Times of the Islands Summer 2018 17

The G.G. Lick Off was a collaboration between Boat
Designer Will Gibson and Master Boat Builder Goldston
Williams.
We welcome all interested parties who would like to join
this initiative as a student, apprentice, member, sponsor
or most importantly, as a boat owner. a
David Douglas was raised as a sailor in the Bahamas
and has lived and sailed in the TCI for 30 years. He built
the TCI schooner Atabeyra as a trading vessel that, in
the 1990s, traded between TCI and Hspaniola. For more
information, contact David at (649) 231-0624 or email
suntours@tciway.tc.
This rendition depicts the proposed Caicos Sloop Pavilion in The
Bight Park in Providenciales, where sloop building will take place.
PAMELA LEACH
MARTA MORTON–WWW.HARBOURCLUBVILLAS.COM
18 www.timespub.tc

Harbour Club:Layout 1 8/17/16 10:16 AM Page 1
Harbour Club Villas
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Fabulous beaches nearby.
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Times of the Islands Summer 2018 19

MARTA MORTON–WWW.HARBOURCLUBVILLAS.COM

feature
Opposite page: The seas surrounding Salt Cay offer some of the most pristine snorkeling and diving opportunities in the Turks & Caicos
Islands.
Above: The salt industry played a key role in Salt Cay’s development; the outlines of the salinas are a distinctive part of the landscape.
MARTA MORTON–WWW.HARBOURCLUBVILLAS.COM
Hidden Jewel
Discovering the treasure that is Salt Cay.
By Kelly Currington
Vacation. The mere mention of the word brings a heightened sense of excitement to one’s soul.
People want different things for their vacations. Some want mountains and snow with skiing and
fireplaces. Some want tropical waters with sandy beaches, reggae music, dancing and rum. Some want a
place that’s been barely touched by modern technology and is raw in its beauty.
I’ve found that place! It’s hidden within the Turks & Caicos Islands. The smallest of those inhabited
islands is a tiny hidden jewel whose beauty and unspoiled nature make it unique and rare.
Times of the Islands Summer 2018 21

I discovered Salt Cay in 2008, a few months after
Hurricanes Ike and Hannah devastated the country. As I
boarded the nine-seat Caicos Express Cessna island hopper,
I had no idea what I was about to find, nor how it
would affect me for the rest of my life.
After we took off from Providenciales International
Airport, the multitude of turquoise shades in the ocean
below me were mesmerizing to someone who had never
seen such beauty. As we approached the tiny triangular
island, our pilot Ritchie sat the little plane down on the
smallest of runways with ease. The airport was a simple
one-room building, full of happy locals and expatriates
waiting for their loved ones, or preparing to send them
off. You could feel the hugs before they happened.
I have been back to Salt Cay dozens of times since
that first visit and each time I’m reminded why it is my
favorite place on Earth. This time, my trip to Salt Cay is
particularly significant to me because I’m sharing it with
my boyfriend, Josh, for the first time. He would experience
a part of my life that is sacred to me and, this time,
I would get to experience it through his eyes.
As we exited the plane, the smell of the salty, brackish
air washed over us. I was immediately reminded that
I’ve “arrived.” A feeling of peace takes over and island
life begins again. We’re greeted by women who over the
years have become dear friends.
Off we go in a rattly golf cart down the unpaved roads
and past the salina, all of which are part of the wonderfulness
that is Salt Cay. We pass countless donkeys who
are meandering around or shading themselves where
they can, and hear roosters crowing in the distance as
the warm tropical breeze blows away the stresses of our
lives, at the same time endowing us with “beach hair.”
We pull up to our home for the week and it feels like
I never left. Ten minutes after walking through the door,
we threw our backpacks down and went exploring, followed
by a visit to Coral Reef Café for Ribs Night!
Along the road we passed Uncle Lionel. This man is
a staple of the Salt Cay experience. He’s been living and
fishing here his whole life and has plenty of stories to tell.
I call his name as we pass and he stops his buggy and
reaches out to hug me as I introduce him to Josh, who has
heard all about Uncle Lionel, including one of my favorite
stories about the day the sea took him for the ride of his
life. He was out fishing in his tiny homemade boat when
the motor failed. He was at the mercy of Mother Nature
and was carried all the way to South Caicos over a period
of 24 hours. He had no idea of the intense emotion his
disappearance caused and the search that was launched
for him. Salt Cay Divers and a local man named Shyne
went out in their boats looking for him and a Coast Guard
helicopter was sent.
The next day he walked into town and was “thanking
God” he was alive. I was on Salt Cay during this time and
when I asked him if he was scared, he said, “Nothing to
be scared of—the sea has given me life and it almost took
it from me, but she saved me.” He is a real character!
At dinner we meet up with my dear friends Cathy and
Ed. Everyone is happy, hugging and sitting in the same
space sharing stories and memories of life on this bit of
paradise. Friends and strangers alike mingle without hesitation,
laughing and having drinks together. No fuss, no
fluff, no fancy clothes and mostly no shoes. Debbie, the
owner of Coral Reef, is busy with her staff of two cooking,
making drinks, serving, and conversing with us all.
After dinner we walk back to our house, listening to
the sound of the waves crashing on the shore. It’s a sound
that soothes the soul. No street lights; only the glow of
the moon lighting the way. It’s as if time has stood still
for a hundred years. As we lay in our bed, windows open
and the ocean sounds at our door, we talk about how
blessed we are to be here. We also wonder what it must
have been like when the salt industry was so active on
Salt Cay.
What I’ve learned about those days is both amazing
and sad. The industry sustained the people, but slavery
and manual labour was a huge part of it—a hard life in
tough conditions. According to information in history
books, in the 1800s there were a little over 670 people
living on Salt Cay, with 600 of those people being
labourers/slaves who were sustaining the world’s largest
“Uncle Lionel” Talbot and the author’s friends Cathy and Ed enjoy a
cold one at the Coral Reef Café on Salt Cay.
KELLY CURRINGTON
22 www.timespub.tc

Above: A bike ride along the streets of Salt Cay reveals its distinctive homes and walls, still standing despite the ravages of the 2017 hurricanes.
Bottom right: The donkeys roaming the island are ancestors of the beasts that pulled the carts loaded with salt when the industry
was booming.
production of salt. More than 100 vessels annually picked
up their “white gold,” mostly used as a preservative.
You can still see the remnants of the salt industry
on the island, including the White House where salt
was stored and collected, the salinas and the renovated
homes of the Bermudian salt rakers. The donkeys that
roam the island are descendants of the donkeys that were
used to pull the salt carts and are a iconic visual reminder
of what used to be.
Donkeys’ braying early the next morning wakes us,
even before the roosters start. It’s a wonderful sound
with which to start the day. We head back down to the
café for breakfast to discuss where to explore next.
Thanks to one of our hosts and friend Debbie, owner
of Coral Reef Café, we acquire bicycles so we can head off
to the most southern point of the island. It’s an easy ride
at first down the dirt road, but as the sand gets deeper
we get off and walk our bikes, stopping along the way
to explore the various shore accesses. We stand, literally
with our mouths open and eyes wide, to look out at the
unlimited shades of turquoises and emeralds that stretch
as far as our eyes can see, truly amazed at what beauty
nature shows us.
MARTA MORTON–WWW.HARBOURCLUBVILLAS.COM MARTA MORTON–WWW.HARBOURCLUBVILLAS.COM
Times of the Islands Summer 2018 23

MARTA MORTON–WWW.HARBOURCLUBVILLAS.COM
Salt Cay’s iconic White House, home of the Harriot family who played a major role in the salt industry, stands as a testament to the past.
We stop and look in all the little tide pools for any
creatures we might see, and are never disappointed.
Chitons seem to be in all of them, with little gobies darting
about.
When we finally make it to the point at Salt Cay’s
south tip, we are greeted by beauty that no human can
create. Where two directions of waves join and meet, the
wash forms a crest and rolls up to the beach. You can
hear the power of the water and wind in the “silence” of
man-made sound. No other humans, no boats, no building,
no cars—nothing but the water, the white sand, the
blue sky, and sounds that are created by nature. Josh
exclaimed it felt like we were standing at the world’s end.
There’s always a nap after the morning adventure.
It’s a necessity in a warm climate where everything is
slowed down and at peace.
The next day we biked to North Beach, a stunning
strip with rolling white sand dunes and turquoise water
for as far as you can see. This is one of my favorite places
on Salt Cay, and every time I visit the solitude and peacefulness
remind me why I crave to be there.
At his first sight of this stunning beach, Josh declared
it looked like the sand was melting into the ocean.
Overlooking the view is the now-dilapidated Windmills
Plantation resort. Destroyed by the 2008 hurricanes, it
sits like an old man staring out to sea. We could feel the
elegance that once existed here with views of the ocean
at every window. There was definitely a sadness about
the resort’s demise, but a feeling of gratefulness that we
could still feel its glory. It is like the island had taken back
the luxury and exchanged it for natural grandeur.
North Atlantic Humpback Whales pass very close to
Salt Cay, to and from their migration to the Silver Banks,
Mouchoir Banks, and the Navidad Bank off the coast of
the Dominican Republic. Sightings of the whales, especially
during the winter and early spring months, can be
seen from shore and the many observation decks around
the island. Under strict conservation guidelines, it is possible
to go out with Salt Cay Divers to get close up and
personal with them while being educated by marine biologists
who visit every year to study their behavior and
migration habits.
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Ferry Fall 17_Layout 1 8/22/17 12:52 PM Page 1
We were lucky enough to have a mother and calf with
two escorts on the day we went out. There are no words
to describe the feeling of being so close to a 40-foot, 40-
ton animal whose intelligence rivals our own, and whose
gentleness surpasses ours.
This was Josh’s first encounter with these cetaceans
and he found it exhilarating. He was surprised as to how
effortlessly the massive animals can move through the
water, like giant ballet dancers, elegant and graceful.
Diving off Salt Cay is stunning. The topography is
lush and healthy, and the selection of marine wildlife is
abundant. Because of the island’s small size, there are
never big groups diving on the reef.
As a fairly new diver, Josh has experienced the diving
off Providenciales and West Caicos, but Salt Cay was
completely different, in a wonderful way. Diving was from
a small skiff, with back-roll entry into the water. Below is
a world far removed from the impact of over-diving. An
encounter with an octopus left him in awe as it peered
at him without retreating, and didn’t appear to have the
fear of divers, which is different from dive sites in more
popular areas. Because it’s only a 5 to 10 minute ride to
the sites, you can have breakfast, dive, and be back in
time to have lunch before making a second dive.
Beachcombing happened daily as we looked for sea
glass to add to our collection. Beauty is everywhere. Crabs
scurry out of sight and bury themselves in the sand as we
pass by; the spray of the sea spurts through a blowhole
as the surge forges inward; little hermit crabs scrabble
along on their daily journey.
The people of Salt Cay are gentle and welcoming.
Whether they be TC Islanders or expatriates, the warm
manner in which they relate to you is genuine and kind
and you feel like you’ve known them for a lifetime.
Whether on bicycles, golf carts or on foot, there are waves
and “hellos” and random chit-chat as you go about your
day. Everyone is at ease.
The isolation from the outside world, and even the
other islands, creates a calmness in Salt Cay that makes
you want to return as soon as you leave. I’ve known it for
years, but for a first-timer, Josh described it perfectly,
“This place has a disconnect that you can only get on
an island that has not yet reaped the negative impact of
commercialization; it has a naked feel to it.”
What Salt Cay offers is seclusion, rejuvenation of the
soul, a place to re-set your mental health, and experience
undescribable natural beauty. We have already planned
our next trip. a
* *
Temporary suspension PROVO NORTH 12.30pm & 1.30pm Sept 1st to Oct 31st
*
Resumes Nov 1st
Times of the Islands Summer 2018 25

green pages
newsletter of the department of environment & coastal resources
head office: church folly, grand turk, tel 649 946 2801 • fax 649 946 1895
• astwood street, south caicos, tel 649 946 3306 • fax 946 3710
• national environmental centre, lower bight road, providenciales
parks division, tel 649 941 5122 • fax 649 946 4793
fisheries division, tel 649 946 4017 • fax 649 946 4793
email environment@gov.tc or dema.tci@gmail.com • web www.environment.tc
In an attempt to help the Turks & Caicos Islands make wise decisions, this satellite map shows the areas most prone to coastal flooding.
Mapping Out Protection
Satellite maps help protect TCI from the impact of extreme weather events.
By Gwawr Jones*, Katie Medcalf**, Jamie Williams ** and Eric F. Salamanca***
*Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC, UK), **Environment Systems Ltd. (UK),
***Department of Environment and Coastal Resources (DECR)
The Turks & Caicos Islands (TCI) lie within the hurricane belt and can experience catastrophic weather
events, the most recent being Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017. TCI, being a small, relatively flat island
territory, is vulnerable to sea and storm surge, one of the greatest threats to life and property. In preparation
for the 2018 hurricane season, maps have been created to show the areas of the Islands that are
of highest risk to life and property damage from storm surge events.
26 www.timespub.tc

green pages newsletter of the department of environment & coastal resources
The UK Government provides strategic support to
the Overseas Territories which includes promotion of
sustainable economic prosperity whilst meeting the
social, economic and environmental needs of the Islands,
their people and visitors. As part of this support, the
Joint Nature Conservation Committee is implementing a
suite of projects under the work programme, “Enhancing
Economic Security through Environmental Resilience.”
This TCI project uses data from satellites in space to map
and model both marine and land settings, placing a value
on the natural environment and providing guidance for
planners and extreme event management in TCI.
Why is this work important?
The main attractions for tourists in TCI are its beaches,
diving, snorkelling, and boating, fishing and yacht charters,
all of which depend and directly benefit from the
coral reefs, sea grass beds and mangroves. These areas
often referred to as ecosystems and play a key role in
protecting the coasts of TCI from storms and hurricanes.
They help reduce the intensity of the waves hitting the
land and therefore reduce the erosion of the beaches and
coastlines and the risk of damage to property, infrastructure
and inevitably, loss of life.
This project aims to show how protecting these natural
features will not only protect the Islands’ economic
prosperity but also the well-being of its people by alleviating
any damage caused during the hurricane season.
The maps can also be used to inform decisions that protect
life and properties by precisely indicating the areas
which are most vulnerable during an extreme weather
event.
How are satellites used?
Satellites orbiting the earth at frequent intervals provide
regular data and understanding of the land and sea environments
of TCI. Satellite imagery provides a detailed
view from above—a unique perspective—that can reveal
the hidden value of these environments that are “Beautiful
by Nature.”
One of the key data sources used in this project is a
“Digital Elevation Model” (DEM) derived
from the WorldDEM radar satellite.
A DEM maps the rise and fall of the
terrain, which enables the making of
contour and slope maps. Once these
These maps depict the threat of storm surge across the Turks &
Caicos Islands.
Times of the Islands Summer 2018 27

information layers have been generated they can be used
as inputs into a model that identifies the low-lying areas
most at risk from coastal flooding, one of the impacts
of storm surge following an extreme storm event. The
model then considers all the features around the shore
such as coral reefs and sea bed slopes and generates
maps showing not only the most vulnerable areas, but
also the safest areas to be during an event.
The modeling has all been carried out by Environment
Systems Ltd., using open-source (free to use) software.
There are many open-source Geographic Information
Systems (GIS) available; this project uses one called
Quantum Geographic Information System commonly
referred to as QGIS. The use of open-source software
enables concerned TCI Government departments to continue
work, such as updating the maps in the future,
using training material provided by the company, a key
consideration of the project.
Findings
The “risk” maps of the inhabited islands of TCI shown
on the opposite page map out the areas that would be
affected by a storm surge of up to five metres (represented
on the red scale). The areas of dark red indicate
places of high risk to life and property. The white areas
of land, above five metres, would not be affected by a five
metres storm surge.
These maps are useful to manage the impacts of a
storm surge and provide critical information to inform
planning decisions for coastal developments such as
hotels and resorts. This means that development on TCI
coasts can be designed to be safe in the long term, providing
both economic and social benefits to the Islands.
Looking to the future
This work will continue and the team has recently received
further funding from Darwin Plus (grants for projects
working on environment or climate change issues in the
UK Overseas Territories) to continue the development
of evidence from satellite-based mapping. The project
aims to test and improve the marine and land model that
has already been developed. The project will further the
development of policy to aid post-hurricane recovery and
enhance future resilience to natural disaster. a
The project is led by Environmental Systems Ltd. and
the Joint Nature Conservation Committee, with the
Department of Environment & Coastal Resources acting
as the local coordinating partner.
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green pages newsletter of the department of environment & coastal resources
This beautiful display of thriving coral off South Caicos (post-Hurricanes Irma and Maria!) is an example of what we don’t want to lose by
using chemical sunscreens.
HEIDI HERTLER
Killing Them Softly
The potential harm to coral reefs caused by sunscreen.
By Don Stark, Chairman, Turks & Caicos Reef Fund and
Autumn Blum, Chief Executive Officer, Stream2Sea
Everyone knows that pollution—petroleum products, plastic, sewage, etc.—is harmful to coral reefs.
Fewer people know that something we do every day (or should do) is also polluting lakes and oceans and
potentially harming coral reefs. More than half of all sunscreens contain the chemicals oxybenzone and
octinoxate, which have been shown to be harmful to corals in very low concentrations.
According to the US National Park Service, between 4,000 and 6,000 TONS of sunscreen enter reef
areas every year. Other scientists estimate closer to 14,000 tons, including wastewater run-off. That’s a
lot of sunscreen carrying toxic ingredients. They also estimate that 90% of diving and snorkeling activities
take place on just 10% of the world’s reefs. So, all that sunscreen is concentrated in a very small
reef area. You slather on the sunscreen and then jump into the water. And it’s not just oxybenzone and
octinoxate that’s a concern, other common ingredients in sunscreens and personal care items can also
cause problems. These include parabens, nano-particles, cinnamates, benzophenones and a camphor
derivative.
Times of the Islands Summer 2018 29

green pages newsletter of the department of environment & coastal resources
So what’s the problem with sunscreens containing
these ingredients? A 2016 study published in the scientific
journal, Archives of Environmental Contamination
and Toxicology, demonstrated that oxybenzones have
several adverse effects on coral polyps, are highly toxic
to the coral larvae (called planula) and are a skeletal
endocrine disruptor effecting the hormones leading to
abnormal coral growth and deformities in baby coral.
Oxybenzone also makes corals more susceptible to
bleaching, which occurs when coral reefs are exposed to
extreme water temperatures (generally extended exposure
to temperatures of 84º Fahrenheit or higher) and
other stressors.
Coral bleaching occurs when the symbiotic microorganisms
that live in coral polyps, called zooxanthellae,
leave the coral. They provide a large portion of the food
that coral needs to survive—as well as their unique and
beautiful colors. If the zooxanthellae don’t return to the
coral quickly enough, the coral turns white and dies.
Another study published in 2015 also found similar
impacts of sunscreens on corals. They tested the waters
at popular tourist destinations and found oxybenzone
levels ranging as high as 4,200 parts per trillion in Hawaii
to 1,300 parts per billion in Trunk Bay, Virgin Islands!
The same study also demonstrated acute toxicity to coral
larvae with oxybenzone as low as 62 parts per trillion.
The legislature in the State of Hawaii is so concerned
about this issue that they recently passed legislation
that would ban the distribution of sunscreens containing
oxybenzone and another similar compound called octinoxate.
If signed by the governor of Hawaii, the law will
go into effect on January 1, 2021.
Other tropical destinations are quickly following
Hawaii’s lead. After the state banned the sale of oxybenzone-
and octinoxate-containing sunscreens, the Dutch
island of Bonaire voted unanimously to enact similar legislation.
What is an environmentally-conscious person to do?
Exposure to the sun’s harmful rays can cause premature
skin aging and even cancer. One step people can
take now is to wear clothing that has an SPF sun-blocking
factor to minimize the amount of sunscreen needed.
Long-sleeved rash guards often offer protection of up to
SPF 50. Wearing such garments and an SPF-rated hat can
reduce the need to use sunscreen on a major portion of
a person’s body, as only the hands and face remain to be
Reef-safe suncreens utilize a mineral sunblock that is biodegradable
and won’t harm the coral reef.
exposed to the sun.
Another option is to use a reef-safe sunscreen. These
generally contain a mineral sunblock such as titanium
oxide or titanium dioxide. Chemical sunscreen filters
like oxybenzone, octinoxate and avobenzone are often
lurking in the product while promoting the minerals on
the front, so it is important to flip the bottle over and
read the ingredient listings. Well formulated mineral sunscreens
are just as effective as the chemical ones, but are
biodegradable and won’t harm the coral reef. One such
brand is Stream2Sea (www.Stream2Sea.com), which has
been tested for aquatic safety and developed by a cosmetic
chemist who is also an avid scuba diver living in
Florida. You can download their “Ingredients to Avoid”
card at https://stream2sea.com/ingredients-to-avoid.
The Turks & Caicos Reef Fund, along with the Turks &
Caicos Swim Federation and other groups are beginning
a lobbying effort to encourage the TCI Government to
follow Hawaii and Bonaire’s lead and ban the distribution
of the oxybenzone and related sunscreen products
to protect the coral reefs which form the basis of the vast
majority of the local economy.
The coral reefs around the world are under tremendous
pressure from numerous factors including climate
change, pollution from land-based development and
ocean acidification. Those issues are much more difficult
to resolve—switching from a toxic sunscreen to a reefsafe
option is an easy step that can make a significant
difference. a
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green pages newsletter of the department of environment & coastal resources
“Say No to Straws” was the theme of the DECR’s “No Straw” campaign during Greening TCI Month. This small piece of plastic, used only for a
short time, has the capacity for huge environmental impact.
Straws Suck!
DECR hopes to keep the “NO STRAWS” campaign going year-round.
By Amy Avenant, DECR Environment Outreach Coordinator
The Department of Environment & Coastal Resources (DECR) has just wrapped up a successful “NO
STRAW” campaign during the annual Greening TCI Month. But why attack the humble straw? Well, as it
turns out, straws aren’t as innocent as they appear . . .
Times of the Islands Summer 2018 31

green pages newsletter of the department of environment & coastal resources
Let’s start at the beginning: We have one Mr. Leo
Baekeland to thank for the invention of the world’s
first fully synthetic plastic—appropriately named
“bakelite.” Invented in 1907, Bakelite was used for its
electrical non-conductivity and heat-resistant properties
in electrical insulators, radio and telephone casings and
even in products such as kitchenware, jewelry and children’s
toys. The development of plastics has evolved
from the use of natural plastic materials (e.g. chewing
gum) to the use of chemically modified, natural materials
(e.g. natural rubber, collagen) and finally to completely
synthetic molecules.
Yep, that is correct, plastics can be either found in
natural substances or may be man-made. Most of the
plastics used today are man-made. Man-made plastics
are known as synthetic plastics. Natural “plastic products”
occur in such things as animals’ horns, animals’ milk,
insects, plants and trees. Due to their low cost, ease of
manufacture, versatility, and imperviousness to water,
synthetic plastics are used in a multitude of products of
different scale and they have triumphed over traditional
materials, such as wood, stone, horn and bone, leather,
metal, glass and ceramic.
Plastics are simply chains of like molecules linked
together, called polymers. This is why many plastics
begin with “poly,” such as polyethylene, polystyrene, and
polypropylene. Polymers often are made of carbon and
hydrogen and sometimes oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur, chlorine,
fluorine, phosphorous or silicon. The term “plastics”
encompasses all these various polymers.
One of the useful properties of polymers is that they
are unreactive, so they are suitable for storing food and
chemicals safely. Unfortunately, this property makes it
difficult to dispose of polymers. They are often buried
in landfill sites or burned, and are not readily biodegradable.
This means that they will not disintegrate by
bacteria, fungi or other biological means.
Now this is where things start getting dangerous. For
a good 60 years, we have increasingly been using these
polymers, not considering that it may have a serious
impact on our natural environments, globally!
Because plastic does not biodegrade (it instead
breaks down into small particles called micro-plastics), it
can negatively impact human health by releasing toxins
into the food chain and by poisoning wildlife and marine
life. In fact, global plastic pollution has reached a critical
A number of TCI establishments participated in the NO STRAWS campaign
during Greening TCI Month including, from top: Oasis Divers
and Bajari Beach in Grand Turk, and The Sands and Hemingways on
the Beach in Providenciales.
AMY AVENANT
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green pages newsletter of the department of environment & coastal resources
point with the World Economic Forum estimating that 8
MILLION METRIC TONS of plastic winds up in our oceans
each year. That’s enough trash to cover every foot of
coastline around the world with five full trash bags of
plastic, compounding every year!
But, we all have the opportunity to curb this plastic
attack with our own “war on plastic.” And the simplest
way to start is by saying NO to the straw! That itty bitty
piece of plastic, used for all of ten minutes, will take a
lifetime to disappear (if at all), has the potential to harm
wildlife and will find its way up the food chain and back
into your belly before you know it!
So what can you do to make sure you and your family
and friends win the battle of the polymers? Making a
change is as easy as 1, 2, 3:
1. Stop using straws, and all other single-use plastics like
bags and take-out food containers;
2. Buy products with no to minimal packaging;
3. Spread the word to your friends and family and tell
businesses to stop using single-use plastics! a
The DECR would like to thank the following establishments
for saying NO to straws during Greening
TCI Month (April 22–May 23, 2018):
• The Landing Bar & Kitchen
• Asú on the Beach
• Retreat Kitchen Vegetarian Café & Juice Bar
• Ocean Club Resorts
• Da Conch Shack & RumBar
• Neptune Villas, Las Brisas Restaurant & Bar
• Mis Amigos Cocina Mexicana
• Cocovan
• The Palms Turks & Caicos
• Seasalt Personal Chef Services
• Pelican Bay Restaurant & Bar
• West Bay Club
• Pavilion at the Somerset
• Zest! and Stelle at the Gansevoort Turks + Caicos
• Lupo Restaurant
• Turks & Caicos Collection
• The Sands and Hemingways on the Beach
• Oasis Divers, Grand Turk
• Bajari Beach Club, Grand Turk
• Ridge Café, Grand Turk
• Osprey Beach Hotel, Grand Turk
Times of the Islands Summer 2018 33

green pages newsletter of the department of environment & coastal resources
SFS students and staff are welcomed back by the local chapter of Soroptimist International, who taught us songs and dances from earlier
South Caicos days to the sounds of the Marjorie Basden High School junkanoo band.
Welcome Back!
The School for Field Studies reopens its doors on South Caicos.
Story & Photos By Heidi Hertler, Ph.D
The Turks & Caicos Islands comprise the southernmost section of the Bahamian Archipelago, and despite
the ecological complexity and biodiversity of coral reefs and their associated ecosystems, they are relatively
easily degraded. Changes are attributed largely to coral diseases, hurricanes, mass mortality of
herbivorous keystone species, localized human impacts, and other climate change-related phenomena. It
is now more critical than ever to understand our coastal systems, the impact we have on them and what
can be done to sustain their ecological and economic value.
The School for Field Studies Center for Marine Resource Studies (SFS CMRS) is ideally located to study
these systems. SFS is known throughout the United States as the premier environmental study abroad
program for undergraduates and creates transformative experiences through field-based learning and
research. Our educational programs explore the human and ecological dimensions of the complex environmental
problems faced by our local partners, contributing to sustainable solutions in the places where
we live and work.
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green pages newsletter of the department of environment & coastal resources
SFS field centers and programs strive to serve the
local community and other decision-makers at local,
regional and national levels with reliable information on
issues related to conservation and sustainable development.
SFS research is use-inspired and geared toward
reciprocity with our hosts.
Nine months ago (to the day that I write this),
Hurricane Irma passed through the Turks & Caicos
Islands. Hurricane Irma was the strongest storm on
record in the Atlantic, the first Category 5 to strike the
Leeward Islands, and the second costliest Caribbean hurricane
after Maria (which hit the TCI two weeks later).
SFS CMRS was forced to cancel our semester program.
Most of our staff and students completed their studies
at our Panama program while the rest returned to South
Caicos to evaluate damage and start to rebuild. With
the help of East Bay Resort, SFS was able to visit several
dive and snorkel sites weeks after these storms, many of
which we have been studying for nearly 30 years. What
we found was unexpected—the reefs survived the storms
and continue to flourish. Reefs at depth between 10–30m
had little sediment and bleaching and fish were abundant.
Sharks, rays, and large snappers were observed.
Dolphins were also reported in the area. Shallow reefs,
less than 5m, saw some damage to the soft coral community
but overall were still thriving with schools of fish
and squadrons of eagle rays.
On June 4, 2018 we reopened our doors and welcomed
students back! Both researchers and students are
eager to return to the reefs to add quantitative data to
our earlier visual observation and increase our understanding
of the impacts such storms have on the marine
system our community is dependent on.
The Turks & Caicos Islands holds some of the
most pristine coral reefs and enduring fisheries in all
of Caribbean. Faculty and students at the SFS CMRS on
South Caicos work in close cooperation with local partners
including the TCI’s Department of Environment and
Coastal Resources (DECR), TCReef Inc. (www.tcreef.org),
and local fishermen and processing plants to protect and
enhance the management of the island’s coral reefs and
other marine resources.
SFS CMRS recognizes the importance of studying
climate change impacts on local ecosystems. Already
observed impacts of climate change to marine and coastal
ecosystems include those linked to temperature change
Pre-storm data collection include Atlantic and Gulf Rapid Reef
Assessment protocol (AGRRA) and bleaching assessments.
on organism metabolism, water chemistry, precipitation
change on water balance, and wind and water circulation
pattern changes. Long term data collection is crucial to
observing and understanding such impacts, beneficial to
stakeholders and essential to policy-makers.
SFS CMRS faculty and staff lead teams of students to
collect baseline data on the health of the local reef system.
Methods to assess the overall condition of the reef
include measuring species composition, documenting
and recording fish species abundance and photographing
and videoing the benthic community for composition
analysis using specialized software.
An increasingly important part of long term reef studies
is the assessment of coral bleaching. SFS CMRS uses
a method that is easily transferable to citizen scientists
and could be replicated on other islands. Coral bleaching
is documented using the Coral Watch card system,
which allows the researchers to record coral bleaching
data quantitatively for analysis and documentation.
SFS CMRS is located in the old Admiral Arms Inn on
South Caicos and has operated here for nearly 30 years.
Hurricanes Irma and Maria revealed many unique features
of the building buried under drywall. As part of the
restoration, these features were kept and incorporated
into classroom space and office areas. During the eight
months of restoration, staff worked closely with community
groups to determine needs. Classroom supplies and
athletic equipment were delivered and staff presented
special programs on coastal environments to several elementary
school classes. Our story is a testament to the
resilience of SFS and the South Caicos community. We
welcome visitors at any time. a
Times of the Islands Summer 2018 35

CHRIS A CRUMLEY/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO

feature
Opposite page: This photo shows the portside anchor from the wreck of the HMS Endymion on Endymion Reef off Salt Cay.
Above: A typical Spanish galleon sails across the Atlantic Ocean towards the “New World.”
PAUL FEARN/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO
Whose Treasure?
In the clash over shipwrecks yet to be found, the past still haunts.
By Ben Stubenberg
“There is no way of getting away from a treasure . . . once it fastens itself upon our mind”
Joseph Conrad
Few ventures capture our attention or fuel the imagination more quickly than the prospect of finding
sunken treasure from some long-lost shipwreck. The romance and excitement of chests filled with gold,
silver and jewels suspends reality and feeds a visceral fantasy.
For today’s treasure hunters who roll the dice and bet it all on the chance of finding the mother lode,
the allure of it all is much the same as it was for pirates, salvagers and wreckers of yore. That allure, however,
comes at a price—the dark side of the quest that pits a growing number of treasure hunters against
a small, determined band of underwater archeologists and preservation activists. For these implacable
foes of treasure hunting, it’s a give-no-quarter, take-no-prisoners struggle to save our common heritage
and marine environment and determine who, if anyone, gets to keep the wealth hiding below the waves.
Times of the Islands Summer 2018 37

With guesstimates ranging from 1,000 to 2,000
shipwrecks around the hull-ripping reefs of the Turks &
Caicos, these Islands have long been a destination for
both treasure hunters and underwater archeologists. Blue
Hills had a history of “wreckers”—townsfolk who looked
for ships cracking up on the reef to reap salvageable
material. And whispered tales tell of Islanders who found
gold and silver coins and even a gold chalice encrusted
with rubies washing up on the beaches. Indeed, TCI sits
squarely along the early Spanish colonial shipping routes
from Central America, Mexico, Hispaniola and Cuba.
Hundreds of galleons laden with treasure sailed by and
sometimes onto our reefs, along with navy, merchant,
fishing, pirate and slave ships.
The ships that went down took with them more
than gold, silver and precious stones, however—they
entombed people on a final voyage and a story that never
got told. Anchors, cannons, daggers, bells and leg irons
that once held captive humans for sale lie scattered on
the ocean floor. They are all that we have, and all of
it treasure in the most profound sense. For each wreck
gives us a corridor to the past, a portal to a chain of
events that led to a fateful day on the sea long ago.
Whether a blacksmith’s hammer, a trader’s sundial
or a young lady’s necklace of pearls, each artefact found
lets us touch what they touched before their rendezvous
with death just beyond our sandy shores. And every bar
of silver, paid for in blood, lends its own silent testimony
of unspeakable cruelty. As such, these treasures yet to
be found elicit one of the most human of cravings: What
happened, and why?
Silver provenance
In 1545, Spanish colonists exploring the high desert
of the Andes near what is now Potosí, Bolivia, asked a
native Incan forced into their employ, Diego Huallpa, to
climb a towering hill of red dirt. They had heard stories
of an Incan shrine at the top and wanted to know
more. Huallpa did reach the shrine, called a huaca, at the
15,800 ft (4820 m) summit and took a piece of it down
with him. Along the way, he fell and braced himself by
digging his hand into the soft dirt and pulled out a stone
imbedded with a large chunk of silver. What he found
turned out to be the biggest silver deposit of all time.
The discovery sparked a massive mining industry
to extract the silver ore and smelt it into thousands of
bars or mint it into hundreds of thousands of “pieces of
eight.” With the invention of the mercury amalgamation
process in the 1570s, silver could be separated from
rock much quicker, thus dramatically increasing production.
Families in control of the Potosí operations became
billionaire equivalents of their day, while stoking the
treasury of Spain.
By the early 1600s, Potosí had grown to the fourth
largest city in the world with a population of 160,000,
most of them forced labour Andean Indians and African
slaves. Few lived long. Inhalation of mine dust filled with
silica, mercury vapour and fumes from the smelters,
along with accidents and sheer exhaustion, killed hundreds
of thousands, if not millions.
For 200 years, Spanish colonists extracted more than
40,000 tons of silver from the mountain they named
Cerro Rico (Rich Hill). The lnca people gave Potosí a different
name in their Quecha language: “Mountain that
eats men.”
The wealth derived from Diego Huallpa’s chance
stumble would transform Spain from a poor, struggling
country on the margins of Europe into a military and
commercial superpower. The gamble made by the newly
installed monarchs Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand
in 1492 to invest in the dubious Christopher Columbus
expedition to reach the fabled kingdoms of the East by
sailing west paid off—even if Columbus arrived instead
at an immense continent neither he nor anyone else
could have imagined. (See “Columbus Landfall: Making
the Case for Grand Turk,” Times of the Islands Fall 2017.)
The treasure’s route
Everything depended on getting the silver out of the
Americas and back to the mother country as efficiently
as possible. To do that, the Spanish built a complex and
extensive transportation network. Long trains of llamas
and mules hauled the bars and coins from Potosí to the
sea port of Callao near Lima. Boats took the silver north
up along the Pacific coast to the village of Panamá (now
Panama City). Another long mule train transported the
valuable cargo on the even more arduous journey north
across the isthmus of Panama along a 60 mile (96 km)
jungle path known as the Las Cruces Trail.
Since most of the mules would die in route from
the strain of their 200 lb (91 kg) loads, the mule train
operators brought at least as many spare mules with
no loads to replace the ones that didn’t make it. After
three weeks, they arrived on the Chagras River on the
Caribbean side where they placed the treasure into small
boats for the journey to the ports of Nombre de Dios and
later, nearby Porto Belo.
38 www.timespub.tc

On the other side of the world, galleons from the
Spanish ports of Seville or Cadiz prepared to set sail for
a voyage across the Atlantic to what they called the New
World. At the convergence of ships and mules in Nombre
de Dios and Porto Belo, the coastal settlements grew
from near ghost towns to 5,000 to 6,000 traders, sailors,
soldiers, minstrels, magicians, scoundrels, cooks,
priests, prostitutes and mule skinners, all looking to
party hard and profit big.
Once loaded, the galleons sailed to Havana where
they would meet up with other ships from Vera Cruz,
Mexico and Cartageña, Colombia, also laden with treasure.
From there, massive flotilla convoys departed with
great fanfare, sometimes as many as 60 ships, to protect
the treasures from attacks by pirates or foreign navies.
Often, the flotillas would head out in September, the
middle of the hurricane season, a phenomena not well
understood by Europeans in the 1500s or 1600s, that
would take a devastating toll.
Initially, the galleons sailed southeast along the coast
of Cuba into the Old Bahama Channel. That took them
along the perilous reefs of the Turks & Caicos Islands.
Later, with the discovery of the Gulf Stream, ships would
also head northeast into the equally reef-treacherous
New Bahama Channel south of the Florida Keys and let
the current pull them into the Atlantic and most of the
way to Spain.
Government revenue collectors eagerly awaited the
arrivals so they could assess a 20% share of the treasure,
known as a quinto real or royal fifth—a cut which
the Spanish crown relied upon to finance empire building
and never-ending wars in Europe for dominance and
power. Some 17,000 galleons departed the West Indies
for the voyage back to Spain, but 10% or more never
made it. Each lost vessel provoked a crippling shortfall
of funds for the monarchy and investors. Without other
developed industries to tax and underpin the economy
of Spain, a cycle of desperate dependency on the arrivals
of treasure ships set in to keep the kingdom from sinking
deeper into debt.
Most of the roughly 1,700 galleons lost to storms,
attacks, bad navigation or bad luck met their end in the
Western Caribbean and Lucayan archipelago between
Florida and Northern Hispaniola that encompasses
TCI. And almost all of those wrecks remain undiscovered
along with their cargo, including silver bars and
pieces of eight from a red dirt hill in faraway Potosí that
brought so much grief and sorrow for the most unworthy
of causes.
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Wreck of the Concepción
One of the most famous and richest of the lost galleons
that treasure hunters did find was the 40 gun Nuestra
Señora de la Pura y Limpia Concepción. With 500 passengers
and crew and packed to the gunwales with 100
tons of silver from Potosí and other mines in Mexico and
Colombia, the Concepción departed Havana on September
28, 1641 as the Alimirantra or flagship of a flotilla of 21
ships.
Just one day out, the convoy ran into a full-blown
hurricane that sank or grounded all the ships except
the Concepción. De-masted, overloaded and badly leaking
with a rudder too small for effective steering even in
the best of conditions, the Concepción drifted southeast
off the coast of Cuba through the Old Bahama Channel
toward the Turks & Caicos. The captain wanted to get to
San Juan, Puerto Rico, to refurbish the ship, but the pilot/
navigators forcibly over-ruled him, which they had authority
to do in such situations. However, even among the
largely inexperienced pilots, raging arguments ensued
over whether to chance it back to Spain, as well as the
ship’s actual location.
After three weeks, another storm struck, jamming
the stern between two huge coral heads 100 miles (160
km) southeast of Grand Turk. But the ship did not sink
immediately. Desperate to stay above the water as the
ship was breaking up, the crew and passengers hauled
out the silver bars and stacked them on the reef to build a
platform. In the end, the painfully extracted and purified
silver meant to create mega-fortunes for investors and
prop up a kingdom served as nothing more than steps to
stand on and stave off death.
Fewer than 200 lived to tell the harrowing story of
starvation, drownings and shark attacks. The ship’s officers
escaped in the only longboat, while the remaining
survivors built makeshift rafts from the ship’s planks and
paddled their way to what is now the Dominican Republic
80 miles (128 km) to the south.
Now called the Silver Banks (Bancos de la Plata)—
at times claimed by TCI but under the control of the
Dominican Republic—the 42 mile (67 km ) long reef has
attracted some of the most die-hard treasure hunters of
all time, starting with William Phips, a shipbuilder–merchant
from Massachusetts colony. With backing from the
King of England and guided by a survivor of the disaster,
Phips found the wreck after many attempts in 1687, 46
years after it cracked up. Using Lucayan Indians and possibly
African slaves as divers, the Phips venture hauled
out a vast fortune of 68,511 lbs (31,076 kg). At least
that’s the declared amount. Rumour has it that Phips buried
part of the treasure on a cay in the Turks Islands.
It would be almost another 300 years before another
treasure hunter, Burt Webber from a farm town in
Pennsylvania, would re-discover the Concepción. He had
searched relentlessly and unsuccessfully for years until a
London School of Economics professor who was writing a
book on the Concepción referred Webber to documents in
Kent Archives, Maidstone, England. There, tucked away in
obscurity for centuries gathering dust, was the log book
of Phips’ salvage ship Henry of London with an accurate
location of the Concepción that had eluded every other
treasure hunter since Phips.
What Phips missed and Webber found in 1978 was
the stern of the ship encrusted in coral that also happened
to hold most of the silver not thrown on the reef to
build the platform. Webber would chop away some 300
tons of coral to extract from the wreck even more silver
than Phips.
Treasure redefined
Webber’s excavation of much of the remainder of the
treasure of the Concepción, along with other high profile
treasure discoveries in the 1970s and 1980s coincided
with undersea discovery entering pop culture. In particular,
TV shows like The Undersea World of Jacques
Cousteau introduced the world to undersea wonders that
had largely been a mystery. Advances in scuba diving also
gave many more people the opportunity to see for themselves
what lay beneath the surface, stimulating more
interest in wrecks. Crucially, voices of nautical archeology
came to the fore, bringing scientific understanding
and heightened appreciation of the fragility of wreck sites
that sharply animated debate about rights, heritage, and
ownership.
A broad consensus emerged that wrecks and treasures
of all kinds needed protection from swashbuckling
treasure hunters with little interest in heritage, only the
gold and silver. After all, once a wreck site is destroyed or
looted or even disturbed, that’s it. With the clues gone, all
humankind loses forever the full story of what happened
and why. That connection with our past that might have
enriched, if not defined, the present gets permanently
erased.
While the wreck of the Concepción served as an
example of treasure hunters plundering a site to get rich,
the wreck of the Trouvadore in TCI waters represented
a quite different find. A slave ship on its way from West
Africa to Cuba, the Trouvadore ran aground while evad-
40 www.timespub.tc

Tradewinds Radio Sum Times18_Layout 1 copy 6/8/18 11:39 AM Page 1
ing capture off East Caicos in 1841. It carried no jewels or
bars of silver. But what the Trouvadore lacked in financial
wealth, it more than made up for in heritage. The 193
slaves on board found tenuous freedom by running into
the bush on Middle Caicos. Several would die of thirst and
starvation and one got shot. All 20 crew members made
it off the ship too. Still intent on earning a healthy profit
from his human cargo, the slave ship captain wanted to
secure another ship and round up the remaining escaped
slaves to take them the rest of the way to Cuba. British
authorities in Grand Turk stepped in and sent the crew to
Cuba, but not the now-free Africans. Instead, they were
apprenticed to jobs and integrated into TCI society.
In 1992, researchers found documents and artefacts
in the Smithsonian Museum in Washington DC
that pointed to the wreck of the Trouvadore off TCI.
Underwater archeologists made several dives beginning
in 2004 to a wreckage they had found off East Caicos,
but could not identify it. Not until 2008 did underwater
archeologists, working with the US National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Agency (NOAA), confirm that the wreck was
indeed the Trouvadore, thus adding a crucial element to
the story and the journey 167 years later.
Finding the ship that dramatically changed the destiny
of the slaves on board and shaped the early TCI settlement
galvanized a greater national sense of identity with
a history unique from other nearby island nations. The
connection with the past was no longer abstract but real
and tangible. And the blood of those shipwrecked men
and women long ago almost certainly courses through
the veins of Turks & Caicos Islanders today.
Hundreds if not thousands of other ships, however,
sank without a trace. They took with them their own compelling
piece of history—of who we once were, with all the
flaws and folly, cussedness and courage. Only a fragile
page from a large book in the Library of Seville might
show an entry with the names of the ship and captain and
the freight on board, their fate unknown for hundreds of
years.
Until, that is, when on a bright sunny day, the acoustic
pulses of a side scan sonar dragged behind a motor
boat suddenly reflect back “loud” and “soft” signals on a
laptop. The signals create a 3D topographical map of the
ocean floor, indicating types of material and texture of
what’s on the bottom. Pieces of what looks to be a wreck
appear. Excited, the crew switches out the sonar for a
missile-shaped magnetometer to drag behind the boat.
Designed to detect magnetic anomalies, a magnetometer
can indicate the presence of concentrations of ferrous
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Times of the Islands Summer 2018 41

metals, such as an iron anchor. It also creates another
image on the laptop with GPS locations of the ferrous
metal found.
Scuba divers splash overboard to get a better look,
taking with them handheld metal detectors so precise
they can pick up gold and silver as well as iron. On the
seabed, they make out a trail of rocks that looks like
ballast stones once placed at the bottom of the hull for
stability—strong confirmation of an old wreck. The shape
of the stones gives clues to the ship’s nationality that
can help confirm identity—rough cobblestone suggests
a Dutch vessel, rectangular brick indicates British and
smoothly rounded stones that shipbuilders took from
stream beds in the Pyrenees clearly specify Spanish.
For underwater archeologists, the layout of the wreck
and cargo strewn over the ocean floor area is as important
as the artefacts themselves. Position provides context
that amplifies site analysis and interpretation. Typically,
underwater archeologists exploring a wreck site carefully
lay down 1x1 or 2x2 meter squares of PCV pipes or rope
in a grid that can be mapped and studied. From the quiet
abyss, they piece together a narrative of the ships and
people that once traversed these waters, how they lived
and died.
Drawing on this rendering of what may have happened
(enlivened with a little imagination), we can feel
the fear of those onboard as a storm slams the ship
against the reef. The ocean gushes into the hold, trapping
hundreds of passengers and crew. Water rises, the
lanterns go out and panic breaks out as darkness takes
over. Screams through the blackness make no distinction
of rank or status among officers, crew, merchants,
misfits and slaves fighting for their lives. Nor is there
any division between tyrants, priests, fortune seekers
and families. A democratisation of demise takes hold,
as the doomed make desperate bargains with their God
for one more chance to hold on until daylight. Some rip
away their jewellery and throw off their coats stitched
with bits of gold and silver they intended to hide from
tax authorities in a final effort to cleanse themselves of
sin. Accepting the end and perhaps divine punishment,
they confess wrongdoings and plea for mercy. Waves
pound the weakened, worm-infested hull harder against
the coral until the ship breaks up and slips off the reef.
Each man and woman takes their last gulp of air before
the sea engulfs and pulls them down with the wreck to
the silence of the deep.
Clashing mindsets
Who profits and what gets protected depends on who
does the exploring and provides the funding. In the
words of underwater archeologist Dr. Donald H. Keith,
president of Ships of Discovery and a frequent writer for
Times of the Islands: “To say that treasure hunting has
firmly established itself as a largely criminal activity is to
be minimally observant. Modern treasure hunters make
money by defrauding their ‘investors,’ not by finding treasure.”
Dr. Keith, who has spent decades researching TCI
wrecks, including the Trouvadore, and since 2012 serving
as president of the Turks & Caicos Museum Foundation,
adds a distressing observation, “Treasure hunters abound
in the TCI—it’s archaeologists who are rare.”
This heavily concreted carronade was located during the Ships of
Discovery 2008 expedition to learn about the slave ship Trouvadore.
Marine biologist, TCI naturalist explorer, and co-founder
of Big Blue, Mark Parrish, minces no words either.
“Treasure hunters look after no one except for themselves
and should be banned. As intriguing as it is to
bring up a dagger or a coin or a cannon from a wreck,
the inevitable damage that results to our already dying
reefs through blasting of sand or dynamiting the coral
only hastens the demise of the natural environment that
we all depend on for our own well-being.”
Treasure hunters, of course, have a different take.
Using less contentious descriptions of themselves like
“underwater explorer” or “ocean researcher,” they point
out that they have leveraged everything they own and
raised millions of dollars from others to bring up heritage,
as well as treasure. “Why can’t all sides benefit,”
they contend, “by sharing the wealth for the good of both
society and investors? If not for us and our initiative,
know-how, funding and risk, nobody would get anything
and the treasure would still be under the sea, disintegrating
and gone forever.” They are also open to having
a monitor on board and handing over a good part of any
SEARCH FOR THE SLAVE SHIP TROUVADORE /NOAA
42 www.timespub.tc

Blue Loos_Layout 1 5/28/17 4:13 PM Page 1
find, particularly the historical artefacts, for a museum
that can generate tourism revenue for the benefit of the
country.
That’s not enough for the underwater archeologists
and activists. Their concerns are not entirely misplaced,
as some treasure hunters in TCI waters are alleged to
have extracted from the wreck without permission and
even used dynamite to blast away the coral.
The Molasses Reef wreck south of Providenciales is
a case in point. The name of the ship is not known, nor
is the exact year it sank, though artefacts recovered suggest
that it is from the early 1500s. This could make it
the oldest European wreck found in the Americas and a
priceless discovery. The remnants recovered by Dr. Keith
and others formed the basis for the National Museum on
Grand Turk and Providenciales. But the site has been battered
and plenty from the wreck looted for personal gain.
Nicholas Budsberg, Ph.D candidate at the Nautical
Archeological Program, Texas A&M University believes,
“We can’t expect to reach a mutual understanding
between archeologists and treasure hunters when keeping
and selling treasure is still on the table. Profiting from
the artefacts has to be taken out of the equation.” He also
points out that many shipwrecks are unmarked graves
and that anyone investigating a wreck may also be possibly
interacting with the remains of people from different
time periods and cultures. “Few today would say it’s OK
to let someone treasure hunt in a graveyard, or a battlefield,
or a mass burial site any more than anyone would
allow their great-great grandmother to be exhumed to
claim and sell any jewellery she was wearing.”
Mr. Budsberg, who is also a founder of the US
non-profit Shipwreck Institute for Education and Local
Development, warns that many treasure hunters pose as
archeologists in an effort to blend in and look less suspicious
while they loot a site. However, he leaves the
door slightly open for non-profit companies to generate
income ethically from wreck excavation if those involved
shed the “I want to get rich” mentality and focus on heritage
and education.
Thorn Capron, TCI native entrepreneur and maritime
investor, argues that “A new generation should not be
blamed and constrained forever for the sins of previous
treasure hunters, particularly when the previous treasure
hunters were not from the Turks & Caicos Islands. If I
go into this business, I want to do it right and preserve
heritage as much as anyone—after all, this is as much my
history, our history. Whatever we find does a lot more
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vated, curated and presented, the finds can become a
major tourist attraction. Moreover, TCI could position
itself to become an international centre of underwater
archeology tied to a major university that attracts top professors
and students from around the world. We could
be the place for applying the latest techniques and technology
to ethically find and protect historic wrecks of all
kinds.”
TCI National Museum Director Michael Pateman,
who has lectured on underwater heritage protection at
UNESCO, states, “I believe that archaeologists and treasure
hunters must both be willing to compromise their
positions and come to a middle ground.”
In the Turks & Caicos Islands, the Department of
Environment and Coastal Resources (DECR) is charged
with finding that middle ground by approving and regulating
the search and excavation of historic wrecks. As in
almost all countries, TCI ordinances start with the premise
that everything (except salvageable shipwrecks and
cargo where there is still a claim of ownership—these are
governed by other laws) within its territorial waters (200
nautical mile Exclusive Economic Zone or EEZ) belongs to
the government.
TCI Ordinances require that treasure hunters, as well
as underwater archeologists, go through a two-step process—first,
get a permit just to search, and second, get a
permit to excavate if something is found. For the second
permit, the treasure hunter must disclose the location
and likely artefacts and follow strict guidelines to protect
the artefacts and the reefs. DECR then requires an archeological
evaluation and a government monitor on the boat
to watch. The parties also negotiate a division of anything
found that may result in the treasure hunter getting 50%
of gold, silver or jewels found, while government gets the
other half, plus all of the artefacts brought up.
It might seem like a reasonable deal, but nothing
in the treasure business is simple. Distrust over motive
and intention runs high, only amplified by the scarcity of
resources the government has to monitor and enforce the
ordinances to ensure compliance.
Indeed, as detection technology continues to improve
and prices fall, TCI and wreck sites all over the world will
almost certainly see even greater numbers of wanna-be
treasure hunters searching for lost riches, further exacerbating
limited enforcement and monitoring. Leapfrog
technologies make finding treasure wrecks more likely
with less investment and risk, a game-changer for treasure
hunting.
Multiple Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUV),
for example, can apply artificial intelligence to exchange
data while deep underwater in real time. Emitting acoustic
waves or lightwaves (instead of electromagnetic waves,
essentially ineffective under water), AUV’s with different
detection capabilities can communicate and collaborate
with each other to more precisely identify and locate
wrecks and treasure.
More portentous, if not ominous, is the proposed
application of blockchain technology to locate treasure
wrecks in the Bahamas. Bahamian company PO8 wants
to engage people worldwide to use their powerful personal
computing capacity to analyse gargantuan amounts
of data collected from satellites, sonar, magnetometers,
geo-mapping, weather patterns and so on in the search
for treasure. Participants would be rewarded with PO8
“tokens” linked to the cryptocurrency Ethereum (similar
to Bitcoin). The concept resembles the decentralised
model of “miners” earning cryptocurrency digital “coins”
by running algorithms on computer servers. PO8 wants to
44 www.timespub.tc

create a registry of artefacts found, but also auction off
treasure for their benefit. This highly systematic approach
to wreck recovery raises the stakes by an order of magnitude
and will undoubtedly generate acute opposition
from underwater archeologists and marine preservationists.
The battle for the treasure wrecks will only intensify
as long as a large and lucrative black market exists for
collectors worldwide with seemingly endless resources.
That hard reality will continue to drive the unethical treasure
hunters to dig up what they can when they can get
away with it, very possibly on a much broader scale. The
game for now appears to be stacked against government,
archeologists and preservationists, all of whom have
insufficient capital to stop or control the escalation of
treasure hunting.
Perhaps the only way to get out ahead will be for likeminded
parties to compromise, find common ground,
and collaborate, including some treasure hunters willing
to sign on for a higher purpose. Done right, the treasure
of shipwrecks can in fact finance enforcement of ordinances
and fund protection from exploitation through
museums and sanctioned recreational wreck diving. An
idealistic approach, but maybe the only path in view of
the new onslaught of threats. Ultimately, this generation
of leaders will have to decide how much the past is worth,
today and 100 years from now when much of that past
may be gone.
At the same time, this generation can seize a golden
moment to right the past in a way not done before. Those
bars of silver and pieces of eight from Potosí and other
mines that ended up off our reefs have their own historic
claim. They belong as much to the descendants of
those who paid with their lives when forced to extract
and refine the ore. They too can be honoured, not just by
nods of acknowledgment of their exploitation and contribution,
but by genuine restitution from the treasure
they produced. Only then can any benefit we might derive
today truly respect the past, and dignify our future. a
Ben Stubenberg is a contributing writer to Times of the
Islands with a passion for Turks & Caicos Islands history.
An avid ocean man, he is the co-founder of the sports and
adventure tour company Caicu Naniki and the annual
Turks & Caicos “Race for the Conch” Eco-Seaswim. Ben
can be reached at ben@caicunaniki.com.
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island business
Opposite page: Possibilities are endless with the right accounting mechanisms in place to chart through or stay the course in business.
Above: Every transaction in business has a source which then follows a cycle that ends as a component in the financial statements, in one way
or the other. Documentation forms part of the cyclical trail and should be retained as part of the record keeping process.
ISTOCKPHOTO.COM
Adding Up the Benefits
Utilizing a trained accountant in your business reaps rewards.
Improper accounting practices and non-record retention in business is like properly feeding, grooming,
loving and nurturing a child but never allowing schooling of any kind. The child will look capable of
taking on the world in adulthood but in reality is not because he or she is not matured and adequately
equipped to process and understand all of the options that life can bring. In essence, there is nothing in
the repertoire for the child to pull from.
By Snjezana S. Andrews, MBA, CPA
Times of the Islands Summer 2018 47

So, it is in business. As individual companies grow
from infancy to more mature stages, sound accounting
practices should be the bedrock to making quality
decisions. Proper accounting and record retention can
adequately equip businesses. Good accounting provides
the framework necessary for multiple possibilities, and
unlike the neglected child, provide an awareness of all
available options. It reduces the risk of theft and/or fraud
and is an early indicator of business strengths and weaknesses.
It also is a vehicle for growth, development and
good decision-making.
Multiple possibilities
If a company would like to acquire a loan from a financial
institution to expand, that company will need an
accountant to prepare its financials. Perhaps an outsider
is interested in investing in your business but needs to
have a sense of gross profit margins; existing debt to
equity ratios; business liquidity or overall net worth—an
accountant is needed for that too.
Maybe you want to sell your existing company to go
in another direction and will need to know what the business
is worth. (After all, its worth is translated as value
to you.) You will need an accountant for that as well.
Targeted savings for a specific venture, future expansion,
diversification—all need an accountant’s expertise.
Possibilities are endless with the right accounting mechanisms
in place to chart through or stay the course in
business.
Every business is unique and obviously some more
lucrative than others. Naturally, startups and small businesses
may not necessarily be able to afford a full-time
accountant, but a part-time bookkeeper with a qualified
accountant checking monthly may be more feasible.
Realizing the importance of this key function and investing
upfront can pay huge dividends later. Making the
sacrifice today prepares your business for a plethora of
options tomorrow.
Reduce or prevent fraud or theft
Every transaction in business has a source, which then
follows a cycle that ends as a component in the financial
statements in one way or the other. Documentation such
as purchase orders, requisitions, bills and receipts all
form part of the cyclical trail and should be retained, as
part of the record-keeping process. In retaining business
records, proper checks and balances should be executed
with the utmost care. One can ensure the accuracy of
information by the implementation of necessary controls.
This in turn decreases the likelihood of fraud and/
or theft.
Making an environment hostile against fraud and/or
theft is the breeding ground for curbing some of the risks
associated with business. I recall my time, post tertiary
studies, as an auditor with Ernst and Young in Raleigh,
North Carolina and then Pricewaterhouse Coopers here in
the Turks & Caicos. Detailed testing of systems; authentication
of processes and documents; and gaining an
overall understanding of complex industries and different
company types were the norm. However perplexing
the machinery or monumental the overall framework of
any company that I was graced with auditing, source
48 www.timespub.tc

documentation always played a pivotal role. A word to
the wise: Fraud and theft prevention is cheaper and less
time -onsuming than investigation and discovery. Keep
records for every transaction, use proper systems and
understand how every transaction affects your business.
Early indicator of strengths and weaknesses
Business is not only about having an idea and selling that
particular product or service but is also about discovering
what works best for your company—the company’s niche
so to speak. I have found, after being an entrepreneur for
the past decade, that to be successful there is a need to
constantly revamp, rethink and reinvent what was once
working. As customers’ needs and expectations change,
and competition gets tougher, business owners have to
acquiesce, also get tougher and concede to change.
Companies have an advantage when they can target
an area through financial analysis that may or may not
be working. They also have a good sense of direction
when financial statement indicators point out weak areas
and highlight strong suits. It is not financially prudent or
beneficial for instance, to continue to invest in a product
that is a “slow mover” or that is not yielding the returns
anticipated when first starting out.
But how will the advantage of financial literacy be
beneficial if proper accounting systems and methods are
not implemented and practiced? Playing the guessing
game with personal or partnership investment is not wise
and is not the formula for success. Instead of guessing,
hire a professional to take care of the fundamentals so
that your business can thrive.
Growth, development and decision making
As the old adage says, “Numbers don’t lie.” As a Certified
Public Accountant (CPA) and an entrepreneur, I can confirm
that they don’t. 1+1 will always equal 2, nothing
more or less. Since this saying holds true, why play
“Russian roulette” with company direction, growth and
development when all of the answers lie in your receipt
books, cheque books and bank statements? Capitalize on
all that knowledge by utilizing it in a meaningful way.
Hired as an intern with IBM during my college career,
and taking on the role of Fixed Asset Analyst, helped me
to segment and appreciate, more so, every component
in the financial statements. Even the smallest element is
intrinsically connected to something much larger for the
company as a whole. Detailed, accurate information provides
the foundation for great management and owner
decisions.
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It is much more expensive however, when windows of
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simply because of an unawareness or an inability to interpret
the numbers that provide the correct data.
I personally understand the financial concerns of
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concerns whilst growing two small businesses from
the ground up (Caicos Wheels and Island Tours and
Excursions). Thankfully, however, I was able to pull
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50 www.timespub.tc

astrolabe
newsletter of the Turks & Caicos National Museum
front street, p.o. box 188, grand turk, turks & caicos islands, bwi
tel 649 946 2160 • fax 649 946 2160 • email info@tcmuseum.org • web www.tcmuseum.org
DONALD KEITH
St. George’s Anglican Church on South Caicos is the TCI’S third oldest building—the stories it can tell through the folks who remember them
and are willing to share!
The Historians
By Dr. Donald H. Keith, President, Turks & Caicos National Museum Foundation
Who makes history? You might think the makers of history are magnificent kings and queens, bold generals
and admirals, brilliant scientists and philosophers, or inspired artists and writers. But no, history is
made by historians. Those other people are merely the recipients of historians’ attentions.
Human lifespans are short, measured in decades, and human memory is as ephemeral as it is unreliable.
One can gain only so much experience and knowledge in a single lifetime, but history allows us to
access the hard-won wisdom of centuries, if not millennia, of human experience.
But first, someone has to write it down, record it so it can be passed on. An event that goes unrecorded
is as lost as if it never happened. We call those who record what happened and try to make sense
of it historians. They wear a wide variety of hats. Some of them, like Emily Malcolm, are primary sources.
Her article in the following pages, “My Childhood Memories,” records people, places and events directly
from her own experience. Without those primary sources other types of historians would have nothing
to work with. Bertie Sadler, the island historian, is a good example of a compiler, someone who collects
and records events pertaining to a specific geographic area. The article about him, “History Man,” by
his daughter Marjorie is itself a primary source because she is describing events from her own personal
experience. The stories by modern TCI historians show us how history happens. a
Times of the Islands Summer 2018 51

astrolabe newsletter of the Turks & Caicos National Museum
This image shows a young “Bertie” Sadler with his family (from left): Wife Linda with newborn son
Denis, and his other children Charley, Frankie and Marjorie.
The History Man
Herbert “Bertie” Sadler made TCI history his life’s work.
By Marjorie Sadler ~ Images Courtesy Marjorie Sadler
Herbert “Bertie” Sadler, the Turks & Caicos Islands’ own “History Man,” died in 1992 at his home on Grand
Turk. He had spent most of his adult life in the Turks Islands and wouldn’t dream of living anywhere else.
He loved the Islands and their people and was happy and in his element here. This seems to have been
a reciprocal relationship, as Islanders remember him very fondly.
52 www.timespub.tc

astrolabe newsletter of the Turks & Caicos National Museum
Bertie first came to Grand Turk in the 1950s as a
young man from the Jamaican civil service bearing the
title of “Assistant Commissioner, Competent Authority.”
He wore several hats in service of the Turks & Caicos
Islands Government, including setting up and running
the Central Purchasing Unit, tasked with sourcing and
developing bulk food imports and shipping links at a time
when post-war conditions made this difficult in these
small islands. Following his retirement from the civil service,
he and my Mom settled permanently in Grand Turk
and went into the private sector there.
The TCI’s first historian
What led to Bertie’s work in compiling the history of Turks
& Caicos IsIands? I cannot speak definitively as to who or
what inspired him to set his course on writing down the
history of TCI, but I do have some insights. He once made
the cryptic comment that as an under-worked civil servant,
he found he needed a hobby, so took to researching
and writing up the Islands’ history. This “hobby” became
his life-long passion.
In retrospect, one can see why it would become so
absorbing. The history of these Islands is fascinating,
especially as they are rather remote and tiny, yet their
history is lively and rich—with so much still to discover!
From the period of the Lucayan Indians, to the Columbus
Landfall proposition, through the Bermudian adventurers,
seafarers, settlers and salt rakers, the shipwrecks
and “wracking” industry, the politics of small island governance,
the Bahamian and Jamaican influences, and the
tug-of-war in the Western Hemisphere between the great
powers of France, Britain and Spain—all this and more
became his lifelong journey of exploration.
My father had an agile and inquisitive intellect and it
is not surprising that he would have turned his mind to
something other than commerce. He was an avid reader
on many subjects, not only history, but also current
events, discoveries, other countries, etc. I remember him
always with his head in a book or periodical in his leisure
time. A well-worn and scruffy overstuffed binder was
always in his possession as he went from place to place.
I think he used this to record notes and ideas and stuff
with collectibles, writings and cutouts, and it may have
been a daily planner.
Having spent several years in the inner circles of the
TCI Government and having first-hand access to data and
The young Bertie Sadler stands at the Front Street waterfront in Grand
Turk with his small boat.
reports on the Islands, his appetite was whetted and he
became interested in learning more about the Islands’
background and the events that influenced and shaped
them. He was encouraged in this by several friends
both here and abroad. Amongst these were his many
Bermudian connections, whom I know contributed a lot
to his research and inquiries. He was a member of the
Bermuda Historical Society and Maritime Museum, and
was frequently in communication and discourse with
those members and other private individuals there.
The same was true of the Bahamas and its National
Archives, which he corresponded with and visited several
times. Independently, he devoted a lot of time and
resources to collecting and tracking down records that
would add to his knowledge. It was a fun but time-
consuming pastime, especially considering there was
no internet or online resources available to him in those
days, and he was reliant on the local mail for material.
Bertie had an aptitude and enthusiasm for sleuthing
down stories and records relevant to the Islands and over
the years collected an impressive array of material from
multiple sources—some from archives and museums he
would visit himself.
Times of the Islands Summer 2018 53

astrolabe newsletter of the Turks & Caicos National Museum
material wherever he went to
satisfy his curiosity about other
countries.
Bertie and Linda (with friends) enjoy the beach at Grand Turk’s Town Wharf. Note the mounds of salt
in the background!
In compiling the history, one can see he had a particular
penchant for the curious and humorous customs that
were at work, especially in Victorian times. For example,
the vestry deciding the price of bread; the tolling of the
jail bell to announce working hours for the salt workers;
the proceeds of the liquor licences going to support the
clergy; the rivalries and feuds between members of the
citizenry; even the “trouncing” of Horatio Nelson by the
French at Grand Turk! Although he had a background as
a government careerist, he was fond of caricaturing the
ridiculous side of bureaucracy also.
His work and research is impressive in its accuracy,
depth and far-reaching scope. I have great respect for
the voluminous amount of work he put together, and the
underlying expansive research that supported it, but it is
also enhanced by his love of narrating stories. He relished
an audience, and people remember him as a gifted raconteur
with an infectious laugh. The storytelling is shown in
the style and character of his book, Turks Island Landfall.
Not a conventional academic work, it includes collections
of historical curiosities, the unusual and different perspectives
of the old days, and how things were carried on.
Bertie traveled extensively and spared no effort or
personal expense in conducting his research in archives
and libraries in the UK, Spain, the Bahamas, Bermuda,
and several institutions in the U.S. He was indefatigible in
probing every resource that could add to his knowledge
of the history of the TCI, all the while corresponding with
many other scholars and researchers. It was his labor of
love.
He also enjoyed travel for its own sake, and over the
years he and my Mom covered a lot of ground overseas,
taking an extended trip every year. He collected written
Characters
Some memorable characters
passed through my father’s
life in the Turks Islands, and
many became life-long friends.
On many a Sunday afternoon
we visited the Hon. Evan and
Mae Wood in their home on
Middle Street, a pretty, pink
two-story Colonial house with
a large tamarind tree in the front yard and whitewashed
Bermudian walls. The house had a lean-to feeling in the
upstairs rooms looking back on Pond Street. Evan Wood
was a highly respected senior official in government, then
treasurer, I believe. He and my father worked together in
the local government and formed a lasting friendship. His
wife, Mae, known as “Nurse Wood,” was the matron of the
Grand Turk hospital and the island’s midwife. She loved
to boast that she had personally delivered most of the
Grand Turk population. She and her sister, Minnie Tatem
(the Anglican Church organist) also ran the “Todd’s”
shop on Front Street, a metal-sided building next to the
Kursteiner Building. There they sold sundries—everything
from postcards, Bay Rum, toiletries, cakes and candies to
household items. While you were shopping you could get
your legal documents notarized by Nurse Wood, who was
also the Justice of the Peace!
Arthur Tatem, who may have succeeded Evan Wood
as treasurer, was another close friend and colleague who
I remember well. Burly, humorous and chatty, he and
Bertie exchanged countless sagas of Turks Islands life
and gossip.
Always around was the irrepressible John Houseman,
an unforgettable and lovable character. John was a very
erudite, humorous and charming Colonial transplant to
Grand Turk after his stint with the British MI-5 in Greece
during World War II. In short order he became a beloved
“Islander,” not the least due to his unabashed and public
criticism of the British hierarchy and the pie-in-the-sky
projects they were promising to produce for our benefit.
He and my father enjoyed hours together satirizing the
latest British efforts at “dewelopment” for the Islands: the
54 www.timespub.tc

astrolabe newsletter of the Turks & Caicos National Museum
At left is Bertie Sadler’s good friend, John Houseman, publisher of
Grand Turk’s Conch News.
endless stream of consulting teams, followed by the inevitable
and costly reports that just gathered dust on a shelf
back in London without ever producing anything. This
was back in the 1960s and 1970s when the salt industry
was finished, sisal production done, the fishing industry
meager, and nothing on the horizon to jump-start the
Caicos Islands. John started and ran the Conch News, our
local rag, which he strove to put out every two weeks or
so when he could manage (it wasn’t always timely). He
also ran the Turks Head Inn for a time and before that
tried living on East Caicos with only donkeys and mosquitoes
for company.
A fellow advocate of the Columbus First Landfall in
Grand Turk theory was Josiah (“Cy”) Marvel, an uprooted
New Yorker who moved to the Islands in search of utopia
and found Christopher Columbus on Grand Turk. Their
only point of difference was exactly where Columbus
first landed, Hawkes Nest or Pillory Beach (Cy opts for
the latter and has pursued quite a bit of research on the
subject). My father swore by Hawkes Nest. Who knows?
Enough to say, they became good chums, exchanged
much information and had endless discussions and arguments
on that and other subjects.
Business
But writing Turks Islands’ history does not itself produce
a livelihood—or didn’t. Another side of Bertie Sadler was
the local businessman and merchant. In the early 1960s,
he packed in his Jamaica government career and moved
back to Grand Turk to become a capitalist. I think he had
acquired a wealth of knowledge in the food business by
having started and run the TI Central Purchasing Unit for
importing basic supplies into the Islands for inter-island
distribution to local shopkeepers. In fact, I have to say
his knowledge of commodities and food sourcing was
second to none. He could tell you which suppliers or
country produced the best canned butter, milk, corned
beef, jams, biscuits and so on. He studied and knew them
all, and dealt directly with several in his import business.
In a private capacity he started what was called “The
Shopping Centre,” aimed at bulk buying of basics and
food staples and wholesaling to local merchants. The
operation became important in fulfilling local needs,
and in those days all the Turks Islands and out-island
merchants would gather at Grand Turk to purchase commodities
for their retail stores. Some notable customers
I can remember were: Ashton Simons, Leon and Irene
Godet, and Jack and Alice Crisson from Grand Turk; the
Misicks, Claudius Williams (a favorite customer), and Lou
Handfield from Bottle Creek, North Caicos; the Hon. Emily
Saunders of South Caicos; Howard Hamilton of Provo, and
many others.
Out-island shopping visits to Grand Turk saw truckloads
of rice, sugar, flour, canned milk, corned beef,
cooking oil and the like going out the shop door headed
to the dock, to be shipped and re-sold throughout the
TCI. This was the commercial domain of Bertie, aided
by his right-hand man John (“Biscuit”) Williams—the able
foreman of everything, Nurse Wood writing up the books
and receipts, Fanny Durham handling the cash, “Igno” the
sub-lieutenant and shelf stocker, and “Puss” the shop cat.
There was also a constant stream of visitors and pilgrims
from overseas journals wanting to tap into the past and
present of the Turks Islands and have a chat with Bertie,
the “Island Historian,” a status he thoroughly enjoyed!
Yet all that wasn’t enough and Bertie turned to
another hobby. Observing that there was nothing much
to do on Grand Turk at night, he bought a couple of
movie projectors, imported films from Miami, set up a
movie theater above the shop, and started Grand Turk’s
first (or almost first) movie theater! It was a great treat for
everyone, especially the “jumpers”—kids who would jump
the newly built high wall to avoid paying for entry. The
audience loved it, even waiting the five or ten minutes
while Daddy changed movie reels.
Times of the Islands Summer 2018 55

astrolabe newsletter of the Turks & Caicos National Museum
Bertie was also active in other organisations, notably the
Columbus Landfall Committee, the Quincentenary Committee,
and was chairman of the TI branch of the Caribbean Development
Bank for a time. Although raised a Catholic, he was not much of a
churchgoer, yet tried his best to make us, his kids, get religion! His
achievements earned him an Order of Merit medal in 1988 from the
government for his public contributions and work in bringing positive
attention to the Islands’ history. He appreciated the recognition.
Turks Islands Landfall reprint coming
He leaves behind—in me at least—a similar passion for the history
of Turks & Caicos and finding out more. This led me, after his death,
to re-visit the Turks Island Landfall volumes he had produced and
re-publish his works under cover of one consolidated volume from
the Columbus period up to the mid-1980s. This came out in 1997
and, unfortunately, is now out of print.
The good news is that I’m currently working on producing a
reprint, which should be available in another 12 months or less.
Hopefully, I’ll be able to integrate some graphic and other improvements
to the publication without altering the style of my father’s
work. My sense is that it’s something that should not be “put away” or forgotten but will be welcomed by many people
here and abroad. a
Above is Marjorie Sadler’s well-worn and placemarkfestooned
copy of the 1997 edition of Turks Island
Landfall. She is working on a reprint that should be available
within a year.
Museum matters
News from Grace Bay
My first encounter with Sabrina and Jean Lorestil was
in December 2017 as they toured the Museum in
Providenciales. At that time, I had no idea that they
were considering making a visit there part of their
wedding celebration.
On April 21, 2018 I had the pleasure of sharing
the history of the Turks & Caicos with a delightful
group of Sabrina and Jean’s family and friends. The
young couple’s relationship started when they met in
Manchester, England while both were studying aboard.
Sabrina is from the USA and Jean is from Turks &
Caicos, with ancestral ties to Haiti. Guests traveled to
Providenciales for the celebration from Ghana, Haiti,
Florida, Texas, Virginia, Connecticut and Washington,
DC. Their festive mood was infectious and by the end
of David Bowen’s stellar cultural heritage presentation
we were all in a celebratory mood.
During the tour, when I spoke of the Trouvadore
shipwreck, I learned that the guests from Ghana were
particularly intrigued. They explained that they were
Sabrina and Jean Lorestil’s wedding celebration including a trip to
the National Museum’s Grace Bay Campus.
amazed at the depth of the connection they experienced
on this their first visit to these islands. They
spoke of how David Bowen’s presentation—especially
his drumming—reminded them of their homeland, as
did the Junkanoo at fish fry the night before. When they
heard about the Trouvadore slave shipwreck, Bambarra
in Middle Caicos, and the connection that it might have
to the Bambarra people of West Africa, it made the
many miles that separate our two countries shrink even
further. a
Story & Photo By Candianne Williams
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astrolabe newsletter of the Turks & Caicos National Museum
The Cat ’n’ Fiddle on South Caicos is one building that has stood the test of time, over the years being used for many purposes.
Childhood Memories
Recollections of growing up on South Caicos.
By Emily Malcolm ~ Photos Courtesy Sailrock South Caicos Archival Collection
As I took a stroll through my community of South Caicos, I reminisced on my childhood and teenage years.
I saw buildings or parts thereof that reminded me of some of the most exciting and joyous experiences in
my lifetime. These memorable moments encouraged me to share what it was like growing up there and
the activities that took place within certain buildings.
So journey with me 50 to 60 years down memory lane to experience my reflections about such places
as: The Cat ’n’ Fiddle, Silver Slippers, Carib Hall, Government Elementary School (Old School), Cassidy
Heights, Sir Hugh, The Cinema, and Benevolent Hall.
Times of the Islands Summer 2018 57

astrolabe newsletter of the Turks & Caicos National Museum
Cornelia’s Variety Store was the place to buy material for a new dress and new shoes prior to a night out at the Silver Slippers.
Back in the days, it was the culturally accepted practise
that children and teenagers did not attend the same
events as adults. Parents certainly did not attend the
same sessions as their children. So, afternoon events
typically catered to children and teenagers, while night
events were for adults. The movies were the exception.
Many parents accompanied their children to the movies
because they only happened at night.
The Cat ’n’ Fiddle and Silver Slippers were the main
nightclubs for many years, but they also hosted tea parties,
movies, dances and birthday celebrations. Dance
sessions for children were held in the mid-afternoon to
early evening hours. They were called The Matinee or The
Hop. In the early 1970s, Sir Hugh and Cassidy Heights
were opened. This gave the community more choices and
a taste of modern entertainment.
As children growing up, we were always excited to
attend these events. Even when there were regular parties,
your attendance was not guaranteed because your
invitation was not guaranteed, and in any event the permission
to attend rested with your parents who had the
final word.
It was customary and morally accepted that young
ladies be accompanied by older women to each and every
social event held at night. Usually a list of invitees would
have been made and someone, most likely a young man,
would have taken it to the parent or guardian of each
invitee. If the parent reached for the pen, that was an
indication that the signing of the invitation was imminent.
This was important because it meant that consent was
given to attend the party. On the day of the party young
ladies would ask, “Gurl, they having party, my name on de
list?” The next question would be, “Is Miss Dora name on
de list?” If not, then many, many young ladies knew that
they would not be going to that event.
Who was Miss Dora? Dora Lightbourne was an older
lady who acted as chaperone for young ladies wanting
to attend any event when the mother or other adult relatives
were unavailable. She walked to each girl’s home to
collect and drop off for every occasion. She was a mentor,
a role model to young ladies and highly respected by
the entire community. She was an entrepreneur who for
many years owned and operated the restaurant, Dora’s
Sip and Chat at the South Caicos International Airport.
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astrolabe newsletter of the Turks & Caicos National Museum
This airport was a fuelling station for small aircraft flying
between South and North America. It was also the fuelling
stop for airplanes travelling to Puerto Rico and the
United States Virgin Islands during the annual air show.
Sometimes there were as many as 50 or more planes
on the ground in one day! Many of the pilots ate at the
restaurant, resulting in Miss Dora gaining international
recognition for her famous “Dora’s lobster sandwich.”
The Silver Slippers
What was a regular night at the Silver Slippers like? In
one word—exciting! There was no commercial electricity
then, but this building and the bar next door were powered
by a generator. So there were lights on, and that
generated excitement all by itself! This was the hot spot
for those in “society” who could only afford Scrap Iron or
Taffair, the cheapest kind of rum imported from Haiti.
(Today it is called Monkey Bag.)
The women made new dresses from materials purchased
from Cornelia’s Variety Store and bought new
shoes as well, as they prepared to have their night at the
Silver Slippers. There were regular supplies for this store
from Haiti, Jamaica, and National Bellas Hess, then later
Montgomery Ward, both enterprises in the United States.
I admired the ladies as they came to my Grandma
Cornelia’s store, purchased their material and/or shoes,
and went straight to the seamstress, then to the hairdresser.
Any time after sunset, they could be seen decked
out in their new outfits and fancy hairdos. I would wait by
the front window of the shop to see them. They partied
all night and the next morning would no doubt be seen
in the same apparel because they would have slept in
their outfits. (In colloquial terms, “They slept wholesale.” )
There was no hair perm at that time so the hairstyles only
lasted for the night and were back to their original state
by the next morning.
Regardless of what the men and women endured
during the day, they had money to play the juke box and
surely expressed themselves through dance and socializing
at night. As children living in this neighbourhood, we
looked forward to the fights that normally followed such
a celebrative night. One couple, who lived next door,
would definitely fight since the husband would reach
home first and lock the door so his wife could not come
in. Whenever she arrived, there was banging on the door,
shouting and sometimes stoning of the house. We called
them our “live movies.” Law enforcement officers anticipated
what would happen, so they would typically caution
them and sometimes take one party to the police station
or to jail to spend the night. Depending on the severity of
bodily harm done, someone might be taken to court and
possibly sentenced for their behaviour.
South Caicos Cinema
Uncle Dick’s Cinema, as it was called, brought a real cinematic
experience to this little fishing community. People
anxiously awaited the arrival of Bahamas Air on Tuesdays
so they could find out what movie would be showing that
week. The seating arrangement made this building the
ideal place to hold community meetings, church services
and gospel concerts. On movie night there was a concession
stand with hot dogs, popcorn and sodas on sale.
The building was last occupied by the New Testament
Church of God. It has since been bought by the School
for Field Studies, an extension of Boston University (USA)
for marine biology.
Carib Hall
This tin building with wooden floor could be viewed in
its early years (1950s to 1970s) as the “classy centre”
of the residential town, for not any and everybody could
patronize events that were held there. Some of these
were welcome parties for visitors to the island, private
parties and tea parties.
This building has had many lives. It accommodated
the early childhood education class under the supervision
of Mrs. Iris Stubbs and student teacher Mrs. Noreane
Williams McKoy. It was also a movie theatre. That is where
I first saw “The Titanic.” It was also a dance hall during
the disco era. Two popular songs were “Kung Fu Fighting”
and “Down on the Corner.” It was a banquet hall for many
church events, the Carib West Wholesale Liquor Store
under the management of Mr. Royalton Harvey, and then
a storeroom for Super Value Supermarket as recent as
Hurricanes Irma and Maria.
Inside, the building was always hot. Many feared
that the floor would come crashing down as a result of
the weight of the large crowds and the vibration as they
danced to the pulsating beat of the Bee Gees and other
artists of that era while having fun, fun, fun!
“Miss Chayla’s Wall,” which is in front of the building,
was the place persons ran to find a seat and cool off
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astrolabe newsletter of the Turks & Caicos National Museum
Carib Hall was always tin-roofed and hot inside. It was the “classy centre” of the South Caicos in its early days, housing everything from a
school to a movie theatre to a grocery store as it aged.
in the refreshing night breeze. Many love affairs began
there—and some were ended there as well!
The Sir Hugh
This building with a club, dance hall and restaurant was
the hot modern spot for all in love. To have sat in the
roofless dance hall with the raw salina pond breezes
pounding one’s shivery body, could have only meant that
there was someone nearby to make one warm.
The Sir Hugh was also strategically located near what
has always been the sports complex of South Caicos.
This included the basketball court and the parade ground
where all schools held sporting activities and the place
the community came together to play cricket. Parades,
commonly called marches, either began or ended here as
well—for example, the Benevolent Anniversary March.
The Benevolent Hall
The Benevolent Burial and Savings Society was one
organization. It was formed on May 24, 1887. Weekly
meetings were held every Tuesday. Sick members benefitted
weekly from the fees and when members died,
families were assisted with burial expenses. The organisation
also made coffins and sold them to members of
the community.
For many years May 24 was celebrated as the anniversary
of the organisation. Persons travelled from the
Bahamas, United States and other family islands for this
grand occasion every year. Members held a service at
one of the churches, then marched through the town to
the beat and rhythm of a brass band. This culminated
with a “shay-shay” dance session at the salina. The men
wore black suits with black hats; bow or neck ties with
white shirts. The women were clad in white. This included
dress, petticoat or slip, shoes, hat, handbag and accessories.
Some of the ladies had custom-made embroidered
petticoats to display during the shay-shay. This was the
most anticipated event of the year.
A multi-purpose building, the Benevolent Hall served
as a sanctuary when church buildings were being renovated
or as an entertainment centre for religious and
secular programmes and concerts, or for town hall meetings
and tea parties and even as the first home of Pierson
High School (now Marjorie Basden High School).
In the early 1960s, there were three churches on the
island: St. George’s Anglican, South Caicos Methodist
and Mount Olive Baptist. Each church held a tea party
event at a special time of year. The ecumenical fellowship
was so good that everyone looked forward to each other’s
events and supported them all.
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I recall that at the age of seven, I learnt the meaning
of tea party, but more so the expression “throwing up” for
the tea party. When told that I had to pay thurpence (three
pence) to throw up for the Methodist Tea Party, I became
nervous and started crying. My mother asked what had
happened and I told her what I had heard. She explained
to me that “throw up” meant the amount of money one
had to pay. The thought of knowing what I would have
to eat and drink made me very anxious for the time to
come. I knew that I would get to feast on queen cakes,
homemade ice cream, candies, cake, ginger beer and also
a cup of green tea sweetened with condensed milk . . .
mmmm! There were lots more delicious treats like fudge,
and coconut and milk douce.
Of all the events held on the island, “entertainments”
were the most exciting. Entertainments meant the dramatization
of songs (local and international), movies,
cultural skits (events that actually happened) and dances
like the shotee, waltz, and heel and toe polka. There were
certain persons who just had to be a part of the event.
Ma Susan Clare and Frankie Seymour Junior were two of
those persons. They kept everyone laughing for days long
after the event.
Ma Susan loved to sing and act the song, “The
Chicken.” Before her act she would take “a shot” (a drink
of rum), so being spirited she was ready for action. Once
she took awhile to appear after she was announced, and
her grandson shouted, “This is an old hen!” The audience
roared with laughter because they knew who was coming
next.
Cassidy Heights
In its early years of operation, Cassidy Heights promoted
disco music and live bands. The famous Smokey 007 performed
there in the 1970s for a whole week. There were
also bands from the Bahamas and several local artists
including The Blue Jays from Grand Turk.
“We getting frossy!” That meant that everybody going
out to socialize would be at Cassidy Heights. If Crum
(local artist William Seymour) and his band Cease Fire
were going to be performing, then it would definitely be a
full house and the competition to get inside would be difficult.
Two of their original songs, “Banana” and “Bombing
Up In Baghdad,” were top hits and remain so even today
among persons from South Caicos.
This stone building was situated on the hill above
Conch Ground, opposite the Slaughter House. Many
persons rented it for children’s parties. It was also very
popular for visiting artists from the other islands and
during Regatta weekend. Today it houses a game room
and a laundromat.
The Benevolent Hall was another multi-purpose building, serving as a sanctuary, entertainment centre, school or meeting place as need be.
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astrolabe newsletter of the Turks & Caicos National Museum
In my grade 3 class, I made a set of matching cotton
petticoat and bloomers (panties). Mrs. Iris Stubbs
taught the sewing class and showed us how to backstitch.
Those items were sewn by hand. We were very competitive
and each girl wanted to produce the neatest item.
Upon completion, all items were sold and the money used
to replenish the material. Today, the Department of the
Environment and Maritime Affairs occupies the building.
For many years, Old School was the only government school on South
Caicos. Later, it became the Community Centre, hosting many community
events.
Old School (Government School)
This two-storey structure was built in the 1890s. It has
withstood all the disastrous hurricanes through the years
and remains in excellent condition. For many years it was
the only government educational institution on South
Caicos. It catered to all-age education that was from kindergarten
(known as Junior A and B) to grade 8. Students
left the last grade and started their teaching career.
Several pursued and became certified trained teachers.
This building was also referred to as the Community
Centre. Many community events were held here, including
movies, church services and youth groups, parties,
town hall meetings, and it was a meeting place for organisations
such as Soroptimist International of South Caicos,
uniform groups and senior citizens.
My cherished memories are the learning opportunities
I had in academics and vocational skills and
the Valentine’s Day sale. The Youth Fellowship of the
Methodist Church held an annual Valentine’s Day sale
and all the youth on island were in attendance. Many wore
red and white. There were special cards, chicken, conch
fritters, cake and many other sweet treats on sale.
The highlight was the post office and delivery of
cards. Persons bought cards, paid to have them posted,
and at intervals the postmistress would stop receiving
cards and read the names of those posted. Many secrets
of lovers or admirers were revealed. I remember some
girls actually crying when they received a card from a
certain young man. Some guys did it just to tease them.
The event was great fun.
The Cat ’n’ Fiddle
Of all the buildings mentioned, the only one in operation
is the Cat ’n’ Fiddle. This stone building is opposite the
coastline near Cedar Park. It is no wonder that this compound,
the property of Lloyd C. Stubbs (son of Norman
Stubbs), was called the Sponge Shed, as it was used for
drying sponges and storing the cleaned product before it
was shipped to Nassau. This business ended when a boat
sank en route to Nassau.
The Cat ’n’ Fiddle Club was the most popular building
on the island. It was the island’s entertainment centre
up to the early 1990s. It housed a bar, was known for
its big screen movies followed by dancing with juke box
music, then came the discotheque or disco music and
also live band. This was for young adults and adults only.
Many male teenagers frequented this place although they
knew that the police officers would be looking for them
because they had not reached the legal age of 21and had
to be accompanied by an adult.
There was the children’s matinee during the afternoon
and before night fell all children had to be at home.
Parents could be seen going to get their children or children
hurrying to get home before parents came to look
for them. If the latter was to happen, that was a sure
beating. The most common phrase used as it took place
was “Sunset be in de yard.”
As a teenager, one looked forward to being eligible
to go out after Old Year’s night service to the Cat
’n’ Fiddle to join the crowd dancing until sunrise. This
was the introduction to the New Year. It was a joyous
occasion and the most anticipated event for New Year’s
Day. I strongly believe that many, like myself, changed
this pattern of behaviour when Rev. Otto Wade, the thensuperintendent
Methodist minister, preached his sermon
entitled, “Turn Your Disco Into a Conco,” one Old Year’s
Day night. The conviction was too strong, that that was
not the place to go after service. That sermon and the
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astrolabe newsletter of the Turks & Caicos National Museum
poor attendance at the dance was the talk of the town
for a long time. Even today it is spoken about with much
conviction.
Through the years the Cat ’n’ Fiddle has withstood
the test of time. It has experienced businesses such as
a game room, grocery and furniture store. Presently it
houses a bar, restaurant and grocery store selling products
imported from the Dominican Republic.
This journey has certainly reminded me of my wonderful
childhood and how much fun I had growing up on
South Caicos. I hope this article helped readers experience
the culture of the time and place in which I lived. I
know that many will recall happenings not mentioned, so
share them and arouse your past so that our awesome
journey through life will help someone else to appreciate
today for what it is worth! a
Emily Malcolm is a native of South Caicos and a teacher
who owns and operates Elam’s Care Centre. She has twice
served as district commissioner for South Caicos, besides
holding other local offices. Emily is a local Methodist
preacher. Her hobbies are cooking, reading, writing and
handicraft, especially shell work.
Museum matters
Upgrading the Museum
Since my arrival in Grand Turk, I have been faced
with two major questions. The first was: When will
the museum reopen? It officially reopened March
1, 2018. More recently: When will the Museum’s
balcony be fixed? As most readers are aware, the
Museum sustained major damage, including serious
damage to our front balcony, from Hurricane Maria.
Work has started to replace the balcony with a stronger
version. Additionally, the front windows will be
replaced with hurricane-strength windows, in a more
traditional window style. The previous balcony and
windows were installed in the 1970s and were not in
keeping with the architectural history of the building.
In 2017, the TCNM was the recipient of the proceeds
from the Grand Turk Fishing Tournament and this is
paying for the new windows.
Join the Museum
Become a Member of the
Turks & Caicos National
Museum and receive a
year’s subscription to Times of the Islands (which
includes Astrolabe), free admission to the Museum
and other benefits.
Senior (62+) $35 • Individual $50
Family/Friend $100 • Sponsor $250
Contributor $500 • Partner $750
We have several options for joining:
• Visit the Museum at our Providenciales location at
The Village at Grace Bay or our Grand Turk location
in Guinep House on Front Street
• Visit our website at www.tcmuseum.org/membership-support/.
*For U.S. residents, support of the Museum may be tax-deductible
if you join via Friends of the Turks & Caicos National Museum, our
affiliated institution and registered 501 (c) (3).
See our website for more details:
www.tcmuseum.org.
The Museum’s new balcony is taking shape, following the damage
from Hurricane Maria in September 2017.
Also, most of our air conditioners were damaged
in the storms and their aftermath. We are in the process
of exchanging all the air conditioning units in the
Museum and the Donald Keith Science Building with
energy efficient units. This work is being sponsored
by the His Excellency Dr. John Freeman, Governor of
the Turks & Caicos Islands and the British Foreign
and Commonwealth Office.
One of the challenges that museums must
address is how to maintain ideal climate controls to
protect the variety of historic resources that we are
mandated to protect. This is even more challenging
in the aftermath of major storms which results in the
MICHAEL P. PATEMAN
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astrolabe newsletter of the Turks & Caicos National Museum
Museum matters
loss of electrical power for several weeks. Although
the Museum and Science Building were without power
for six weeks after the September 2017 storms we are
pleased that we had minimal damage to our collections.
However, through a generous donation from the
Turks & Caicos Government/Grand Turk Cruise Center
Infrastructure Fund, we were able to purchase and
PAT SAXTON
install an emergency generator, in the event of a longterm
power loss.
It is through partnerships such as these and others
that the Museum is able to continue to upgrade our
facilities to better preserve and protect the rich cultural
heritage of the Turks & Caicos Islands. This only happens
if you or your organization help with donations!
For more information, email info@tcmuseum.org. a
Museum Director Michael P. Pateman
Sad news
We were saddened by the news that Cecile Wennick
passed away on April 28, 2018. Cecile worked for the
Museum Gift Shop for three years, breaking all daily
sales records. Cecile was known for her zest for life
and sense of humor. The entire staff sends our deepest
sympathies to her family. a
The Museum is introducing a new line of branded products in its
gift shop, sporting the updated logo.
A new look
We are in the process of
rebranding the Museum
in an effort to reach a
broader audience and
to have a more dynamic
look. Maybe you noticed
our new logo design.
Since everyone always
refers to us as “The
Museum,” we decided to embrace that name as the
focus of our logo. It allows us to use it with various
backgrounds and images that might represent a current
exhibit, event or location.
Our mission and passion have not changed. We will
continue to preserve, protect and promote the history
and culture of these Islands.
We have relaunched our monthly newsletter
“Artifacts.” (Send an email to info@tcmuseum.org if
you are interested in subscribing.) Also, we are redeveloping
our website, and a line of branded items for the
gift shop. a
MICHAEL P. PATEMAN
The late Cecile Wennick, who for many years ran The Arches of
Grand Turk with her husband Wally, enjoying working in the
Museum Gift Shop.
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faces and places
MICHAEL P. PATEMAN
Clockwise from top: David Bowen blowing a conch shell while the Ripsaw Band plays on.
Learning to grind corn the traditional way is hard on the arms. Weaving a basket from straw
is no easy task. The hungry crowd enjoyed freshly fried conch fritters. Fishing nets were made
by hand “back in the day.”
Back in the Day
The Turks & Caicos National Museum’s Caicos Heritage Homestead came alive on
May 20, 2018. To celebrate International Museum Day, the Village at Grace Bay
campus included dramatic performances, food, music, dance and traditional crafts
representing life in the Islands “Back in the Day.” The tremendous participation and
support from the community is a good indication of their interest in knowing, practicing
and passing on the TCI’s cultural heritage to the next generation.
Sponsors included: the TCI Government, TCI Tourist Board, Provident Ltd., Cove
Construction, InterCaribbean Airways, Turks Head Brewery, Digicel, The Hartling
Group, Grace Bay Car Rentals, Caribbean Cruisin’, Blue Loos and Bobby Been. Many
people are credited with making the event a success, including: Emily Malcolm, Long
Bay and Clement Howell High Schools, the Breezy Bay Maypole Dancers, Leeward
Methodist Women’s Fellowship, David Bowen and the Ripsaw Band, Pastor Goldston
Williams, James J. Parker, Daphne Forbes, Hilton Forbes, Alverra Duncanson, Albert
Gray, Pastor Olitta Missick, Magnetic Media, Got U Covered and Turks & Caicos
National Museum staff and volunteers Pat and Neil Saxton, Hillary Day and Ivy
Basden.
CANDIANNE WILLIAMS MICHAEL P. PATEMAN
By Candianne Williams,
Turks & Caicos National Museum
CANDIANNE WILLIAMS
CANDIANNE WILLIAMS
Times of the Islands Summer 2018 65

new development
Opposite page: Turks Cay Resort & Marina’s developer Arik Kislin stands on the project site beside a pole erected with the hometowns of all
the people who attended his 50th birthday bash on Providenciales.
Above: This aerial rendering depicts the layout of the resort and marina, centered around a secluded beach cove, with the marina to the back
of the drawing.
The Islands’ New Cay
Turks Cay Resort & Marina offers a six-star luxury experience
By Kathy Borsuk ~ Photos Courtesy Turks Cay Resort & Marina
We often say the Turks & Caicos Islands are made up of some 40 islands and cays. A new one is being
added this year—Turks Cay Resort & Marina. Planned to sprawl over 16 1/2 acres of secluded shorefront
and bluff and including a secluded cove, Turks Cay will be the home of an unmatched oasis for aficionados
of the country’s rejuvenating blend of sun, sand and sea.
Times of the Islands Summer 2018 67

Turks Cay Resort & Marina plans to introduce a luxury
experience in beachfront resort living that will usher
in a new era in TCI accommodations. In a befitting twist
of fate, it is located on the site of Providenciales’ first
hotel—the Third Turtle Inn—and flanks the birthplace
of tourism at Turtle Cove. The property also embraces
the lovely cove at Babalua Beach, long known for its fine,
white sand and colorful offshore reef, and tiny Diddly
Cay. This quiet residential area is set apart from the Grace
Bay bustle, with limited access and limitless privacy.
All of these features attracted self-made developer,
entrepreneur and philanthropist Arik Kislin, best known
for the Chelsea Markets in Manhattan and the Gansevoort
Hotels in New York City. Arik was initially involved in the
Gansevoort Turks + Caicos, a chic and successful resort
at the western end of Grace Bay. After stepping back
from that project, he focused his enthusiasm and skills
on Turks Cay.
With quiet confidence, Arik described the thought
process that went into planning Turks Cay. “I’ve spent
decades in luxury hotel and resort development and I’ve
been involved in eight separate projects. I spend a lot
of time among the high-end crowd, and I enjoy watching
them, talking to them and listening to their opinions.
Every aspect of Turks Cay Resort & Marina has been
designed to address their desires. I want it to be the best
resort in the Caribbean.”
The project’s first phase will include a total of 143
suites, including 11 penthouses in four, six-story buildings
fronting 780 feet of private beach cove. Studios are
over 700 sq. ft. and include a walk-in closet, kitchenette
and an ocean view terrace. At over 1,200 sq. ft., one bedroom
suites include a full kitchen, separated living space,
work area, and a large terrace with outdoor showers. With
nearly 1,400 sq. ft., master suites boast panoramic views
and natural wood furnishings. The cunning arrangement
of units allows owners to combine more than one into
a two bedroom with lock-out for rental. The huge rooftop
penthouses boast over 5,000 sq. ft. and unrivalled
views of Provo’s spectacular north shore and reef, an
ever-changing kalidescope of color.
Part of Arik’s research included a detailed study
of sun and wind patterns to best design outdoor areas
for comfort. The beach cove will be encircled by private
cabanas, while each of the three swimming pools will
offer sun and shade areas, deep and shallow water sections,
and, of course, pool bars. The public space design
and water features placement expands space between
buildings, lending the property an uncrowded appeal. I
predict that a favorite place to explore will be the wooden
boardwalk above the cove’s rocky border, with private
cabanas set along its length.
Three large pools, carefully planned to offer sun and shade areas, along with varying depths, wind between the buildings.
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This rendering of the view of the Turks Cay Resort beach communicates the spacious expanse of the low-density resort.
After spending years among the high-end yacht and
private jet crowd (many of whom attended his on-site
50th birthday bash earlier this year), Arik promises a sixstar
experience from start to finish. He says, “We’ll have
personal butlers meet and greet owners and guests at the
FBO or from a private lounge at the airport. Of course,
we will already have learnt their personal preferences—
everything from their preferred room temperature to the
foods, beverages and music
they’d like in their suite. While
we expect some of our owners
to rent out their units when
they are not on island, we have
no restriction on the length
of time people can stay. This
is unique among resort/condominiums.”
Arik adds that
certain areas of the resort will
be designated as adults-only.
Some owners may arrive
via private yacht and the Turks
Cay Marina will welcome boats
up to 125 feet. Here they will
find a premier marina facility,
including locker rooms,
lounges, showers and recreation
for transient crews.
But Arik Kislin’s years of
research uncovered a surprising
discovery. After spending
much of the early part of the day on the beach or in the
water, many TCI guests are eager to find something else
to do. There will be no lack of that on Turks Cay. In fact,
the resort will include over 200,000 sq. ft. of amenities!
Dining choices will range from gourmet, world-class
eateries to cafés, a pizzeria, sushi grill and an ice cream
parlour. The secluded spa/sanctuary emotes vibrations
of tranquility and rejuvenation with a wide range of the
The Turks Cay Resort & Marina site plan shows how all the aspects of the project—current and
future—will fit together.
Times of the Islands Summer 2018 69

This rendering of Turks Cay Resort’s 1,400 sq. ft. master suite suggests the modern look of the furnishings and the unit’s ocean view.
latest health and beauty therapies. This is complemented
by two gym/fitness centres and a unique, high-tech multipurpose
facility. As Arik explains, “This 9,000 sq. ft.
space features an advanced flooring system using customizable
LED marking lines. This allows it to be used
as a basketball, tennis or racquetball court or an area for
weddings or corporate events in the case of bad weather.”
A large banquet facility supports the hosting of such
events. There will even be a dog hotel so pets can enjoy
the cay as much as their owners.
Turks Cay owners and guests will also have for their
use a 40 person screening room, similar to an IMAX theatre,
and a library designed to encourage “quiet time.”
A cigar lounge offers top tier cigar and drink selections,
while a sophisticated evening lounge entices with live
entertainment.
Paradise does occasionally experience rain or a cloudy
day. Turks Cay cunningly combines guests’ desires for
things to do when the weather is bad with the island’s
need for an attractive public shopping area. While Turks
Cay residences will be secure, private, and only accessible
to owners and guests via a gated road, the eastern side
of the complex will include a public boardwalk with highend
designer shopping, as well as a casino.
While the project will proceed in phases, government
approval has been granted and construction will
start this year. Turks Cay Resort & Marina is represented
by Hamilton Real Estate, a Savills International associate,
founded by native Norman Hamilton in 2006. Sam
Hunt, the exclusive agent, says initial interest is high, and
unlike other resort/condominiums on the market today,
The original Third Turtle Inn was built in the late 1960s to accommodate
luxury travelers of the day. It stood on the bluff, which will be
part of Turks Cay Resort’s future development.
Turks Cay construction is not contingent on pre-sales; all
the financing is already in place.
It’s interesting that Providenciales’ first visionaries
were the wealthy Duponts and Ludingtons, who arrived
in Turtle Cove in the 1960s and set off to create an idyllic
island hideaway, which was once a haunt of celebrities
including supermodel Cheryl Tiegs, baseball great Ted
Williams and Jaws author Peter Benchley. Their investment
spawned the Providenciales of today. Arik Kislin’s
dream of building a “game-changer for the island” 50
years later is much different in appearance but reflects
the same dream. a
For more information, contact Sam Hunt at 649 941
4422 or 331 4066 or visit www.hamilton.tc.
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Turks Cay
resort & marina
Providenciales, Turks & Caicos
Luxury Living, Six-Star Getaway
Studios from $600,000 ~ One Bedrooms from $1,049,000
Master Suites from $1,229,000 ~ Penthouses available
For More Information
Call (649) 941 4422 or (649) 331 4066 or Visit www.Hamilton.tc

about the Islands
Map provided courtesy Wavey Line Publishing. Their navigation charts and decorative and historic maps of the Turks & Caicos Islands, the
Bahamas, and Hispaniola are available in shops throughout the Islands. Visit www.waveylinepublishing.com.
Where we are
The Turks & Caicos Islands lie some 575 miles southeast
of Miami — approximately 1 1/2 hours flying time — with
the Bahamas about 30 miles to the northwest and the
Dominican Republic some 100 miles to the southeast.
The country consists of two island groups separated
by the 22-mile wide Columbus Passage. To the west are
the Caicos Islands: West Caicos, Providenciales, North
Caicos, Middle Caicos, East Caicos, and South Caicos. To
the east are the Turks Islands: Grand Turk and Salt Cay.
The Turks & Caicos total 166 square miles of land
area on eight islands and 40 small cays. The country’s
population is approximately 40,000.
Getting here
There are international airports on Grand Turk, North
Caicos, Providenciales, and South Caicos, with domestic
airports on all of the islands except East Caicos.
At this time, all of the major international carriers
arrive and depart from Providenciales International
Airport. American Airlines flies from Miami, Charlotte and
New York/JFK. JetBlue Airways offers service from Fort
Lauderdale, Boston and New York/JFK. Southwest Airlines
travels to Fort Lauderdale. Delta Airlines flies from Atlanta
and New York/JFK. United Airlines flies from Chicago and
Newark. WestJet travels from Toronto. Air Canada offer
flights from Toronto and Montreal. British Airways travels
from London/Gatwick via Antigua.
72 www.timespub.tc

Bahamasair and InterCaribbean Airways fly to Nassau,
Bahamas. Flights to: Antigua; Dominica; Cap Haitien and
Port Au Prince, Haiti; Kingston and Montego Bay, Jamaica;
Puerto Plata and Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic; San
Juan, Puerto Rico; St. Lucia; St. Maarten; Santiago, Cuba;
and Tortola are available on InterCaribbean Airways, while
Caicos Express travels to Cap Haitien daily. (Schedules
are current as of June 2018 and subject to change.)
Inter-island service is provided by InterCaribbean
Airways, Caicos Express Airways, and Global Airways. Sea
and air freight services operate from Florida.
Language
English.
Time zone
Eastern Standard Time (EST)/Daylight Savings Time
observed.
Currency
The United States dollar. The Treasury also issues a Turks
& Caicos crown and quarter. Travellers cheques in U.S.
dollars are widely accepted and other currency can be
changed at local banks. American Express, VISA, and
MasterCard are welcomed at many locations.
Climate
The average year-round temperature is 83ºF (28ºC). The
hottest months are September and October, when the
temperature can reach 90 to 95ºF (33 to 35ºC). However,
the consistent easterly trade winds temper the heat and
keep life comfortable.
Casual resort and leisure wear is accepted attire for
daytime; light sweaters or jackets may be necessary on
some breezy evenings. It’s wise to wear protective clothing
and a sunhat and use waterproof sunscreen when out
in the tropical sun.
Entry requirements
Passport. A valid onward or return ticket is also required.
Customs formalities
Visitors may bring in duty free for their own use one carton
of cigarettes or cigars, one bottle of liquor or wine,
and some perfume. The importation of all firearms including
those charged with compressed air without prior
approval in writing from the Commissioner of Police is
strictly forbidden. Spear guns, Hawaiian slings, controlled
drugs, and pornography are also illegal.
Times of the Islands Summer 2018 73

Returning residents may bring in $400 worth of
merchandise per person duty free. A duty of 10% to
60% is charged on most imported goods along with a
7% customs processing fee and forms a major source of
government revenue.
Transportation
A valid driver’s license from home is suitable when renting
vehicles. A government tax of 12% is levied on all
rental contracts. (Insurance is extra.) Driving is on the
left-hand side of the road, with traffic flow controlled by
round-abouts at major junctions. Please don’t drink and
drive! Taxis are abundant throughout the Islands and
many resorts offer shuttle service between popular visitor
areas. Scooter, motorcycle, and bicycle rentals are
also available.
Telecommunications
FLOW Ltd. provides land lines and superfast broadband
Internet service. Mobile service is on a LTE 4G network,
including pre and post-paid cellular phones. Most resorts
and some stores and restaurants offer wireless Internet
connection. Digicel operates mobile networks, with
a full suite of LTE 4G service. FLOW is the local carrier
for CDMA roaming on US networks such as Verizon and
Sprint. North American visitors with GSM cellular handsets
and wireless accounts with AT&T or Cingular can
arrange international roaming.
Electricity
120/240 volts, 60 Hz, suitable for all U.S. appliances.
Departure tax
US $20 for all persons two years and older, payable in
cash or traveller’s cheques. It is typically built into the
cost of your ticket.
Courier service
Delivery service is provided by FedEx, with offices on
Providenciales and Grand Turk, and DHL. UPS service is
limited to incoming delivery.
Postal service
The Post Office and Philatelic Bureau in Providenciales is
located downtown in Butterfield Square. In Grand Turk,
the Post Office is on Front Street, with the Philatelic
Bureau on Church Folly. The Islands are known for their
varied and colorful stamp issues.
Media
Multi-channel satellite television is received from the U.S.
and Canada and transmitted via cable or over the air.
Local station WIV-TV broadcasts on Channel 4 and Island
EyeTV on Channel 5. People’s Television offers 75 digitally
transmitted television stations, along with local news
and talk shows on Channel 8. There are also a number of
local radio stations, magazines, and newspapers.
Medical services
There are no endemic tropical diseases in TCI. There are
large, modern hospitals on Grand Turk and Providenciales.
Both hospitals offer a full range of services including:
24/7 emergency room, operating theaters, diagnostic
imaging, maternity suites, dialysis suites, blood bank,
physiotherapy, and dentistry.
In addition, several general practitioners operate in
the country, and there is a recompression chamber, along
with a number of private pharmacies.
Immigration
A resident’s permit is required to live in the Islands. A
work permit and business license are also required to
work and/or establish a business. These are generally
granted to those offering skills, experience, and qualifications
not widely available on the Islands. Priority is given
to enterprises that will provide employment and training
for T&C Islanders.
Government/Legal system
TCI is a British Crown colony. There is a Queen-appointed
Governor, HE Dr. John Freeman. He presides over an executive
council formed by the elected local government.
Lady Sharlene Cartwright-Robinson is the country’s first
woman premier, leading a majority People’s Democratic
Movement (PDM) House of Assembly.
The legal system is based upon English Common
Law and administered by a resident Chief Justice, Chief
Magistrate, and Deputy Magistrates. Judges of the Court
of Appeal visit the Islands twice a year and there is a final
Right of Appeal to Her Majesty’s Privy Council in London.
Taxes
There are currently no direct taxes on either income
or capital for individuals or companies. There are no
exchange controls. Indirect taxation comprises customs
duties and fees, stamp duty, taxes on accommodations,
restaurants, vehicle rentals, other services and gasoline,
as well as business license fees and departure taxes.
74 www.timespub.tc

Brew ad May 2017_Layout 1 5/11/17 10:51 AM Page 1
Economy
Historically, TCI’s economy relied on the export of salt.
Currently, tourism, the offshore finance industry, and
fishing generate the most private sector income. The
Islands’ main exports are lobster and conch, with the
world’s first commercial conch farm once operating on
Providenciales. Practically all consumer goods and foodstuffs
are imported.
The Turks & Caicos Islands are recognised as an
important offshore financial centre, offering services
such as company formation, offshore insurance, banking,
trusts, limited partnerships, and limited life companies.
The Financial Services Commission regulates the industry
and spearheads the development of offshore legislation.
People
Citizens of the Turks & Caicos Islands are termed
“Belongers” and are primarily descendants of African
slaves who were brought to the Islands to work on the
salt ponds and cotton plantations. The country’s large
expatriate population includes Canadians, Americans,
Brits and Europeans, along with Haitians, Jamaicans,
Dominicans, Bahamians, Indians, and Filipinos.
Turk’s Head Brewery
Brewery Tours Monday-Friday
11AM, 1PM, 3PM
$15/pp
Enjoy a complimentary selection of local craft beer
after your tour!
Email tours@turksheadbeer.com
Call 649.941.3637 x 1005 to book
www.turksheadbrewery.tc
52 Universal Dr.
Providenciales, TCI
TOUR TASTE SHOP
Churches
Churches are the center of community life and there
are many faiths represented in the Islands, including:
Adventist, Anglican, Assembly of God, Baha’i,
Baptist, Catholic, Church of God of Prophecy, Episcopal,
Faith Tabernacle Church of God, Jehovah’s Witnesses,
Methodist and Pentecostal. Visitors are always welcome.
Pets
Incoming pets must have an import permit, veterinary
health certificate, vaccination certificate, and lab test
results to be submitted at the port of entry to obtain
clearance from the TCI Department of Agriculture, Animal
Health Services.
National symbols
The National Bird is the Brown pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis).
The National Plant is Island heather (Limonium
bahamense) found nowhere else in the world. The
National Tree is the Caribbean pine (Pinus caribaea var.
bahamensis). The National Costume consists of white cotton
dresses tied at the waist for women and simple shirts
and loose pants for men, with straw hats. Colors representing
the various islands are displayed on the sleeves
and bases. The National Song is “This Land of Ours,” by
Times of the Islands Summer 2018 75

㈀ 㠀
吀 甀 爀 欀 猀 愀 渀 搀 䌀 愀 椀 挀 漀 猀 刀 攀 猀 攀 爀 瘀 愀 琀 椀 漀 渀 猀 椀 猀 礀 漀 甀 爀 洀 漀 猀 琀 甀 瀀 搀 愀 琀 攀 搀
爀 攀 猀 漀 甀 爀 挀 攀 Ⰰ 愀 渀 搀 戀 攀 猀 琀 瀀 氀 愀 挀 攀 琀 漀 最 攀 琀 最 爀 攀 愀 琀 搀 攀 愀 氀 猀 愀 渀 搀 椀 猀 氀 愀 渀 搀 搀 椀 猀 挀 漀 甀 渀 琀 猀 ℀
䄀 爀 攀 礀 漀 甀 愀 䰀 甀 砀 甀 爀 礀 吀 爀 愀 瘀 攀 氀 䄀 搀 瘀 椀 猀 漀 爀 㼀 䘀 椀 渀 搀 漀 甀 琀 洀 漀 爀 攀
愀 戀 漀 甀 琀 漀 甀 爀 渀 攀 眀 猀 攀 爀 瘀 椀 挀 攀 ᰠ 䰀 甀 砀 甀 爀 礀 䔀 砀 瀀 攀 爀 椀 攀 渀 挀 攀 猀 ᴠ
the late Rev. E.C. Howell, PhD. Peas and Hominy (Grits)
with Dry Conch is revered as symbolic island fare.
Going green
TCI Waste Disposal Services currently offers recycling services
through weekly collection of recyclable aluminum,
glass, and plastic. The TCI Environmental Club is spearheading
a campaign to eliminate single-use plastic bags.
Do your part by using a cloth bag whenever possible.
Keep TCI “Beautiful by Nature” by not littering!
Recreation
Sporting activities are centered around the water. Visitors
can choose from deep-sea, reef, or bonefishing, sailing,
glass-bottom boat and semi-sub excursions, windsurfing,
waterskiing, parasailing, sea kayaking, snorkelling, scuba
diving, kiteboarding, stand up paddleboarding, and
beachcombing. Pristine reefs, abundant marine life, and
excellent visibility make TCI a world-class diving destination.
Tennis and golf—there is an 18 hole championship
course on Providenciales—are also popular.
The Islands are an ecotourist’s paradise. Visitors can
enjoy unspoilt wilderness and native flora and fauna in 33
national parks, nature reserves, sanctuaries, and areas of
historical interest. The National Trust provides trail guides
to several hiking trails, as well as guided tours of major
historical sites. There is an excellent national museum on
Grand Turk, with an auxillary branch on Providenciales. A
scheduled ferry and a selection of tour operators make it
easy to take day trips to the outer islands.
Other land-based activities include bicycling, horseback
riding, and football (soccer). Personal trainers are
available to motivate you, working out of several fitness
centres. You will also find a variety of spa and body treatment
services.
Nightlife includes local bands playing island music
at bars and restaurants and some nightclubs. There is
a casino on Providenciales, along with many electronic
gaming parlours. Stargazing is extraordinary!
Shoppers will find Caribbean paintings, T-shirts,
sports and beachwear, and locally made handicrafts,
including straw work and conch crafts. Duty free outlets
sell liquor, jewellery, watches, perfume, leather goods,
crystal, china, cameras, electronics, brand-name clothing
and accessories, along with Cuban cigars. a
76 www.timespub.tc

where to stay
Grand Turk
range of daily rates
US$ (subject to change)
number of units
major credit cards
restaurant
bar
air conditioning
phone in unit
television in unit
kitchen in unit
laundry service
pool
on the beach
H
The Arches of Grand Turk – Tel 649 946 2941 190–210 4 • • • • • • •
Bohio Dive Resort – Tel 649 946 2135 • Web www.bohioresort.com 170–230 16 • • • • • • • •
Crabtree Apartments – Tel 978 270 1698 • Web www.GrandTurkVacationRental.com 210–250 3 • • • • • •
Grand Turk Inn – Tel 649 946 2827 • Web www.grandturkinn.com 250–300 5 • • • • • • •
Island House – Tel 649 946 1519/232 5514 • Web www.islandhouse.tc 110–185 8 • • • • • • •
Manta House – Tel 649 946 1111 • Web www.grandturk-mantahouse.com 110–130 5 • • • • • • •
Osprey Beach Hotel – Tel 649 946 2666 • Web www.ospreybeachhotel.com 90–225 37 • • • • • • • • • •
Pelican House – Tel 649 246 6797 • Web www.pelicanhousegrandturk.com 110-130 3 • • • • •
Salt Raker Inn – Tel 649 946 2260 • Web www.saltrakerinn.com 55–140 13 • • • • • • •
Solomon Porches Guesthouse – Tel 649 946 2776/241 2937 • Fax 649 946 1984 75–100 3 • •
Middle Caicos
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Dragon Cay Resort at Mudjin Harbour – Tel 649 344 4997 • Web www.dragoncayresort.com 325 8 • • • • • • • • •
North Caicos
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Bottle Creek Lodge – Tel 649 946 7080 • Web www.bottlecreeklodge.com 155–240 3 • •
Caicos Beach Condominiums – Tel 649 241 4778/786 338 9264 • Web www.caicosbeachcondos.com 159–299 8 • • • • • • • •
Cedar Palms Suites – Tel 649 946 7113/649 244 4186 • Web www.oceanbeach.tc 250–300 3 • • • • • • • • •
Flamingo’s Nest – Tel 649 946 7113/649 244 4186 • Web www.oceanbeach.tc 175–340 2 • • • • • • • •
Hollywood Beach Suites - Tel 800 551 2256/649 231 1020 • Web www.hollywoodbeachsuites.com 200–235 4 • • • • • •
JoAnne’s Bed & Breakfast - Tel 649 946 7301 • Web www.turksandcaicos.tc/joannesbnb 80–120 4 • • • •
Palmetto Villa – Tel 649 946 7113/649 244 4186 • Web www.oceanbeach.tc 225–250 1 • • • • • • • •
Pelican Beach Hotel - Tel 649 946 7112 • Web www.pelicanbeach.tc 125–165 14 • • • • • • • •
Pine Cay
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The Meridian Club - Tel 649 946 7758/866 286 7993 • Web www.meridianclub.com 800–1300 13 • • • • • • •
Parrot Cay
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COMO Parrot Cay Resort & Spa - Tel 649 946 7788/855 PARROTCAY • Web www.parrotcay.com 550–2850 65 • • • • • • • • • •
Providenciales
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Airport Inn – Tel 649 941 3514 • Web www.airportinntci.com. 140 18 • • • • • • •
The Alexandra Resort & Spa – Tel 800 704 9424/649 946 5807 • Web www.alexandraresort.com 280–420 99 • • • • • • • • •
The Atrium Resort – Tel 888 592 7885/649 333 0101 • Web www.theatriumresorttci.com 159–410 30 • • • • • • • •
Amanyara – Tel 866 941 8133/649 941 8133 • Web www.aman.com 1000–2100 73 • • • • • • • •
Aquamarine Beach Houses – Tel 649 231 4535/905 556 0278 • www.aquamarinebeachhouses.com 200–850 24 • • • • • • • •
Beaches Resort Villages & Spa – Tel 888-BEACHES/649 946 8000 • Web www.beaches.com 325–390AI 758 • • • • • • • • •
Beach House Turks & Caicos – Tel 649 946 5800 • Web www.beachchousetci.com 532–638 21 • • • • • • • • • •
BE Beach Enclave – Tel 888 434 3981 • Web www.beachenclave.com see web 24 • • • • • • • •
Blue Haven Resort & Marina – Tel 855 832 7667/649 946 9900 • Web www.bluehaventci.com 250–650 51 • • • • • • • • • •
Caribbean Paradise Inn – Tel 649 946 5020 • Web www.caribbeanparadiseinn.com 162–225 17 • • • • • • • •
Club Med Turkoise – Tel 800 258 2633/649 946 5500 • Web www.clubmed.com 120–225 290 • • • • • • • • •
Coral Gardens on Grace Bay – Tel 649 941 5497/800 787 9115 • Web www.coralgardensongracebay.com 199-449 32 • • • • • • • • • •
Gansevoort Turks + Caicos – Tel 888 844 5986/649 941 7555 • Web www.gansevoorttc.com 315–720 91 • • • • • • • • • •
Grace Bay Club - Tel 800 946 5757/649 946 5050 • Web www.gracebayclub.com 650–1750 75 • • • • • • • • • •
Grace Bay Suites – Tel 649 941 7447 • Web www.GraceBaySuites.com 99–195 24 • • • • • • • •
Harbour Club Villas – Tel 649 941 5748/305 434 8568 • Web www.harbourclubvillas.com 210–240 6 • • • • •
The Inn at Grace Bay – Tel 649 432 8633 • Web www.innatgracebay.com 179–379 48 • • • • • • •
Kokomo Botanical Gardens - Tel 649 941 3121• Web www.aliveandwellresorts.com 169–299 16 • • • • •
Le Vele - Tel 649 941 8800/888 272 4406 • Web www.leveleresort.com 303–630 22 • • • • • • • •
La Vista Azul – Tel 649 946 8522/866 519 9618 • Web www.lvaresort.com 215–375 78 • • • • • • •
The Lodgings – Tel 649 941 8107/242 6722 • Web www.hotelturksandcaicos.com 175–255 15 • • • • • •
Neptune Villas – Tel 649 331 4328 • Web www.neptunevillastci.com 150–400 10 • • • • • • • • •
Northwest Point Resort • Tel 649 941 5133 • Web www.northwestpointresort.com 196–550 49 • • • • • • • • • •
Ocean Club Resorts - Tel 800 457 8787/649 946 5880 • Web www.oceanclubresorts.com 180–690 191 • • • • • • • • • •
The Palms Turks & Caicos – Tel 649 946 8666/866 877 7256 • Web thepalmstc.com 595–1700 72 • • • • • • • • • •
Times of the Islands Summer 2018 77

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where to stay
Providenciales (continued)
Pelican Nest Villa – Tel 649 342 5731 • Web www.pelicannest.tc 429–857 2 • • • • • •
Point Grace – Tel 649 946 5096/888 209 5582 • Web www.pointgrace.com 424–1515 27 • • • • • • • • • •
Ports of Call Resort – Tel 888 678 3483/649 946 8888 • Web www.portsofcallresort.com 135–210 99 • • • • • • •
Queen Angel Resort – Tel 649 941 8771 • Web www.queenangelresort.com 150–575 56 • • • • • • • • •
Reef Residence at Grace Bay – Tel 800 532 8536 • Web www.reefresidence.com 275-385 24 • • • • • • •
The Regent Grand – Tel 877 288 3206/649 941 7770 • Web www.theregentgrand.com 495–1100 50 • • • • • • • • •
Royal West Indies Resort – Tel 800 332 4203/649 946 5004 • Web www.royalwestindies.com 180–695 92 • • • • • • • • • •
The Sands at Grace Bay – Tel 877 777 2637/649 946 5199 • Web www.thesandsresort.com 175–675 116 • • • • • • • • • •
Seven Stars Resort & Spa – Tel 866 570 7777/649 333 7777 – Web www.sevenstarsgracebay.com 365–2400 165 • • • • • • • • • •
The Shore Club – Tel 649 339 8000 – Web www.theshoreclubtc.com 465–4650 148 • • • • • • • • • •
Sibonné Beach Hotel – Tel 888 570 2861/649 946 5547 • Web www.sibonne.com 110–375 29 • • • • • • • •
The Somerset on Grace Bay – Tel 649 339 5900/888 386 8770 • Web www.thesomerset.com 350–1300 53 • • • • • • • • • •
Turtle Cove Inn – Tel 800 887 0477/649 946 4203 • Web www.turtlecoveinn.com 85–180 30 • • • • • • • •
The Tuscany – Tel 866 359 6466/649 941 4667 • Web www.thetuscanyresort.com 975–1300 30 • • • • • • • •
The Venetian – Tel 877 277 4793/649 941 3512 • Web www.thevenetiangracebay.com 695–1175 27 • • • • • • • •
Villa del Mar – Tel 877 345 4890/649 941 5160 • Web www.yourvilladelmar.com 190–440 42 • • • • • • •
Villa Mani – Tel 649 431 4444 • Web www.villamanitci.com See Web/AE 6 • • • • • • •
Villa Renaissance - Tel 649 431 8899 • Web www.villarenaissancebeachresort.com 295–650 36 • • • • • • • • •
The Villas at Blue Mountain – Tel 649 941 4255 • Web www.villasatbluemountain.com 1200–2500 3 • • • • • • • •
West Bay Club – Tel 855 749 5750/649 946 8550 • Web www.thewestbayclub.com 235–1163 46 • • • • • • • • • •
Windsong – Tel 649 333 7700/800 WINDSONG • Web www.windsongresort.com 275–925 50 • • • • • • • • •
range of daily rates
US$ (subject to change)
number of units
major credit cards
restaurant
bar
air conditioning
phone in unit
television in unit
kitchen in unit
laundry service
pool
on the beach
Salt Cay
Castaway – Salt Cay – Tel 772 713 9502 • Web www.castawayonsaltcay.com 175–265 4 • • • • •
Genesis Beach House – Tel 561 502 0901 • Web www.Genesisbeachhouse.com 1000–1200W 4 • • • • •
Pirate’s Hideaway B & B – Tel 800 289 5056/649 946 6909 • Web www.saltcay.tc 165–175 4 • • • • • • •
Salt Cay Beach House – Tel 772 713 9502 • Web www.saltcaybeachhouse.blogspot.com 799W 1 • • • • • •
Trade Winds Lodge – Tel 649 232 1009 • Web www.tradewinds.tc 925–1325W 5 • • • • •
Twilight Zone Cottage – Tel 772 713 9502 • Web www.twilightzonecottage.blogspot.com 499W 1 • • • •
The Villas of Salt Cay – Tel 772 713 9502 • Web www.villasofsaltcay.com 150–475 5 • • • • • • • •
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South Caicos
East Bay Resort – Tel 844 260 8328/649 232 6444 • Web eastbayresort.com 198–1775 86 • • • • • • • • • •
Sailrock South Caicos – Tel 800 929 7197 • Web sailrockresortcom 600–800 6 • • • • • • • • •
South Caicos Ocean & Beach Resort – Tel 877 774 5486/649 946 3219
Web southcaicos.oceanandbeachresort.com 120–275 24 • • • • •
Hotel & Tourism Association Member
Green Globe Certified
Rates (listed for doubles) do not include Government Accommodation Tax and Service Charge
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classified ads
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PROVIDENCIALES,
TURKS & CAICOS ISLANDS
FM104.5
Great music and pirate talk for your vacation enjoyment
Times of the Islands Summer 2018 79

dining out – providenciales
Amanyara — Amanyara Resort. Tel: 941-8133. Light gourmet
cuisine with menu changing daily. Open 6 to 10 PM.
Angela’s Top O’ The Cove Deli — Suzie Turn, by NAPA.
Tel: 946-4694. New York-style delicatessen. Eat-in, carry-out,
catering. Open daily 7 AM to 5 PM; Sunday 7 AM to 2 PM.
Asú on the Beach — Alexandra Resort. Tel: 941-8888. Casual
Caribbean and popular international fare. Open daily for 7:30
AM to 10:30 PM. Service indoors, poolside, and at beach.
Baci Ristorante — Harbour Towne, Turtle Cove. Tel: 941-3044.
Waterfront Italian dining. Brick oven pizza. Popular bar. Open
for lunch Monday to Friday 12 to 2 PM and dinner nightly from
6 to 10 PM. Closed Sunday.
Bay Bistro — Sibonné Beach Hotel. Tel: 946-5396. Oceanfront
dining featuring creative international cuisine. Open daily
7 AM to 10 PM. Weekend brunch. Catering and special events.
Beaches Resort & Spa — The Bight. Tel: 946-8000.
All-inclusive resort. A variety of restaurants and bars on premises.
Non-guests can purchase a pass.
Bella Luna Ristorante — Glass House, Grace Bay Road. Tel:
946-5214. Fine Italian dining. Indoor or terrace seating above
tropical garden. Open daily from 5:30 PM. Closed Sunday. Lunch
and pizza in the garden. Private catering available.
Big Al’s Island Grill — Salt Mills Plaza. Tel: 941-3797. Wide
selection of burgers, steaks, salads, and wraps in a diner-like
setting. Open daily from 11 AM to 10 PM.
Bugaloo’s Conch Crawl — Five Cays. Tel: 941-3863. Fresh
local conch and seafood by the beach. Rum, buckets of beer,
live local bands. Open daily from 11 AM to late.
Cabana Beach Bar & Grill — Ocean Club. Tel: 946-5880.
Casual island fare, burgers, salads, snacks. Open daily from
7 AM to 10 PM. Tropical cocktails with a view of the sea.
Caicos Bakery — Caicos Café Plaza. Authentic French boulangerie.
Fresh-baked breads, rolls, croissants, muffins, quiche,
pastries, cakes. Open 7 AM to 4:30 PM daily except Sunday.
Caicos Café — Caicos Café Plaza. Tel: 946-5278.
Mediterranean specialties, grilled local seafood. Fine wines, dining
on the deck. Open 6 PM to 10 PM Monday to Saturday.
The Caravel Restaurant — Grace Bay Court. Tel: 941-5330.
Cozy restaurant offering island food with flair; famous for fish
tacos. Full bar. Open daily 5 to 10 PM, closed Thursday.
Chicken Chicken — Times Square, downtown Provo. Fast food,
fried chicken, native fare.
Chinson’s Grill Shack — Leeward Highway. Tel: 941-3533.
The Islands’ best jerk and barbecue, Jamaican pastries. Open
daily 8 AM to 10 PM; Friday to Midnight.
Club Med — Grace Bay Road. Tel: 946-5500. All-inclusive
resort. Buffet-style dining; live show and disco in the evenings.
Non-guests can purchase a daily pass.
Coco Bistro — Grace Bay Road. Tel: 946-5369. Continental
Caribbean cuisine by Chef Stuart Gray under a canopy of palms.
Serving dinner from 5:30 PM. Closed Monday. Look for the new
Cocovan airstream lounge with garden seating or take-away.
Coconut Grove Restaurant & Lounge — Olympic Plaza,
Downtown. Tel: 247-5610. Casual native fare for residents and
tourists. Cracked conch, conch fritters, fried fish. Pool and game
room. Open daily 11 AM to 10 PM.
Coyaba Restaurant — Caribbean Paradise Inn. Tel: 946-5186.
Contemporary Caribbean gourmet cuisine in a private tropical
garden setting. Extensive wine list. Dinner nightly from 6 to 10
PM. Closed Tuesday. Reservations recommended.
Crackpot Kitchen — Ports of Call. Tel: 2313336. Experience
the best of authentic Turks & Caicos and Caribbean cuisines
with local celebrity Chef Nik. Open daily 5 to 10 PM except
Thursday; Happy Hour 5 to 7 PM.
Crust Bakery & Café — Graceway IGA. Tel: 941-8724.
Breakfast sandwiches, specialty coffees, soups, salads, gourmet
sandwiches and desserts. Open Monday to Saturday, 7 AM to
8:30 PM. Covered patio dining or take-out. Catering available.
Da Conch Shack & RumBar — Blue Hills. Tel: 946-8877.
Island-fresh seafood from the ocean to your plate. Covered
beachfront dining for lunch and dinner daily from 11 AM.
Danny Buoy’s — Grace Bay Road. Tel: 946-5921. Traditional
American pub fare; imported draught beers. Open for lunch and
dinner daily from 11 AM. Happy Hour specials. Large screen TVs
for sporting events. Karaoke.
The Deck — Seven Stars Resort. Tel: 941-7777. All day dining
and cocktails by the water’s edge. Open daily 11 AM to 11 PM.
Live music Friday nights.
Drift — West Bay Club. Tel: 946-8550. Open-air beachfront dining.
Creatively used local ingredients. Full bar. Open daily.
Dune — Windsong Resort. Tel: 333-7700. Private beachfront
dining with limited availability. Fresh fare prepared to perfection.
Open daily.
Element — LeVele Plaza. Tel: 348-6424. Contemporary, creative
cuisine in an elegant setting. Open for dinner Friday to
Wednesday 6:30 to 10:30 PM.
Fairways Bar & Grill — Provo Golf Club. Tel: 946-5833. Dine
overlooking the “greens.” Open for breakfast and lunch from 7
AM to 4 PM daily; Friday, Saturday and Sunday open until 8 PM.
Great Sunday brunch 9 AM to 3 PM.
Fire & Ice — Blue Haven Resort & Marina. Tel: 946-9900.
Drinks at the Ice Bar, dessert by the fire pits. South Americanmeets-Caribbean
flavors and spices. Open daily 5:30 to 9:30
PM. Closed Wednesday.
Fresh Bakery & Bistro — Atrium Resort. Tel: 345-4745.
Healthy European salads, soups, sandwiches, bakery, pies and
cakes. Gelato. Open daily 7 AM to 6 PM, closed Sunday.
Fresh Catch — Salt Mills Plaza. Tel: 243-3167. Authentic native
cuisine, from seafood to souse. All-you-can-eat seafood buffet
on Wednesday. Open daily 8 AM to 10 PM. Closed Sunday.
Carry-out available.
Garam Masala — Regent Village. Tel: 941-3292. Authentic
Indian cuisine, tandoori charcoal-oven specialties. Open daily
11:30 AM to 3 PM, 5:30 to 10 PM. Dine-in, take-out or delivery.
Giggles Ice Cream & Candy Parlour — Ports of Call &
Williams Storage. Tel: 941-7370. Cones, sundaes, shakes,
smoothies, “Gigglers,” ice cream pies and cakes. Pick ‘n’ mix
candies. Open daily 11 AM to 10 PM.
Gilley’s Sky Lounge & Bar — At the airport. Tel: 946-4472.
Burgers, sandwiches, local food. Open daily 6 AM to 9 PM.
Grace’s Cottage — Point Grace Resort. Tel: 946-5096.
Elegant, gourmet Caribbean cuisine showcasing regional foods.
Extensive wine list. Gazebo seating under the stars or indoor
dining in a romantic gingerbread cottage. Serving dinner from
6 to 10 PM nightly. Reservations required. Native cuisine night
on Tuesday with live music.
80 www.timespub.tc

Grill Rouge — Grace Bay Club. Tel: 946-5050. Al fresco bistro.
Diverse menu. Fun cocktails. Open daily for lunch Noon to 3 PM,
dinner to 9 PM.
Hemingways on the Beach — The Sands at Grace Bay. Tel:
941-8408. Casual beachfront bar and restaurant. Fresh fish,
pasta, sandwiches, salads and tropical drinks by the pool.
Oceanfront deck for great sunsets! Open 8 AM to 10 PM daily.
Hole in the Wall Restaurant & Bar — Williams Plaza, Old
Airport Road. Tel: 941-4136. Authentic Jamaican/Island cuisine
where the locals go. Full bar. A/C dining or outdoors on the
deck. Open daily 7 AM to 9 PM. Pick-up/delivery available.
Infiniti Restaurant & Raw Bar — Grace Bay Club. Tel: 946-
5050. Elegant beachfront dining for lunch and dinner. Gourmet
Euro/Caribbean cuisine; fine wines. Full bar and lounge.
Reservations required.
Island Raw — Le Petite Plaza. Tel: 346-5371. Vegan lifestyle
kitchen, offering fresh, organic, raw, vegan, gourmet. Open
Friday, Noon to 2 PM.
Island Conch Bar & Grill — Bight Cultural Market. Tel: 946-
8389. Caribbean and local cuisine. Open daily 11 AM to 9 PM.
Island Scoop — Grace Bay Plaza. Tel: 242-8511/243-5051.
21 flavors of ice cream made locally. Cones, smoothies, blizzards
and shakes. Open daily, 11 AM to 10 PM.
The Java Bar — Graceway Gourmet. Tel: 941-5000. Gourmet
café serving fresh baked desserts, sandwiches and coffee
delights. Open 7 AM to 8 PM daily.
Kalooki’s Grace Bay — Le Vele Plaza. Tel: 941-8388. The perfect
mix of sweet and spicy Caribbean flavors. New location in
Grace Bay. Open daily 11 AM to 10 PM. Closed Thursday.
Kitchen 218 — Beach House, Lower Bight Road. Tel: 946-5800.
Caribbean cuisine with hints of French and Asian fusion and the
chef’s passion for fresh ingredients. Open 8 AM to 10 PM daily.
The Landing Bar & Kitchen — Grace Bay Road across from
Regent Village. Tel: 341-5856. Unique nautical setting for dinner
under the stars. Cocktails, fire pit. Open daily except Tuesday
5:30 to 10 PM.
Las Brisas — Neptune Villas, Chalk Sound. Tel: 946-5306.
Mediterranean/Caribbean cuisine with tapas, wine and full bar.
Terrace and gazebo dining overlooking Chalk Sound. Open daily
8 AM to 10 PM. Take-out available; private parties.
Le Bouchon du Village — Regent Village. Tel: 946-5234. A
taste of Paris. Sidewalk café with sandwiches, salads, tartines,
tapas, dinner specials, wine, cheese, dessert, coffees. Open
daily 11 AM. Closed Sunday.
Le Comptoir Francais — Regent Village. Tel: 946-5234.
French deli, bakery, wine shop. Open daily.
Lemon 2 Go Coffee — Ventura House. Tel: 941-4069.
Gourmet coffeehouse. Sandwiches, muffins, cookies, croissants,
yogurt, salads. Open Monday to Saturday 7:30 AM to 7 PM,
Sunday 9 AM to 1 PM.
The Lounge — Grace Bay Club. Tel: 946-5050. Decidedly hip
lounge. Caribbean-infused tapas, martinis, tropical cocktails,
world music and the finest sunset location in Providenciales.
Lupo — Regent Village. Tel: 431-5876. Authentic Italian
“comfort food.” Regional wine list. Dine in or take out readymade
gourmet meals. Open daily Noon to 3 PM; 6 to 10 PM.
Magnolia Restaurant & Wine Bar — Miramar Resort. Tel:
941-5108. International cuisine with island flavors, north shore
views. Open for dinner from 6 to 9:30 PM except Monday. Wine
bar opens at 4 PM.
Mango Reef — Turtle Cove. Tel: 946-8200. Fresh local flavors
and seafood, homemade desserts. Open daily 11 AM to 10 PM.
Set price dinner on weekdays. Waterside deck, indoor or patio
dining. Tie-up to dock at Turtle Cove Marina.
Market Café — Blue Haven Resort. Tel: 946-9900. Gourmet
coffees, teas, frozen drinks; fresh breads and pastries; grab ‘n’
go salads, sandwiches, smoothies. Open daily 7 AM to 8 PM.
Melt Ice Cream Parlour — Regent Village. Tel: 432-1234.
Carefully crafted selection of sumptous and inspired sundaes,
with coffee, champagne and cocktails for the grown-ups! Open
Monday to Saturday, 9 AM to 10 PM.
Mis Amigos Cocina Mexicana — Central Square. Tel: 946-
4229. A variety of traditional Mexican fare, including salads and
the best margaritas in town. Open daily.
Mother’s Pizza — Downtown Times Square. Tel: 941-4142.
Best pizza in the Turks & Caicos, available by the slice or the
island’s biggest “large.” Open daily 11 AM to 9 PM; to 10 PM on
Friday and Saturday; Noon to 8 PM on Sunday.
Mr. Groupers — Lower Bight and Sunset Ridge Hotel (near airport).
Tel: 242-6780. Serving fresh local seafood straight from
the sea. Open daily 10 AM to 10:30 PM, Sunday 3 to 11 PM.
Opus Wine • Bar • Grill — Ocean Club Plaza. Tel: 946-5885.
International menu with Caribbean flair. Fresh seafood. Serving
dinner nightly 6 to 10 PM. Indoor/outdoor dining. Conference
facility, events, catering.
Parallel23 — The Palms Turks & Caicos. Tel: 946-8666. Pantropical
cuisine in a setting of casual elegance. Boutique wine
list. Al fresco or private dining room available. Open daily 6 to
10:30 PM.
The Patty Place — Behind Shining Stars; Le Petit Place, Blue
Hills. Tel: 246-9000. Authentic Jamaican patties and loaves. 18
flavors of Devon House ice cream. Open daily 9:30 AM to 10 PM.
Pavilion — The Somerset. Tel: 339-5900. Chef Brad offers a
global palate, interpreted locally. Seafood raw bar. Open daily
for breakfast, lunch, dinner; Sunday Prime Rib special.
Pelican Bay Restaurant & Bar — Royal West Indies Resort.
Tel: 941-2365/431-9101. Poolside restaurant and bar with
Caribbean, French and Asian fare. Breakfast, lunch, dinner daily
from 7:30 AM to 10 PM. Special events each week.
Pepper Town Café — Digicel Cinema, #4. Tel: 246-9237.
Native and Caribbean Dishes. Open daily except Sunday 11:30
AM to 7 PM. Island breakfast on Saturday at 7 AM.
Pizza Pizza — Grace Bay Plaza/Cinema Plaza. Tel: 941-
8010/941-3577. New York style specialty pizzas. Open daily
11:30 AM to 9:30 PM, weekends until 10 PM. Free delivery.
Provence — Le Vele Plaza. Tel: 946-4124. Traditional French
artisan-style cuisine. Fresh pasta, gelato, cheeses, charcuterie,
pastries, desserts. Open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Retreat Kitchen Vegetarian Café & Juice Bar — Ports of
Call. Tel: 432-2485. Fresh, organic, vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free
fare. Fresh juices, daily lunch specials. Open for lunch
Monday to Saturday, 9 AM to 3 PM. Delivery available.
Rickie’s Flamingo Café — Between Ocean Club and Club Med.
Tel: 244-3231. Local fare and atmosphere right on the beach.
Best grouper sandwich and rum punch! Don’t miss Curry Fridays
and Beach BBQ Saturdays.
Sailing Paradise — Blue Hills. Tel: 344-1914. Casual beachfront
restaurant and bar. Caribbean fare. Open daily 7 AM to 11
PM. Sunday brunch and beach party, daily happy hour.
Salt Bar & Grill — Blue Haven Resort & Marina. Tel: 946-9900.
Casual dining with outdoor seating overlooking the marina.
Sandwiches, burgers and salads, classic bar favorites with local
Times of the Islands Summer 2018 81

flair. Open daily from 11:30 AM to 9:30 PM.
Seven — Seven Stars Resort. Tel: 339-7777. Elevated contemporary
cuisine fused with TCI tradition. Open Monday to Saturday,
5:30 to 9:30 PM.
72ºWest — The Palms Turks & Caicos. Tel: 946-8666.
Beachside dining with a family-friendly, Caribbean-inspired
menu. Serving lunch daily; dinner seasonally.
Sharkbite Bar & Grill — Admiral’s Club at Turtle Cove. Tel:
941-5090. Varied menu; casual dining. Sports bar/slots. Open
daily from 11 AM to 2 AM.
Shay Café — Le Vele Plaza. Tel: 331-6349. Offering organic
coffees, teas, sandwiches, salads, soup, pastries, gelato, sorbetto,
smoothies, beer and wine. Open daily 7 AM to 7 PM.
Simone’s Bar & Grill — La Vista Azul. Tel: 331-3031. Serving
fresh seafood and local cuisine. Open daily 11 AM to 11 PM;
weekends 7 AM to 11 PM. Popular bar!
Skull Rock Cantina — Ports of Call. Tel: 941-4173. The place
for Tex-Mex; daily drink specials. Open daily, 8 AM to Midnight.
Solana! Restaurant — Ocean Club West. Tel: 946-5254.
Oceanfront dining from sushi to burgers. Teppanyaki and Sushi
Bar, engage with the chefs. Open daily 7:30 AM to 10 PM.
Somewhere Café & Lounge — Coral Gardens Resort. Tel:
941-8260. Casual dining with Tex-Mex flair right on the beach.
Cocktails, beers, specialty drinks. Open early to late daily.
Stelle — Gansevoort Turks + Caicos. Tel: 232-4444. Modern
Mediterranean cuisine featuring fresh fish and seafood. Open 6
to 10 PM daily, until 2 AM on Friday with DJ.
Sui-Ren — The Shore Club. Tel: 339-8000. Inspired flavors of
Peruvian-Japanese fusion cuisine with fresh seafood and organic
produce in a unique setting. Open daily.
Thai Orchid — The Regent Village. Tel: 946-4491. Authentic
Thai cuisine; over 60 choices! Dine in or carry out. Open for
lunch and dinner daily.
Three Brothers Restaurant — Town Center Mall, Downtown.
Tel: 232-4736. Seafood and native cuisine. Tuesday night buffet
dinner. Catering services. Open daily, 7 AM to 10 PM.
Tiki Hut Island Eatery — Dockside at Turtle Cove Inn. Tel:
941-5341. Imaginative sandwiches, salads, seafood, Black
Angus beef, pasta, pizzas, fish. Open daily 11 AM to 10 PM.
Turkberry Frozen Yogurt — The Saltmills. Tel: 431-2233.
Frozen yogurt in a variety of flavors, with a large selection of
toppings. Open 11 AM to 11 PM daily.
Turks Kebab — At Craft Market on Sand Castle Drive. Tel: 431-
9964. Turkish and Mediterranean fare. Salads, falafel, gyros,
kebabs, hummus. Open for lunch and dinner.
Via Veneto — Ports of Call. Tel: 941-2372. Authentic Italian
dining in a stylish indoor/outdoor venue. Open from 5:30 PM to
late. Closed Thursday. Saturday is Pizza Night!
The Vix Bar & Grill — Regent Village. Tel: 941-4144. Highend,
island-inspired world cuisine, fine wines. Open daily for
breakfast, lunch and dinner. Available for meetings.
Yoshi’s Sushi & Grill — The Saltmills. Tel: 941-3374/431-
0012. Sushi bar menu plus Japanese cuisine. Open daily Noon
to 3 PM; 6 to 10 PM. Closed Sunday. Dine indoors or out. Carry
out available.
Zest! — Gansevoort Turks + Caicos. Tel: 232-4444. Lunch and
dinner beachfront. Taste of the Caribbean and Americas. Open
daily Noon to 5 PM; 6 to 9 PM. Fisherman’s night Wednesday. a
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MEET OUR NEWEST INNOVATION
We are driving towards an exciting energy future!
FortisTCI proudly introduces our Nissan Leaf Electric Vehicle (EV) and Charging Station. . .a pilot project to
support our environmentally sustainable energy solutions for the Turks and Caicos Islands.
To learn more about this EV pilot project and our renewable energy programs, email us at:
renewableenergy@fortistci.com
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