Times of the Islands Summer 2022

The trekkers were met with support from the district commissioner and residents of Salt Cay, shown here in front of the iconic White House.
the Morgan Luker, a watersports fanatic and founder
of SURFside Academy, whose advice and past training
expertise were instrumental in our planning.
While Morgan and I were prepping, Mandy and Fraser
were finishing the community walk and we all met at the
dock for a send-off. East Bay Resort would supply a support
boat for our 25-mile crossing to Grand Turk. The
weather was fine and the ocean calm, however our good
fortune was not to last very long.
Pulling out of the dock, Mandy and I soon got into our
stroke and were making good progress. Our months of
training seemed to be paying off and the support boat
kept a close watch as we headed out into the wide-open
passage. The swells were about three to four feet but
nothing we hadn’t dealt with in training! Something we
noticed early on was that the tide was very strong, but a
crosswind also added to the effort we were putting in.
Suddenly, without warning, a rogue waved crashed
over us and in our eagerness to recover we overstretched
—and the next moment we were underwater! We managed
to release our feet from the stirrups and the rescue boat
was soon on hand. Despite some wet egos and a little
embarrassment, no harm done and we quickly recovered
aboard the support boat, much to the amusement of all
on board.
The rest of the day was uneventful and by late afternoon,
we were sipping cold beers having made landfall
(much to the enjoyment of the guests) on Pillory Beach at
the Bohio Dive Resort on Grand Turk.
Day seven
Today started with another huge turn-out for the community
walk, ending at the cruise port. It’s great that each
community, regardless of size, has come through each
day with such motivation and energy! We all meet at the
port for refreshments and snacks before making our way
to the beach, where our trusty boat is waiting. Blue Water
Divers is supplying the support boat for the 11-mile row
to Salt Cay. Despite some weird currents and tides and a
close call with the reef, we make the uneventful crossing
in just a few hours. Once again, we are met with applause
and support from the district commissioner and residents
of Salt Cay.
We meet at the dock and discuss the walk for the next
day, then it’s time for a superb dinner at Oceanaire Bistro.
Rarely has food tasted so good!
Times of the Islands Summer 2022 49