Sailing Turks & Caicos: Squalls, Grand Turk, and the 3rd Largest Reef E366
January 25, 2026 · 19 min · 2K views · Cockburn Town, Turks and Caicos Islands
What this video covers
Motor-sailing across the Turks and Caicos Banks in 17–20 knots, Alex, Cory, Coral, and Kai hit squalls gusting to 28–30 knots just as they reached the shelf on the back side of the bank, where short chop, current, and wave action compound.2:54 Repeated squalls forced constant tacking — swinging from southeast to north to northeast — before they reached Big Sandy Cay roughly 12 hours after departure.3:43 From there, an 18–20 mile jump north brought them to Grand Turk, arriving just ahead of a cruise ship.5:12 Check-out at Grand Turk uses a 24-hour pre-departure option, allowing a full day ashore after clearing out.6:11 A local's tip steered them to Grand Turk over South Caicos for check-out, calling South Caicos sketchy by comparison; the crew found Grand Turk's colorful 1800s architecture and friendly atmosphere far exceeded their low expectations for Turks and Caicos overall.8:52 They snorkeled the third-largest barrier reef in the world, located just off Grand Turk across from Cockburn Town, though the snorkeling felt underwhelming compared to the Ragged Islands in the Bahamas.13:44 Strong current near the cliffs at Big Sandy Cay made a dinghy paddle to the steep beach a workout.16:51 The crew stages at Big Sandy Cay next, preparing to cross toward the Dominican Republic.15:52
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