21:44.356N  072:17.274W

We arrived here yesterday (3^rd April) after a three night sail from Puerto Rico.  We had fabulous sailing for the first part but gradually the wind died so we needed to use the engine.

Atlantic Dolphins (we know this now we have the Dorling Kindersley Guide to Whales and Dolphins) joined us for half an hour or more of fun and frolics in our bow wave.  We haven’t seen dolphins for months so it was a great treat.

We are a little tight for time so we thought we may miss out the Turks and Caicos and head straight for the Bahamas.  We changed course.  We had another conversation and changed back.  A most unusual case of dithering.  The clincher was that the sky was a completely different colour over the islands which had to be something to do with the shallow waters reflecting differently.  Perhaps.  The sky was a much brighter pinky, purply blue.

We knew that our final approach would be ten miles across the shallow water of the reef.  Because of the reef the water suddenly goes shallow from 1,569 metres to 5 metres within the space of a mile.  There was a really clear line in the sea from dark blue to bright, light aquamarine.  All a bit unnerving because we then crossed the bank for a couple of hours with less than 2 metres under the boat.  We had planned our route very carefully but wouldn't have been too surprised to hear a gentle scraping sound as we touched the bottom.

We anchored with a couple of other yachts in a very pretty bay.  We had already met Richard and Clare on one of the other yachts so cheery waves were exchanged and arrangements made to look round the island today.  That’s another blog.

We leave tomorrow for the Bahamas to pick up some friends.  More glorious clear blue sea and white sand.  Poor us!!!