Crossing the Caicos bank - Turks and Caicos Islands The emerald green and turquoise colour of the water continue to be intoxicating, but after dodging the coral that grows in proliferation through out, we have become avid fans of the indigo blue deep, deep water. Life is definately easier and less worrysome when the water under our hull is dark blue. After great deliberation, at 6:50 a.m. on April 28th, we left Provo in 15-20 knot SE winds (on the nose) to cross the 46 miles of emerald green shallow (8') coral laden Caicos bank. It was a long day of tacking and anxiously keeping watch. At dark we were still 5 miles short of our destination, but unable to move forward due to the many coral heads in the area. We anchored with Blind Faith behind a submerged sandbar near Little Amberigis Island. Taima made the anchorage at Big Amberigis. The next day found us all motor sailing for 2 hours through the dense coral area only to find the sea rushing through the Columbus (Turks) Passage too large to negotiate. Once again, we all wound through the coral back to the shelter of Big Amberigis Island. On our way, we passed a mast that was sticking straight out of a coral head. By the following morning the wind was down some (15-18 knots) but still on the nose (SE). Again we set off to negotiate the fields of elkhorn coral for 2 hours, this time finally finding our freedom in the deep waters of the Atlantic. We arrived at dark to the secluded shelter of Big Sand Cay (40 miles progress), where we rested and enjoyed it's magnificent sand beach, as we planned our passage to Luperon.