21°47'N 72°16'W · Caribbean
Turks & Caicos Yacht Guide
Turks and Caicos is the best water you will ever put a tender in, attached to some of the thinnest yacht services in the region: a 60 mile barrier-reef bank with Bahamas-grade shallows, one real island of infrastructure in Providenciales, and almost nothing else man-made between you and the horizon. This is a destination you bring your own depth of support to. Draft discipline is the entire game; the banks punish optimism.
Season & Arrival
Season is November through May; it sits inside the hurricane belt with June through November exposure, and winter cold fronts swing the wind northwest, turning the usual lee shores hostile for a day or two.
The Guide
Marinas
Provo carries everything. Blue Haven Marina at the island's northeast corner is the big-boat option with the deepest approach, taking yachts to around 220 feet. Turtle Cove on the north shore is the long-standing mid-size base behind a buoyed reef channel that wants local knowledge on the first pass, and South Side Marina on the bank side suits smaller drafts. There is no dockage of consequence beyond Provo; Grand Turk and South Caicos are anchorage and commercial-pier territory.
Operating Data
- Blue Haven Marina
- max LOA approx. 220ft, approach dredged to approx. 9ft
- Turtle Cove Marina
- approx. 100 slips, channel controlling depth approx. 6ft at low water
- South Side Marina
- to approx. 70ft, draft approx. 5.5ft
Operating data is updated each season. Confirm critical figures with the operator before arrival.
Captain Notes
- Run the bank on sun-overhead hours with a bow watch and your shallowest-draft track pre-planned. Charted depths on the Caicos Bank are old survey data; your eyes are the primary sensor.
- Tides are small, around 2.5 feet, but that is exactly the margin between floating and not at Turtle Cove's channel. Time entries for the top half of the tide.
- The diving and bonefishing are world class and underused; build itinerary time at West Caicos and French Cay, that is what this place is actually for.
Local Red Flags
- Draft over 9 feet locks you out of every marina on the island; you are anchorage-based, full stop. Plan crew, trash, and provisioning runs accordingly.
- Services are one-deep: one part, one technician, one chance. A failed stabilizer or watermaker here means flying people in or leaving.
Sponsor
Sponsor this guide
Put your operation in front of every crew planning this port.
List
Submit a local listing
Operators serving Turks & Caicos can apply for directory placement.
Download
PDF guide
Downloadable edition planned for a later phase.