The Development of the Caicos Sloops

Federation Log sort of sounds like Star Trek but once past that it is definitely more nautical than the more business oriented update I think.

The Weekly Federation Log is now located on our website: www.maritimeheritage.tc

To access the 2006 log click here

Questions about Fools Regatta…
The original Fools Regatta was a multi-hull race that sailed from Sapodilla Bay to Pine Cay, took a drink and raced back to Sapodilla Bay. Should we do the same again and make it a part of the Mariners’ Week celebration? Should we do it to and from West Caicos as a part of Mariners’ Week? Should we continue with the Fools Regatta at all?

Questions about Mariners’ Week…
Does your NGO or school or programme want to be a part of this proposed week long celebration? If so, call Access Marketing at 941 7220 next week and let them know.

Everything, at this stage, is completely open. A couple of suggestions for activities include a cooking competition, a basketball competition, a rake and scrape competition, a contemporary music competition, a motor boat race…

We will be needing activities for the whole week from 6 June-12 June and it will be following a South Caicos Regatta and including a Fools Regatta. It would be good to see as many sailing vessels as possible out there on the blue.

2007 Sailing Calendar Is Here But…
You have already been sent the photos of the 2007 Sailing Calendar and a little explanation of the explanation is warranted. We have not had the time to organize the marketing of the calendar and we wanted it to get out to you, so we thought you could pay directly for the reproduction of the work. The cost, being done in this fashion is a little prohibitive but we will put in the time and ink and get it to you somehow if you want it.

Katya Brightwell did most of the photos and Brian Riggs’ great and exuberant shot of Mervin Cox with kids on Wing Dean’s Miss Behave needed to be made immortal so had to go in. My stuff is the usual worshiper of sailing vessels stuff. The one photograph from H.E. Sadler’s Turks Island Landfall says so much about our mandate to preserve history that it also had to be included. The Lighter laying in the sand just off the beach awaiting those bags of salt and the hats…

So, for $12 you can appreciate sailing here in the Turks and Caicos today…

Another Haitian Sloop
Goldray Ewing almost talked me into rescuing another of the many this week Haitian Sloops that found its way to our shores. We already have seven Caicos Sloops in our fleet and one trimaran that needs mucho work, so I had to decline this chance of a lifetime. Also, the boat needed its mast to be relocated back about eight feet, boom cut off and sails…, as well as a lot of other stuff like caulking and a whole bunch of finishing for safety’s sake.

I don't know if we will be able to do all of these things but we have the Sloops to do them with; it will just be the will of the people who call themselves responsible sailors to get involved to accomplish these and other concepts they might have.

12 January
-Start of Sailing Our Sloops Programme Sixth Grader Sails on Chalk Sound

19, 26 January
-Chalk Sound SOS Sails

20 January- 2nd Annual Wahoo Tournament
- taking public for familiarization sails

2, 9, 16 23 February
-Chalk Sound SOS Sails

10 February
-Middle Caicos Valentine’s Model Sailboat Race

17 or 24 February
-West Caicos Race

2, 9,16, 23, 30 March
-Chalk Sound SOS Sails

17 March
-St Patrick Pub Crawl: Sail leg from Tiki Hut to Sharkbite

6, 13, 20, 27 April
-Chalk Sound SOS Sails

6-8 April
-CARIFTA Games: demonstration sails

9 April
-Kite Flying Contest: public familiarization sails

4, 11, 18, 25 May
-Chalk Sound SOS Sails

5 May
-Cinco de Mayo: Tiki Hut take kids for free rides

25-27 May
South Caicos Regatta

16, 23, 30 June
-Chalk Sound SOS Sails
6-12 June
-Mariners’ Week (see schedule)
-April Fools Regatta (in June)

July
-Vessels available for student maritime heritage summer camps

August
-Vessels available for student maritime heritage summer camps

4 August
-Annual Provo Day Race

August
-Fisherman’s Day Race South Caicos

August
-Middle Caicos Day Race

7, 14 21 September
-Chalk Sound SOS Sails

28 September
-Youth Day Sails on Chalk Sound

5,12 19 26 October
-Chalk Sound SOS Sails

October
-Tourism Awareness Week: Tourist Race off Grace Bay

October
-North Caicos Extravaganza Race

2, 9, 16, 30 November
-Chalk Sound SOS Sails

24 November
-4th Annual Conch Festival Race

7, 14 December
-Chalk Sound SOS Sails

Youth Build'em Youth Sail'em

The T&C Maritime Heritage Federation is looking for a few good young sailors.

Our programme, called Youth Build’em Youth Sail’em, will teach a small number of students how to build a traditional Caicos Conch Sloop. The skills learned will put these students into a cabinet maker’s league but will offer a hands-on appreciation of Turks and Caicos heritage. The teachers are the best the Islands have: Gold Williams, Albert Higgs and James Dean.

After learning to build the Sloops, the students will be taught how to sail and navigate the Sloops by mariners who know the waters and how to get the ones that get away from everybody else.

If you are or your child, from the ages of 17-20, is interested call 946 4935 or 243 2093 during working hours, Monday through Friday. The Sloop construction will be televised and meals will be served.

Contact Person: H.E. Ross, 649 946 4935/ 243 2093

Board of Governors