The Point at Sapodilla Bay

It isn’t every condominium project where the developer plans to live in one of the suites. But for Phil Usprech and his wife Bonnie,
The Point at Sapodilla Bay will fulfill their dreams of paradise . . .
as they believe it will do for an elite group of owners.

The Point is the first (and only) condominium development in the strictly residential Sapodilla Bay/Chalk Sound area on the southwest side of Providenciales. It is situated on a prized two acre site of elevated land overlooking the ocean and bay itself. Sunset views are matched only by the peace and tranquility that owners will enjoy in this quiet enclave, far from the Grace Bay resort atmosphere, yet only 10 minutes drive from the international airport.

From The Point’s grounds, owners have direct access to the calm, shallow waters of Sapodilla Bay and the white sand beach that gently traces its curves, an ideal location for swimming and sun bathing. A private dock makes it easy to access the surrounding seas and nearby cays for fishing, diving and exploring. Just across the road lies Chalk Sound National Park, an inland waterway distinguished by its otherworldly blue coloring and the hundreds of tiny islets sprinkled across its surface. Atop nearby Sapodilla Hill are historic carvings thought to be made by shipwrecked sailors centuries ago.

The Usprechs were drawn by the area’s natural beauty from their first trip to the Islands in 1994. Phil explains, “We were here to scuba dive and the boat left from Sapodilla Bay for a trip to West Caicos. Later on, we walked around the property of the former Mariner Hotel and became very interested in the area. It took some time, but we were eventually able to structure a deal for the land on which the former Aquatic Center had been located. Everything just clicked and my wife said, ‘This is it . . . this is where we’re going to retire.’”

Phil expects that other people who, like himself, truly love the island lifestyle, will be drawn to a niche project like The Point. He says, “It is designed for mature individuals who want the finest accommodation and are looking for an island home, not a hotel room.”

The Point comprises only 18 suites on multi-levels, all two bedroom units ranging in size from 1,481 sq. ft. to 2,166 sq. ft. Designing the development to fit the oddly shaped site was a challenge for local architect Jeff Lee, of OBM International. He says, “The Point was as unusual a site as I have ever worked on. But the end result translated into what a condominium project is always striving for–uniqueness. Every unit is completely different from the next, and offers a one-of-a-kind view spanning the panorama from the eastern end of Chalk Sound to south over the Caicos Banks.” Phil adds, “We’re definitely not a ‘cookie cutter’ development.”

Suites are designed with large balconies adjacent to living rooms and master bedrooms, enhancing these most-used areas with access to ocean outlooks and outdoor living space. Bedrooms include ensuite baths and cathedral ceilings grace the top floor units. But the key quality is uniqueness. Jeff Lee explains, “The Point suites are characterized by out-of-the-ordinary spaces . . . angled walls, curved balconies . . . that make up a number of fun, one-of-a-kind living areas. We tried to have something original in each unit, be it an octagonal foyer, unexpected alcove, extra-large pantry or additional countertop in the kitchen. Potential owners should take the time to look over each suite carefully, to find that special combination that’s just right for them.”

Phil credits his wife Bonnie with an “eye for detail” when it came to the top-end finishes, including granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, marble floor tiles and such extras as separate wine refrigerators and glass-enclosed showers. OBM, in conjunction with local interior designer Donna Gatti, is designing the interiors and furniture packages, which Jeff says, will be a creative extension of The Point’s unique architecture.

Because he plans to live on-site, Phil planned property amenities to include everything he would look for in a Caribbean oasis. Besides the boat slips, owners have for their exclusive use an infinity edge swimming pool, exercise room, cabana-type dining area for private parties and a poolside food and beverage facility. Other features take advantage of the craggy ironshore seascape, including special swimming areas, benches around the sinkholes through which the tide ebbs and flows and a secluded gazebo on the promontory for sunset viewings.

Additional pluses include elevator access to suites, underground parking and full security. An on-site manager will cater to owners’ needs, with such services as pre-stocking suites with groceries prior to their arrival. Barbara Underwood, a talented local landscaper, promises lush tropical foliage throughout the site.

As the driving force and financier behind The Point, Phil Usprech brings to the Islands an extensive background of land development in the Golden Horseshoe area of Ontario, Canada. Over the last 30 years, as he’s specialized in turning raw land into turn-key residential properties, he says he’s learned an important lesson. “What matters is the team,” he comments. “Although the developer may have the concept in mind, you need a good team that shares the same vision to guarantee success.” As a result, his first step was to assemble a group of local professionals to assist in The Point’s development.

Besides OBM International, who also serve as project managers, the team includes Dempsey & Company, the longest established legal practice in the Turks & Caicos, as the development lawyers. Esteemed local building contractors Johnston International will handle construction, bringing to the table over 20 years of experience on major projects in the Turks & Caicos. Groundbreaking is set for Fall, 2002, with the entire project to be completed in one stage.

The Islands’ pioneer in the sales and marketing of real estate, Prestigious Properties Ltd., is directing sales, marketing and management set-up. They are represented by Managing Director Philip Misick and Sales Agent Peter Crawford Smith, who note that The Point is a wise investment choice, especially in the soon-to-end pre-construction stage. Philip says, “The Point is designed as an upmarket project with quality furnishings.”

Phil Usprech wants people to talk about how The Point enhances the natural beauty of the area. He says, “For the people who live at The Point, I want home to be where Paradise begins.”

“Do you have what it takes to be a boat owner?” was a tongue-in-cheek quiz I read in a popular boating magazine. Pointing out that taking care of a boat isn’t always smooth sailing, it was easy to draw the conclusion that it is better to be close friends with a boat owner (who doesn’t mind sharing) than to actually be a boat owner.

The Caicos Marina and Boatyard is working to change that conception. Originally built by Ted Trump in 1985 to fill the need for a full-service marine repair shop and shipyard, the Providenciales facility has been under new ownership for over a year, with a number of improvements already made.

Manager David Taylor, who grew up around boat-building and has worked in and around marinas in Providenciales for nearly 10 years, says his goal is to promote “Easy Boating” . . . whether your boat happens to be a dinghy, powerboat, dive boat, sailboat, tug boat, barge or yacht. The boatyard’s huge, two storey warehouse now includes a 100 x 50 foot dry storage rack and the monthly storage fee includes an unlimited number of “ins and outs.” This means, he says with a rueful grin, “You can give me a call and we’ll have your boat gassed up and in the water that same day. When you’re finished, we’ll rinse it down, flush the engine and put it back in storage for you.” All of this is accomplished with a 20 ton marine forklift that literally scoops boats into and out of the water via a special slip at one end of the marina’s dock. Larger boats are tackled with the 75 ton marine travel lift.

David says the storage service is especially popular with people who live on the island part-time and need a secure location to store their craft when they are away. The boatyard itself is now completely fenced in and two employees live on-site to provide 24 hour supervision. The location has long been considered a “safe harbour” during hurricane season, with storing facilities in the yard available for vessels up to 24 feet wide and up to 85 feet long.

Boaters who come and go more often will appreciate Caicos Marina’s new floating dock. Rising and falling with the tides, the dock makes it especially easy to enter and exit your boat. The 600 foot long dock that lines the marina is equipped with all-new “Shore Power” electrical outlets and drinking water.

Although its physical location at the southern end of Long Bay at Juba Point is a somewhat long ride by motor vehicle, the Caicos Marina is a cinch to reach by boat. Without a barrier reef to contend with, there is no need for a guide and the 1/2-mile wide Sand Bore Channel entrance is easy to navigate. David says the marina is a haven for boats and yachts in transit between North American and Caribbean destinations and there are usually at least a half dozen visiting vessels, bearing boaters from around the world. The dock can handle boats up to 120 feet long and has an eight foot draft at high tide.

As an official port of entry into the Turks & Caicos Islands, a harbour- master is on call to clear travelers and their vessels into and out of the country. Besides selling diesel fuel and gasoline at competitive rates, Caicos Marina serves as a convenient stop to shake out sea legs and get caught up with life on land. Most days, any number of sun-baked, salt-caked seafarers can be found dumping detergent into the washing machines, hunching over the telephone or feeding documents into the FAX.

Unfortunately, the nature of boats being what they are, David says, “A lot of our boat traffic limps in or is towed or dragged here.” The Caicos Marina & Boatyard is the only facility within 600 miles that can handle major repairs, and its six workers and two independent contractors stay very busy. If a necessary part is not in stock, David will order it in Miami and have it sent in via Federal Express. Although a lot of the work David terms “reef damage repair,” such as broken or bent rudders, running gear, props and struts and keel damage requiring specialized mechanical and fiberglass work, he adds, “We also do really good paint jobs and bottom jobs (which involve scraping barnacles and other marine growth from the hulls). We use premium Awl Grip, which is an especially durable product.”

Fiberglass work and painting tends to be done outside in the yard. (Although David says, “We’re really good at painting in the wind,” a massive spray booth is planned for the future.) More complicated engine repairs take place inside the warehouse. During the annual Turks & Caicos Billfish Tournament, shipyard staff is on call 24 hours a day to ensure that damaged boats lose as little fishing time as possible.

Emergency towing is another well-used (and much appreciated) service offered via land or water, and a custom tow boat will soon be available. David recalls recent excursions to Plana Cay, Grand Turk and as far as the Dominican Republic to recover damaged, deserted or stranded vessels.

Besides ministering to visitors, the boatyard crew provides repairs and maintenance to most of the island’s working craft, including dive boats, the police fleet and resort charter vessels. With the environment in mind, the yard operates an EPA-approved incinerator to dispose of waste oils.

With the clang of halyards, the buzz of power sanders and the whisper of a grove of casuarina pines providing the music of his day, David Taylor is obviously a man who enjoys his busy job. His office is a cornucopia of nautical miscellanea including a wall of photos of boats that have been repaired here, a running “to-do” list of boats being worked on, a squawking marine band radio and a sign warning “No Cash, No Splash.” Does he ever have time to go out boating himself? “Only when I have time to work on my boat to get it ready,” he answers with a smile.

Creating Your Dream Home

Story & Photos by Claire Stevens

New development is rocketing like never before. One luxury resort after another are being built in the Turks & Caicos Islands. An investment also being made in this country of a similar scale to some resorts is the “Dream Home.” Stunning homes have been built here before, but just as the Islands are developing, so are the expectations of those who dream up the perfect home. How practical would it be to get exactly what you want here? Would the remoteness we otherwise cherish turn the whole process into a logistical nightmare?

As I found out, choosing to build in the Turks & Caicos Islands needn’t compromise your dreams. I looked at the 13 month creation of Barbara and Mark Pankhurst’s “Dream Home,” a home that serves every one of their passions.

How was it all possible? There are many reasons as to why the process worked for them. For example, they gave a clear brief as to what they wanted at every stage and could afford not to compromise on quality of product nor labor. But, bottom line, they wanted to use locally based companies and could. Every specialty they needed was directly available to them right here.

There was a line of communication with professional people who knew exactly how things worked in the Turks & Caicos Islands. Further still, there was company loyalty and pride. J & D Woodworks partner Chris Williams put it into words, “We stay together to be something.” These people want to be in the Turks & Caicos Islands with a passion, and share a common desire to lead the way as this country develops.

So how did the project come to be? A phone call from Parrot Cay came in to Richard Hurdle of Oasis Development & Construction Company Ltd. It was Mark Pankhurst who Richard knew from the Cayman Islands. The two would meet to look at potential sites for a home on Providenciales. The site the Pankhursts were to fall for had the most stunning views over the Providenciales north shore, and had initially been shown to them by Karen Biker of Turks & Caicos Realty Ltd. It had, of course been someone else’s “pride and joy” and not a meager “pride and joy” either. It was decided the home would be built around some of the original buildings, creating an added degree of challenge.

The knowledge and experience of Oasis and in particular, Richard’s partner Godfrey Been in conjunction with the architect and engineer, cannot be emphasized enough in moving the project expeditiously through approval stages.

Richard is very proud of the company that he and Godfrey have set up. They train and keep most of their staff in an industry where subcontracting is the norm. Throughout the project, labor levels varied between 20 and 70 construction workers.

Challenges were posed to all involved from start to finish, and I sense these added to the fulfillment. With a major role in planning this home, Oasis had to be inventive. For example, a whole new floor was formed by excavating rock that the original house was built on. Whilst supporting the original house, excavation equipment was maneuvered into place and operated (by Richard) out on an elevated rocky edge. I’m sure Barbara has images of Richard’s predicament as she stretches out on her Pilates equipment in the coolest room of the house!

Given the existing structures and cutting edge design criteria, precision floor and wall work and exacting finishes were fundamental to the quality of the end product. Benefiting from those finishes were the team who created the kitchen, bedrooms and bathrooms.

Because entertaining family and friends is a passion of the Pankhursts, the kitchen had a lot to live up to. The attention this key area deserved came by way of a full custom operation, J & D Woodworks. Partner Jeff Muck started by taking the Pankhursts on a shopping trip to the States for all the kitchen appliances they could possibly want. The advice of the designer, manufacturer and fitter on hand throughout had to help. Hours of shopping would be safely warehoused, delivered and fitted by the J & D Woodworks team. Mark and Barbara together picked out the raw materials before the full custom build at J & D Woodworks’ manufacturing base in Fort Lauderdale. A crew of three granite installers and five cabinetry installers took just two weeks to put the kitchen together. The whole process had only taken eight weeks!

The Pankhursts’ delight in their kitchen, master bedroom and master bathroom is equal to the pride this company has in its work. Chris Williams, native of the Turks & Caicos Islands, started the company with Jeff in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Over the years, a number of Islanders have taken apprenticeships with the company. Visits home became part of the job with many Turks & Caicos Islands projects employing J & D Woodworks. Proud crews would show their families the standard of projects they have been trained to work on. Both partners reside and have offices and warehouses in Fort Lauderdale and the Turks & Caicos Islands. The Fort Lauderdale manufacturing base will soon have its sister base here too, which can only benefit J & D Woodworks’ clients.

It was while discussing the kitchen that the Pankhursts pointed out that most fixtures and fittings in the home came from Thomas Waite of Carlisle Supplies. What he couldn’t find in his catalogue, he’d track down one way or another.

As the teams came to work together, it was the architecture that helped turn the home into a comprehensible whole. Rolf Rothermel, of Rothermel Cooke Smith architects, was given the clear brief that the project would involve high scale rebuild and extension around original structures. This meant that style was always going to be complementary to what was already there. The features that Rolf and his colleague, Wendy Been, worked into the plans are visually simple in form but stunningly clever. Rolf notes that imagination is not restricted through a need to conform to suitability here in the Islands.

There were certain features that Rolf thinks are particularly pleasing. A home needs a means of entry and with simple shape and form, an impressive entrance was created. Seated in the entranceway is a work of art, a leaded glass door purchased in Miami. It opens into a pretty entrance hall and morning sunlight illuminates the door when viewed from within.

Rolf says he is envious of the Pankhursts’ study. It is airy and has a view over comings and goings on the site. But the study’s key feature is the solid cement stairway leading up to the observatory above. One of three cantilever features in the home, the stairway’s unfathomable ability to stand seemingly unsupported creates a fitting link to the equally unfathomable world Mark sees through his telescope!

The other cantilever features were the balcony that extends out from the master bedroom, creating a platform for stunning views over Providenciales’ whole north shore, and the pool off a deck that at night looks like a sheet of glass hanging over the rocky shoreline. These imaginative features called upon expertise in the form of Peter Kerrigan of Engineering Design Services.

The interior designer was Monica Genoves of Inter Decor. Barbara worked closely with Monica in furnishing and creating character in every room in the house. Barbara could not rate Monica’s taste and relentless dedication highly enough. Inter Decor has been in Providenciales for 15 years, owned and managed by Lydwine Boeynaems–known locally simply as “Winie.”

When you live in the West Indies, outdoors is the place to be . . . whether entertaining or just looking for a quiet place to relax. Sunlight, blue skies, sea views, warm breezes, fragrant flowers, soaring birds and colorful butterflies; the lure is hard to resist. As a result, there is every reason to create just as comfortable places outside as in.
In this home, paved decking areas looking out to sea create the ideal setting for informal entertaining. Just as Rolf Rothermel used circles within buildings to balance the rectangles, curved decks and pools feature outside. The paving came from Construction Equipment and Supplies in Providenciales. Other local building suppliers during the job were Butterfield Concrete, CBMS, Provo Building Supply and Building Materials Do-It Center.

There is a wealth of building experience here in the Islands, but if garden design is your thing there are experts on hand, too.

The Pankhursts worked with Been Landscaping and Design, who continue to maintain the beautiful gardens today, adding new plants as the garden matures. If you have ever put limitations on your imagination when it comes to a garden here, then think again–although laying two miles of water piping for landscaping does help!

Pretty native trees like the Sapodilla, Lignum Vitae and Silver Palms were kept in place and worked around. Cacti were replanted to create a stunning garden full of texture and depth. Indigenous flowering plants such as Yellow Alamanda Vines, soft, airy Silver Buttonwood and spiky Sisal were grown alongside hybrids like Roses, Bougainvillaea and Plumbago.

Imagination and skill transformed sinkholes, a common feature of the Islands, to sublime effect. In one deep sinkhole, Railway Sleepers form a stairway down to a cool, roomy area. Prehistoric ferns, bromeliads, several lush banana trees, a plump papaya tree and several other varieties of creeping plants all lead up to a waterfall cascading down to give the feeling of walking straight into a tropical rain forest.
The partial filling of one sinkhole makes for yet another retreat . . . and saved beautiful surrounding trees where roots were overexposed.

Desalination plants and Klargester Managed Flow Biodisc packaged waste water treatment plants were implemented for irrigation. Mark and Been Landscaping sought out the desalination plants; both items are now available with maintenance through Thomas Waite of Carlisle Supplies.

Before I mention security, I should note that the Pankhursts like their “toys,” and stretching the possibilities is in their nature. We know about Mark’s observatory. I’ll add that he also has a media room acoustically walled with a cinema-sized screen and greater-than-cinema-sized chairs.

When it came to security, it was just another excuse to get a super cool gadget. David Ward, of Spence Security Services, provided the world’s latest in digital video recording technology. A multiplex image showing all parts of the property is networked to each of the home’s computers. Such technology allows cameras to record and store data for up to a month at a time. The beauty of DVD technology is tied in: key in the time of the frame you want to see and you’re immediately there. Headed by Evan Spencer from Grand Turk, Spence Security has been providing everything related to security for over four years here in Providenciales. Evan set up Spence Security in the Miami and Fort Lauderdale areas in 1993.

The nearby States certainly served as a great place to shop for some home items. The two shipping companies that were involved in this project were Cairsea Services and Al Services, both of Providenciales. They took great care of everything from construction goods to delicate wide-screen TVs.

So it seems you really can get just what you want through professionals here in the Turks & Caicos Islands. These professionals seem to love a challenge–it goes hand in hand with “wanting to be something.” Whether luxury resort development or dream home building, the country’s construction industry is certainly geared up. They are working their hardest at attracting future investment, and in doing so are training the right kind of people . . . people who share a love of this great country.

I cannot thank Barbara and Mark Pankhurst enough for sharing their home with me. They have already proved to be a great addition to life in the Turks & Caicos Islands, as the catalysts behind Turks & Caicos Friends of the Arts Foundation (TCFAF).

Rising to the Top: Liz’s Bakery

Story & Photos by Kathy Borsuk

There is a simple yellow building midway in the settlement of Five Cays that has so much traffic going in and out that you would think something illegal was being sold there. Actually, the product in demand is addictive and probably responsible for a few extra pounds around the waistlines of some residents.

The building is Liz’s Bakery and the attraction is her freshly baked white bread, which draws folks from all corners of Providenciales, is sent via boat and plane to the other Turks & Caicos Islands and brought home by tourists, too. Being one of the addicted, I can speak from experience that it is a true sensual pleasure to bite into a hot piece of Liz’s bread, the light-brown, butter-brushed crust offering just the right resistance before your tastebuds meet the soft, slightly sweet interior. In our family, a loaf has been known to last for less time than it takes to drive home!

Not to shortchange Liz’s accomplishments, her storefront also serves as a convenience store, selling a “little bit of everything,” including groceries, meat and dairy products, produce, beverages, school supplies and even home and beauty items. Her tempting showcase always holds at least a dozen different baked goods and take-out native lunch is served daily. But it is the bread–loaves and rolls of white, raisin and whole wheat (on Fridays) that seems to be the main attraction.

“Liz” is Elizabeth Higgs, born and raised in the same settlement whose appetites she now satisfies. The cheerful and straightforward entrepreneur says, “I liked the kitchen from when I went to school and I learned a lot (including the bread recipe) from my mother, Annie Rigby.” Following graduation from high school in South Caicos, Liz baked cakes at home for special orders while working and saving up money towards her dream of opening her own bakery. It took a dozen years, but with help from a local bank, in early 1996 Liz was able to purchase the first ovens, mixer and basic equipment and move into the original smaller building in Five Cays.

She remembers the early days, when it was just herself and her sister-in-law Rosemary Rigby. “We started off baking bread only twice a week, along with pastry for the showcase. For the first few weeks, we did all the mixing and kneading by hand to get a feel for the process before using the mixer. It also took us awhile to get the bread just right in the new ovens . . . we threw out quite a few batches!”

Today, the five ovens are rarely empty, with batches of bread baked at least three times a day on weekdays and Liz says, “I can’t even count how many times we bake on Saturday.” The three hour process starts at 7 AM on weekdays and 5 AM on Saturdays and consumes almost a ton of Robin Hood flour each week. Liz’s bread is also sold in four outlets in Providenciales: Kathleen’s 7-11, Walkin Service Station, Island Pride Supermarket and in Kewtown.

Liz added on to the building in 2000 and from the expanded kitchen, a staff of five turns out treats such as bread pudding and Johnny cake; ginger, banana and plantain bread; carrot, pineapple, cherry, apple, chocolate and coconut cakes; and filled croissants and meat patties. Lunch selections include conch fritters, fried chicken, fish, curry chicken, stew beef, peas ‘n’ rice, pea soup and even pizza.

And, of course, bread. “Caicos men like their bread,” is island legend and “having an eight pack for dinner” usually refers to a package of Liz’s rolls. In fact, Liz says her biggest challenge today is simply keeping enough bread on the shelves, “If we run out, we’ll get cursed by our customers.” Other challenges include maintaining a steady supply of ingredients (although Liz says, “My mother taught me how to substitute”) and surprisingly, “getting the bread right.” Liz and Rosemary say they still have to adjust ingredient amounts and cooking times based on weather and air temperature–for instance a cool, windy day will require adding more yeast to the recipe.

But through it all, Liz was determined to be a success. Her advice to budding entrepreneurs reflects this optimistic attitude. “There will be a lot of rough times and you may think the money you are spending on your business is being wasted. But don’t give up and get discouraged. Put your business hat on and make it work.”

In the future, Liz wants to expand to a more central location on Leeward Highway, a “fancy bakery” she says, “with a sitting area for eating.” But until she has the necessary financing, Five Cays will continue to be the “hot spot” to satisfy your craving for bread.

Liz’s Bakery is open from 7 AM to 7 PM, daily except Sunday. You can expect the first batch of hot bread around 9 AM on Saturday and 10:30 AM on weekdays, with the last set out of the ovens around 4 PM. Take-out lunch is served daily.

In my quest to rediscover the hidden culture of the Turks & Caicos Islands, I’ve become fascinated with our local folk songs and ring games (ring play). Since the beginning of my research throughout the Islands with a number of senior citizens groups, I have collected over 50 songs and I am sure there are many more to be discovered. It is impossible to convey the melody of the songs in print without providing the musical notation. In this article, I want to focus on the issue of folk music in the Turks & Caicos and give you a general insight on the subject.

Many of the songs are based on day-to-day life and actual events that took place in the Islands, so they become a unique source of oral history, local folklore and social commentary. The latest gossip was also expressed in song. Even to this day, there are songs one must be careful of singing in certain gatherings. During my research, the Chief Minister, Honorable Derek Taylor himself advised me to be sensitive and very careful with what songs were chosen to be performed by the cultural group because there are family members still alive who would take offence to having unflattering songs written about someone in their family performed in a public setting.

The tunes and melody of many of our folk songs are derived from British, African and American folk music, ring games, square dances and church hymns. The emphasis on rhythm, as opposed to melody, is a prominent feature of our local folk songs and ring games. With the ripsaw, goatskin drum, shakers and the triangle providing the rhythmic foundation, many songs with varying melodic lines are strung together in a continuous free flow.

Instruments like the accordion, guitar or concertina provide the basic three-chord progression to support the melody. Together with the rhythm and physical response, courtship, language and vocabulary skills are significant ingredients of traditional folk songs and ring games. The ring game “One & Twenty” introduced us to counting up to one hundred and the song “See, The Moon is Shining,” gives the boys and girls during ring play a safe way to express their feelings for each other without it being too obvious to adults.

See see see see, the moon is shining
See see see see, the moon is shining
And I like your eyes, la la la la la la
And I like your face, la la la la la la
And I like your arms, la la la la la la
And I like your hips, la la la la la la

There is no limitation to the list, so it provides the perfect vehicle to tell that special someone what you really like about him or her.
Some folk songs can appear strange and confusing until the full story is told. One such song is a little ditty out of South Caicos called “I Dig There.”

I dig there
Garland dig there
Garland push his finger in my hole
In my hole, in my hole
Garland push his finger in my hole

This song, written by Mr. Julius Jennings, tells the story of two men in South Caicos who went looking for turtle eggs and one of them took the eggs out of a hole his friend had dug up. For many years, most people raised an eyebrow when hearing the song for the first time without knowing that the line, “Garland push his finger in my hole,” was describing someone putting their hand in a turtle hole (nest) looking for eggs. According to Mrs. Tit Malcolm of South Caicos, the two characters in the story were Mr. Clement Seymour and Mr. Sidney Garland. “I Dig There” was a popular song with the ripsaw bands in South Caicos. Joe Robinson and Hugh Fulford featured this song on the album, “Bonefish Biting,” recorded in 1989 with the Turks & Caicos Cultural Group. The album was unfortunately poorly recorded, making it difficult to hear the songs clearly, so it did not make the cultural impact it should have in the schools as a source of reference for local folk music. Next year, the Tourist Board’s Cultural Department plans to record a CD and write a book of local folk and ring games as an ongoing drive to introduce a new cultural curriculum in the education system.

Not all songs were based on actual events. Some were just plain silly and humorous, while others are ambiguous and have cleverly hidden sexual overtones. The song “Conch Style,” taught to me by my aunt, Mrs. Mary “Titta” Quelch of Overback, Grand Turk, is a good example of a humorous folk song. The “Conch Style” is also a folk dance where the dancer hooks one foot around the back of the other ankle with a quick shuffle step in-between to change legs. Hooking the foot represents the claw or foot of the conch.

Monkey married to baboon sister
Kiss his lips and make it blister
What you think they had for dinner
Black eye peas and monkey liver
Conch style, oh aunt Johnny
Conch style, oh aunt Johnny

This song is obviously African in origin, for we have no monkeys or baboons in these Islands. This is a good example of the mixture of the two cultures as the conch and black-eyed peas formed a basic part of the local Turks & Caicos diet in the early years.

The songs “Sugar You Come,” a dialog between a boy and a girl and “Bonefish Biting,” about young single women, are good examples of the ambiguity of some of the tunes.

Sugar You Come
Boy: Sugar you come?
Girl: Yes I come again
Boy: What you bring?
Girl: Cake and sugar plum
Boy: Give me some?
Girl: I can’t give you none
Boy: Oh sugar, Sweet sugar

Bonefish Biting
Bonefish biting’ no one to catch them
Every married man got his own bonefish
Throw out your line catch a bonefish
Throw out your line catch a bonefish

In “Sugar You Come,” the boy is interested in the girl’s “cake and sugar plum” and being the good girl she is, she refuses, “I can’t give you none,” but the boy still tries, “Oh sugar, sweet sugar.”

“Bonefish Biting” speaks about the fact that there are many single girls looking for a husband, “bonefish biting,” but there are not enough available single males around, “no one to catch them,” while all men in the settlement have wives, “every married man got his own bonefish,” any unmarried man could have his pick of the many available single girls, “throw out your line catch a bonefish.”

The structures of our folk songs are simple and usually last for one verse and are then repeated over and over. This works well during ring play games where each person in the circle gets a turn to dance and sing in the ring. However, to break up the monotony in a dance and party setting, several songs are woven together in a medley and can go on for hours, switching from song to song supported by hand clapping and a ripsaw rhythm section. The Providenciales branch of the Senior Citizens Club, organized by Mrs. Marion Williams, taught four tunes to me that can be woven together in such a medley, jumping from one topic to another without missing a beat.

Bow Wow Wow
Bow wow wow my dog gon’ bite you
Bow wow wow my dog gon’ bite you
Throw the water in the door
So the door can’t make no noise
Bow wow wow my dog gon’ bite you

Went Jamaica
Went Jamaica spend my holiday
Went Jamaica spend my holiday
They give me ripe banana
They give me green banana
They give me coconut water
Spend my holiday

Send Her Home
Big, big sambo gal
She can’t wash, she can’t cook
Send her home to her mama gal
The gal can’t wash and the gal can’t cook
Send her home to her mama

Salt rakers sang this last song as they transported sacks of salt to be loaded in the shiphold for export.

Back Down Toby
Back Down Toby
Back Down Toby
Topsi right behind
Two more trips to make the load
And you knock off half past nine

The folk song is an oral art, not a written one. When songs move through the Islands, some words and phrases are altered, changed, mispronounced or just forgotten, making it difficult to discover the origin and writer of the tune. During the mass exodus in the 1930s through the 1960s of Turks & Caicos Islanders to the Bahamas seeking employment and eventually settling there, many of our folk songs found their way to Inagua, Freeport and Nassau. Over the years, these folk songs have been integrated into the folk culture of that country and most Bahamians do not realize how much of an impact Turks Islanders made on the musical and cultural scene in the Bahamas. I will explore that issue more fully in my next article on “Ripsaw Music and our Musical Heritage.”

It is becoming increasingly rare these days to find the youth of the country learning and singing folk songs and playing ring games in school, at home or in leisure. Like most developing countries, the Turks & Caicos is fast losing its folk heritage due to the overwhelming dominance of foreign music, television and fashion trends. This situation is not unique to the Turks & Caicos, but is echoed throughout the Caribbean. While it is important for a developing nation to keep up with the rest of the world, its people and government must insure that the unique folk heritage is not lost in the process.

One of our local legends, Mr. Lovey Forbes and his son Correy, with their combined bands of The Lively Stones and The Rakooneers, have been instrumental in writing some of our newest folk songs. “The Old Conch” and “Green Corn Time” are just two of the songs finding their way into the folk culture of the Turks & Caicos Islands. Lovey wrote “The Old Conch” in 1981 and I was amazed to discover that most locals thought the song was around much earlier, perhaps during their grandparents’ day. The first verse and chorus (written below) are what most people know and sing, but there are altogether three verses in the original recording. This song appears in the primary school textbook, “Our Country, the Turks & Caicos Islands.” But in a perfect example of how the words of folk songs are changed or altered depending on who sings and plays them, the publishers printed this incorrect version. No one thought to contact Mr. Forbes.

The old conch is sweeter than the fresh conch
The old conch is sweeter than the fresh conch
Especially when you put it in peas and rice
I say the old conch will make it taste so nice

You soak-um, soak-um,
You wash-um, wash-um
You cook-um, cook-um, You eat-um, eat-um

“The Old Conch” is an infectious song and sure to be a folk classic. Should you ever visit Dora’s Restaurant on Leeward Highway in Providenciales, you can see the original lyrics written by Lovey displayed in a frame hanging on the wall.

As the Tourist Board’s Cultural Officer, besides researching, collecting and recording folk songs I have put together a number of cultural shows and productions with the Turks & Caicos Cultural Group and the TUCA Folklore Company, with the intention of exposing the school children and the general public to this rich part of our cultural heritage. I am also encouraging young musicians, songwriters and poets to not only learn and perform our local folk music, but also to write new songs about day-to-day life and record what is going on in their communities and the country in song and poems as a way to insure that the art of folk music and folk songs survives for future generations.

With our growing tourism industry, local folk and cultural groups will soon find themselves in demand to perform at resorts and hotels for guests looking for the unique aspects of our culture beyond the typical sun, sand and sea experience. I am sure our folk music, with its mixture of oral history, humor and tradition, will prove to be the perfect vehicle to achieve this.

You enter the sea and immediately Everyday Life’s cares begin to dissolve. Gone are the stresses and worries that kept you on edge for interminable days and sleepless nights; faded are the competing demands and stacked deadlines that seem to define your existence. At last, in the warm embrace of Mother Ocean, you find the peace that has for so long eluded you. No argumentative Type A personalities stridently pointing out your every weakness and shortcoming. No telephone ringing with intrusive salespeople interrupting your dinner to push pointless products. No blaring television repeating the postmodern mantra “Buy! Consume! Vote for me!” ad nauseum (undoubtedly Latin for “nauseating ads”).

Gone are the teeth-rattling, bass-heavy absurdities that disturb your early-morning tossing and turning as an overstereoed car cruises by on ridiculously undersized wheels. Gone too is the clock radio’s dreaded blaring at some obscene hour of the morning. There’s just a tranquillity that, if anything, is paradoxically overwhelming in its very lack of auditory stimulation. You float above a peaceful realm of coral and sand spread beneath a shimmering turquoise skin of sea and an impossibly blue sky. A world of quiet and calm. A languorous place that Jacques Cousteau dubbed the “Silent World.” Peace at last. Right?

Actually, not really. The Silent World really isn’t. Silent, that is. Not always, anyway. The sea’s subaquatic sounds are more subtle than many of those from our world of air, and more muted and infinitely less jarring than those made by humans, but the sea is not a place devoid of sound.

Don’t take my word for it; you’re in the Turks & Caicos Islands, so give yourself a few hours’ break from whatever you’re doing, strap on a snorkel or SCUBA tank, and go looking for silence in all the wrong places.

SNAP, CRACKLE AND POP

The first thing that you might notice upon getting your ears below the waterline is a continual (and loud) crackling that is perhaps best described as being what you’d hear if you were ever trapped in a bag of popcorn that had reached popping temperature (undoubtedly the late Orville Redenbacher’s recurring nightmare).

Some of the shallower Turks & Caicos reefs seem particularly good proof of this, ablaze as they are with an intense crackling rarely heard beyond the oily confines of a hot frying pan or wok. The main culprits are pistol, or snapping, shrimp. It’s only recently been demonstrated that they produce sound through cavitation–opening and closing their claws at such a phenomenal rate that they create and pop bubbles. The mechanics are thus somewhat similar to those behind the rude noises that male children produce via their armpits, but these bubble-bursting shrimps can produce sounds well above the decibel threshold at which humans begin to experience ear pain. Even the Who’s guitar-murdering Pete Townsend is an auditory lightweight by comparison. You never see these shrimps, but you know they’re there. In their way, they’re the most easily identifiable of the reef’s denizens–you don’t even really need to see them. The bubble-blowing is far from aimless, too: benefits to the shrimp include communication with others of their species and probably rapid incapacitation of the worms, small fishes, and crustaceans upon which they feed.

Grunts

Then there are grunts, joining together to form those gold and blue or silver masses that you’ll see hanging out in the lee of a large elkhorn coral or along the edge of just about every shallow reef in these islands. Ever wonder how grunts got their name? Invade one’s personal space too quickly and you might find out. A mild-mannered grunt’s bark is worse than their bite, but the sound can still take you by surprise. And that, as we’ll see shortly, is the whole idea.

SONGS OF LOVE AND DEATH

Sound waves travel almost five times faster underwater than in air, so sound can be a very effective means of communicating over distances long and short. As many as 300 fish species may produce sounds of one kind or another. Toadfishes whistle or make high-pitched “foghorn” sounds, squirrelfishes grunt, drums–well–drum, sea robins sing (if not quite like their terrestrial namesakes), and groupers can actually boom at you if you happen to catch them by surprise or if you’re cad enough to harass one.

Many of the sounds that fishes produce use frequencies too low for unaided human detection, but the booming of a grouper is hard to miss. A big grouper, such as a Goliath grouper (formerly known as the jewfish, only recently renamed after a Philistine with growth hormone problems), can muster up enough of a sonic boom to give anyone a start. If you’re boomed at by a grouper, back off to give it some space and a bit of respect. Besides, you probably don’t want to be rammed by any grouper, let alone one that looks to be the approximate size of a Volkswagen.

It’s probably just a function of them being studied the most, but damselfishes seem to have a particularly complex system of sounds that, in concert with particular body movements and postures, form the basis of complex social systems. As seems to be the case for most other fishes that use sonic communication, damselfishes make the most noise when they’re facing down a potential predator.

Propagating the species is, when you come down to it, what life’s all about. But it’s hard to get much propagating done when you’re dead, so staying alive in a predator-field sea is as vital a concern to your average fish as is reproduction. Sonic ability comes in handy here, too. A fish that emits an alarm call when frightened, or when in the jaws of a predator, might startle the predator into hesitating long enough to allow escape. That’s Plan A. If that doesn’t work, the doomed fish’s calls may not be in vain–others of its species may benefit from the warning and, if the fish is really lucky, a competitor to the predator, or perhaps a bigger predator, will come to see what the fuss is about. That’s Plan B.

Damselfishes and others are also pretty vociferous when they’re indulging in courtship behaviour. Sounds come into play whether the male is wooing the female–preening like Travolta’s character in “Saturday Night Fever” and tearing loose with fishy versions of wolf whistles and “hey, bay-bee” that’d put many a chauvinist human to shame–or defeating, by intimidation, rivals for her affection. Female damselfishes can distinguish the size, identity, and location of would-be suitors just from the nature of their calls.

Such sounds are sometimes the piscine equivalent of serenading beneath a senorita’s window and sound production is an integral part of the courtship ritual for many fish species. Large groupers even flaunt their heavy bass rumble in such situations, each basso profundo trying to outdo the other. Barry White would understand.

Incidentally, although no shark has yet been identified that produces sounds equivalent to those gracing recordings by the “Walrus of Love,” British aquarists around this past Valentine’s Day opined that piping Mr. White’s velvet-voiced crooning into shark display tanks might enhance the sharks’ reproductive motivation in a manner remarkably similar to that previously demonstrated for humans. Truth continues to be appreciably stranger than fiction.

STRIDULATION, CONVERSATION & SONIC BOOMS

Fishes produce sounds in several different ways and sometimes use a combination of different approaches, like an orchestra conductor choosing instruments to build just the right sound. Some fishes, such as grunts, produce sound by basically grinding their teeth together. A few, including marine catfishes, have specialised fin elements that move within sockets to produce loud clicks.

Many fish species produce sound by contracting muscles around their swim bladders, the gas-filled swim bladder functioning both in buoyancy control and as a kind of echo chamber in sonic communication. Some of the drum-like sounds that fishes produce are pretty obviously muscles vibrating against the swim bladder, but even some of the whistling and other high-pitched sounds derive from the same mechanism. The basic mechanism–stridulation is the name given to the shrill noise produced by rubbing body parts together–is essentially the same as that in cicadas and other insects that produce noise by rubbing their legs and wings together. When the muscles contract fast enough, the sound that issues forth may sound like anything but a drum. Rates at which these muscles contract around the swim bladder can be incredible–the oyster toadfish’s whistle, for example, is the result of muscles moving against its swim bladder a phenomenal 200 times per second, a Herculean effort sustained by the fastest-twitching muscles yet discovered in any vertebrate animal.

The virtuosos of marine bio-acoustics are unquestionably dolphins and other whales. Here we enter a whole other realm of communication, because some of these animals almost certainly possess full languages by any definition. If you’re lucky enough to be anywhere near the Columbus Passage during the winter, you’ll probably hear the mournful sound of a passing humpback’s “song” as it moves to or from breeding grounds on the Silver Banks between Grand Turk and the Dominican Republic.

These sounds can travel for hundreds, or even thousands, of miles. It’s the marine mammal equivalent to the Internet, by which whales within a hemisphere may remain in contact and pass along information. Just as humans have kept alive ancient sagas passed by oral tradition to the present day, so may certain whales tell stories about past and present, including the oceanic equivalents to traffic advisories, weather reports, and restaurant critiques.

Among smaller whales, dolphins are well known as successful hunters that use echolocation to find prey and to probe murky waters, but they also have a variety of vocalisations that seem to form at least a rudimentary language. Dr. Doolittle wished that he could talk to the animals and now dolphin researchers in Hawaii and elsewhere are doing their best to fulfill the same vision.

The Turks & Caicos Islands have long been known as home to JoJo, a dolphin who has proven to many that there are means other than the sonic with which to communicate. Still, “talking” is important to dolphin social behaviour. In killer whales, acoustic ability even has direct predatory application–these huge dolphins can focus intense blasts of high-pitched sound that actually stun the hapless prey. Recent research suggests that bottlenose dolphins, including JoJo, may share that predatory capability.

SOUNDS OF THE SEAS

The ocean echoes with sounds from plenty of other sources. Although real-life sharks are not generally accompanied by the ominous sound of a cello, large fishes and whales can produce sound merely by passage of their body through the water. Such hydrodynamic sounds can be quite distinctive, as are the sounds of whales slapping, mantas jumping, and flyingfishes skimming. Human sonar operators on navy ships and submarines quickly become adept at sorting out this cacophony of natural sounds and, as if a small fish on alert for sharks, listen for the characteristic hydrodynamic noise of a predatory submarine in the neighbourhood.

Human activity, of course, adds its own noises to the seas- quiet symphony. Unfortunately, but not particularly out of line with our other contributions to the marine realm, our noises all too often interfere and overwhelm. Figuratively speaking, we’re breaking loose with arrhythmic punk-rock chainsaw-guitar riffs in the midst of a well-orchestrated Mozartian melody. Debate currently rages over U.S. Navy testing of powerful Low-Frequency Active Sonar, designed for submarine warfare, that interferes with whales’ hearing and navigation abilities and appears directly fatal because of decibel levels far higher than those deemed unsafe for humans.

Then there are the sounds of the sea itself, most obvious to a diver where the sea spends its awesome energy against an ironshore coast or dissolves upon an empty stretch of sandy beach.

Hardly quiet, and frequently anything but placid, the (Relatively) Silent World still offers undeniable respite from the rigors of Modern Life. Listen to the sand sift across a narrow gully in the reef. Wince at the grating sound of a large parrotfish reducing living coral to white sand. Let your ears fill with the castanet sound of shrimps as they reveal the true sound of one claw snapping. Escape the noise for a little while and hear the sounds of nature. It’s a Noisy World, after all

Shane Paterson, who studied great barracuda while a visiting scientist to the School for Field Studies on South Caicos, is currently a Postdoctoral Research Scientist at the Bermuda Biological Station for Research. Matt Weedon, who worked in the Turks & Caicos Islands as a School for Field Studies intern and as photo pro aboard Peter Hughes Sea Dancer liveaboard dive vessel, is a professional photographer now based in Texas.

In 1852, cast iron pieces for the Grand Turk lighthouse were shipped from England and assembled in the Turks & Caicos Islands. To this day, the lighthouse stands guard on North East Point, sending its beacon to protect seafarers from potential disaster on the treacherous shallow reefs below.

It seems fitting that this bastion of stability, longevity and security should serve as the symbol of the Turks & Caicos Banking Company, one of the Islands’ original financial institutions. Established in 1980, Turks & Caicos Banking Company has been involved from the birth of TCI’s role as an offshore finance center and “grew up” along with the Islands.

It all began in the late 1960s when Norwegian national Nils O. Seim and his wife Grethe visited Grand Turk, fell in love with the island, and planned their retirement there. A keen businessman, Nils had a clear vision that the Turks & Caicos would someday emerge as an important financial and tourism center. He recognized the need for an alternative to retail banking in the form of a European-style private bank that could serve the needs of private investors. He incorporated Turks & Caicos Banking Company and obtained a banking licence from the government in May, 1974.

Although Grand Turk was bustling at the time with operations at the U.S. Air Force’s Missile Tracking Station, nothing much happened in the financial sector until the 1980s, with Air Florida serving the nation’s capital three times weekly direct from Miami and the Company Ordinance of 1981 taking effect, regulating the formation of offshore companies. It was at this time that the financial market began truly taking shape, with many of the country’s original professionals–Richard and Peter Savory, Joseph Connolly, Ian Miller and Barrie Cooke, among others–setting up shop in Grand Turk.

The bank’s Managing Director, Anton “Toni” Faessler, remembers those days well. He says, “The bank opened in December, 1980 with the original office being in the wooden Misick building in the vicinity of the fish market. There were two desks, a telephone and Sandra Garland as the secretary. There was one client–Nils Seim, the founder of the bank.”

The next year, the bank financed local builder Evan “Storm” Missick to build Harbour House, the first modern commercial building on Grand Turk, and quite naturally became its first occupant. The bank was based there until 1997 when it moved to the Mac Law House, its present location on Duke Street, Grand Turk. In February 2002, following the death of Grethe Seim, the Board of Directors took another major step forward and opened an office in Caribbean Place, Providenciales, a reflection of the branching out of financial activities into the country’s tourism mecca.

Over the past 21 years, Turks & Caicos Banking Company has kept pace with the Islands’ tremendous growth. From a $500,000 initial capital and one client, the bank currently has approximately 1,000 accounts with $20 million under management, and maintains a $50 million balance sheet. At the same time, it has built a sterling reputation on that of its shareholders, management and clientele.

Anton Faessler was given the task to “build the bank” in November 1981 when he took up the challenge of the Turks & Caicos Islands. His extensive, Swiss-based training began in 1968 at Bank Leu, the oldest Swiss bank and now a part of the Credit Suisse Group. His moved on to Barclays Bank in London, England; Bank Leu in Nassau, Bahamas; and Warburg/Leu in Luxembourg, another well-known banking center. He, like the Seims, was enamored of the Turks & Caicos and soon made it his home, was naturalized and became a Belonger in 1990. He, like the bank’s shareholders, is strongly committed to the country’s growth and advancement, and over the years has served as president, vice president and treasurer of the Grand Turk Chamber of Commerce and is currently vice president of the Bankers Association and a member of the Investment Committee of the National Insurance Board. His most prestigious and recent appointment is that of one of six directors of the Financial Services Commission, newly established as a statutory body.

The bank’s Assistant Manager, Juergen Beck, brings experience gained at LGT Bank in Liechtenstein and ING Baring in Zurich prior to coming to TCI two years ago. Administrative Officer Michael Simmons is a Turks & Caicos Islander who served some six years with Barclays Bank before joining the staff in 1996.

As one of only two private banks in the Islands, Turks & Caicos Banking Company caters to the private investor, focusing on portfolio management. Holding both local and overseas licences, services include current and fixed deposit accounts, securities and precious metal trading, escrow services and foreign exchange in five major currencies and markets. As Anton Faessler explains, “We serve our clients as partners in banking and carefully build a private relationship, acting as both advisor and friend. We work with trusted local professionals when company formation or trust work is involved. Most of our business referrals come via word-of-mouth from within the local financial community.”

Conservative European by nature, Anton outlines the investment philosophy by which Turks & Caicos Banking Company guides its clients. “We believe the core principles of successful investment are preservation of capital, growth and income with the right mix of assets and investment vehicles depending on the goal and time horizon in mind.” He adds, “We suggest that everyone should establish their own purpose and investment goals and develop a strategy of how to best achieve them in a safe and prudent way. With these basic principles in mind, one can state that the time to invest is always right.”

One of AntonÕs golden rules maintains that, “We are not here to make anyone believe you can make a ‘fast buck’ . . . that’s called gambling, not investing. Historic data shows that long-term investments steadily rise. Like an ocean voyage, you must ride the waves up and down, but with cautious and careful steering, you will always reach your destination.” Fear and loss of confidence, he adds, are the biggest enemies of investors. “This is the spirit in which we work with our clients. And of course it is to both our benefit and theirs when we all don’t suffer any unnecessary losses.”

The bank’s cooperative attitude extends beyond its office walls. Anton says, “Our shareholders have always believed that it is our duty to give back to the community.” A major achievement was the Seim family sponsorship of the Turks & Caicos National Museum, an investment of over $1 million since its establishment in 1990 and with Grethe acting as a driving force in its creation. Among many other local causes, the bank also donated funds to build the new clubhouse at Waterloo Golf Course in Grand Turk.

Within the organization, Anton adds, “We believe in operating and expanding with the resources of the Turks & Caicos Islands.” As such, the current staff of nine includes one expatriate and promotions are solicited from within. Employees are encouraged to pursue continuing education and the bank pays for the bulk of expenses for any schooling venture they take up.

Does Anton see any clouds on the horizon relating to the Turks & Caicos Government’s recent commitment to improving transparency and establishing effective “exchange of information” policies to satisfy the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)? He shakes his head, “No. The bank, along with TCI’s professional community, has always operated with due diligence at it relates to our clients and business transactions and the necessary laws have long been in place. I believe that all this OECD pressure was a result of mistakes made in less regulated jurisdictions.” He adds, “We have always believed that it is important to do ‘clean business.’ Now, we need the same commitment by all players in the international financial services industry. If there is a level playing field, you don’t have to be afraid of anything. This issue only underlines the paramount importance of maintaining the good reputation of your country, your shareholders, your staff and your clients.”