Sail Rock Island
Turks and Caicos
Sail Rock Island is a small and sheltered wetland island, located near the Stake Bank and Bell Sound region of South Caicos and Hog Cay. The island has no connection to the Sailrock Resort or development project on South Caicos, other than perhaps the name association, which may be derived from white cliffs on small cays in the area.
Terrain and Environment
Sail Rock Island is a very low elevation cay, and nearly all of the island consists of red mangrove wetlands. A narrow low ridge of marine limestone lines parts of the windward east coast, with a few interspersed and small beaches. A portion of the southern point of the island, Nuisance Point, offers limited amounts of dry ground, with light tropical dry forest.
The islands, wetlands, and banks between South Caicos and East Caicos, Sail Rock Island included, is one of the finest locations for nature and wildlife in the Turks and Caicos, and a wealth of marine and bird life can be seen. Sightings vary widely, yet sharks and stingrays are very common in the channels, and ospreys, frigatebirds, brown pelicans, and many types of small shore birds are abundant.
Getting to Sail Rock Island
Sail Rock Island is quite difficult to access, especially for any vessels other than flats skiffs and other shallow-draft vessels. Stake Bank, which is the very shallow sandbank located between South Caicos, Hog Cay, and East Caicos, prohibits nearly all vessels from easy access from the southern Caicos Banks side of Sail Rock Island.
From the north, there are slightly deeper depths in the tidal channels that lead in towards the island from between McCartney Cay, Middle Creek Cay, and Plandon Cay. However, the reefs off the eastern side of South Caicos can be difficult and treacherous to navigate for those unfamiliar with the area.
It is possible to kayak the 1.5 miles (2.4 km) from the Jerry Camp launch point on South Caicos, which is quite a scenic trip. Be aware that a direct route may not be feasible during lower tides, and it may be preferable to travel north from Jerry Camp until Big Cay and Sand Bore Cay are cleared, and then head south to Sail Rock Island.