The Grand Beginings
Location: Soper’s hole
Today featured a busy morning preparing and stocking the boat in preparation for everyone's arrival later. All three of us have been frantically packing every spare bit of space with food and snacks to keep us fed and happy over the next 20 days.
Right now, all three of us are finishing up the last bit of cleaning and scrubbing to get everything ready for everyone to arrive. We're all so excited to meet everyone and to get going on our awesome voyage.
On the subject of us, here's a little intro to the team that will be helping to run Gin Tini:
First up is our skipper Tom. He was born and raised in London, studied at Imperial College and Southampton University, and brings a background in engineering and problem-solving to every boat he leads. Having spent some time working as an engineer, he returns to the sea to help inspire others to love it as he does. Outside of ActionQuest, he works as a freelance engineer and sailing instructor, combining creativity with practical experience. Tom brings professionalism, flexibility, and a calm teaching style to every boat. With a strong background in both seamanship and mentorship, he's excited to help students build skills, grow as a team, and experience the adventure of life at sea.
Next up is one of our dive instructors, Nat. She has spent most of her time in Illinois and Wyoming until her study abroad with Seamester, sailing from Antigua to Fiji in the spring of 2021. As a student on Argo, she fell in love with diving and sailing, leading to her earning professional certifications in both after completing her degrees in Environmental Sciences. Nat has taught ecology both on and off the water in California and is excited to share her passion for and knowledge of the ocean on every dive. Out of the water, she enjoys cooking, hiking, and saying hi to any animal within reach. She is very excited to get out and explore with all the new crewmates!
Last but by no means least is our other dive instructor and program manager, Zoe. She grew up in Park Ridge, Illinois, always dreaming of being near the ocean. Her love for the water grew over the years, from decorating her room with nautical themes to scuba diving with her family and joining two GoBeyond BVI trips in high school.
In the summer of 2022, while pursuing degrees in Neuroscience and Spanish at Tulane University, she spent a semester with Sea|mester aboard Vela. Her experience helped her realize she wanted to combine her two biggest passions – medicine and the ocean.
In 2024, she became a PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor in Utila, Honduras, and earned her Medical Person in Charge (MEDPIC) certification. The following year, she graduated from Tulane.