Location: Savannah Bay
Yesterday, 13 complete strangers all excitedly boarded airplanes with one common destination, the S/V Ocean Star in Tortola, British Virgin Islands, their new home for the next 20 days. With everyone making it aboard safely yesterday today, the real fun began. Once the crew was outfitted with scuba gear and we had a chance to run through the particulars of life aboard, we made our way and left the dock in West End to not return again for 19 days. Making our way up the Drake channel, the crew set sail for the first time in my sailing crash course 101. Everyone got a chance to get their hands on the lines and learn the finesse of sweating up a halyard. Their hands are still soft from shore life, but soon enough, they’ll be hardy sailors with callused hands used to handling lines. By 1630, Ocean Star pulled into the anchorage of Savannah Bay on the island of Virgin Gorda, a pristine crystal clear bay surrounded by an outer reef and white sandy beaches. Once the boat was put to rest with sails flaked, the pool was opened to shower time. Already, the remarks were circulating amongst the crew about how amazing it was to be out anchored in such a tranquil setting. Afterward, the crew sat down to their first “squeeze” and dinner on the water. The night’s activities were taken to their open water diving studies. To say the least, it was a very full day! But a full day is a rewarding day, and although the crew might be tired, all of their spirits are high from the pure adrenaline that comes with the start of a grand new adventure. In the next few weeks, we will have traveled to 5 countries, experienced four very different cultures, earned various scuba certifications, learned how to sail an 88′ schooner throughout the Caribbean, and, all along the way, made 16 new best friends. Right now, you might be asking yourself, “Man, what am I going to do with my summer?”