Antigua to Virgin Islands – Summer 2026

Good Afternoon from Antigua!! The boat was gleaming after a deep clean and restock, but she still felt a little too quiet. That all changed the moment our new students started arriving and stepped aboard their home for the next 40 days. Backpacks hit the deck, bunks were claimed, smiles spread, and just like that, the whole boat came alive again.
As someone who's done trips like this before, I can already tell this 40-day adventure is going to be something special. Over the coming weeks, we're going to raise sails and glide between beautiful Caribbean islands, drop anchor at pretty white-sand beaches, dive vibrant reefs, jump into turquoise water, chase sunsets, hike trails, and hopefully spot plenty of turtles, rays, and dolphins along the way. There will be ocean showers, beach days, rain dances, and all those perfect little moments that make the Caribbean feel like magic.
But the part I can guarantee is how quickly a boat full of strangers turns into family. The late-night talks on deck, the ridiculous games invented on watch, the inside jokes that make no sense to anyone else, and the way you start trusting these people with everything. 40 days of growth and tons of stories you'll still be telling years from now.
Let the adventure begin!
Meet the Staff:
Gabe: Captain and Dive Instructor. Gabe was forged in the waters of San Francisco Bay, learning to sail as a member of Sea Scouts. After high school, he joined a Sea|Mesters voyage on Argo, and he hasn't been able to escape the ocean since. He attended the University of Hawaii as a Geography major in the Marine Option Program and interned on research vessels for NOAA. Since graduating, he has worked on tall ships and submarines and has taught SCUBA diving in Hawaii for the past several years. Gabe holds a 200 ton Yachtmaster license, as well as a 100 ton US Coast Guard license, and is a licensed PADI instructor.
Zoe: Deckhand, Program Manager, Dive Instructor, and Medic. Zoe 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|Mesters 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.
Zoe is very excited to join the Sea|Mesters team and can't wait to share her love for the ocean and adventure with future students!
Perry: Deckhand, Dive Instructor, and Marine Science Teacher. Perry grew up in the seaside town of St. Augustine, Florida, where he has been in the water for longer than he can remember. During college, he was lucky enough to sail with Sea|Mesters from Fiji to Bali, igniting a love for sailing. After graduating with a degree in Marine Biology from the University of South Florida, he left to pursue a diving career in Thailand & Malaysia. Perry previously worked as a marine biologist in the Maldives before working at Global Expeditions Group's summer program, ActionQuest, in the British Virgin Islands. He is very excited to join the Sea|Mesters team and share his love for the ocean!
Ainsley: Deckhand and Provisioner. Ainsley grew up far from the coast in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. With only occasional lake days as a child, she was the furthest thing from a sailor. Her love for the sea was born not from time spent on the water, but from a deep passion for travel and exploration. Dreaming of sailing the globe long before she ever raised a sail, Ainsley saw the ocean as the ultimate way to connect with new places and people. In the fall of 2024, she joined Sea|Mesters as a student aboard S/Y Argo for the Bali to Cape Town voyage, her very first time at sea. That 90-day journey became the hardest and most rewarding experience of her life. Inspired by the voyage, Ainsley went on to complete the MCA-approved Engine Course 1 and 2, building the technical foundation needed to support these beautiful vessels. When she's not on a boat, you can often find her teaching Pilates, sitting at a coffee shop, or rock climbing indoors.
Ainsley is thrilled to return to the Sea|Mesters team, ready to share her love for the sea and adventure with the next group of students.