WELCOME TO OCEAN STAR!!!
Location: West End, BVI
Welcome to Ocean Star!
The boat has been gleaming after a deep clean and restock, but she felt a little too quiet these past few months. That all changed as our new students arrived safely today and stepped aboard their home for the next 20 days. Backpacks hit the deck, smiles appeared, and the energy on board instantly came alive.
As someone who’s done trips like this before, I can promise you this is going to be an incredible adventure. Over the coming weeks you’ll sail through stunning Caribbean waters, dive vibrant reefs, jump into turquoise seas, chase sunsets under sail, explore beautiful islands, and hopefully spot turtles, rays, and dolphins along the way. We’ll have plenty of beach time, hikes, and those perfect moments that make the Caribbean so special.
But the real magic will be the way a boat full of strangers quickly turns into a tight-knit crew, full of laughter, late-night talks in the hammocks, silly inside jokes, and memories that feel like family. These are the moments you’ll look back on and smile about long after the trip ends.
Meet the Staff!!
Gabe:
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|mester 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 aboard NOAA research vessels. 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.
Perry:
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|mester 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 Seamester team and share his love for the ocean!
Annika:
Annika was born outside Las Vegas but has lived all around the US. She started sailing and diving aboard the Sea|mester vessel S/Y Vela in the Spring of 2022 and has been hooked ever since! Annika graduated from Loyola Marymount University in Southern California with degrees in Psychology and Environmental Studies, where she enjoyed living closer to the ocean. She has worked with yacht clubs to outfit and maintain various boats and loves sharing her passions and excitement with others on the water. Annika is also an avid diver, especially fascinated with sea slugs and kelp forests. During her summers working for ActionQuest in the British Virgin Islands, she especially loves teaching others to wakeboard, having spontaneous dance parties, and sailing, chat, and jeopardy nights. Annika is excited to sail with Sea|mester on Ocean Star this summer.
Ainsley:
Ainsley grew up far from the coast on the Arkansas/Oklahoma border and 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|mester 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. The small crew felt like family, and the mentor's passion for the boat and the ocean left a lasting impression. Inspired by the voyage, Ainsley went on to complete the MCA Approved Engine Course 1 and 2 (AEC 1 & AEC 2), building the technical foundation needed to support these beautiful vessels.
Ainsley is also a certified Pilates instructor who believes in the importance of moving your body with strength and intention, something she finds perfectly complements the physical demands and rhythms of life at sea. 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|mester team, ready to share her love for the sea and adventure with the next group of students.