Location: GHP, BVI
Today was a unique day for the Argonaut crew as the responsibilities that the crew held as everyday tasks were handed down to the students as a test. The day started off as any other normal day: 7:30 wake-ups, a delicious breakfast, clean-up, scuba diving in a gorgeous location, soaking up the sun’s rays, and lunch. It was after lunch that the day began to take a turn. Captain Sam cordially walks over to me, the skipper, and informs me that the students will be in charge of this next passage and that the crew, himself included, would play no part in achieving a successful voyage to GHP. Truthfully, this was a huge surprise to all of the crew, myself included, as this was the first time a mission like this would be undertaken.
Furthermore, we were going to complete this voyage without the aid of GPS location or radar; essentially, we were going to plot our own course by hand using a compass and “three-point fixes,” a skill we acquired in our Basic Seamanship course. Due to the phenomenal performance of the students and the excellent teaching from the staff throughout these past two and a half months, we arrived at GHP successfully and on time without any major foul-ups occur. Matt H. helmed the vessel for two hours safely, guiding us through busy waters. Andy, Matt, Joe, Stephen, and Biz did a fantastic job of using a compass to constantly plot our position, keeping us on course while making our way. This was followed up by Kimmery and Biz manning the dinghy to properly attach the vessel to our mooring ball at GHP.
All in all, it was an extremely successful trip for the students, and all shared quite an accomplished feeling. This was the first time we had true responsibility for the vessel. The success of arriving at our next location and performing all of this without the aid of the captain and crew, also achieving this without high-tech global positioning devices, made the victory that much sweeter. The trip is swiftly coming to an end, and this is, without a doubt, a bittersweet feeling. We have knowledge and experience under our belt, but that knowledge and experience only came with time, time we loved, and time we will never get back. We are constantly enjoying every day that comes our way, but we are saddened when the days are gone because we know that we are getting one step closer to that airplane ride home in Antigua. Yes, we are excited to see our family and friends, but the family bonds and friends we have made here will be dearly missed. So, moments of team comradery, such as completing a passage with students’ hands and students’ hands alone, are the bonding experiences we won’t take for granted and moments we will never forget.