Follow Our Journey! Alpha, Tango, Bravo, Charlie, Foxtrot, Sierra & Delta – Day 1 & 2

Written by Zoe & Nora, Social Media Coordinators

Our staff met new campers at the St. Thomas airport Sunday June 25th with the excitement of the new programs starting. As flights arrived campers collected their luggage and got checked-in before being taxied to the Charlotte Amalie ferry terminal. Kids enjoyed pizza before getting on several ferries throughout the day to Roadtown, Tortola, accompanied by staff. All campers passed through customs in Roadtown, officially entering the British Virgin Islands. Campers were shuttled to Sail Caribbean’s home base at Hodges Creek Marina were they were eagerly met by the rest of our wonderful staff who were waiting and ready to collect bags and welcome them to their new boats. It was so much fun to watch all of the campers meet their crews, captains, and mates. One could tell that friendships were easily starting to form. 

After campers settled into their new boats, staff were preparing dinner- a buffet with rice and beans, grilled chicken, coleslaw, and steamed vegetables. Walking around the docks, each boat ate dinner together and played some bonding games; like, learning each others’ favorite ice cream flavor and playing name games. 

The next morning, the whole Sail Caribbean fleets awoke ready for the day. Each boat took turns coming to our Sail Caribbean Divers Dive Shop where our diving staff told them how diving works here, what certifications they can try to get, and how to get them. All while instilling the utmost confidence in the students that they can learn to explore under the sea! Then, they had the chance to shop around the dive shop, get Sail Caribbean t-shirts, and learn about the American Sailing Association courses and certifications we offer here. 

Afterwards, it was already time to get off the dock and head to our first destination: Cooper Island. All 16 vessels are staying together for the first two days of the program. The diving students got the chance to get acquainted with the dive equipment, swim, and learn about the next few weeks of diving. Meanwhile, other campers went swimming, tubing, and relaxed on the beach. 

Dinner tonight was one of our favorites: burritos. As the boats enjoyed their hearty meals, the captains and mates planned games and conversations for the students before they headed to bed for another packed day in the Caribbean!