Bravo 1, Charlie 1, Foxtrot 1 & Sierra 1, Day 15: Race Day to Dead Man's
Written by James Cordery
Edited by Meredith Evridge
After a wholesome breakfast, our divers were swiftly shuttled to the dive boat, ready to complete a deep dive and a wreck dive. For a few individuals, today was a momentous day as these dives at West Seal Dog and Kodiak Queen resulted in the certification of a couple new Advanced Open Water students!
The rest of the day was to be an afternoon of skill and speed. It wasn’t just any ol’ sail to Dead Man’s Bay. It was Race Day! The students prepared themselves for this arduous feat of focus with a smashing lunch of broccoli mac and cheese. All the boats were bubbling with excitement and eagerness as they crossed the starting line at Mountain Point. Sails were up as sailors plotted and schemed the best way to take over. Vanuatu started out quite strong and was expecting to win. All six boats were close together for the first third of the race. Gradually, Tinturet got right up next to Vanuatu and as an intense danceoff ensued for those that weren’t at the helm, Tinturet pulled ahead and maintained a hold on first place. They claimed the Race Day victory!
Although others would have loved to be first at Dead Man’s, they soon cheered up with the next challenge: Chili Cookoff. Every boat would come up with a theme and a special version of the classic bean and ground beef (or veggie) dish. The judges, who were from our staff boat, dressed up as tourists and adopted a temporary accent and persona. They visited each boat and undertook three tests: the sniff test, the plop test (judging how it fell from the spoon to the bowl – or to the table – or to the floor!!) and the taste test. They also observed how the chili was plated and served. There were extremely fun and silly themes put on by our creative campers. There was a slumber party complete with pillow fights and sour cream facials, and there was a Disney princess retreat with each princess explaining why she had to get away from her real life and come hang on the boat. There was a Coachella party and dance to “Party in the USA,” with the kids even making VIP wristbands for the judges and everyone taking pictures for their fake Instagrams. Lilo and Stitch was another theme. Each boat had put effort and fun into decorating their boats. The level of music and energy was high on each boat, and we all laughed a lot! The different batches of chili were also full of surprises. Some added barbeque sauce, some added coffee grounds and passionfruit juice, some added rice or hashbrowns for an extra boost. Needless to say, it was unforgettable.
After a full day, boats were able to wind down for the night with games at boat meeting, like two truths and a lie. Everyone got involved. Happy, full, and appreciating our Mega Fleet vibes, we all headed to bed.
