Bravo 2, Charlie 2, Delta 2, Foxtrot 2 & Sierra 2, Day 6: Women's Dive Day and Nanny Cay Docks

Written by Dani Debrah

Edited by Meredith Evridge

A slight lie-in led to a rejuvenated group this morning. The crew was alive, alert, awake, and enthusiastic about the day ahead. They were particularly excited for the chance to call their eagerly awaiting parents from the docks of Nanny Cay later this afternoon. Our morning began with a breakfast buffet followed by swift goodbyes to our Open Water divers. It’s very apparent that friendships are blossoming as those not diving today keenly hopped into the dinghy to wish their crewmates well on their final dive before officially being recognized as Open Water divers!!

Once back to the boat, all signs were a go as our pre-departure checks had been completed before divers departed. With our I’s dotted and T’s crossed, we were ready to drop the ball. This being our second mooring ball drop, the maneuver went off without a hitch! With The Bight at our stern, we headed for the Sir Francis Drake channel. We were ready to raise our sails. At the helm, our skipper of the day dished out positions for raising the sail. Minutes later, our mainsail was up, our jib sheet was trimmed, engines were off, and we were sailing! During the sail, crew members were reminded of previous lessons regarding points of sail and parts of the boat. Captains eyes twinkled with joy as their crew answered every pop question correctly.

To keep motivations high, a batch of shark dip was whipped up by volunteers. This is a sumptuous mix of cream cheese, beans, and a few other select ingredients that really mesh well with a tortilla chip. After a few hours of tacking back and forth in the channel, docking instructions were administered by our on land leadership team. Engines were switched on, jibs were furled, mainsheets were dropped with tactful grace, and we headed into Nanny Cay Marina. The docking called for all hands-on deck as crew positions included a bow line, spring line, stern line, spotter, relay, and a roaming fender. Members of the leadership team greeted the incoming boats with smiles and hands to catch the incoming dock lines. Skippers carefully maneuvered their boats through a tight channel into their docking slips with the help of their captains.

Once docked, each crew was responsible for undertaking a deep clean of the vessel. Washing down decks, cleaning their cabins, and scrubbing the floor were just a few items on the list. Upon completion, the crew asked a member of the leadership staff to approve of their work, which in turn released them to their shore time activities. Inspection approvals rippled down the dock as boats were freed to enjoy the shops, pool, and beach that Nanny Cay had to offer.

During this time, a few female divers took part in the widely celebrated International Women’s Dive Day. Notable creatures seen on the dive included sharks, turtles, and a pink meanie jellyfish enveloping a moon jellyfish! It was an exciting dive and we enjoyed celebrating this holiday immensely. Around 4:30, all students returned to their home boats to finally administer those long-awaited calls home. Once everyone had connected with loved ones, evening showers and a filling dinner of steak burritos and showers followed. After feeling full, fresh and clean, the docks were abuzz as we began our evening activity; a dock social. Students were permitted aboard other vessels to chit chat and hang out with friends, everyone showing their guests how their boat differs. We knew this would be our last night with Delta as they were to head down island the following day. With spirits high and chatterboxes exhausted, a nightly boat meeting concluded activities for the day and we all crawled into our nests for the night.