Bravo 2 & Charlie 2 2015 – Meet The Staff

written by Social Media Coordinator, Ryan Smith

Lindley Barrow, Program Director

This will be Lindley’s second year joining us. She comes from Raleigh, NC and graduated from University of Carolina Chapel Hill in 2010 with a degree in environmental studies and marine science and was also a member of the rowing team. There, she enjoyed working at the school’s Planetarium and Science Center for four years. In 2013, Lindley moved to Costa Rica for six months to pursue a career as a scuba diving instructor. As a passionate diver, Lindley loves that Sail Caribbean provides kids with the opportunity to learn to dive and progress so much over the weeks that they are here. Always dynamic and adventurous, Lindley will never pass up the chance to go on night dives on the wreck of the Rhone, and hopes to spend her life traveling and teaching.

Sara Stone, Fleet Captain

Sara comes from Marion, MA, but has been constantly moving around in recent years, from Colorado, to Panama City and soon to be London! She graduated from Dartmouth College in 2013, with a degree in Global Health with a focus on the ethics of cross-cultural and intergovernmental interactions and a minor in international studies. In addition, she was on the women’s Varsity Rowing team and president of her sorority, Sigma Delta. Her first year at Sail Caribbean was 2012, when she was a captain on the Chavo program. Sara has been sailing since she was born, having been influenced by a whole family that sails. She loves Sail Caribbean because of the responsibilities that it gives to the kids. “They get to do everything.” Known for her unstoppable, adventurous, inspiring character, she loves her role as a teacher to the kids, and building their confidence to perform new and intimidating tasks. It’s no surprise Challenge Day is her favorite SC memory, when kids are put in complete control of their sailboats. Sara also loves days spent at Savanna Bay or Monkey Point. Before arriving at Sail Caribbean this year, she had just gotten off a boat that she delivered from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico to Panama, through the canal.

Ace Flanagan, Captain of Fermi

Boats have always been home to Ace. This is because her life has actually been spent more living on boats than land. Until age 17, Ace lived aboard her parents’ 81 ft. gaff schooner, which they charter to passengers wishing to cruise various routes. Aboard the boat, she grew up with a deck hand school tutor, but eventually went on to graduate from University of Washington with a degree in environmental studies and biology in 2013, where she was also on the sailing team. Since graduating, she worked on a boat in California for Guided Discoveries, an outdoor adventure camp. The following winter, she went to the island of Utila in Honduras to achieve her dive master certification. The highlight of her past winter was taking her grandfather’s 87 year old boat, a 50 ft wooden yawl, to Mexico on a three month long voyage. She now joins us for the first time and is eager to turn the sailing over to the kids, and inspiring the empowerment that the Sail Caribbean program provides. Her favorite memory with us so far has been night diving at Buck Island, observing biolume, bright stars and elusive squid. Following this season, she has a job lined up in New York, working on the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater.

Curtis Crooke, Captain of Galilee

This is Curtis’ fifth year with Sail Caribbean. He lives in Washington, D.C., where he also attends Georgetown University. In addition to studying Government and Economics with a minor in Sociology, he is a member of the Georgetown University Sailing Team. Curtis spent his first three years as a student of Sail Caribbean’s program, followed by a year interning as a Dive Master. Curtis has been sailing since 9 years old, influenced by a family of sailors, his dad being one of his biggest teachers. Once a student of Sail Caribbean, he began diving, as well. Curtis enjoys the variety of activities Sail Caribbean provides, in particular scuba diving. He will never give up the chance to go on a wreck dive or sail to his favorite location of Cooper Island Beach Club. Always smiling and seeking fun in every experience, Curtis remembers his favorite memory with the program riding the paparazzi during days spent at the Bitter End. When Curtis is not at Sail Caribbean, he has a passion for traveling. Fun fact, he has traveled to all 50 states, and 49 of the state capitals!

Clodagh Somers, Captain of Rioja

Joining us for her second year all the way from Malahide, Dublin, Ireland, Clodagh is currently working on her masters in architecture at University College of Dublin and in for free time, sailing anything with a sail. Raised by a sailor for a dad, she started sailing Opti’s and dinghies when she was 12 and in time, became a dinghy instructor when she was 17, instructing for four summers. In 2012, she went on to work in Spain instructing dinghy sailing. That summer, she also had a two week voyage aboard A Coruña, a tall ship, sailing from Spain to Dublin. In 2014, she got her day RYA skipper certification. Here at Sail Caribbean, Clodagh really admires the teaching method employed. She says, “Learning by doing is the major application, and it applies to both staff and students. Everyone is given a lot of trust and autonomy.” Outside of Sail Caribbean, she’s also interested in architecture, design, history and traveling, but having never lived more than half a kilometer from the sea, sailing always comes first.

Trevor Gardner, Mate of Fermi

Trevor comes to us from Manotick, Ontario, Canada. Ever since he was a little kid, he has always been in a fish in the water. Trevor was a student of Sail Caribbean in 2010, and came back as staff in 2013. Having started sailing when he was seven, Trevor spent most summers building bigger and bigger boats, mainly dinghy’s, to eventually end up raising them from 2010 to 2012. He accomplished his open water certification and advanced open water certification through the Sail Caribbean Divers. He loves Sail Caribbean because it has showed him what else was outside of the little rural farm country of Canada.”I had amazing counselors as a camper, so I can only hope that I can have the same effect on a camper. All of these people who don’t know each other come together to become lifelong friends and work together to create life changing experiences.” Trevor is known for his enthusiastic energy and loves when a boat’s crew finally clicks and everyone is enjoying themselves.

Aoife Smeaton, Mate of Fermi, Provisions Manager

This is Aoife’s second year with us. She comes from the small village of Malahide in Dublin. Aoife graduated from University College of Dublin in 2014, earning a degree in zoology. She was also the captain of her university’s surf club and a member of the ski team. After thriving as last year’s British Virgin Islands’ office manager, she has worked this summer as a member of this year’s Operations staff, and now will be a mate for this program. Known for her loving and compassionate nature, Aoife says the best thing about Sail Caribbean is the people because they are all enthusiastic, doing something they love. She is known for her diligent work ethic that never prompts her to abandon the smile on her face. As the true animal lover she is, prior to this season she was working at a wolf research center in Indiana for eight months, helping to look after socialized wolves and foxes. She was the head trainer of the foxes. Following this season, Aoife will be returning to work at the center, hand raising wolf puppies.

Alyssa Fabyan, Mate of Galilee

Growing up in Manchester-by-the-Sea, MA, Alyssa has always loved the sea. She started sailing at the age of six on small boats, keel boats, and dinghies. Her goal was to become an instructor for Manchester Sailing Association so she participated in every program with them and worked her way up until she was even on the race team. She has now worked with them for six years. Recently, she raced in the J70 World Championship with the J70 she co-owns with her mom. She is now returning for her second year with us. Alyssa loves working where there is always steady wind to sail, not to mention it’s the most beautiful place to work and live on a boat. She’ll always remember her night sail back from Saba last year with an amazing, enthusiastic boat of kids and staff who witnessed a sunrise and dolphins! Alyssa’s other interests include skiing, photography, travel, and teaching. She hopes to teach internationally, especially after having the most amazing experience teaching in Puerto Rico this past year.

Kerry Worsfold, Mate of Rioja

This is Kerry’s first year with Sail Caribbean. She is from Chatham, England and attends Southampton University, studying Environmental Science with a focus on aquatics. When she is not sailing on her school’s racing team, Kerry is also a sustainability officer for her curriculum. She started sailing when she was 14, after joining in on races happening in her hometown, influenced by her dad and especially her granddad, who loved sailing and building boats. Only being with Sail Caribbean a short time, Kerry already loves the flourishing marine life of the British Virgin Islands compared to that of her “uni.” She loves Sail Caribbean’s belief in taking kids and teaching them to be more independent and having them learn so many interesting skills. When she is not at Sail Caribbean, Kerry enjoys rock climbing, high ropes and adventure climbing, zip lining, and is even a sailing instructor back at home and also in Greece!

Keith Matney, Basic Keel Instructor

Although Keith grew up in Annapolis, MD, he now calls Boulder, CO home. Keith firstly attended St Mary’s College of Maryland, racing keel boats on their off shore team, but then transferred to University of Richmond, graduating with a degree in Accounting and Leadership Studies. He went on to work inside the corporate world and non-profit world, in particular acting as a special projects coordinator and systems engineer of a mental health center for 8 years. Keith started racing when he was around 11, and it has since always been his passion. At Sail Caribbean, he loves working with kids who are really motivated to learn and ask questions. He says, “I’ve never met so many kids with such a curiosity and thirst for knowledge and excitement to sail.” Keith, who once rated 12^th in US dingy racing, finds that the best thing about Sail Caribbean is the kids’ exposure to new and challenging environments that ultimately help them to develop skill sets that they would otherwise not be able to obtain in other disciplines.