Echo: Day 10 & 12 – Saba Challenge Day & Overnight Sail
Day 10:
Written by CJ Bertran Jr, Student
We woke up at 7 and ate an amazing breakfast that included strawberry eggo waffles. Then we went off to go cliff jumping. We had to swim to get to the jump rock and the climb was challenging but the end result was amazing. We all did some spectacular stunts off the jump rock like 360’s and dives.
We had to walk back to the boat and the walk was so calming. The fact that we got to see all the different scenery and cultures was so great. Then challenge day started when we stepped foot on the boat. The crew had its ups and downs, but at the end of the day we prevailed. We made it to Saba in good time.
After we reached Saba, we moored in a location that was really choppy. Almost all the crew had trouble sleeping. The waves at the location shifted and moved the boat which either rocked the crew to sleep or kept them awake all night. It was a very fun day and the challenge sail taught us a lot.
Day 11:
Written by Mikey, Student
After a night of being jostled by the high seas at our mooring outside Saba, we woke up bright and early to prepare for an extremely busy day. With lunches packed, we excitedly hopped into our dinghy to head ashore! Finally reaching solid ground, we hopped into a taxi which took us up a road that was deemed impossible to build up to the base of Mount Scenery, the volcano that made Saba. Embarking up 1064 stairs, we entered a cloud forest, home to banana leaves the size of people and giant colorful flowers that were impossibly beautiful. Proud to have made it to the peak, we looked down on the clouds, satisfied at the feat we had just accomplished. After descending down the mountain, we visited JoBean, a local glass expert who taught us how to melt glass to make gorgeous beads patterned with any color combination we could come up with. Now exhausted, we took an extremely fun, (and very wet) dinghy ride back to our boat to prepare for our return journey to the BVI. After raising our dinghy, securely stowing our gear, and charting out our route, we waved goodbye to the flying fish we had befriended and watched Saba fade into the distance below an almost full moon.
Day 12:
Written by Mady Gordon, Student
After a long night of dolphin sighting and sailing, we were able to watch a calm sun rise and enjoy the rest of our last overnight sail. During the sail, we saw three container ships, stars, and listened to music during our respective shifts and turns at the helm. It was overall a smooth sail, given that the past few days and our first night sail provided enough experience to give us all confidence with steering and sailing in general.
We arrived at Virgin Gorda to fuel up and get some much needed ice for our water, and we did a quick docking and de-docking so we could get on the road to Road Town.
We arrived at Road Town and picked up a mooring ball so that we could figure out customs and re-entry to the BVIs. We enjoyed quesadillas and chips with shark dip during the couple hour break, and then we all got going to head to Scrub Island for showers and dinner. We got close to the other boat and chucked all of our rotten fruit at them, and they returned the favor. We took our ASA 101 tests and then docked in Scrub. We showered and then joined the other boat on the ferry for sushi on Beef Island. After dinner we went back and had a relaxing night on shore before we all went to bed.
Day 13:
Written by Catherine, Student
Today marked our last full day on program, so we made sure it was memorable! In accordance with Sail Caribbean tradition, our last adventure was to the Baths. We woke up early in order to catch the 8:30am ferry to Trellis Bay and then to Virgin Gorda. We arrived at the top of The Baths following a short taxi ride.
The Baths are a must-see in the BVI and they certainly lived up to their reputation. We began with a hike down to Devil’s Bay where we sat in the water, played games, and reminisced on the weeks we have spent together. Then we went on a “hikel” which was a combination of a hike through The Baths and a snorkel back to Devil’s Bay. The Baths provide a beautiful hike consisting of caves formed by volcanic rocks. Next was the snorkel! We saw corals, tropical fish, and underwater rock formations perfect for some underwater photos. After arriving back, we went back to the top and had lunch at the restaurant by the pool.
A few hours later, it was time to return to Scrub Island to clean and pack the boats. We caught the ferries back and began our final boat deep clean. With decks scrubbed, dishes clean, and bags packed, our crew winded down to spend the night at Scrub once again. The night was spent sharing memories from the program and talking about what comes next for ever.
