ACTIVITIES
Sailing
Just you, your shipmates and the power of the wind. Now, with the breeze in your hair and the helm in your hands, you realize how far you and your teammates have come. No longer passengers, you are crew – shipmates, staff and adventurers united for this awesome voyage...
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Marine Biology
What the heck is that? You just asked the most common diving question - and with good reason. Learning about tropical marine biology opens your eyes to the infinite variety of life that resides on the reefs below and being so close to the subject matter instills a profound sense of environmental stewardship...
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Exploration
You've already conquered the 500 rock-carved steps of 'The Ladder' at Saba, next you and your team are steps away from the peak of The Quill – an almost perfectly symmetrical extinct volcano on the island of Nevis. But this is just the beginning, holding onto vines, you descend into the crater itself. Whoa, now that's a view!
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Other Cool Stuff
Think that's all we do at AQ? No way. Along with the beach BBQ's and reggae dance parties, you'll learn to drive a dinghy, tie knots, splice a line, sail a laser and even cook for 15 people at a time! Every moment of every day will be jam packed with cool stuff to do, see and experience...
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CERTIFICATIONS
IYT International Crew
The IYT International Crew course is designed for students with limited previous experience, who want to become competent crew and helm on a yacht. You'll learn about yacht and personal safety, rules of the road, buoyage and, most important, keeping a look out! These are are just some of the elements taught aboard by our instructors.
IYT VHF Operator
Every crewmember needs to know how to operate a marine radio. This course covers general rules for the use and operation of VHF Radios, what to do in the case of an emergency and an introduction to other marine communications equipment.
IYT International Watchkeeper/Basic Flotilla Skipper Certificate
This is a certificate of excellence for students who wish to take command of their own yachts confidently and safely or for those who wish to safely charter a smaller yacht for a family vacation. The theory and practical modules are aimed at increasing a students' nautical knowledge sufficiently to be a watchkeeper on board a bareboat yacht, or a flotilla skipper in fair weather, in daylight hours within sight of land.
FAQ's
Well, the Atlantic Ocean is MASSIVE... so this trip is all about blue water sailing and achieving a goal that few get to say that they have achieved. We'll get to see a few cool places,
such as Bermuda, Gibraltar and Italy, yet this trip is all about the journey, not the destinations...
During the voyage, you'll gain a lot of experience aboard a traditional schooner. Through International Yachtmaster Training (IYT) you'll earn
the International Crew Certificate and your sea time and miles will also become officially logged for future use should you decide to build on your certifications. In addition, for those who are interested, we will be offering a 2-credit college-level Oceanography with Marine Science course as part of the trip. Taught aboard by our Sea|mester instructors, we'll tie the experience to academics to reinforce the learning and provide an additional tangible and measurable goal for the trip. Perfect for those looking to build on their college resumes in an original way.
This Voyage will sail with a maximum of 26 shipmates and six staff members.
The AQ Transat Voyage will be run exclusively aboard our 112-foot schooner, S/Y Argo.
From the moment you arrive, you'll move aboard your yacht and live on board full-time.
Six staff members live with you aboard your vessel full-time. Take a look through the Meet AQ section for more information on the ActionQuest staff.
Tough to know as open ocean weather can vary. That being said, this is the correct time of your to be making this passage as winds should be favorable for a smooth passage.
Weather in the Mediterranean during this time of year is very pleasant, as it is typically warm and dry with an average air temperature of 75°F and water temperature of 73°F.
Yes, for travel days it's great to have, and in many places in Europe they should work too. Off-shore however the phones will not work.
Yes, students are permitted to use their cell when we are in port. For those without cellphones, public phones are available in most ports we visit.
We encourage students to call at every opportunity. However, we do not require this, as our staff are usually busy with other activities such as stocking the boats with fresh food over this time. The old saying "you can lead a horse to water..." comes to mind, as some shipmates call home every time and some never call! In Europe, it is generally fairly easy to call the U.S., though calling from busy public telephone offices may sometimes be difficult. An operator-assisted call may cause a long wait, which seriously cuts into one's pleasant afternoon ashore. We mention this, just so parents will not insist that shipmates phone when it might not be very workable to do so.
There are a few different methods to call home. Shipmates can call collect, or use an AT&T calling card
with an international U.S. direct prefix from many phone booths (even those not specifically marked as such). Another way
is to use a local phone card, which can be purchased at local stores.
We have a pretty well developed blogging update system that
will post to the website as and when possible. This includes podcasts that the students will make via the satellite phone.
This way, Mom and Dad can vicariously live aboard too!
Letters to the Med will not arrive in time, but just because shipmates can't receive any letters, doesn't mean that
you shouldn't send a postcard yourself, even if it just says -- "Hi, I'm in the Mediterranean and you're not -- HA HA -- Love you! -- gotta go..."
Our vessels do not have computers or Internet connectivity, so email contact will be very limited.
There may be a couple of times when we are ashore and it might be possible to send an email or two from Internet Cafes.
No special immunizations are required to visit this area of Europe. We do ask that all students check that their Tetanus
and Hepatitis B inoculations are up-to-date.
Students come from all points of the compass! (typically, around 11 countries and 35 states are represented), so coordinated
air travel is of vital importance.
For this reason, we require that all tickets for this program be purchased though our Travel Coordinator, Leah Hernandez of Reservation Services
International, so that all members of the team can fly on the same prearranged, group itinerary. As airlines often change their schedules,
ActionQuest cannot be responsible for the coordination of air flights that were not booked through Leah.
The group initially meets in Bermuda and then returns to the US from Rome, Italy.
For more information on flight itineraries and travel information, please view our sample flight itineraries or contact...
For more information on flight itineraries and travel information, please contact...
Leah Hernandez
Reservation Services International
Tel. 800.329.9000
(Texas 281.528.7727)
Email.
leahctn68@hotmail.com
All students must travel with a passport valid for a minimum of six months after the date of departure from Europe. Citizens of the USA and Canada can stay up to 90 days without a visa. Visitors from certain other countries may require visas to enter some of the countries that we visit. To confirm whether or not a visa is required, please contact Leah Hernandez, our travel coordinator, or your local travel agent.
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