Caribbean Leeward Islands
Caribbean Archipelago Exploration with Scuba
Get ready for an unforgettable summer experience unlike any other and join the AQ Minerva Voyage, a thrilling sailing and exploration adventure. Discover over 10 stunning islands as we embark on an action-packed journey from the British Virgin Islands to Antigua and back.
Picture yourself sailing across the Eastern Caribbean’s Leeward Islands, which boast remarkable destinations like Saba, Statia, St. Kitts, Nevis, and St. Barths. With balmy trade winds, lush rainforests, and picturesque pink sandy beaches.
Prepare for a world of cultural and geological wonders, where customs, currencies, and languages change as frequently as the breathtaking landscapes. Whether living aboard a 50-ft monohull or a 46-ft catamaran, the Minerva experience focuses on sailing and island exploration. But don’t worry, there will also be plenty of opportunities for thrilling activities such as scuba diving, snorkeling, water skiing, and wakeboarding in the incredible turquoise waters. On land, get ready for an exhilarating Caribbean hiking experience, including conquering The Quill—an awe-inspiring extinct volcano on the island of Nevis.
So, if you’re up for a summer camp experience like no other, join us on the AQ Minerva Voyage and create memories that will last a lifetime!
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Appropriate Age
14 - 18
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Student Groups
Grouped aboard by closest age
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Students & Staff
10 students & 2 staff per vessel
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Vessel Type & Fleet Size
Typically Catamaran / 1-2 vessels
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Flotilla Grouping
This program follows a unique itinerary exclusive to Minerva that begins and ends with our larger fleet in the BVI
Dates | Days | Availability | Tuition | |||
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Session 2 | 7/7/25 - 7/27/25 | 21 | Limited | $7,870 |
The Adventure
It all starts here
ARRIVING TO ACTIONQUEST IN THE BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS
Your adventure begins! The majority of the students in our international summer camp will be flying to St. Thomas (STT) in the US Virgin Islands. For students flying via STT, ActionQuest’s professional staff meet them and assist with the beautiful ferry ride to Tortola then on to the entire camp which awaits you in West End, Tortola. There you will go through the formal check in process and make your way to your new comfortable and clean floating home. For those flying directly into the BVI (EIS), students are met by an airport representative.
Students then get to spend the rest of the first day of this Caribbean summer camp preparing for life aboard and getting to know one another while the sun sets behind the dock.
Minerva Itinerary (Days 6-10)
via Saba, Statia, Nevis, and Antigua
- Day 6 – Time to sweat as you hike up the stairs of “The Ladder” to enjoy an afternoon in town.
- Day 7 – Passage Day! Sail to St. Eustatius.
- Day 8 – Optional scuba dive, or choose to hike up to the top of Statia’s extinct volcano “The Quill”. Evening passage to Nevis.
- Day 9 – After waking up in the shadow of Nevis, you spend time ashore biking, horseback riding or kayaking.
- Day 10 – After a little free time on shore, it’s passage time.
Enjoy the beautiful scenery as you sail to Antigua.
Minerva Itinerary (Days 2-5)
via West End, Norman Island, Savannah Bay, The Baths, and Saba
After the first night spent sleeping in your new floating home alongside 9 other students, your outdoor adventure camp begins…
- Day 2 – Embark on your first sail to Norman Island, snorkel the caves.
- Day 3 – Long practical sailing day en route to the beautiful Savannah Bay on Virgin Gorda. Practice your drills for the adventure to come.
- Day 4 – Explore “The Baths”, a truly world famous site, then its time for your first passage! Depart the BVI in the evening for an overnight passage to Saba.
- Day 5 – Arrive in Saba! After clearing customs, snorkel and optional scuba dive.
Minerva Itinerary (Days 17-21)
via St. Barths, Isle Forchue, and the BVI
- Day 17 – Sail from Gustavia to the small uninhabited island of Isle Forchue. A snorkeler’s paradise. That night, prepare to embark on your final passage back to our home away from home, the BVI.
- Day 18 – After arriving back into the BVI, enjoy the truly world famous “The Baths”, then anchor for the night in Peter Island.
- Day 19 – Spend the majority of the day snorkeling and diving on the wreck of the HMS Rhone, then finish the evening in Norman Island anchored next to the rest of the AQ fleet.
- Day 20 – Begin the last full day of your Caribbean summer camp with a race against the entire AQ BVI fleet, then spend the evening soaking it all in with a BBQ in West End.
- Day 21 – Fly Day!
Minerva Itinerary (Days 11-16)
via Antigua, and St. Barths
- Day 11 – After clearing customs, we spend the day touring the historic dockyard of Admiral Nelson.
- Day 12 – Enjoy a little free time in the dockyard, pick up our laundry, then hike up to the lively night of BBQ and dancing at Shirley Heights.
- Day 13 – Passage Day! Long sail to the French Antilles.
Practice our sail drills along the way. - Day 14 – After arriving in St. Barths, we spend some free time walking the streets of luxurious Gustavia.
- Day 15 – Surf day! Pick up the rental boards, a picnic lunch of french baguette and sandwiches, then off to the beach for a day of surfing.
- Day 16 – Day of sail training. As we sail around St. Barths, we practice our points of sail, trim and sail drills.
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Time To Say Goodbye
There’s always a mix of emotions on departure day. The excitement to go home is always overwhelmed by the realization that the Adventure is over and that it’s time to say goodbye to the people you’ve grown so close to over the last few weeks. Day 1 will simultaneously seem like the day before and a lifetime ago as you and your crew take a private ferry for the last leg of your journey together.
“ActionQuest has taught me so many lessons but the one I am most thankful for is that even though it can be hard looking at the positive side it is much more rewarding than focusing on the negative. I wouldn't change my AQ experience for anything. I was challenged and pushed out of my comfort zone but it was so rewarding. ”
Certifications
On top of all the other fun adventure sports and activities during the Minerva outdoor adventure camp, you’ll have the opportunity to earn these certifications:
Sailing Certifications
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IYT Introductory Sailing Skills
This sailing course is designed for students with limited previous experience with the goal of providing a well-rounded, introductory knowledge for crewing a sailing vessel (monohull or catamaran) up to 50-ft…
Learn More > -
IYT International Crew
This course is a certificate of excellence for students wanting to act as a competent watchkeeping crew member or skipper of a small yacht in protected waters in calm conditions…
Learn More > -
IYT VHF Radio
The IYT VHF Radio Communications course is designed to ensure a thorough understanding of the entire spectrum of maritime radio communication…
Learn More >
Need to know
Is this adventure right for me?
The Minerva Caribbean summer camp is a fast-paced sailing voyage that will take you from the BVI to Antigua and back. The main focus of this outdoor adventure camp is on island exploration and sail training. Over the three weeks, we visit over 10 different islands and each landfall provides a totally different experience, as the islands are as varied as the local traditions, currency or languages spoken. Minerva is a perfect outdoor summer adventure camp for those with limited or no previous experience in sailing as well as for more seasoned sailors looking to do advanced sailing. For all students signing aboard, this voyage has a strong expeditionary feel. There will be the opportunity to scuba dive once or twice as well as water ski and wakeboard during our time in the BVI. Onshore, we’ll visit the islands, explore the towns, cook out on the white sand beaches and hike to the top of some of the tallest mountains.
How many people go on this adventure?
Minerva is one of our most exclusive programs. On this Caribbean summer camp, you’ll sail with 1-2 boats in a flotilla, each with about 10 students aboard. It’s quite the adventure sailing as a smaller fleet, where you can get to know each of your fellow students and staff from all over the world.
How do you split up the ages across the boats?
Given that we sometimes have 2 yachts sailing together, this allows us to berth students aboard based on their age and grade. Within the fast-paced and team-oriented environment onboard, age differences seem like less of a factor than they might at a typical summer camp. Please contact us if you have any specific considerations in this regard.
What type of boat will I be on?
Minerva Caribbean summer camp typically runs aboard traditional single-hulled yachts (monohulls) and sometimes is run aboard catamarans. With either boat, we use only the finest charter yachts available, all of which are in the 48-54 foot range. Each vessel has 5 cabins, a large salon which converts to a 6th cabin, and 4 full bathrooms (heads). The world’s largest charter company, Moorings/Sunsail, maintains all of our yachts to the highest standard.
Where do we sleep?
From the moment you arrive, you’ll move aboard your yacht and live on board full-time. It’s true to say that living on a boat is A LOT tighter than living at home. With up to 10 students and 3 staff living together, it can feel cramped for those not used to it, yet this close community environment is where so much of the experience is created.
All of our vessels have 5 cabins and a large salon that converts to a 6th. While there’s just about enough room for everyone to sleep down below should it rain, on our typical clear and dry evenings many of us like to sleep out on deck, swinging in a hammock under the stars.
Who will be my staff?
AQ is proud to attract and recruit the best in our field. Our summer staff includes professional maritime captains, professional PADI dive instructors and medical professionals. Above all, we hire responsible and experienced facilitators and educators. All members of our team are dynamic, multi-talented, and passionate individuals with a devotion and commitment to the safety and experience of our students.
Two or three staff members live with you aboard your vessel full-time. There will be your skipper, your first mate who is typically your diving instructor, and a third staff member who could also be a diving instructor, EMT, Marine Biologist or someone with other special skills.
What's the food like?
At AQ, we strive to provide meals that meet the fundamental needs of all members of our team, yet when considering our experience, it is important to remember that there are natural limitations when provisioning in remote places and cooking for a large group on board a small yacht.
We understand that each individual has personal preferences and that some students have specific dietary restrictions or limitations. While we strive to accommodate these as best we can, our meals maybe a little different from what you are used to at home. We design our menu around meals that are simple to prepare, quick to clean up, suit the majority of teenager’s palates, and deliver the calories needed for long, busy days on the water.
Mealtime is often a highlight of each day! Students prepare all of the meals with help from the staff using a combination of packaged and canned goods we import from the US and fresh produce we pick up locally about every four days. While we mostly eat all meals onboard the vessel, occasionally, students have the option to eat at a restaurant during shore time.
After enrollment, we ask families to inform us of all dietary restrictions and allergies. We can accommodate vegetarians, and vegans, as well as those with various food allergies. However, if you have a severe allergy or specific dietary expectations, please call our office before enrolling.
What do I need to bring?
Given that all students will be living aboard a sailboat for the duration of this outdoor adventure camp, we recommend that you keep things simple and avoid over packing. Students are given the opportunity to do laundry once in the middle of the trip, so there’s no need to pack several weeks’ worth of clothing.
Our hope is that families will have minimal purchases prior to the trip, so we’ve compiled our packing lists in a way that you’ll find most of what you need in your closet at home. Around mid to late March, we make available our Pre-Trip Packet to enrolled students, which contains a detailed packing list for this year’s adventures. If you’d like to see last year’s packing list as an example, you can download it here.
Nitty Gritty
Are flights included in the tuition?
Since students join us from all over the world, the cost of transportation to and from the British Virgin Islands is not included in the program tuition.
Who should we contact to book travel?
Helping to coordinate our students’ travel is of vital importance – and a mammoth task! For this reason, we strongly suggest that all families start by contacting our travel coordinator:
Leah Hernandez – AQ Travel Coordinator
Tel: +1.281.528.7727
Toll Free: 800.329.9000
Email: leahctn68@hotmail.com
Even if you are not originating in the U.S., Leah will be able to provide options and guidance.
How do we get there?
Our recommended route is via St. Thomas (STT) in the USVI although students also have the option of flying to Beef Island (EIS).
Does AQ provide support on travel days?
Yes. We understand that travel days can be stressful for both parents and students, so no matter what time of the day or night, our office team actively monitors and supports our participants during travel. We require students to travel with a mobile phone with domestic data capability so we can monitor their progress and communicate directly if necessary.
For students flying via St Thomas, ActionQuest arranges for a staff member to assist with the transfer to Tortola via ferry. After arrival in Tortola, students are met at the ferry dock by more of ActionQuest’s professional staff, then collectively continue onto a taxi that takes them to the boats.
Looking for more detailed information on travel?
AQ Tuition Covers the following:
- All accommodation and group meals once the adventure is underway
- Vessel charter and related government fees
- Staff, local guides, and tips
- The use of all sailing, and water sports equipment (except for wetsuits, if needed)
- Sailing certification costs
Not included in the AQ tuition:
- Travel expenses from home to the program start location in the British Virgin Islands – flights PLUS ferry, taxi, baggage, taxes, visas, etc. (est. add’l $235)
- Required emergency evacuation insurance & International SOS and MedAire Membership (est. $100). LEARN MORE >
- Medical insurance, and optional trip cancellation insurance
- Fees associated with optional scuba dives (est. $150)
- Spending money for souvenirs, drinks/meals ashore – We recommend $300 – $350.
- Emergency money for unanticipated events such as doctors visits etc. – We ask that all students bring $300, which is held by staff and returned at the end of the program.
Discounts and Savings
- A one-time total tuition fee deduction of 5% is granted for any two adventures or for two or more students from the same family.
- Any two consecutive programs may be joined to form one extended course. In the interim between programs, students stay with staff. The total cost is determined by combining the cost of each program and subtracting the 5% extended course discount. (This discount also applies toward any trips adjoining our sister program GoBeyond.) ActionQuest and/or GoBeyond enrollment for any two programs in the same summer will be considered as a single extended program in the event of withdrawal or dismissal from the trip at any time.
Travel Docs & Visas
All students traveling to the BVI need to have a passport which is valid for a minimum of six months after the date of departure from the BVI. Visitors from certain countries other than the US, UK and Canada may require visas.
For the most up-to-date and thorough information, please visit travel.state.gov. Students traveling on non-U.S. passports should verify passport and visa requirements for your nationality by contacting your local British Embassy or consulate or the nearest BVI Tourist Board Office.
One important point to mention is that most students joining us in the BVI do so by flying via St. Thomas, which is part of the US Virgin Islands. This means that those students not flying on a US or Canadian passport need to consider whether they need to apply for a U.S. visa or ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization). Please call us with any questions.
COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement
We do not currently require proof of vaccination in order to enroll.
Other Immunizations
For visiting the BVI, the CDC recommends that all travelers are up-to-date on routine vaccinations that most of us had as children (measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccine, varicella (chickenpox) vaccine, polio vaccine.
That said, we understand that families have varying opinions on vaccinations. Some greatly desire the precaution; others prefer to avoid possible side effects of certain medications. Coupled with the fact that each student has unique medical considerations known best by his or her doctor, AQ does not supply medical advice. For this reason, we recommend that all families refer back to the expertise of the CDC from time to time (wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel), their health care providers, and/or a travel clinic to gain the most up to date information.
Living in the moment
Though the fundamentals of our adventures don’t change, specific logistics evolve as we get closer to the summer and then day by day based on weather. The animated map along with the adventure overview portions on this page should give all families a basic understanding of the kinds of activities we do on the voyage. We also suggest looking through last summer’s Trip Logs for a more detailed travel log created by the students.
With this in mind, we encourage all participants to “live in the moment”. Traveling by boat requires flexibility and a willingness to accept adversity and change. We hope you’ll take any bumps in your stride, and enjoy the adventure!
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