Tanis Marie

Greetings from the crew of Tanis Marie! Aaron, Steven, and I are all thrilled to be working together and welcoming a group of students on board today. After a fantastic first session these last three weeks, we are excited and ready to meet the newest arrivals. The water tanks are full, fresh food is in the fridges, dry provisions are stowed away, the ship's library, marlinspike kit, and first aid supplies have been restocked, the linen sets are organized, and the boat is clean! Our shipmates are traveling today from all over the world- France, Singapore, and Spain- and the country- Virginia, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Florida, North Carolina, and Michigan. We can't wait to meet everyone and begin this great adventure!

Here is an introduction to the crew of Tanis Marie:

Aaron- skipper

Growing up sailing and racing on the Columbia River between Oregon and Washington State, Aaron now calls Hawaii home. After graduating from Hawaii Pacific University in 2004, he traveled to the United Kingdom to train with the Royal Yachting Association. Earning his MCA Master of Yachts 200 Ton and RYA/MCA Cruising Instructor certifications, he began sailing the world's oceans as a skipper and instructor working from the West Indies to the UK and the Mediterranean. When not sailing professionally, you can find him traveling the globe in search of perfect waves in countries such as Panama, Nicaragua, the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador, Costa Rica, the Maldives, and Papua New Guinea, to name a few. With over a decade as a professional sailing instructor, surf instructor, and windsurf instructor, he is looking forward to joining the 2013 ActionQuest Team and sharing his passions with its students in the BVI's.

Steven- dive instructor/mate (not pictured)

Steven is a transplant Floridian from New Hampshire. Scuba diving stole his interest in college and threw his future plans of being a lawyer on its head. After working at an adventure camp in the Florida Keys, as a PADI Scuba Instructor, his passion for the water, scuba diving, sailing and most importantly, sharing it with young people was solidified. He says nothing beats showing someone the ocean the first time or seeing them breathe under it! If Steven isn't on the water, then he may be in the kitchen trying new recipes or on the trail looking for new vistas.

Anna- EMT/mate

Anna grew up in landlocked western Massachusetts and discovered her love of sailing when she became an ActionQuest shipmate at age 16. After two summers as a shipmate and a year of high school on board S/Y Ocean Star, she joined the ActionQuest staff in 2000. Anna graduated in 2004 from the University of Vermont with degrees in psychology and sociology and spent four years volunteering as an EMT on a local ambulance. During the year she lives in Washington DC, where she enjoys playing with her roommate's dogs and spending time with her nieces and nephews.