Erocibar

We are so excited to welcome twelve new friends onto Erocibar for our first adventure of summer 2017! It has been a busy few days preparing the boat and filling her full of food and teaching materials, and even going for a few sails. Our shipmates are part of the Vega and Carina programs; they will be learning a mixture of basic and advanced sailing and scuba as well as other super cool activities like windsurfing and waterskiing! Tomorrow we set sail with our shipmates and begin our journey around the beautiful British Virgin Islands.
Here is an introduction to the crew of Erocibar:
Shannon- skipper
Shannon grew up by the sea in Cornwall, England. She studied marine geography at university and worked as a high ropes instructor before finding her passion for sailing. After that, she sailed around the Mediterranean, Caribbean and Australia, and has most recently spent her winter in the Arctic whale watching and cross-country skiing. Shannon's interests include walking dogs, eating cake and spotting sea turtles.
Sierra- dive instructor/mate
From the state of Michigan, Sierra has always had a passion for the water. She is going on her third year of college at the Great Lakes Maritime Academy, a four-year program to earn a Bachelor of Science in Maritime Technology, an Unlimited Tonnage Third Mate License and Great Lakes Pilotage. Needless to say, after Sierra graduates, she will be working as an officer on the big boats. While attending school, Sierra is also a Midshipman in the Navy Reserve Strategic Sealift Officer Program. With her spare time, she enjoys traveling, hiking, paddle boarding, working out and spending time with friends and family. On her summer off from school, Sierra is ecstatic to be able to come down to the islands to share her knowledge and passion of diving with others. She began diving in the Great Lakes at the age of eleven through the Naval Sea Cadet Corps. Through this program, Sierra was able to advance her way up to Rescue Diver. She was a part of the Elite Dive Team and has worked with NOAA to conduct underwater research on the Great Lakes. Sierra was a shipmate at ActionQuest for two years and loved the atmosphere the program had to offer. Here, she obtained her Divemaster certification and went on to get her Instructor to help others discover their own passion and love for diving.
Ben- mate
Ben grew up in Baltimore, MD and spent his summers on the Chesapeake Bay where he developed a love for the water. After becoming a certified diver in high school, Ben has dove in various islands throughout the Caribbean, but lists the Outer Banks in North Carolina as his favorite diving spot. Always a diver, Ben’s passion for sailing was ignited after participating in a Seamester program during the Summer of 2015. He initially attended Methodist University in North Carolina to play baseball before transferring to the University of Maryland, College Park, where he graduated in December of 2016. He then moved to Key Largo, FL to participate in an internship with REEF Environmental Education Foundation, where he focused on invasive Lionfish. In his free time, he enjoys fishing, following the New York Yankees, and spending time with his two dogs.