High On A Breeze

High in the Breeze is excited to welcome her first group of summer 2018 students! The staff has been spending the last couple weeks preparing for this moment, and are eagerly awaiting the arrival of our eleven shipmates. We have stocked the boat with dry food, fresh food, PADI open water diving manuals, IYT sailing books, waterski gear, medical supplies, cleaning supplies and everything else necessary to run an awesome trip- now we just need the crew! Our shipmates are from Georgia, Kansas, New Hampshire, Arizona, Pennsylvania, Costa Rica, Texas, North Carolina, Florida, and Connecticut, and are all part of the Vega (intro to sailing and diving) program. We can’t wait to go on our first sail and snorkel tomorrow, and for all the adventures to come! For additional updates during the trip, follow ActionQuest on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Snapchat!

Here is an introduction to the crew of High In the Breeze:

Cooper- Skipper

Cooper was born in Seattle, Washington where he learned how to sail when he was eight years old. He went on to become a sailing instructor at the Seattle Yacht Club where he taught small boat sailing and skills. Cooper was a student on a Sea|mester trip in 2014 on which he earned his Yachtmaster 200ton license. He has worked aboard yachts privately as well as on both Sea|mester vessels the past two summers.

Jay- Dive Instructor/Mate

Jay was born and raised in the charming southern town of Athens, GA (filled with football, fine foods, and great music) and graduated from the University of North Georgia with a Bachelor’s in Business Management. In 2007 he had the opportunity to try scuba diving for the first time and was hooked instantly. Shortly following his first dive he worked his way up to earning both PADI & SSI Scuba Instructor ratings and has led trips all of the Caribbean & southern United States in places like the Bahamas, Cozumel, Key Largo,  Cayman Islands, and more. Jay ’s sense of adventure, enthusiasm for the ocean & passion has allowed him to work all through the Caribbean, on tall ships around the US (including the San Juan Islands) & ultimately lead him to Action Quest in 2017. Over the past year, Jay has helped with S/Y Ocean Star’s  & S/Y Argo’s refit periods as well as sailing both boats from Antigua to Florida (accumulating over 6000 sea miles along the way).  When Jay’s not above or below the water, you’ll find him hiking, camping, cooking and playing the didgeridoo. He is excited to get back down to the British Virgin Islands and share his passion for the ocean with all of his new shipmates!

Anna- Mate/EMT

Anna grew up in landlocked Western Massachusetts and discovered her love for the sea when she became an ActionQuest student at age 16. After two summers as a shipmate and a year of high school aboard S/Y Ocean Star, she joined the ActionQuest staff in 2000. In college at the University of Vermont Anna volunteered as an EMT on a local ambulance while earning degrees in psychology and sociology. Since graduating in 2004 she has worked on tall ships, at a kid’s toy store, and at several desk jobs, but always finds herself returning each summer to the BVI to manage one of the ActionQuest fleets, as well as the trip update system, medical team, ship’s stores, and provisioning. During the summer you are most likely to find her behind the camera or scribbling on index cards, but always while wearing her PFD! During the rest of the year, Anna lives in Washington, DC, where she spends her free time volunteering with a dog rescue organization, hanging out with her niece and nephews, and attempting to become someone who enjoys running.