Wind Shadow

The crew of Wind Shadow is bursting with excitement to meet their new crew of shipmates and welcome them to step aboard. Shona, Claire, and Ethan have been working hard preparing everything over the last week. All of our PFDs are counted, bunks are made, food is stowed, the lines are coiled and ready to be cast away. Our home for the next 21 days is shipshape and we cannot wait for the 11 new shipmates to arrive to complete our Wind Shadow family. With a collection of old and new students participating in different programs like Vega and Carina, we expect a great wealth of knowledge to be shared and lifelong memories to be made. We can’t wait to show all of you the beautiful island coves and tropical beaches in the British Virgin Islands where we will be learning to sail and scuba dive for the next 21 days! For now Shona, Claire, and Ethan will be waiting patiently to see the first ferry carrying shipmates to show up on the horizon.

Here is an introduction to the crew of Wind Shadow:

Shona: Skipper/WEMT

Shona is returning for her fourth summer with ActionQuest and is more excited than ever to return to her second family and the amazing waters of the British Virgin Islands. She has recently completed her Offshore Yachtmasters and Wilderness EMT, so will be filling two roles as a skipper and medical team this year. She graduated in 2013 with a degree in outdoor education and geography. Since then, she has worked in several locations across Europe applying these skills to promote learning through experiential education. From a young age, she has had a love for the outdoors and all sports, whether that be sailing and kayaking in the summer or snowboarding and mountaineering in the winter. Her goal is to inspire and educate her students in a fun safe learning environment.

Ethan- Dive Instructor/Mate

Ethan has been a part of ActionQuest since the age of 14, falling instantly in love with the program. He is very passionate about diving and sailing and obtained most of his certifications through the ActionQuest program. He is a certified Open Water Scuba Instructor and CPR/First Aid Trainer. When he is not diving or sailing he is focusing on his studies to become a registered nurse at Fairfield University or playing video games with his younger brother, Evan.

Claire: Mate

Born and raised in Washington, DC, Claire started sailing at the age of 8. She developed sailing skills over the years while vacationing in the British Virgin Islands with her family, at her summer camp in Maine, and on a summer-long wilderness trip in Nova Scotia, Canada. Claire worked as a camp counselor and sailing instructor in Maine in 2016 and 2017 and took a gap year to further pursue sailing and diving. She spent one semester aboard S/Y Argo where she completed the theory for her IYT Master of Yachts 200 Ton Limited certification and three months in Andros Island, Bahamas doing reef conservation work and completing her PADI Divemaster. Claire graduated from Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School in 2017 and begins at the University of San Diego this fall. In her free time, Claire enjoys hiking, camping, and traveling.