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, Jay, and Hannah 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, 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 and the Leeward Islands. For now Shona, Jay, and will be waiting patiently to see the first ferry carrying shipmates to show up on the horizon.

Here's an intro 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.

Jay- 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 the first dive he worked his way up to earning both PADI and SSI Scuba Instructor ratings and has led trips all of the Caribbean and the southern United States in places like the Bahamas, Cozumel, Key Largo, Cayman Islands, and more. Jay’s sense of adventure, enthusiasm for the ocean and passion has allowed him to work all through the Caribbean, on tall ships around the US (including the San Juan Islands) and ultimately lead him to Action Quest in 2017. Over the past year, Jay has helped with S/Y Ocean Star’s and 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!

Hannah- Mate

Hannah started her dive and sail career right here at ActionQuest in 2015. Since then, she’s been coming back to this beautiful place, gaining more experience each now. Now a student at cal poly, she is studying electrical engineering while continuing to dive on the west coast, along with being a member of the school’s sailing team. She is unbelievably stoked to travel to the leeward islands with all the great new shipmates that are soon to arrive!