Salsa

The crew of Salsa is so excited to welcome their new crew of shipmates onboard. Smudge, Charlotte, and Claire have been working hard preparing the boat for students’ arrival. Food is
stowed, bunks are made, and the crew cannot wait to set sail around the BVIs again. The West End docks are full as we gear up for Action Quest’s last session of the summer. Smudge, Charlotte, and Claire can’t wait to show shipmates the gorgeous beaches and reefs of the British Virgin Islands while teaching students to dive and sail for the next 17 days.

Here is an introduction to the crew of Salsa:

Smudge - Skipper

Martin, more commonly known as ‘Smudge’ to friends and colleagues, is a former British Army mechanic and university lecturer. His first major sailing trip saw him participate in the 2009 BVI Spring Regatta as part of a British Army race crew. He became an RYA/MCA Yachtmaster, while also graduating with a MSc in Sports Coaching, during 2014; continuing to play and coach all kinds of sport when he can. Adventures with Rubicon 3 have seen him sail from London, England to St. Petersburg, Russia on board a Clipper 60 round the world racing yacht; a yacht he has also crossed the Bay of Biscay on. In Spring 2015, Smudge was first mate aboard Seamester vessel S/Y Argo from Cape Town, South Africa to Antigua in the Caribbean, going on to captain Argo’s sister-ship Ocean Star throughout 2016. Originally trained as an RYA Cruising Instructor, Smudge became an ASA and IYT sailing instructor during 2017, while a resident in BVI, working for Tortola Sailing & Sights in Soper’s Hole. Since Hurricane Irma, Smudge has been residing in the UK as a trainee teacher with 5-11-year-olds; also spending time learning French, the ukulele, and topping up his PADI Rescue Diver certificate. 2018 is Smudge’s fifth consecutive summer in the BVI.

Charlotte - Dive Instructor/Mate

Charlotte Caroll was a former ActionQuest student in 2008 where she first learned to scuba dive and live aboard a sailboat. She fell in love with both and has continued to do both since. She recently got her PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor certification in Thailand. Charlotte grew up sailing small boats, mostly in the Chesapeake Bay off of Maryland. She worked as a sailing instructor in Maryland and Virginia at summer camps during her college summers. She did Seamester in 2012 during a gap year before starting college, and it solidified her desire to work in the diving and sailing world. She was a trip leader for the outdoor program at her college in southern California, and through which she became a Wilderness First Responder. She has renewed and maintained her WFR since. She took the STCW10 course while traveling in Australia in 2017 and is a CPR/First Aid Instructor. Diving and sailing has taken Charlotte around the world where she can do another thing she loves, trying new food.

Claire - Mate

Born and raised in Washington, DC, Claire Maco 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 crossed the Indian Ocean and began her Yachtmaster certification. She later spent three months in Andros Island, the Bahamas doing reef conservation work. Claire holds both her PADI dive master and Yachtmaster. She attends the University of San Diego and in her free time Claire enjoys hiking, camping, and traveling.