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British Virgin Islands - 2019, Session 1

Staff Update Day 1

Location: West End, Tortola

The preparation for our next 21 days around the BVI is just about complete. A lot of hard work, sweat, laughter, and planning has gone into the past few days to get ready for our shipmates. Wind Shadow is fully stocked with food, diving books, and sailing equipment. Our skipper Claire, mates Margaux and Nick, and dive instructor Rachel could not be more ecstatic for our shipmates to hop onboard! Soon we will be underway out of West End adventuring around the beautiful British Virgin Islands while working towards scuba and sailing qualifications. We can not wait to see everyone grow and become more confident in their skills!

Here is an introduction to the crew on Wind Shadow:

Claire (Maco)- Skipper/Divemaster

Born and raised in Washington, DC, Claire started sailing at the age of 8 and has continued to develop her skills ever since. Claire worked as a camp counselor and sailing instructor in Maine in 2016 and 2017 before taking a gap year with Sea|mester. Claire now attends the University of San Diego where she is majoring in Environmental Science with minors in Leadership and Environmental Policy. As a guide in her university’s outdoors program and a sailing instructor at the local aquatic center, Claire spends most of her free time outdoors, either on the water or in the mountains backpacking and camping. She is a 200-ton IYT Yachtmaster and PADI Divemaster.

Rachel- Dive Instructor/Mate

Growing up commercial fishing in Bristol Bay Alaska made Rachel very comfortable living and working on boats. Her natural curiosity brought her to diving to understand the ocean that she had spent so much time on. In 2015 she attended ActionQuest as a student and made it her goal to come back one day as a staff member. Rachel completed her PADI Instructor course in Bali and is now returning for her fifth year at AQ. She is always working to maintain a positive environment and is enthusiastically available if you need a good chat. Even better if you can teach her something new!

Nick- Mate/Wilderness First Responder

Nick is a fun loving sailor who grew up power boating on the Chesapeake Bay. He eventually transitioned to sailing when he went to sailing camp in Annapolis. Nick recently completed an ocean crossing from South Africa to Antigua with Seamester, then went on to work on Schooner Woodwind. He is a Wilderness First Responder & 200 Ton Yachtmaster and is eager to teach his passion for sailing to others. When he’s not on the water, you can find Nick at Lifeline Horse Rescue & Rehab helping horses in need, leading student volunteers, and managing barn operations.

Margaux- Mate

Margaux was born and raised in Belmont, MA, a small town located outside of Boston. She started attending ActionQuest in 2015 as a shipmate where she learned to scuba dive and now is working as a sailing instructor. During the school year, she attends the University of Miami and is working towards a BS in Marine Science and Biology. She started sailing at a young age with her parents, bareboating around the British Virgin Islands and also sailing on a small lake in southern New Hampshire. When she is not scuba diving or sailing, she enjoys playing lacrosse, basketball, hiking, and skiing.