Staff Update Day 1
Location: West End, Tortola
We are so excited to welcome on board our new crew. Wind Shadow, a 51-foot monohull, will house eleven students completing a range of programs including introductory sailing and diving as well as advanced diving. The staff has been working hard to ensure all the equipment is prepped and ready to go. The vessel has been provisioned with fuel, water, food, and educational materials.
We are looking forward to 21 days of learning, new friendships and fantastic adventures out there on the waves of the Caribbean Sea!
Here is an introduction of the crew on Wind Shadow:
Claire: 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 Seamester. 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.
Annie: Dive Instructor/Mate
Annie was born and raised in North Carolina, where she visited the beach frequently and developed a great respect for the marine world. When she was fifteen, she attended ActionQuest for the first time and fell head over flippers in love with diving and sailing. At 18, she joined the ranks of PADI as an Open Water SCUBA Instructor and has been teaching ever since. She enjoys working with young divers and believes teaching is the art of assisted self-discovery. Annie is going into her senior year at Northeastern University in Boston where she teaches diving to fellow students and spends as much time as possible on the water with Northeastern’s sailing team. In her spare time, she studies Business and Economics. When it’s extra cold outside, Annie can be found snowboarding or making baked mac and cheese. As an avid traveler who’s been to almost all of the continents (Antarctica I’m coming!), the BVI is still a favorite. This summer will be Annie’s fifth summer with AQ.
Kevin: Mate/WFR
Kevin is a certified Wilderness First Responder and has been leading trips for Bowdoin’s Outing Club for the past four years, including everything from flatwater canoeing trips to backpacking along the Appalachian Trail. At Bowdoin, Kevin has also been a whitewater kayaking instructor and raft guide. He loves watching students go from learning techniques in the pool to then putting their skills to use on the river. When he’s not busy in the great outdoors, Kevin is an avid musician, baseball fan, and board game enthusiast.