Side by Side

The crew of Side By Side has been hard at work over the past few weeks prepping for the start of session two! Hard work, planning, and laughter were the essential tools to transforming our mayhem into the perfect chaos required for our shipmates to have a blast. We are stoked to finally meet our students! The boat is fully stocked with food, fuel, water, diving books, and sailing equipment. During our next 21 days, we are going to explore the islands of the British Virgin Islands while doing some fantastic sailing and diving to work towards certifications. The crew of Side By Side could not be more excited to kick off this summer with diving, sailing, and of course, loads of fun! We can not wait to see everyone grow and become more confident in their skills!

Here is an introduction of the crew on Side By Side :

Skipper : Margaux

Margaux grew up in Belmont, Massachusetts, a small town located right outside Boston. She started sailing at a young age with her parents, which included bareboating around the British Virgin Islands and sailing on a small lake in southern New Hampshire. This passion for sailing found her attending ActionQuest as a student from 2015 through 2017 and furthered Margaux’s love for the ocean through sailing and scuba diving. In 2018 and 2019, she returned to working as a mate on both Vega and Minerva programs. After obtaining her IYT Master of Yachts 200 Ton Limited License, she came back to ActionQuest as a skipper for the Vega program in the summer of 2021. Outside of ActionQuest, she is a recent college graduate from the University of Miami, earning her B.S. in Marine Science and Biology. While in college, she was president of the UMiami Scuba Club and played on Miami’s Club Lacrosse team. In addition, she studied abroad in Australia, then took a gap semester during college to go on Sea| Mester’s transatlantic voyage aboard SY Argo. Margaux works as a kids (7-teen) ski instructor at Beaver Creek Resort. She cannot wait to get back to the sunny and warm Caribbean for another amazing ActionQuest summer!

Dive Instructor: Ben

I am stoked to be joining the Action Quest Team this year. I recently qualified for PADI OWSI with a BSc in Marine Biology and an MSc in Marine Vertebrate Ecology and Conservation. I spent the last eight years as an RNLI beach lifeguard, where I worked across a range of different beaches in all manner of British coastal conditions. I have experience volunteering on various marine conservation and research projects in Central America and Southeast Asia.

Dive Instructor: Sela

After spending last summer at ActionQuest as a shipmate earning her divemaster certification, Sela is beyond excited to return as a dive instructor. Sela is from Houston, Texas, and has been diving since she was ten years old and has dived all around the Caribbean. Sela is excited to spend her summer sharing her passion for diving and the ocean. When she is not diving, Sela loves to watch movies, listen to music and spend time with her friends and family. After ActionQuest, Sela is excited to start school and the University of Miami as a nursing major.