Arrival Day!
Location: West End, Tortola
Welcome to AQ! We’re so excited to meet our new crew today. These last few days, we’ve been working hard at the AQ docks in West End, cleaning, organizing, re-organizing, and planning for what’s sure to be a great session. Will’s the skipper, Aidan and Zoe are both mates/medics. Together, we’ll be sailing on Glad 2 Be Here, which happens to be the finest boat in our fleet, a 52.4-foot monohull! We’re so excited to be exploring the beautiful BVIs and giving back to the community while learning new skills and making lifelong friends :D
Here’s some more info about our staff!
Hailing from Philadelphia, Will’s love for the ocean started in high school when he experienced ActionQuest for the first time. During a gap year between high school and college, he sailed across the Atlantic Ocean from South Africa to the Caribbean onboard S/Y Argo in the Spring of 2023. He stayed in Sint Maarten after that voyage, completing his IYT 200T Yachtmaster license. Will is thrilled to be skippering for ActionQuest this summer, looking to help foster a love for the ocean. When Will isn’t on a boat, you can probably find him rock climbing, running, or skiing! The stoke is so high!
Zoe spent most of her life in the landlocked state of Pennsylvania but found her way to the water during summers spent on the Chesapeake Bay sailing small dinghies called Sunfish. She embarked with Seamester from Bali to Cape Town aboard S/Y Vela for an action-packed fall semester in 2023. If not on the water, you can find Zoe using her land legs wherever she can, whether hiking up the endless hills of Wales while visiting her family, climbing Africa’s tallest mountain, Mt. Kilimanjaro, or back in the US recreating the famous “Rocky” scene while taking her runs near the Philadelphia Museum of Art steps. Zoe has worked for her local nature preserve for the past two years as an Environmental Educator, traveling with various animals to teach in Philadelphia schools and leading outdoor field trips. She recently gained her Wilderness First Responder Certification and is excited to get down to the BVI’s and get her sea legs back!
Aidan grew up a short drive away from the beautiful San Francisco Bay. He fell in love with nature and took every chance to go outside sailing, hiking, surfing, or backpacking. Aidan just graduated from UC Santa Barbara, where he continued sailing, diving, and surfing! Aidan was lucky enough to join Seamester in the past for their 20-day voyage, and he immediately fell even more in love with the ocean. He will return to ActionQuest for his second summer and is so excited to share and teach all he knows about our beautiful home while earning the skills he needs for his Yachtmaster and Dive Instructor.
PS - Zoe left early this morning to go to the airport and we were unable to get a picture with her but we will include some as soon as we can!