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	    <title>Sail Caribbean 2009 Trip Updates (Top 25 from All Programs)</title>
	    <link>http://www.sailcaribbean.com/community/tripupdates/</link>
	    <description>Top 25 most-recent trip updates from Sail Caribbean's summer programs.</description>
	    <language>en-us</language>
	    <copyright>Copyright 2010. Sail Caribbean Voyages, Inc. All Rights Reserved.</copyright>
	    <pubDate>Thu, 11 Mar 2010 01:49:00 EST</pubDate>
	    <ttl>1</ttl>
		<image>
			<url>http://www.sailcaribbean.com/images/logo_sm.gif</url>
			<title>Sail Caribbean</title>
	    	<link>http://www.sailcaribbean.com/community/tripupdates/</link>
		</image>
	
	
	    <item>
	      <title>Savannah to Wickham's Cay via The Bath's of Virgin Gorda</title>
	      <link>http://www.sailcaribbean.com/community/tripupdates/2009/1201/225/263667/charlie-3-adv-scuba/savannah-to-wickhams-cay-via-the-baths-of-virgin-gorda/</link>
	      <description>
		  	<![CDATA[
			August 22nd, 2009
Staff woke up this morning at six to motor the boats over to the Baths.  Students were delighted to wake up in this much anticipated destination.  The Baths are one of the BVI&rsquo;s most popular spots; massive boulders form great caves perfect for exploration.  As the wake was a bit larger than usual, students couldn&rsquo;t jump from the top rock, but were still able to hike around and snorkel the area.  We hung out there from 8-11 and then headed back to our boats to motor to Cooper Island Beach Club.  At Cooper, we picked up mooring balls, made lunch from ingredients leftover (from pancakes to cheeseburgers!), and started to tidy up the boat for Wickham&rsquo;s.  We took our final swim in the sea and then headed over the docks around three. All boats were docked and clean by four.  Students hung out by the pool, showered, and finished packing.  We ate dinner together by the pool at six thirty and then had boat meetings where we covered final details like how to write plane letters and talked about our highlights from the trip.  Students stayed up until midnight and a few tried to pull all nighters (unsuccessfully, we hope&hellip;).
			]]>
			
		  </description>
		  <pubDate>Sat, 22 Aug 2009 10:43:00 EST</pubDate>
		  <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.sailcaribbean.com/community/tripupdates/2009/1201/225/263667/charlie-3-adv-scuba/savannah-to-wickhams-cay-via-the-baths-of-virgin-gorda/</guid>
	    </item>
	    
	    <item>
	      <title>Savannah to Wickham's Cay via The Bath's of Virgin Gorda</title>
	      <link>http://www.sailcaribbean.com/community/tripupdates/2009/1101/218/263673/bravo-3/savannah-to-wickhams-cay-via-the-baths-of-virgin-gorda/</link>
	      <description>
		  	<![CDATA[
			August 22nd, 2009
Staff woke up this morning at six to motor the boats over to the Baths.  Students were delighted to wake up in this much anticipated destination.  The Baths are one of the BVI&rsquo;s most popular spots; massive boulders form great caves perfect for exploration.  As the wake was a bit larger than usual, students couldn&rsquo;t jump from the top rock, but were still able to hike around and snorkel the area.  We hung out there from 8-11 and then headed back to our boats to motor to Cooper Island Beach Club.  At Cooper, we picked up mooring balls, made lunch from ingredients leftover (from pancakes to cheeseburgers!), and started to tidy up the boat for Wickham&rsquo;s.  We took our final swim in the sea and then headed over the docks around three. All boats were docked and clean by four.  Students hung out by the pool, showered, and finished packing.  We ate dinner together by the pool at six thirty and then had boat meetings where we covered final details like how to write plane letters and talked about our highlights from the trip.  Students stayed up until midnight and a few tried to pull all nighters (unsuccessfully, we hope&hellip;).
			]]>
			
		  </description>
		  <pubDate>Sat, 22 Aug 2009 00:00:00 EST</pubDate>
		  <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.sailcaribbean.com/community/tripupdates/2009/1101/218/263673/bravo-3/savannah-to-wickhams-cay-via-the-baths-of-virgin-gorda/</guid>
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	    <item>
	      <title>Marina Cay to Savannah</title>
	      <link>http://www.sailcaribbean.com/community/tripupdates/2009/1201/225/263664/charlie-3-adv-scuba/marina-cay-to-savannah/</link>
	      <description>
		  	<![CDATA[
			August 21st, 2009
Students woke up this morning at Marina Cay, seeing it in the light for the first time as we moored in the dark last evening after our night sail.  Students made M&amp;M pancakes before an 8:15 dive.  Divers had their final dive, they went to Chromis Reef, &amp; the Seal Dogs West, where they saw a nine-foot spotted eagle ray. All the rescue students finished their course.  The Non-divers hung out and snorkeled around the boat.  A few went girls from Gigi, Badger, and Venture went to shore and put lawn chairs in the water to sunbathe.   Others snorkeled off the boats, read on deck, tubed, and wakeboarded.  With the help of Mario, Sean, and Allie, Badger B docked and filled up its water tanks.  At 11:30, students prepped lunch and waited for the divers to come back.  At noon, we ate.  We departed shortly thereafter to ready our boats for the race.  The race began just outside of Trellis Bay and continued on for about an hour to the southwest corner of Great Dog. Boats tacked back and forth, vying for position.  Venture came in first, Badger second, and Gigi third.   Students lowered sail and motored into Savannah.  Savannah is on Virgin Gorda, right next to Little Dix Bay.  It provides a private beach and spectacular view of the sunset.  We headed to shore as soon as we arrived so we could catch the twilight hours of the day on the beach.   Students splashed around and took group photos.  Nine of our students made a giant human pyramid.  After exploring a bit, we headed back to boats and fired up the grill.  Staff members grilled dogs and burgers and students prepped corn on the cob, berries, and other condiments.  After everybody was sufficiently stuffed, students cleaned up and crashed on deck under the stars.
			]]>
			
		  </description>
		  <pubDate>Fri, 21 Aug 2009 10:42:00 EST</pubDate>
		  <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.sailcaribbean.com/community/tripupdates/2009/1201/225/263664/charlie-3-adv-scuba/marina-cay-to-savannah/</guid>
	    </item>
	    
	    <item>
	      <title>Marina Cay to Savannah</title>
	      <link>http://www.sailcaribbean.com/community/tripupdates/2009/1101/218/263670/bravo-3/marina-cay-to-savannah/</link>
	      <description>
		  	<![CDATA[
			August 21st, 2009
Students woke up this morning at Marina Cay, seeing it in the light for the first time as we moored in the dark last evening after our night sail.  Students made M&amp;M pancakes before an 8:15 dive.  Divers had their final dive, they went to Chromis Reef, &amp; the Seal Dogs West, where they saw a nine-foot spotted eagle ray. All the rescue students finished their course.  The Non-divers hung out and snorkeled around the boat.  A few went girls from Gigi, Badger, and Venture went to shore and put lawn chairs in the water to sunbathe.   Others snorkeled off the boats, read on deck, tubed, and wakeboarded.  With the help of Mario, Sean, and Allie, Badger B docked and filled up its water tanks.  At 11:30, students prepped lunch and waited for the divers to come back.  At noon, we ate.  We departed shortly thereafter to ready our boats for the race.  The race began just outside of Trellis Bay and continued on for about an hour to the southwest corner of Great Dog. Boats tacked back and forth, vying for position.  Venture came in first, Badger second, and Gigi third.   Students lowered sail and motored into Savannah.  Savannah is on Virgin Gorda, right next to Little Dix Bay.  It provides a private beach and spectacular view of the sunset.  We headed to shore as soon as we arrived so we could catch the twilight hours of the day on the beach.   Students splashed around and took group photos.  Nine of our students made a giant human pyramid.  After exploring a bit, we headed back to boats and fired up the grill.  Staff members grilled dogs and burgers and students prepped corn on the cob, berries, and other condiments.  After everybody was sufficiently stuffed, students cleaned up and crashed on deck under the stars.
			]]>
			
		  </description>
		  <pubDate>Fri, 21 Aug 2009 00:00:00 EST</pubDate>
		  <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.sailcaribbean.com/community/tripupdates/2009/1101/218/263670/bravo-3/marina-cay-to-savannah/</guid>
	    </item>
	    
	    <item>
	      <title>Great Harbor to Marina Cay, Night Sail!</title>
	      <link>http://www.sailcaribbean.com/community/tripupdates/2009/1101/218/263661/bravo-3/great-harbor-to-marina-cay-night-sail/</link>
	      <description>
		  	<![CDATA[
			August 20th, 2009
Students were treated to a sleep in this morning because there was no morning dive.  Everyone enjoyed cereal, yogurt, and fruit salad for breakfast.  Once breakfast was cleaned up, the boats de-moored and headed up to Salt Island a short distance away.  At Salt, both Gigi and Badger B anchored on their first tries.  Matt was the captain of Gigi and Eliot was the captain of Badger B.  Joe was the captain of Venture and was equally as successful as Badger and Gigi.  Once at Salt, the boats went ashore to explore the almost deserted island.  The island gets its name from the huge salt pond that occupies the center of the island.  Two groups were formed for the hike.  One group, the “teamo extremeo” group took an intense climb up the eastern peak of Salt Island.  The other group took a leisurely hike up the western peak of Salt.  Both hikes provided amazing views of all the islands and provided a new perspective for the students of where they have been traveling for the past 11 days.  After the hike, students headed back to the boats for a delicious lunch of cheese and chicken quesadillas.  The boats moved from anchor to mooring balls on the west side which is where the Wreck of the Rhone is.  The dive boat came and took the divers around two o clock.  The first dive was at Chromes Reef.  There students worked on photography, rescue, and peak performance buoyancy courses.  After Chromes Reef, they moved back to the Rhone so that the Rescue students would have a chance to dive that site.  All of the non-divers went on a snorkel of the Rhone stern section which lies in about 25 feet of water.  You can see the stern almost perfectly even while snorkeling and the students really enjoyed getting up close to this famous wreck.  Aboard Gigi, dinner of Mahi pesto pasta was prepared to everyone’s delight.  Badger B did the same, but grilled their Mahi on the BBQ.  Venture decided to make homemade hamburgers and cookies.  After dinner the boats departed from Salt Island and did a night cruise to Marina Cay.  There was not a lot of wind so the boats opted to motor.  The sky was clear and shooting stars filled the sky.  The night cruise concluded with hot chocolate for everyone.  Students were wiped after such a action packed day and went to bed in excitement for what was coming tomorrow.   
			]]>
			
		  </description>
		  <pubDate>Thu, 20 Aug 2009 12:21:00 EST</pubDate>
		  <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.sailcaribbean.com/community/tripupdates/2009/1101/218/263661/bravo-3/great-harbor-to-marina-cay-night-sail/</guid>
	    </item>
	    
	    <item>
	      <title>Great Harbor to Marina Cay, Night Sail!</title>
	      <link>http://www.sailcaribbean.com/community/tripupdates/2009/1201/225/263658/charlie-3-adv-scuba/great-harbor-to-marina-cay-night-sail/</link>
	      <description>
		  	<![CDATA[
			August 20th, 2009
Students were treated to a sleep in this morning because there was no morning dive.  Everyone enjoyed cereal, yogurt, and fruit salad for breakfast.  Once breakfast was cleaned up, the boats de-moored and headed up to Salt Island a short distance away.  At Salt, both Gigi and Badger B anchored on their first tries.  Matt was the captain of Gigi and Eliot was the captain of Badger B.  Joe was the captain of Venture and was equally as successful as Badger and Gigi.  Once at Salt, the boats went ashore to explore the almost deserted island.  The island gets its name from the huge salt pond that occupies the center of the island.  Two groups were formed for the hike.  One group, the &ldquo;teamo extremeo&rdquo; group took an intense climb up the eastern peak of Salt Island.  The other group took a leisurely hike up the western peak of Salt.  Both hikes provided amazing views of all the islands and provided a new perspective for the students of where they have been traveling for the past 11 days.  After the hike, students headed back to the boats for a delicious lunch of cheese and chicken quesadillas.  The boats moved from anchor to mooring balls on the west side which is where the Wreck of the Rhone is.  The dive boat came and took the divers around two o clock.  The first dive was at Chromes Reef.  There students worked on photography, rescue, and peak performance buoyancy courses.  After Chromes Reef, they moved back to the Rhone so that the Rescue students would have a chance to dive that site.  All of the non-divers went on a snorkel of the Rhone stern section which lies in about 25 feet of water.  You can see the stern almost perfectly even while snorkeling and the students really enjoyed getting up close to this famous wreck.  Aboard Gigi, dinner of Mahi pesto pasta was prepared to everyone&rsquo;s delight.  Badger B did the same, but grilled their Mahi on the BBQ.  Venture decided to make homemade hamburgers and cookies.  After dinner the boats departed from Salt Island and did a night cruise to Marina Cay.  There was not a lot of wind so the boats opted to motor.  The sky was clear and shooting stars filled the sky.  The night cruise concluded with hot chocolate for everyone.  Students were wiped after such a action packed day and went to bed in excitement for what was coming tomorrow.
			]]>
			
		  </description>
		  <pubDate>Thu, 20 Aug 2009 00:00:00 EST</pubDate>
		  <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.sailcaribbean.com/community/tripupdates/2009/1201/225/263658/charlie-3-adv-scuba/great-harbor-to-marina-cay-night-sail/</guid>
	    </item>
	    
	    <item>
	      <title>Nanny Cay to Great Harbor, Peter Island</title>
	      <link>http://www.sailcaribbean.com/community/tripupdates/2009/1201/225/263655/charlie-3-adv-scuba/nanny-cay-to-great-harbor-peter-island/</link>
	      <description>
		  	<![CDATA[
			August 19th, 2009
Lots of Diving and YEP beach day! Students awoke this morning and enjoyed a good hearty breakfast.  The divers left at 8:30 to go on two dives.  Today was the day that they were going to dive the Wreck of the Rhone.  The Rhone is a world famous British steamship that sunk off of Salt Island.  The first dive of the morning the students dove the bow section.  There they saw &ldquo;Fang&rdquo; the giant barracuda, big lobsters, eel, and shrimp.  The second dive that morning was of the stern section of the Rhone.  They all rubbed lucky porthole number 26 and saw &ldquo;Lobzilla&rdquo; the giant lobster.  Jessi, Brian, Andy, and Joe continued their Rescue Diver course during this morning session.  The other students, who were not diving, hung out at Nanny Cay.  They checked out the shops and most of them grabbed an ice cream cone from The Nutty Banana ice cream shop.  Around ten the non divers got on the boats and de-docked them from Nanny Cay.  Aboard Badger B, Allie was the captain and got her small crew of non-divers to Great Harbor with ease.  Molly on Gigi did the de-docking and led the crew through many tacks in the short sail.  Victoria was captain of Venture and she with a crew of two sailed on a close reach to Great Harbor.  The dive boat met us at Great Harbor and all students enjoyed a lunch of tuna sandwiches.  In the afternoon, our students had Olympics and hangout time with students from the YEP organization on Tortola.  YEP stands for Youth Empowerment Project and is a community outreach program based on tortola.  They came out by dive boat and the two groups mixed it up right away.  We started out the afternoon with a game of ships and sailors which is a nautical version of simon says.  After that, we got into a dizzy fender relay which was too close to call.  Olympics was finished off with a kayak relay race.  After Olympics, the students went banana boating, tubing, and kayaking with the YEP students.  When it was time to leave, everyone was bummed that the afternoon had gone by so quickly.   Back at the boats, students cooked chicken lo mein before the dive boat came back for the night dive.  The night dive was the stern section of the Rhone again.  There the students saw turtles and a nurse shark.  Sean, Eliot, Jessi, Brian, Mark, Andy, Tom, Kat, and Joe finished their night specialty.  The non-divers Allie, Will, Molly, and Matt went on a night snorkel and saw an octopus.  All students enjoyed the day and looked forward to what lay ahead.
			]]>
			
		  </description>
		  <pubDate>Wed, 19 Aug 2009 00:00:00 EST</pubDate>
		  <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.sailcaribbean.com/community/tripupdates/2009/1201/225/263655/charlie-3-adv-scuba/nanny-cay-to-great-harbor-peter-island/</guid>
	    </item>
	    
	    <item>
	      <title>Nanny Cay to Great Harbor, Peter Island</title>
	      <link>http://www.sailcaribbean.com/community/tripupdates/2009/1101/218/263652/bravo-3/nanny-cay-to-great-harbor-peter-island/</link>
	      <description>
		  	<![CDATA[
			August 19th, 2009
Lots of Diving and YEP day!  Students awoke this morning and enjoyed a good hearty breakfast.  The divers left at 8:30 to go on two dives.  Today was the day that they were going to dive the Wreck of the Rhone.  The Rhone is a world famous British steamship that sunk off of Salt Island.  The first dive of the morning the students dove the bow section.  There they saw &ldquo;Fang&rdquo; the giant barracuda, big lobsters, eel, and shrimp.  The second dive that morning was of the stern section of the Rhone.  They all rubbed lucky porthole number 26 and saw &ldquo;Lobzilla&rdquo; the giant lobster.  Jessi, Brian, Andy, and Joe continued their Rescue Diver course during this morning session.  The other students, who were not diving, hung out at Nanny Cay.  They checked out the shops and most of them grabbed an ice cream cone from The Nutty Banana ice cream shop.  Around ten the non divers got on the boats and de-docked them from Nanny Cay.  Aboard Badger B, Allie was the captain and got her small crew of non-divers to Great Harbor with ease.  Molly on Gigi did the de-docking and led the crew through many tacks in the short sail.  Victoria was captain of Venture and she with a crew of two sailed on a close reach to Great Harbor.  The dive boat met us at Great Harbor and all students enjoyed a lunch of tuna sandwiches.  In the afternoon, our students had Olympics and hangout time with students from the YEP organization on Tortola.  YEP stands for Youth Empowerment Project and is a community outreach program based on tortola.  They came out by dive boat and the two groups mixed it up right away.  We started out the afternoon with a game of ships and sailors which is a nautical version of simon says.  After that, we got into a dizzy fender relay which was too close to call.  Olympics was finished off with a kayak relay race.  After Olympics, the students went banana boating, tubing, and kayaking with the YEP students.  When it was time to leave, everyone was bummed that the afternoon had gone by so quickly.   Back at the boats, students cooked chicken lo mein before the dive boat came back for the night dive.  The night dive was the stern section of the Rhone again.  There the students saw turtles and a nurse shark.  Sean, Eliot, Jessi, Brian, Mark, Andy, Tom, Kat, and Joe finished their night specialty.  The non-divers Allie, Will, Molly, and Matt went on a night snorkel and saw an octopus.  All students enjoyed the day and looked forward to what lay ahead.
			]]>
			
		  </description>
		  <pubDate>Wed, 19 Aug 2009 00:00:00 EST</pubDate>
		  <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.sailcaribbean.com/community/tripupdates/2009/1101/218/263652/bravo-3/nanny-cay-to-great-harbor-peter-island/</guid>
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	    <item>
	      <title>Jost Van Dyke to Nanny Cay Marina via Sandy Cay</title>
	      <link>http://www.sailcaribbean.com/community/tripupdates/2009/1101/218/263625/bravo-3/jost-van-dyke-to-nanny-cay-marina-via-sandy-cay/</link>
	      <description>
		  	<![CDATA[
			August 18th, 2009
Students woke up this morning and found their staff members anchoring at a new and exciting destination: Sandy Cay.  After eating a wonderful breakfast of Swiss Muesli, the crew cleaned up and headed to shore to explore the beautiful oasis that is Sandy Cay.  Sandy Cay tends to be one of the favorite destinations as it is entirely deserted, has a great hike, the clearest blue water, and softest sand in the BVI.  Students eagerly swam to shore, played beach football, explored the island, and waded in the crystal clear blue water.  At 10:30 we reluctantly returned to our boats, raised anchor, and sailed forth back through the Thatch Island Cut to the familiar waters of the Sir Francis Drake Channel.  Aboard Venture, Phil was captain and really took control of the vessel, docking it at Nanny Cay first try by himself.  On Badger B, Mario led the crew through some great tacks and an equally successful docking.  On Gigi, Alex held steady behind the helm and docked the boat the boat next to an eight million dollar yacht without a hint of nervousness.  Once hitting docks, we had a two o clock dive.  Jessi, Brian, Andy, and Joe went to the beach at Nanny and started their rescue diver course.  Tom and Kat got Nitrox certification.  Hershey from Badger B led a group of six divers at Angel Fish Reef off of Norman Island.  The students saw tons of colorful fish and other awesome sea life.  The second dive at Santa Monica Rock proved more exciting as students spotted two turtles, a spotted eel, and lots of large lobsters.  In the meantime, Seth, Phillip, and Charlie worked on their Advanced Open Water certifications.  The non divers explored the shops of Nanny Cay.  After that, they took a truck tour of Tortola which gave them a view of the island that they would not see on the boats.  Everyone returned around five, prepared dinner, and enjoyed a great meal of fish tacos.  Afterwards, the students cleaned up the boats, held boat meetings, and rang home.  The night finished with two marine biology lessons and an ice cream social for all the students by the pool at Nanny Cay.  Everyone tucked into bed around 10 and prepared for a big day.
			]]>
			
		  </description>
		  <pubDate>Tue, 18 Aug 2009 08:26:00 EST</pubDate>
		  <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.sailcaribbean.com/community/tripupdates/2009/1101/218/263625/bravo-3/jost-van-dyke-to-nanny-cay-marina-via-sandy-cay/</guid>
	    </item>
	    
	    <item>
	      <title>Jost Van Dyke to Nanny Cay Marina via Sandy Cay</title>
	      <link>http://www.sailcaribbean.com/community/tripupdates/2009/1201/225/263646/charlie-3-adv-scuba/jost-van-dyke-to-nanny-cay-marina-via-sandy-cay/</link>
	      <description>
		  	<![CDATA[
			August 18th, 2009
Students woke up this morning and found their staff members anchoring at a new and exciting destination: Sandy Cay.  After eating a wonderful breakfast of Swiss Muesli, the crew cleaned up and headed to shore to explore the beautiful oasis that is Sandy Cay.  Sandy Cay tends to be one of the favorite destinations as it is entirely deserted, has a great hike, the clearest blue water, and softest sand in the BVI.  Students eagerly swam to shore, played beach football, explored the island, and waded in the crystal clear blue water.  At 10:30 we reluctantly returned to our boats, raised anchor, and sailed forth back through the Thatch Island Cut to the familiar waters of the Sir Francis Drake Channel.  Aboard Venture, Phil was captain and really took control of the vessel, docking it at Nanny Cay first try by himself.  On Badger B, Mario led the crew through some great tacks and an equally successful docking.  On Gigi, Alex held steady behind the helm and docked the boat the boat next to an eight million dollar yacht without a hint of nervousness.  Once hitting docks, we had a two o clock dive.  Jessi, Brian, Andy, and Joe went to the beach at Nanny and started their rescue diver course.  Tom and Kat got Nitrox certification.  Hershey from Badger B led a group of six divers at Angel Fish Reef off of Norman Island.  The students saw tons of colorful fish and other awesome sea life.  The second dive at Santa Monica Rock proved more exciting as students spotted two turtles, a spotted eel, and lots of large lobsters.  In the meantime, Seth, Phillip, and Charlie worked on their Advanced Open Water certifications.  The non divers explored the shops of Nanny Cay.  After that, they took a truck tour of Tortola which gave them a view of the island that they would not see on the boats.  Everyone returned around five, prepared dinner, and enjoyed a great meal of fish tacos.  Afterwards, the students cleaned up the boats, held boat meetings, and rang home.  The night finished with two marine biology lessons and an ice cream social for all the students by the pool at Nanny Cay.  Everyone tucked into bed around 10 and prepared for a big day.
			]]>
			
		  </description>
		  <pubDate>Tue, 18 Aug 2009 00:00:00 EST</pubDate>
		  <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.sailcaribbean.com/community/tripupdates/2009/1201/225/263646/charlie-3-adv-scuba/jost-van-dyke-to-nanny-cay-marina-via-sandy-cay/</guid>
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	    <item>
	      <title>The Bight to Jost Van Dyke</title>
	      <link>http://www.sailcaribbean.com/community/tripupdates/2009/1201/225/263643/charlie-3-adv-scuba/the-bight-to-jost-van-dyke/</link>
	      <description>
		  	<![CDATA[
			August 17th, 2009
CHALLENGE&nbsp;DAY! Today marks the day when students put their sailing and saftey knowledge to the test as they must work together to successfully sail betwen locations with no additional help from the staff! The students woke up at seven this morning.  The captain, mate, and navigator of the day met with Pat and Greg to discuss the schedule, safety, and navigation for challenge day.  Since the morning dive was cancelled due to thunderstorms, all students headed to shore after breakfast to explore the island as well as tidy up one of the beaches for which they earned community service credit.   Despite the ominous weather, the hike was still a hit.  Students climbed up and over Norman Island to find a beach and the clouds and large waves added to the adventure of the hike and beach cleanup.   Just as we boarded our dinghies, it poured rain but we made it back to the boats in the nick of time.  Students de-moored without the help of staff and put in two reefs and wore lifejackets due to the high winds.  They sailed, navigated, and moored all by themselves to Little Harbor, Jost Van Dyke.  It was the first time that the students had seen the northern side of Tortola.  We spent a relaxing afternoon swimming and doing water sports at Little Harbor.  After challenge day debriefs, each crew forged a contract, agreeing on certain behavior for while on the boat.  After showers, students headed to shore to Sydney&rsquo;s Peace and Love, a famous restaurant that has shops, music, and t-shirts hanging all over the ceiling with notes passed on throughout the years.  It was a fun change to eat out and almost every student left with a souvenir.
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		  </description>
		  <pubDate>Mon, 17 Aug 2009 08:59:00 EST</pubDate>
		  <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.sailcaribbean.com/community/tripupdates/2009/1201/225/263643/charlie-3-adv-scuba/the-bight-to-jost-van-dyke/</guid>
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	    <item>
	      <title>The Bight to Jost Van Dyke</title>
	      <link>http://www.sailcaribbean.com/community/tripupdates/2009/1101/218/263628/bravo-3/the-bight-to-jost-van-dyke/</link>
	      <description>
		  	<![CDATA[
			August 17th, 2009: CHALLENGE&nbsp;DAY
This is the day that the Sail Caribbean staff steps back and is hands off forcing students to put their sailing and saftey knowldege to the test and letting the students take full control of their vessels. The students woke up at seven in the morning.  The captain, mate, and navigator of the day met with Pat and Greg to discuss the schedule, safety, and navigation for challenge day.  Since the morning dive was cancelled due to thunderstorms, all students headed to shore after breakfast to explore the island as well as tidy up one of the beaches for which they earned community service credit.   Despite the ominous weather, the hike was still a hit.  Students climbed up and over Norman Island to find a beach and the clouds and large waves added to the adventure of the hike and beach cleanup.   Just as we boarded our dinghies, it poured rain but we made it back to the boats in the nick of time.  Students de-moored without the help of staff and put in two reefs and wore lifejackets due to the high winds.  They sailed, navigated, and moored all by themselves to Little Harbor, Jost Van Dyke.  It was the first time that the students had seen the northern side of Tortola.  We spent a relaxing afternoon swimming and doing water sports at Little Harbor.  After challenge day debriefs, each crew forged a contract, agreeing on certain behavior for while on the boat.  After showers, students headed to shore to Sydney&rsquo;s Peace and Love, a famous restaurant that has shops, music, and t-shirts hanging all over the ceiling with notes passed on throughout the years.  It was a fun change to eat out and almost every student left with a souvenir.
			]]>
			
		  </description>
		  <pubDate>Mon, 17 Aug 2009 00:00:00 EST</pubDate>
		  <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.sailcaribbean.com/community/tripupdates/2009/1101/218/263628/bravo-3/the-bight-to-jost-van-dyke/</guid>
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	    <item>
	      <title>Tropical Storm Ana Passes to the South</title>
	      <link>http://www.sailcaribbean.com/community/tripupdates/2009/1201/225/263622/charlie-3-adv-scuba/tropical-storm-ana-passes-to-the-south/</link>
	      <description>
		  	<![CDATA[
			Monday August 17th, 2009
Tropical Storm Ana is quickly making its way through the Caribbean approximately 80 miles due south of the British Virgin Islands. The impact on the local weather has been minimal, including overcast skies, light rains, moderate seas, and winds with gusts of approximately 25mph. The area remains under a tropical storm watch through the late afternoon.&nbsp; At this point we not made alterations to our planned itinerary for the program.&nbsp; As the week progresses we will continue to monitor the progress of hurricane Bill.&nbsp; At this point, Bill is still projected to pass to the north of the British Virgin Islands. Look for additional weather updates to be posted in addition to trip updates throughout the week.
			]]>
			
		  </description>
		  <pubDate>Mon, 17 Aug 2009 00:00:00 EST</pubDate>
		  <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.sailcaribbean.com/community/tripupdates/2009/1201/225/263622/charlie-3-adv-scuba/tropical-storm-ana-passes-to-the-south/</guid>
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	    <item>
	      <title>Tropical Storm Ana Passes to the South</title>
	      <link>http://www.sailcaribbean.com/community/tripupdates/2009/1101/218/263619/bravo-3/tropical-storm-ana-passes-to-the-south/</link>
	      <description>
		  	<![CDATA[
			Monday August 17th, 2009
Tropical Storm Ana is quickly making its way through the Caribbean approximately 80 miles due south of the British Virgin Islands. The impact on the local weather has been minimal, including overcast skies, light rains, moderate seas, and winds with gusts of approximately 25mph. The area remains under a tropical storm watch through the early afternoon. At this point we not made alterations to our planned itinerary for the program.&nbsp; As the week progresses we will continue to monitor the progress of hurricane Bill.&nbsp; At this point, Bill is still projected to pass to the north of the British Virgin Islands. Look for additional weather updates to be posted in addition to trip updates throughout the week.
			]]>
			
		  </description>
		  <pubDate>Mon, 17 Aug 2009 00:00:00 EST</pubDate>
		  <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.sailcaribbean.com/community/tripupdates/2009/1101/218/263619/bravo-3/tropical-storm-ana-passes-to-the-south/</guid>
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	    <item>
	      <title>Tropical Storms Ana and Bill</title>
	      <link>http://www.sailcaribbean.com/community/tripupdates/2009/1101/218/263616/bravo-3/tropical-storms-ana-and-bill/</link>
	      <description>
		  	<![CDATA[
			Greetings from the British Virgin Islands. I just wanted to take a moment to pass some information along with respect to the two tropical storms, Ana and Bill, which have formed over the Atlantic Ocean this past week.  We have been using data from NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to closely monitor the tropical storms&rsquo; progress. The focus of Tropical Storm Ana is expecting to pass to the south of our current location during the day tomorrow. Tropical Storm Bill is a slightly larger depression that is expected to pass over during the day on Thursday. It should be noted however, current reports project the bulk of the storm system to pass to the north of the islands. Again we will be monitoring the storms progress closely and will make appropriate arrangements depending on the forecast.
Be sure that we are doing everything possible to prepare in event the storms increase in intensity or alter direction. As precautionary measures for the storms, the fleet&rsquo;s movements have been restricted to within the Sir Frances Drake Channel.  In addition, we have made arrangements for the fleets to return to docks at any time during the next several days if necessary. We will continue to monitor the storms progress on an hourly basis (even during the night) to insure that we are doing everything possible to keep the fleet safe.
			]]>
			
		  </description>
		  <pubDate>Sun, 16 Aug 2009 08:16:00 EST</pubDate>
		  <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.sailcaribbean.com/community/tripupdates/2009/1101/218/263616/bravo-3/tropical-storms-ana-and-bill/</guid>
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	    <item>
	      <title>Tropical Storms Ana and Bill</title>
	      <link>http://www.sailcaribbean.com/community/tripupdates/2009/1201/225/263613/charlie-3-adv-scuba/tropical-storms-ana-and-bill/</link>
	      <description>
		  	<![CDATA[
			Sunday August 16th, 2009
Greetings from the British Virgin Islands. I just wanted to take a moment to pass some information along with respect to the two tropical storms, Ana and Bill, which have formed over the Atlantic Ocean this past week.  We have been using data from NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to closely monitor the tropical storms&rsquo; progress. The focus of Tropical Storm Ana is expecting to pass to the south of our current location during the day tomorrow. Tropical Storm Bill is a slightly larger depression that is expected to pass over during the day on Thursday. It should be noted however, current reports project the bulk of the storm system to pass to the north of the islands. Again we will be monitoring the storms progress closely and will make appropriate arrangements depending on the forecast.
Be sure that we are doing everything possible to prepare in event the storms increase in intensity or alter direction. As precautionary measures for the storms, the fleet&rsquo;s movements have been restricted to within the Sir Frances Drake Channel.  In addition, we have made arrangements for the fleets to return to docks at any time during the next several days if necessary. We will continue to monitor the storms progress on a regular basis to insure that we are doing everything possible to keep the fleet safe.
			]]>
			
		  </description>
		  <pubDate>Sun, 16 Aug 2009 08:14:00 EST</pubDate>
		  <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.sailcaribbean.com/community/tripupdates/2009/1201/225/263613/charlie-3-adv-scuba/tropical-storms-ana-and-bill/</guid>
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	    <item>
	      <title>Trellis Bay to The 'Pirates' Bight on Norman Island</title>
	      <link>http://www.sailcaribbean.com/community/tripupdates/2009/1201/225/263640/charlie-3-adv-scuba/trellis-bay-to-the-pirates-bight-on-norman-island/</link>
	      <description>
		  	<![CDATA[
			August 16th, 2009
Eggs and toast were made this morning under a clear blue sky.   After the breakfast dishes had been cleaned, the boats departed Trellis Bay and headed to The Bight, Norman Island.  The breeze was nice and the boats enjoyed a fast downwind sail in the Sir Francis Drake Channel.  Aboard Venture, Manon was captain but many students rotated through the helm.  On Gigi, Sarah was captain and was at the helm the entire sail.  The students learned about plotting a course and general navigation.  Sean was the captain of Badger B and shared the helm with some other students.  All boats worked on their downwind sailing and perfected their jibing techniques.  The fleet moored on their first try when reaching Norman Island and Venture&rsquo;s was silent.  At 1:30 the divers went ashore for a dive and academics.  The newly certified open water students and the discover scuba diving students went on a fun dive at Angel Fish Reef along with Ben and Joe.  They saw a spotted eagle ray, turtle, remora, and squid during the dive.  Seth, Charlie, and Philip decided to continue on to get their Advanced Open Water certification and Jessi, Brian, Andy, and Joe are getting ready to start their Rescue Diver course. When the divers had returned from Angel Fish Reef we congregated in between the boats for a soda float and social hour. Sugar and caffeine starved teenagers waited eagerly for their Ting, Sprite, and Coke. Later, other divers participated in a night dive at the Indians where they saw a four foot long turtle and a three to four foot long octopus.  All of the other students had a relaxing night on the boats and did some star gazing.  When the divers returned, Captain Challenge came around to present challenge day to the students for the following day. Challenge day will prove the ultimate test of their abilities to sail and navigate their boats without the help of the staff.
			]]>
			
		  </description>
		  <pubDate>Sun, 16 Aug 2009 00:00:00 EST</pubDate>
		  <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.sailcaribbean.com/community/tripupdates/2009/1201/225/263640/charlie-3-adv-scuba/trellis-bay-to-the-pirates-bight-on-norman-island/</guid>
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	    <item>
	      <title>Trellis Bay to The 'Pirates' Bight on Norman Island</title>
	      <link>http://www.sailcaribbean.com/community/tripupdates/2009/1101/218/263631/bravo-3/trellis-bay-to-the-pirates-bight-on-norman-island/</link>
	      <description>
		  	<![CDATA[
			August 16th, 2009
Eggs and toast were made this morning under a clear blue sky.   After the breakfast dishes had been cleaned, the boats departed Trellis Bay and headed to The Bight, Norman Island.  The breeze was nice and the boats enjoyed a fast downwind sail in the Sir Francis Drake Channel.  Aboard Venture, Manon was captain but many students rotated through the helm.  On Gigi, Sarah was captain and was at the helm the entire sail.  The students learned about plotting a course and general navigation.  Sean was the captain of Badger B and shared the helm with some other students.  All boats worked on their downwind sailing and perfected their jibing techniques.  The fleet moored on their first try when reaching Norman Island and Venture&rsquo;s was silent.  At 1:30 the divers went ashore for a dive and academics.  The newly certified open water students and the discover scuba diving students went on a fun dive at Angel Fish Reef along with Ben and Joe.  They saw a spotted eagle ray, turtle, remora, and squid during the dive.  Seth, Charlie, and Philip decided to continue on to get their Advanced Open Water certification and Jessi, Brian, Andy, and Joe are getting ready to start their Rescue Diver course. When the divers had returned from Angel Fish Reef we congregated in between the boats for a soda float and social hour. Sugar and caffeine starved teenagers waited eagerly for their Ting, Sprite, and Coke. Later, other divers participated in a night dive at the Indians where they saw a four foot long turtle and a three to four foot long octopus.  All of the other students had a relaxing night on the boats and did some star gazing.  When the divers returned, Captain Challenge came around to present challenge day to the students for the following day. Challenge day will prove the ultimate test of their abilities to sail and navigate their boats without the help of the staff.
Check out the awsome photos!!!!
			]]>
			
		  </description>
		  <pubDate>Sun, 16 Aug 2009 00:00:00 EST</pubDate>
		  <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.sailcaribbean.com/community/tripupdates/2009/1101/218/263631/bravo-3/trellis-bay-to-the-pirates-bight-on-norman-island/</guid>
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	    <item>
	      <title>Beach Day at the Bitter End Yacht Club then off to Trellis Bay</title>
	      <link>http://www.sailcaribbean.com/community/tripupdates/2009/1201/225/263637/charlie-3-adv-scuba/beach-day-at-the-bitter-end-yacht-club-then-off-to-trellis-bay/</link>
	      <description>
		  	<![CDATA[
			August 15th, 2009
Students made chocolate chip pancakes this morning. At 9, they hit the beach at the Bitter End Yacht Club, choosing between small boat sailing, windsurfing, banana boating, water skiing, snorkeling, kayaking, or just hanging out at the resort. A few of our students raced hobie cats around and helped set up cool photographs for our brochure. Tom on Venture tried wakeboarding for the first time with his friend Joe and thoroughly enjoyed himself. Students ordered lunch for themselves around noon and hung out on the beach for a few more hours before our two o clock departure. Once off docks, Gigi raised their sails in the North Sound, with captain Charlie behind the helm. Venture of Tortola and Badger B raised their sails once our of the sound and all three boats learned about downwind sailing, jibing, and using the preventer for sailing. Badger B&rsquo;s captain was Claire; they successfully moored on their first try. On Venture, Phil taught a points of sail lesson as well as studied for his mate exam for an hour or so underway. They too successfully moored on their first try, but managed to do it silently, using hand gestures. Once all boats were at trellis, students prepared for the chili cookoff, a competition during which judges from Chile come and judge each boat&rsquo;s chili based on taste, presentation, and theme. Badger B presented their Chili backwards, cooking in reverse, which was a bit confusing to the judges. Gigi had Willie Wonka&rsquo;s Chili factory, and Venture had an under the sea theme. Afterwards, everyone headed to shore for a concert put on by friends of the Sail Caribbean divers, a band called a Type of Toad. Students danced and hung out until ten and then headed back to boats and passed out!
			]]>
			
		  </description>
		  <pubDate>Sat, 15 Aug 2009 08:51:00 EST</pubDate>
		  <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.sailcaribbean.com/community/tripupdates/2009/1201/225/263637/charlie-3-adv-scuba/beach-day-at-the-bitter-end-yacht-club-then-off-to-trellis-bay/</guid>
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	    <item>
	      <title>Beach Day at the Bitter End Yacht Club then off to Trellis Bay</title>
	      <link>http://www.sailcaribbean.com/community/tripupdates/2009/1101/218/263634/bravo-3/beach-day-at-the-bitter-end-yacht-club-then-off-to-trellis-bay/</link>
	      <description>
		  	<![CDATA[
			August 15th, 2009
Students made chocolate chip pancakes this morning.  At 9, they hit the beach at the Bitter End Yacht Club, choosing between small boat sailing, windsurfing, banana boating, water skiing, snorkeling, kayaking, or just hanging out at the resort.  A few of our students raced hobie cats around and helped set up cool photographs for our brochure.  Tom on Venture tried wakeboarding for the first time with his friend Joe and thoroughly enjoyed himself.   Students ordered lunch for themselves around noon and hung out on the beach for a few more hours before our two o clock departure.  Once off docks, Gigi raised their sails in the North Sound, with captain Charlie behind the helm.  Venture of Tortola and Badger B raised their sails once our of the sound and all three boats learned about downwind sailing, jibing, and using the preventer for sailing.  Badger B&rsquo;s captain was Claire; they successfully moored on their first try.  On Venture, Phil taught a points of sail lesson as well as studied for his mate exam for an hour or so underway.  They too successfully moored on their first try, but managed to do it silently, using hand gestures.  Once all boats were at trellis, students prepared for the chili cookoff, a competition during which judges from Chile come and judge each boat&rsquo;s chili based on taste, presentation, and theme.  Badger B presented their Chili backwards, cooking in reverse, which was a bit confusing to the judges.  Gigi had Willie Wonka&rsquo;s Chili factory, and Venture had an under the sea theme.  Afterwards, everyone headed to shore for a concert put on by friends of the Sail Caribbean divers, a band called a Type of Toad.  Students danced and hung out until ten and then headed back to boats and passed out!
			]]>
			
		  </description>
		  <pubDate>Sat, 15 Aug 2009 08:47:00 EST</pubDate>
		  <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.sailcaribbean.com/community/tripupdates/2009/1101/218/263634/bravo-3/beach-day-at-the-bitter-end-yacht-club-then-off-to-trellis-bay/</guid>
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	    <item>
	      <title>The Bath's and the Return to Wickham's Cay: Photos!!!</title>
	      <link>http://www.sailcaribbean.com/community/tripupdates/2009/1501/236/263610/foxtrot-3/the-baths-and-the-return-to-wickhams-cay:-photos/</link>
	      <description>
		  	<![CDATA[
			August 15th, 2009
As students slept, the staff motored out of Savanna, making breakfast underway, to the Baths.  Once we where moored, we aroused the rest of the crew, and enjoyed food as we all wondered how we ended up in a different place then where we went to sleep. Funny. The Baths is the most visited place in the BVI. A beautiful cavern system created by giant granite boulders and the waves and wind, these rocks are elegantly carved. The planned activities at the baths were a Horkel, a combination of hiking and snorkeling. We worked our way through the cave system and along the ladders and through the baths, anticipating the snorkel to come.  The snorkel is a one-way trip around the point back to where the hike started.  The snorkel is special because of the topography. It is the same as that that the hike took us through, but underwater. Being a large marine protected area; the reef there is one of the healthiest reefs in the Sir Frances Drake Channel.  After watching to coral and assessing its health, the students dropped off their community service and snorkel gear and swam to the epic Jump Rock.  A staff member awaited their arrival and encouraged students as they scrambled up and jumped off of a 15-foot high rock into the crystal water below.   Once everyone had a full morning of snorkeling and jumping, it was back to boats for some cleaning and packing before heading back to docks.  With clean boats and bags packed, the fleet headed back to Wickhams, the home dock for Sail Caribbean.  The fleet dined on pizza and sodas and then headed to the chart briefing room for some skits and awards.  Everyone headed back to the boats for their final boat meeting and to write plane letters to everyone.  It&rsquo;s a late night for the Foxies and one that the students will never forget.
			]]>
			
		  </description>
		  <pubDate>Sat, 15 Aug 2009 00:00:00 EST</pubDate>
		  <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.sailcaribbean.com/community/tripupdates/2009/1501/236/263610/foxtrot-3/the-baths-and-the-return-to-wickhams-cay:-photos/</guid>
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	    <item>
	      <title>Annegada to Savannah Bay via the Dog Islands</title>
	      <link>http://www.sailcaribbean.com/community/tripupdates/2009/1501/236/263607/foxtrot-3/annegada-to-savannah-bay-via-the-dog-islands/</link>
	      <description>
		  	<![CDATA[
			August 14th, 2009
After a restful sleep in to 8:00, we ate breakfast, and prepared for the long sail back to the main islands. Our first destination was the Chimneys at the Dog Islands. This is a special location because of the unique topography that defines the area, and gives it its name. The sail was a bit slower today, as the wind had settled from the 25 knots it was the day before, to somewhere between 6 and 10 knots. As we approached the Mooring field, we were buzzed by the Divers, it was good to see our friends again.  Once we arrived, we prepped for a snorkel, with the community in mind, we set forth to watch the fish, and take data on populations, distribution, and abundance.  Then we realized that there were only two mooring balls, and another charter took one, so Seazen jumped on a ball over on George Dog.
The snorkel went well, it is such a beautiful location, and the conditions were so benign that the snorkel was very relaxing and enjoyable.  Once the snorkel was done, and we had entered the Data, we prepped for the race from the Dogs to Savanna.  As the countdown neared, the sound of hurried feet, hastened voices, and anxious thoughts were perforating the ambiance of hast that was the boat. As the countdown began, Seazen was on top of their game, but Aliara was caught blind-sided, as they were still setting sail when Zen blasted across the line. Though it seemed definitive at the beginning, there was confusion as to what the ending point of the race was, the race committee will have to decide on who the winner was.
Every program has an Olympiad. A series of games that test the endurance, integrity, teamwork and tenacity of each boat, these games push the limits of the team members. The dizzy fender, Sand Art, Tug-o-War and synchronized swimming are the sports, and the sporters are the illustrious, resourceful members of Foxtrot &rsquo;09.    The evening was spent making dinner, and enjoying the last night that we had to enjoy on the water, as the sun set over the Seal Islands, we enjoyed each others presence, and took in what we had come to know as home, the Caribbean.
			]]>
			
		  </description>
		  <pubDate>Fri, 14 Aug 2009 09:03:00 EST</pubDate>
		  <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.sailcaribbean.com/community/tripupdates/2009/1501/236/263607/foxtrot-3/annegada-to-savannah-bay-via-the-dog-islands/</guid>
	    </item>
	    
	    <item>
	      <title>Mountain Point to The Bitter End Yacht Club</title>
	      <link>http://www.sailcaribbean.com/community/tripupdates/2009/1201/225/263601/charlie-3-adv-scuba/mountain-point-to-the-bitter-end-yacht-club/</link>
	      <description>
		  	<![CDATA[
			August 14th, 2009
Students had cereal this morning before the divers headed out for an early morning dive. Students on the morning dive, which included the open water, advanced open water, rescue divers, and master scuba divers in training.&nbsp;  Divers went to The Visibles, where they battled a strong current to get up to a beautiful site latent with hundreds of different soft corals and large underwater rock formations.&nbsp; The open water divers worked on a number of underwater skills as part of their third check-out dive.&nbsp; Advanced open water students took their try a underwater photography as part of one of their three electives. And finally the rescue divers worked on advanced boyancy while the MSDs had a fun dive.
During the dive, other students headed to shore for a hike at Mountain Point.  They bush-whacked their way up to the top. Some students continued to the top while the others headed back to shore to cool off in the water.  At 11:30, we headed back to boats to prepare mahi mahi sandwiches before the divers returned at 1:15.  We departed immediately, eating lunch underway.  Students sailed upwind into the north sound and to the Bitter End Yacht Club. Gigi sailed into the North Sound, practicing quick tacks before docking.  Badger B and Venture followed shortly thereafter.  All students worked on cleaning up their boats before their first inspection by our program director, Pat.&nbsp; The boats looked marvelous and sparkling clean.  Students then called home and had time to shower before preparing Shephard's Pie for dinner.  They will have a boat meeting with their mate before heading up to the bar to have virgin pina coladas and an opportunity mingle with students from the other boat.  Tomorrow they will explore the many splendors the club has to offer. All students and staff feel lucky to have made it here as in just a few days, the bitter end will close for the season.
			]]>
			
		  </description>
		  <pubDate>Fri, 14 Aug 2009 00:00:00 EST</pubDate>
		  <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.sailcaribbean.com/community/tripupdates/2009/1201/225/263601/charlie-3-adv-scuba/mountain-point-to-the-bitter-end-yacht-club/</guid>
	    </item>
	    
	    <item>
	      <title>Mountain Point to The Bitter End Yacht Club</title>
	      <link>http://www.sailcaribbean.com/community/tripupdates/2009/1101/218/263598/bravo-3/mountain-point-to-the-bitter-end-yacht-club/</link>
	      <description>
		  	<![CDATA[
			August 14th, 2009
Students had cereal this morning before the divers headed out for an early morning dive. Students on the morning dive, which included the open water, advanced open water, rescue divers, and master scuba divers in training.&nbsp;  Divers went to The Visibles, where they battled a strong current to get up to a beautiful site latent with hundreds of different soft corals and large underwater rock formations.&nbsp; The open water divers worked on a number of underwater skills as part of their third check-out dive.&nbsp; Advanced open water students took their try a underwater photography as part of one of their three electives. And finally the rescue divers worked on advanced boyancy while the MSDs had a fun dive.
During the dive, other students headed to shore for a hike at Mountain Point.  They bush-whacked their way up to the top. Some students continued to the top while the others headed back to shore to cool off in the water.  At 11:30, we headed back to boats to prepare mahi mahi sandwiches before the divers returned at 1:15.  We departed immediately, eating lunch underway.  Students sailed upwind into the north sound and to the Bitter End Yacht Club. Gigi sailed into the North Sound, practicing quick tacks before docking.  Badger B and Venture followed shortly thereafter.  All students worked on cleaning up their boats before their first inspection by our program director, Pat.&nbsp; The boats looked marvelous and sparkling clean.  Students then called home and had time to shower before preparing Shephard's Pie for dinner.  They will have a boat meeting with their mate before heading up to the bar to have virgin pina coladas and an opportunity mingle with students from the other boat.  Tomorrow they will explore the many splendors the club has to offer. All students and staff feel lucky to have made it here as in just a few days, the bitter end will close for the season.
			]]>
			
		  </description>
		  <pubDate>Fri, 14 Aug 2009 00:00:00 EST</pubDate>
		  <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.sailcaribbean.com/community/tripupdates/2009/1101/218/263598/bravo-3/mountain-point-to-the-bitter-end-yacht-club/</guid>
	    </item>
	    
	    <item>
	      <title>The Bitter End Yacht Club to Anegada!</title>
	      <link>http://www.sailcaribbean.com/community/tripupdates/2009/1501/236/263604/foxtrot-3/the-bitter-end-yacht-club-to-anegada/</link>
	      <description>
		  	<![CDATA[
			August 13th, 2009
Of all the places that one can sail to in the British Virgins, Anagada is by far the most unique, interesting place there is, so we set out for this 28&rsquo; tall island 12 nautical miles to the North.  We awoke at 7:30, and prepped to get off docks, and start heading out of Gorda Sound. Once out of the sound, we raised our sails, leaving a reef in the Main, due to heavy winds, and set sail for our this un-seen land to our north. Being our longest sail, we enjoyed the vastness of the ocean as we hit a record of 11.1 knots with an 8.4 average. As the island came into sight, we anticipated the reef that surrounds the island with spotters, looking for sharks and rays that like to play in the waters outside the reef.  Anagada is an island that is very flat. It is made from a coral reef that has been pushed out of the water, and so the surrounding waters for about two nautical miles around the island are hardly more then twenty feet deep. This makes it vary important to heed the commands of channel markers as we make the approach into the island. After mooring, and devouring a devilishly well-prepared meal, we headed ashore for the day.  We took all the things we needed, and went for a truck tour. On the tour we visited the flamingo ponds, and got a treat of the birds being vary close to the shore where we stopped for a picture opportunity. We also went to the endemic iguana farm, where they are doing a re-vitalization of the lizard population that was threatened on the island.  Once we got the Loblolly Bay, we had about an hour of unstructured time to swim, shop, get ice-cream which happened with blossoming vitality, or to just hang out in one of the hammocks they had set out.  At four thirty, we gathered the flock, and headed out for the snorkel. The snorkeling at Anagada is some of the best of the world, being the third largest reef in the world, it fosters some of the best species, and diversity found in the BVI. It turned out to be a little rough, but community was served, and beautiful things were seen. Upon our return, we had a little down time before dinner was ready.  Once dinner did make it out, conversation was hushed by the ambient chewing of food.  The rest of the evening was consistent with a fun Boat Meeting, a moon rise, Mary spinning fire as we said good bye to the long white-sand beaches that ring the island, settling back into the boats and seeking the slumber that bodies yearned for in the past few long days.
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		  <pubDate>Thu, 13 Aug 2009 09:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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