Bravo 2, Charlie 2, Delta 2, Foxtrot 2 & Sierra 2, Days 4 and 5: Island Life on Peter and Norman

Written by James Cordery (Day 4) and Stefan Visser (Day 5)

Edited by Meredith Evridge

We started off our Thursday with scrambled eggs in preparation for a busy day ahead. As soon as breakfast had been enjoyed and cleared away, all boats dropped their mooring balls and made way for Little Harbor, Peter Island. Some of our students involved with ASA (American Sailing Association) qualifications were able to sail our Colgate 26 to Little Harbor!

During the sail, we all learned about downwind sailing, including how to tie a preventer, and jibing safely and efficiently. Our Sierra and Foxtrot fleet came into Little Harbor first to med anchor. This involved dropping the anchor as usual and then tying a line from the stern of the boat to something secure on land. This can be a tree or a large boulder. Fitting in all boats took more time than a routine anchor, and our staff boat made sure to coordinate with each crew of sailors as they secured their place in Little Harbor. After all the boats were med anchored, our Charlie and Bravo fleet finished circumnavigating Peter Island to get into Little Harbor at lunchtime. For lunch, we were able to enjoy the idyllic and crystal clear waters of Little Harbor while having chicken caesar wraps.

After lunch was cleared away, Chavo went for a hike up to the top of Peter Island where they also enjoyed some True Course games. These are lots of fun and can get quite silly! Meanwhile, our Foxtrot and Sierra fleet began turtling for the first time this program! After a slow start of only spotting a few turtles, we finally caught two turtles in the space of five minutes! As these turtles had never been tagged before, we enjoyed tagging and naming them. The final decisions for names were Rocky and Spunky.

After a dinner of spaghetti bolognese, we all gathered onto two catamarans and learned about the different night adaptations of nocturnal sea critters. We then jumped in the water to put our new knowledge to use during a night snorkel! Afterwards, we all returned to our respective home boats for a shower and power-down after what had been a truly action-packed day.

Day 6

We awoke in gently swaying hammocks at Little Harbor, Peter Island. Seven vessels med anchored side by side, we were so close to land that we could hear the birds chirping in the trees! After breakfast, Chavo headed out early while Soxtrot stayed behind to see if they could tag more turtles. Upanchoring was the first lesson of the day, followed by a downwind sail. We continued to practice winch safety, points of sail, and of course – vibing with the jibing.

With lunch underway, we concluded our sail by picking up a mooring ball. The Bight had no shortage of warming sunlight that we basked in as we went about our business. Our Open Water divers headed to the dive boat to continue sharpening their skills. Meanwhile, the rest of the fleet shuttled ashore and walked up to a heli-pad. It was a short but steep hike, and once we got to the top, we enjoyed the view and played some new games! Heading back down to the beach, we relaxed on shore with fruit shakes and chilled in the luscious Caribbean waters. A fun-filled day came to an end with an amazing sunset, dinner, some night diving, and last but not least, a lovely breeze that put us at ease.