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Alpha 2 & Tango 2, Day 7: Jost Van Dyke and Sydney's

By wpdev July 15, 2019
Written by Jacqueline Bonfiglio
Edited by Meredith Evridge

Today, we awoke to the sun shining and roosters cooing in Nanny Cay Marina. We asked the roosters to please pipe down, but they paid us no mind. After an 8:00 AM breakfast buffet with our crew, we made our way to the docks for a bonus hour of shop time. When you cook most meals on a boat, visiting a grocery store can be a very entertaining event. As the last of us trickled back onto the boat, we took off our shoes that we rarely wear these days, and put them in the laz for the next time we’d need them.

Predeparture checks ensued promptly. The sooner we got everything sorted, the sooner we’d see Sandy Cay. With a flawless dedocking executed by each skipper of the day, we took back to the blue waters. Before raising sail, we listened in on an informative points of sail and right of way lesson given by our captains. During our sail downwind toward our first destination, we practiced jibing which is when you bring the stern of the boat through the wind to the alternating direction.

Following a Greek pita lunch, we swam to shore for beach time and a hike on the picturesque island of Sandy Cay. Though we had seen impressive and memorable views, there was nothing like the turquoise blue water that greeted our eyes. From spike ball to lacrosse to wading in the water with friends, there were smiles to be seen all around. Finally, saturated with sand and sun and fun, we returned to the boat to make our way to the last stop of the day at Little Harbor Jost Van Dyke. It was only a short motor before we found ourselves in the mooring field. Picking up the ball and getting the “ok” from our skippers on how the boats were situated in the mooring field, we settled in. The work was done! We took boat showers and anticipated going to shore for dinner at Sydney’s.

This is our favorite restaurant to visit. It is quite an experience. Run by a few local families, the restaurant also features fun souvenirs that the campers were all over! As dinner was being laid out on the buffet table, students went ham on the tshirts, hats, jewelry and even such silliness as chickens that squawk when you give them a squeeze. Laden with their purchases, they went through the buffet line and loaded their plates with delicious barbeque. There was so much delectable food that was made to taste like home (for some of us!).

Concluding the day with bellies full of delicious island BBQ, we had boat meeting and talked about all the fun moments we shared together. What another incredible day in paradise!

Editor’s note: Thank you for your patience as we collect as many photos as we can of Alpha and Tango! As the Social Media Coordinator of multiple fleets, I am doing my best to be everywhere at once, and some days will have more photos than others! If you have any concerns, please reach out to our NY office and we will get you taken care of. Thank you!

The greatest challenge during the program was staying entertained during the quarantine period. Not being able to leave your boat and not having a phone, which was a crutch against boredom, it was difficult at first to stay entertained.