Tango 2 Day 8: Setting The Proper Course For Our Challenge Day Sail

written by Mate-In-Training, Andrew Dyer
July 16, 2017

Today was Challenge Day, but not just Challenge day — also Olympics! After breakfast and clean, we promptly dropped the ball and began our quick motor over to Sandy Cay where the Olympics would take place. While under way, we took a pillow case and through our combined efforts turned it into our proud flag. In less then a half hour, we were on the ball at Sandy Cay, a beautiful little island which once hosted Captain Jack Sparrow and a bottle of rum.

Gathering what we needed, we swam or dinghied ashore. The first activity was a relay race, which our Tango crew won by a full 30 seconds! Next it was “burry your mate,” which we did with gusto, creating the spitting image of a magical penguin who eats plastic to save the oceans as our themed artwork. Third, we competed in tug-of-war, and did quite well against the older boats. And then, lastly but not least, we performed a synchronized swimming routine which we were given ten minutes to come up with. Olympics over, we headed back to boats for lunch before our big sail.

Lunch finished, we dropped the ball and headed out into the channel. With captain and mate as simply observers, the kids took the boat into their own hands, raising the sails, finding their destination, setting the proper course, and making sure all was in order from how the boat was running to their schedule.

After a sail of about 4 hours, we arrived safely and soundly at our mooring for the night, White Bay on Guana Island. With not much daylight left, we immediately jumped in the waters and started showers and dinner prep. We cooked ground beef, chopped onions and garlic, laid out sour cream and salsa, and the vessel it all goes in, the taco shells. We sat down for a delicious meal, prepared a little later then usual but that did not dampen the pride that the crew had for doing everything themselves for Challenge Day.

Dinner over and all the boat chores attended to, Challenge Day was over and we all settled down for boat meeting. Boat meeting is the last few moments of the day in which we collectively reflect on the highs and the lows, and as we sat their in reflection, we found that with every low there were at least a dozen highs. So we pattered off to bed, proud of a job well done and a day well-navigated.