Written by Jack O., Marine Bio Mate
Despite being woken up by an early morning rainstorm that sent everyone on the flybridge scrambling downstairs, the Alpha 3 crew was in high spirits as they enjoyed breakfast of cereal and bagels. Day 2 is all about preparation, and thanks to everyone’s hard work, we were able to get everything ready for the adventure ahead. We started by visiting the dive shop to get fitted with dive gear and pick up any missing masks and snorkels.
Next, we learned the basics of living and traveling safely on a boat, including our pre-departure checks and how to move around while underway. The energetic boom took a few lessons to master, but before long everyone was moving around the boat like seasoned crew. We then headed to the Pavilion for the famous Mike Talk, where Arter inspired the campers while explaining how we can all make the most of the trip. After a delicious grilled cheese lunch prepared by Jake and James, we finished our final preparations and were ready to set sail.
Life jackets on, we departed The Moorings with James as skipper and headed into open water for our first sailing lesson. Everyone played an important role in raising the sails, with Alexis and Liv hoisting the mainsail while Max, Wes, and Matthias raised the jib. We also practiced tacking as we sailed to Great Harbor on Norman Island.
Once we arrived, it was finally time for the campers’ first swim in the Caribbean! Before free swim, everyone completed their swim test, and Miss Manhattan’s entire crew passed with flying colors. That meant it was time to bring out the lily pad and mermaid floaty.
After plenty of fun in the water, everyone took their ocean showers. Captain Annabel put on quite the demonstration, getting covered in oat milk, mustard, and refried beans to show everyone how to properly clean off in the ocean. Thankfully, the campers only needed soap and Hibiclens! Around this time, Dylan arrived to complete our crew and made a fantastic first impression.
For dinner, Dylan and Jake prepared the classic “taco in a bag,” which was a huge hit. With full stomachs, everyone completed their first official boat clean, working together to get the boat spotless in no time. We wrapped up the evening with a boat meeting, talked about the day ahead, played a game of Posey, and then settled into our beds for a well-earned night’s sleep.
