Written by Margo, a Mate on Jackalope
After a squall-filled first voyage from Hodges to Marina Cay, the students were eager to embark on their first sunny sail to Cooper Island Beach Club! They filled up on a delicious breakfast of yogurt parfaits, bagels, and fruit before doing their first de-mooring. We reviewed winch safety, sail raising and lowering, and points of sail while underway before giving students a much needed break for siesta.
Students all tried out new positions for their next mooring ball pickup at Cooper and got on the ball by working together with the leadership and communication skills we reviewed prior to sailing. Once all the boats were at CIBC, we refueled with some pasta salad before splitting up for various activities for students to explore.
Some students went for Colgate rotations on our 26ft small boat sailing and took turns skippering with the tiller, working the jib sheets, working the main sheet, and learning how to read tell tales.
Other students started their first dive rotations, with certified divers seeing a rainbow of fish, sea turtles, and nurse sharks. New divers hunkered down for an in-depth overview of everything they’d need to know to stay safe and have fun breathing underwater!
Lastly, the third group of students enjoyed our first taste of watersports on Alpha 1s with tubing on Thriller. Between rotations of sailing, scuba, and tubing, students grabbed apples, goldfish, and chips for a tasty break while hydrating up and reapplying sunscreen.
Students then showered off the long busy day with some refreshing ocean showers and freshwater rinses before cheffing up a Taco Tuesday dinner. Over dinner, students did a round of rose bud thorn to debrief the day and then transitioned to fun and games with Mafia and Posse. We discussed important announcements for the next day at Boat Meeting over cookies before settling in and powering down under a clear night full of stars!
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