Our Big Trips

Two crews of 12 sailors each made their way around St John and a portion of St. Thomas stopping at various cays for hiking and snorkeling. We even hiked into the US Virgin Islands National Park. Along the way we learned how to operate a 50 foot sailboat. The 19 scouts and 5 adults arrived together but set off on 2 different sail boats each with their unique experiences. We were not just passengers on these boat, we were all active crew members helping with cooking, cleaning, navigation, and boat duties. We had an amazing week of mild weather and calm seas.

Nine scouts and two adults headed into the interior wilderness Maine for a multi-day canoeing adventure. Crossing lakes in strong headwinds and navigating rapids were just some of the obstacles that we overcame to canoe over 50 miles. Along the way we caught, cleaned and ate fish and foraged for mushrooms to supplement the food supplies we had to carry. All our gear (clothes, food, tents, first aid, and much more) all had to fit within our canoes. Out in the wilderness you are on your own with only what you brought with you. However, the experiences and memories we brought back with us will be cherished forever.

Our crew of six scouts and two adults flew from Boston to St. Thomas, USVI on Thursday morning.  We arrived two days early so we would have time to settle in and relax before starting our Seabase adventure.  What better place to do that than the Ritz-Carleton?  We spent two days at the resort having fun.  We snorkeled off the beach, we sailed their Hobie Cats, we went to the pools.  It was a great start to the trip!

On Saturday, our driver took us to the marina where we met our captain and boarded our home for the week -- the catamaran Ventanas.  For the next week, we spent each night in a different anchorage.  We sailed to several spots on St. John, Great Saint James Island, Buck Island, and several spots on St. Thomas.  Each day involved cooking, cleaning, and boat duties, sailing, snorkeling, swimming, and hiking.  We had some rough seas on the second day and had to spend one night back in the harbor because of a tropical storm moving through the area, but other than that the weather was perfect -- blue skies, steady winds, and temperatures in the upper 80s.  Our crew learned how to set and raise an anchor, how to raise and lower sails, how to tack, and how to steer the boat. 

This was an amazing experience for everybody involved!