Troop 226 set sail this summer on a Sea Base sailing adventure in the Virgin Islands. The 12-person crew met the boat captain at Sapphire Marina, St. Thomas Island, where they proceeded to get familiar with their assigned boat, a sleek 54-foot sloop, “Blue Dream.” The scouts learned basic sailing skills and helped operate the boat during the duration of the adventure. Each crew member got an opportunity to man different stations.
Steering the boat
This varied from steering the boat at the helm, operating the halyards to bring in or let out the headsail and mainsail, operating the winches to pull in or let out the lines, dropping and pulling up the anchor, tying down the lines, night watch – anchor watch, etc. The conditions for sailing were ideal, with winds steady for most of the trek at about 20 m.p.h. The crew also learned the basics of jibing and tacking. The skills were put to the test when they hit a squall on day two. The skies darkened and the sea started to get very choppy with strong winds. After getting instructions from the captain, the crew sprang into action, taking down the headsail and adjusting the mainsail. The order came to batten down the hatches and secure all gear on top deck.
Weather
The winds got very strong and the water started to come over the sides of the boat. Then the skies opened up and it started to rain hard. The crew huddled together in the upper stern deck, cold and very wet, but eventually the squall passed through and the rain subsided. Some other minor squalls popped up while the crew was sleeping on the upper decks on a couple of nights, so getting wet became the norm.
Snorkeling
There were many opportunities to snorkel in the beautiful turquoise waters of St. Thomas, St. John and the many other smaller barrier islands. The water was very clear, teaming with underwater gardens made up of coral reefs, sponges, sea fans, and many schools of colorful tropical fish. The highlights included swimming out to a shipwreck and several encounters with green sea turtles feeding on jellyfish or eel grass, barracuda and bat rays. The crew also got to swim to several beaches. There were memorable hikes In Virgin Islands National Park to Cruz Bay and the Annaberg Sugar Plantation ruins. All agreed that this was an amazing, unforgettable, FUN adventure.
