Island Times Blog

We started our first full day of the voyage with Capt. Brandon giving us a boat briefing (continued…)

Then we left the dock and got underway, heading toward the Exuma Islands. We made good use of the seven-hour journey by getting to know one another and taking care of some program logistics. There was a fair bit of wind, which made the ride a little choppy, but the students fully embraced the experience and began getting familiar with their new home, a 65-foot sailing schooner called the Avalon. We also got to know our Avalon crew. In addition to Capt. Brandon, we have Mike our dive master and engineer, and our most valuable crew member, Jess the cook. We also raised the sails and spent some time sailing. After a long crossing, we got geared up and got in the water for a shallow refresher dive at a site called Two Bills. After the dive we continued south until we set anchor for the night. After an evening presentation on coastal ecology and lionfish, went to bed early so we could get an early start the next day.