Island Times Blog

Alex came to SeaTrek BVI from Florida already with a wealth of boating knowledge. He grew up learning to sail and race his family’s 41 ft Morgan. Though he came to SeaTrek with this experience, he still found many ways to learn something new. We thank Alex for sharing all that he has learned during his time with SeaTrek. #SeaTrekBVI #SummerCampAtSea 

 

You’ve just been thrown onto a boat with 12 other people, you don’t have a lot of room, and you’re feeling like you aren’t going to learn in this small space. I’m here to tell you that you’ve thought wrong! This small space is actually the perfect learning environment! I’ve been with SeaTrek for a few years, and I believe that you always come away with new skills no matter how many times you go.

 

 

My first year at SeaTrek I was a little unsure about what to expect from the camp. Coming from Florida, I already knew how to sail after growing up on a boat at home and learning how to race. I was very mistaken to think that I wouldn’t learn anything new about sailing. I was taught how to set up the jib and main sail in order  to sail straight downwind (wing-on-wing) something I’d never done before. This allowed for me to come back home and be more helpful when this situation occurred.

 

 

 

Sailing isn’t the only area that I learned new things in. Being put onto a boat with 12 people really makes you think about how much space you take up with regards to other people. This causes you to learn how to manage your space and to keep your area clean for everyone that you’re sharing it with. Now, taking that back home for me made me realize that I really didn’t need as much space as I thought I did. This freed up space for other things, like food and water. Though SeaTrek main selling points are the diving, sailing, and marine biology, you walk away with meaningful life lessons and experiences.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I also learned valuable people skills. At SeaTrek, I was taught how to coexist with 12 other students my age. We were never forced to like each other or become friends, but it came naturally after having to work as a team. Every voyage I watched the students become fast friends and soon realized that it takes the whole group to get things done. At Seatrek, everyone needs to contribute to make the program run smoothly. Being able to see what everyone did well, and what they didn’t do well, really help us to find our niche. However, we always tried to step out of our comfort zones to learn new skills as much as possible. For me that was cooking. I’d never been a big fan of it, so I avoided it. However, I soon learned that I was a decent cook. This meant that back home I could help more than just being a deckhand. I was able to contribute to the whole group when we would go on boat trips.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SeaTrek BVI has taught me new skills with every time I return. Of all these skills, learning to deal with others is the most valuable for me. Don’t let the thought of having a small area cause you to think you won’t learn anything. Believe me when I say that you will get more out of this program than you’ll even imagine!