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| As I loaded my huge backpack in the car this morning, I missed the lightweight loads and quick hikes to the fort on Brimstone Hill, the crater on the Quill and up the gorgeous tropical path on Mt. Scenery. Then, there are the quality “aha” moments when participants grasp a new concept you’ve been teaching and the silly times spent joking around with the group. I miss the naps on deck, joy of ice cream in town, the moment when the motor is silenced and the sails take over, staff bonding, and the remarkable world under the sea. The Broadreach experience for staff really begins in Raleigh, North Carolina, a couple of weeks before we meet the participants or head to exotic places. Still, this is what gets me in Broadreach mode each year, ready to have a successful trip. During one of the most comprehensive staff trainings I have ever experienced, there is time to ask questions, learn different approaches to working with groups, and meet other interesting staff members. I love chatting during lunch (Score!! It’s Baja Burritos!) and finding out that the people I’m working with have spent their “real life” sailing through the Caribbean, rafting down western rivers, diving in the Red Sea, teaching academics and working on huge ships. It’s so inspiring to discover how much opportunity exists beyond the summer adventure we are about to begin. After hauling through the airport and squeezing into an island taxi on St. Martin, we arrived at Oyster Pond, settled into our accommodations and began to set up “the base”. Tents go up, furniture is moved and an entire communications center is established. A food and gear distribution area is created and the galley is filled to support the 30+ staff that will take part in the UWD/UDA programs. Each day, for a week, the friends we made in Raleigh at staff training arrive to join the hot workday. Finally, the moment you’ve been waiting for arrives. The directors make boat and co-lead assignments! There are a few days to prepare for orientation before the kids arrive. I was pumped up to be grouped with an excited skipper with an additional dive instructor as a bonus! The boat was prepared except for a few last minute details, so I grabbed my bag and raced to base for a quick shower. I had already met a couple of early arrivals but wanted to demonstrate that I could clean up to a more presentable state. Apparently, I wasn’t the only one with a shower in mind. As I hurried back to the boat, Colombo, the sky opened up and the rain came down. Nick and I were waiting for the students with great anticipation and were excited when they arrived. About ½ of our students plus a few from another boat came aboard and had dinner (which they cooked with a little direction), including pesto pasta. This was a good sign for future meal preparation. After a speedy clean up and checking in a few more students, we all headed to bed. The night gave us an immediate lesson on heading to the cockpit for shelter. The next day really was the first day of program, and things got started. We woke up early and headed to the bluff for a good view of St. Martin toward St. Barts, our next destination. The orientation (expectations, safety, etc.) went well as students seemed to “buy in”. A quick stop by the storeroom to pick up SCUBA gear was our final land activity before setting sail. The charter company had someone drive us out of the harbor. He jumped off the side of our boat onto a tiny speedboat just like they do in the movies and we were all off to St. Barts. During this sail, riding on the trampoline and getting soaked or seasick (depending on the student’s luck) was the first taste of life on a yacht for the trip. The next few days were spent in Columbier, a protected area where we did dive training. Teaching SCUBA in a confined ocean site was a slight challenge, since I was trained in the pool, and I was very happy to see the support boat arrive with some Divemasters. Coordinating dive classes, exchanging gear, and sharing ideas were just a few things that were simplified as the other Broadreach boats joined us in the core. There was even a bit of time for some staff water-skiing. Other highlights of Columbier include getting a glimpse of turtles on the surface during a dive lecture, providing a “teachable moment”. When confined water classes were completed, we sailed to Ile Fourche and anchored near a few other Broadreach boats that we had not yet seen. We took students on Open Water Dive #1. What a great treat. Finally, the students were able to see why they have been learning to dive. I was reminded of the reason I’d been spending so much energy teaching the class. We saw a sea turtle, great fish, and lovely coral formations. Plus, the students were comfortable underwater! Audrey and I had a chance for a quality debrief about students and teaching ideas. After a dive, we headed the next morning to Gustavia where we were able to go into town, eat some tasty French cuisine, and offer many thanks to the tiny restaurants for accommodating us. After lunch we did a bit of shopping, made phone calls and headed back to the boat for a late but fun dinner. It was my birthday and the students helped make it a festive celebration! The next morning was a bit hectic because the boat needed repair. Carlton and Valerie were quick to bring the dinghy to us. While they fixed the boat, we loaded all the students on the dinks and did a dive. Our dinghy loading was not at its best and got a few tips in efficiency for the future. We anchored in Columbier, a now familiar harbor, and were able to do some skiing and tubing. Although there was a bit of interpersonal “storming” going on with the students, humor was added when one asked, “If you live on a boat, where does Santa come in?” Life gives us much to contemplate… The long sail (we did beat the projected time) to Nevis provided quality naptime, as well as a chance to really chat one-to-one with students and co-leads. In Nevis we continued dive training, and went to the beach for a little hair braiding. Our visit to town was a fun adventure in local culture and ice cream! As dive training came to a close, the students spent more time on sailing, which meant a bit more open time for me – giving me a chance to gather some sailing knowledge, pull students on the tube as they tried to hang on over the bumpy wake, learn to wakeboard and relax at night with a “bath” off the back of the boat in the bioluminescence. It’s excellent to float looking at all the stars in the sky and then watch all of the sparks of light in the water around you. The dinner at the Beachcomber restaurant was a good way to spend an evening – meeting other boats, comparing notes with the rest of the staff, getting dressed up and, of course, limbo! When all of the participants were standing around not mentally prepared to dance, the improvised limbo stick got their competitive vibes fired up. The group’s much improved skills where demonstrated on the way to St. Kitts and they showed how effective the sailing practical had been. While reprovisioning at the dock in Basseterre, Broadreachers enjoyed a fresh water rinse. I thought a wreck dive on the River Taw was the day’s highlight, but it was surpassed by the student comments at the “town meeting” where we regrouped for the second ½ of the trip. We barely had to facilitate discussion because these “kids” were so mature about addressing issues. I felt like a proud parent! A sail to Sandy Point placed us in a perfect position to dinghy to the beach, chat with local school kids, and hike to Brimstone Hill. This was one of my favorite days! The hike was short and sweet, but allowed us to see monkeys and get to the fort with its spectacular views and endless opportunities to play as soldiers. Oh yeah, there was also ice cream. Is there a trend going on here? During the rest of the time in Sandy Point Town, anchorage was spent doing Advanced Open Water dive training (“Nick’s knowledge”). The support boat came over, which gave the kids a chance to update the “What’s Up” web page themselves, and to prepare for boat inspection. We cleaned, yet received bad marks on the inspections. Morale was down, so after cleaning again, we opted to make our next dive a pleasure dive instead of a training exercise. Moonshadow was a lovely site! The next island we visited was Statia, which was even more fun than St. Kitts! We hiked the Quill with the group from Borealis, our sister boat. This tropical hike was a good way to see the island and offered us intimate contact with some of the island’s most remarkable inhabitants, the hermit crabs who travel up and down the mountain twice a year to get new shells and breed! Of course there was ice cream and postcards, a bit of diving and dinner cooked on the dock by the local dive shop. Still, one of the best activities we did was a beach clean up organized by the marine park. We were able to learn some natural history about the island and feel like we had done something beneficial to others. The sail to Saba gives you an impressive view of the island, which is a big mountaintop, covered in a lush forest. Before heading to land, we spent the first day in the water. Audrey and I snorkeled to Torrens Point. I was tired, and not really pumped about doing it, but I wanted to see the site before our night dive. But getting in the water without SCUBA gear made me so free, plus we saw a turtle! Then we had the night dive, which went very well. Not a single student panicked. Again, I was super proud of them. The next day we headed for land where the taxi driver gave us a bit of history as he drove us up the steep winding “Road that couldn’t be built”. After a quick glance into the stores, we headed up the long staircase to the top of Mt. Scenery. There were few critters, but the vegetation was incredibly lush as we walked into the clouds and chilled on top with the folks from Borealis. A few kids powered down the mountain and I joined them after a good bonding hike/chat on the way down. Once everyone completed the hike, we went to a restaurant for cold sodas. All of the houses on Saba seem to match, but the hurricane had done some damage so we were sitting in a regularly decorated building without a roof offering a unique atmosphere. Dinner at a different restaurant was great because the students initiated Broadreach dinner rituals without any staff guidance. Before leaving Saba, we had a day of diving at fun sites like Man of War Shoals and Hot Springs. Rain showers prompted a massive clatter up on deck, providing a nice rhythm for a rain shower frenzy-so fun! I laughed with the students about comedy shows as I attempted to make bread, which is not my forte! After a late night, I needed a swim to wake up in the morning. Today was declared non-matching bathing suit day where tops and bottoms could not match. A long cruise to Ile Fourche offered a chance to relax with co-leads as the trip came to a close. We took the group on one last pleasure dive. I gave the participants underwater cameras and was pleased with their ability to enjoy aquatic life, take photos and dive safely. That night Nick, Audrey and I worked late trying to complete the student feedback forms. We snacked on bizarre concoctions to stay awake until the sand man put us to sleep. The final real day of Broadreach began bright and early with a hike to the top of a cliff on Ile Fourche where we saw some of the local residents (only goats live on this island). After a nice closing ceremony, we all kissed a rock and hurled it into the ocean. Back at the boat, we cleaned a bit, scrubbed the dinghy and sailed back to Oyster Pond relaxing to some Lenny Kravitz. Now was time to work on packing, cleaning, meeting with Carlton, paperwork, etc. Still, dinner at the Dinghy Dock restaurant was a nice break, and the annual Broadreach slide show was inspirational. I was leaving the island early so I pulled an all-nighter completing last minute details. In the a.m., we said goodbye to the first waves of departing students. I had a final meeting with Carlton and headed to the airport with the students on my flight. We hung out munching on candy (a perk to working with kids) and flew to Miami where I “delivered” them to their gates and sent them home. Then, I slept preparing for my next journey and looking forward to working with Broadreach next year! - UWD12, Lauren Marchman |
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