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2017 High Adventure:  Florida Sea Base US Virgin Islands

  

July 30 - August 7, 2017

 

Scouts just keep getting more adventurous.  We are here to meet that need for adventure.  Sea Base St. Thomas will allow Scouts to travel to the tropics and experience the allure of the Virgin Islands.  Here the tradewinds blow and the territories of St. Thomas and St. John offer some of the best sailing and snorkeling in the Caribbean. 

 

Upon arrival, pre-arranged BSA transportation will take your crew to the Sapphire Beach Resort and Marina, where you will load up and set sail aboard a 40-foot-plus yacht with an  experienced captain.  You will snorkel in crystal blue water and discover the wilderness that lies below  the surface. A special treat will be your visit to the Virgin Islands National Park, a  7,000-acre facility on the island of St. John, where your crew can explore, hike,  enjoy the beach, and fish.

 

We're assembling two crews of adventurers for a week of the pristine Carribean waters.  Save the date:  July 30 - August 7, 2017. 

 

Important Links:

Florida Seabase Participants Guide - see pages 57-59 for St. Thomas sailing program

 

Equipment List as listed by the Florida Sea Base - to be packed in 24 Inch duffle bag:
Nalgene style water bottle with carabineer

1 SPF +45 Long Sleeve Shirt, activity uniform recommended

1 sleeping cover. Sleeping bag insert for late spring early summer crew

1 SPF +45 Short Sleeve Shirt, Activity Uniform recommended

1 lightweight sleeping pad, 1 small pillow

Wide Brimmed Hat

2 towels (1) regular (1) microfiber, sham

Polarized Sunglasses with strap

Toiletry Kit

16 oz. +45 SPF biodegradable sunscreen, no sprays

Flashlight, headlamp recommended

2 pairs of shorts: (1) swim (1) boat, land

Camera, waterproof recommended

Light Pants, zip off trek pants

Light rain jackets for late spring and summer crews.

Copy of Insurance Card & Prescription Medication

3 pairs socks, Sea Base recommends 1 pair of neoprene socks

Unit First Aid Kit

1 pair of versatile water/land shoes

Spending Money ($125- $175)


 

 

Notes from Planning Meetings:

  • 3/16/17 - Here are the notes from the March Planning Meeting

    • Jonathan was unable to attend, so the meeting was directed by Rick Barber

    • Roundtrip Flight determined - $737 per person

      • Executive decision had to be made on flight since price jumped, this cut down the number of hotel days and tourist days

      • Denver>Philadelphia>St Thomas leaving on American Airlines flight AA1825 at 12:59AM On July 30th

        • Drivers to Airport will be determined later

      • Each Parent/Scout individually pays the $737, up until 30 days before the flight

      • Rick Will put "deposit" of $100 per ticket down this week with traveler's names and email out details

      • Arrive around Noon in St Thomas, Boat leaves next morning

      • Return to Denver (via Miami) on Monday August 7th

    • Discussed the need for IDs

      • Each scout needs govt issued photo ID, passport, State ID, Drivers license

      • It takes a while to get passport, so start early

    • Discussed gear

      • Max bag size for each scout is a 24inch duffel bag.

      • Available from Seabase (link) for $25.99 + shipping

    •  

  • 1/19/17 - Here are the notes from the January planning meeting.

    • Cory talked about the history of the area.

      • Discovery by the Spanish

      • Indeginous people

      • Natural resources

      • Trade

      • Pirates

    • Spiero talked about things to do on St. Thomas

      • Blackbeard's castle

      • Walking tours

      • Zip lines

      • Coral World

      • Jet skis and rum tasting however, these are not scout appropaiate

      • All were in agreement that a 2-3 day pretour is of interest

    • We will investigate how much more it would cost if we did a pre-tour.  This cost will include activities (Spiero), lodging (Rick B) and food.  An update will be provided at the February planning meeting.

    • Duffle bags - we decided to purchase bags from Seabase rather than a third party.  Rick B can embroider our names on them.

    • Topics for the February planning meeting include:

      • Updates on pre-tour pricing.

      • Tom - Fishing and plant life.

      • Darius - overall budget update.

    • The February planning meetings is scheduled for February 16.

    •  

  • 12/15/16 - Here are notes from the December planning meeting.

    • Daruis talked about gear.

      • Decision was made to purchase crew shirts.  By popular vote, we will order the "dolphin" shirt design in the seagrass color.

      • We discussed getting the crew duffel bags.  Space is limited on the ship so bags are limited in size.  Mr. Barber will investigate getting a bag of the same size that we can embroider.

      • St. Thomas sailing program gear list is found on page #59 of the Participant's Guide.

    • Mr. Barber talked about air travel itineraries.

      • Best choice is on American Airlines through Dallas and possibly Miami then into St. Thomas.

      • Current airfares runs between $475 and $541 depending on the specific flight. UPDATE SEE 3/16 Info

      • It's recommended that we book air travel no later than January.

    • Topics for the January meeting include:

      • Cory - history of the area

      • Spiero - things to do in St. Thomas

    • The January planning meeting is scheduled for January 19.

    •  

  • 11/17/16 - Here are notes from the November planning meeting.

    • The meeting was led by Jonathan T.  Going forward, scouts will be leading the meetings.

    • Topics for upcoming planning meetings.

      • December

        • Gear, shirts and bags.  Led by Darius M.

        • Ideas for a pre-tour in St. Thomas.  Led by Spiero J.

        • Travel itineraries.  Led by Rick B.

      • January:  History of the area.  Led by Cory L.

      • Future meeting topics.

        • Trip budget

        • Fishing & marine/plant life

        • Sailing - terminology, techniques, knots, etc.

        • Swim & snorkel skills

        • Boat duties: cooking, etc.

        • Crews & crew leads

        • Other topics TBD

    • Payment schedule

      • $250 - due by November

      • $1,000 - due by March

      • $1,800 (or final balance) - due by June

    • Training - adults and scouts will be required Seabase to complete certain training classes.

    • Fundraising - there was discussion about some parents organizing a fundraising activity.  Additionally, scouts should look for opportunities to fundraise on their own; pet sit, lawning mowing, etc.

    • The next planning meeting is Dec 15 during the regular Troop meeting.

    •  

  • 9/15/16 - We had the kick-off meeting for the trip.  There is lots of interest with the scouts and adults.  We will be locking down the roster and crew members very soon.  Check out the PDF file below with the presentation from the kick-off meeting.  Lots more information is also available on the Florida Seabase web site

    • The first deposit of $250 is due on 9/29/16 to reserve your spot.

    • Jonthan put together this powerpoint presentation

 

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