Seamester

I sailed with Seamester for 3 months from Fiji to Palau and Indonesia. I joined the boat with no sailing or scuba experience and ended up a rescue diver with multiple sailing certifications. All the staff and students were so friendly and the 22 strangers that I met on day one turned into a tight-knit family that was impossible to say goodbye to on day 80. The program is definitely challenging and will push you out of your comfort zone with long-passage and some rough nights but I now look back on those as some of my fondest memories. The boat transforms into a home with people who were put together by chance and now know some of the strangest stories about each other's lives. Nothing can ever beat the feeling of jumping off the boat to swim with manta rays just feet from our floating home or back-rolling off the dinghies to scuba dive across the equator or helming through 360-degree sunrises and sunsets in the middle of the ocean with some of your closest friends. This experience teaches you to be comfortable going outside your comfort zone and to always say yes, it may just turn into one of the best memories of your life.

Seamester was such an incredible experience in so many ways. From breathing underwater for the first time to being fully under sail, I really fell in love with boat life. 20 days is a short amount of time for all of the plans packed in to the schedule; so if I were to do it again I would pick a longer trip because it takes a second to get into the groove of living on a boat. One of the greatest part of the trip is meeting your great crew mates. Since we are spending almost every second with these people you tend to get pretty close, which is really fun, overall it was definitely an experience to remember

Seamester was the adventure of a lifetime. I went into it not knowing how to sail but wanting to learn, and came out of it not only with that knowledge, but also memories and friendships that will last a lifetime. It pushed me out of my comfort zone and taught me so many new things about myself. The staff members were amazing with their teaching and support, especially when times got rough. Their diligence ensured we all made it safely across the pacific. I also loved the places we visited, with my favorites being the Galapagos, Mo'orea, and the Panama Canal. The class schedule could be challenging at times, and waking up for watch in the middle of the night was definitely not my strong suit, but overall I had an amazing semester. I couldn't recommend Seamester enough and I'm so grateful for this wonderful experience.

This trip was the best decision I have ever made. I made so many new friends and formed relationships that I will keep for the rest of my life. I learned a lot about myself and accomplished more than I ever thought I could. The staff was so supportive and thoughtful, always there when I needed a listening ear. Our boat was hilarious and we told each other funny stories that could never possibly be explained the same to someone else because they would not get the humor that we found in them. Watch was also an incredible experience because even though we had to wake up in the middle of the night, I had an amazing team. We told stories and jokes, sailed, made popcorn, helmed and so much more. I am so thankful to have been apart of this once in a lifetime opportunity and hope to see everyone soon. My heart is so full, thank you so much for picking me to go on this experience.

This trip has been a once-in-a-lifetime experience and something I will never forget. I have made so many lifelong friends that I will continue to keep in touch with and see again. Sea|Mester is the greatest thing I have ever done. It opened my eyes in so many different ways and has made me change in so many great ways. I made many great memories I will cherish forever. All the staff was incredibly kind and made sure all of my needs were taken care of. I could talk to the staff about anything and always had fun talking with them. The staff treated us as equals which was super nice. All the classes were taught very well and every teacher was very passionate about their course. For me, the most valuable aspect was the social factor. I was pretty nervous coming into this trip about meeting new people and broadening my social circles. I have always been anxious about introductions and showing people my true self and this trip helped me so much. This trip allowed me to be myself and unlock a part of me I didn’t know I had. Everyone embraced me for who I was, which was great. I owe a great deal of this trip to my fellow crew members who were so kind and funny. Sea|Mester is awesome. Don’t change anything. This trip is probably the greatest thing I’ve ever done and I’ll remember it forever. I have lifelong friends all over the world now.