Seamester: Transpacific, Fiji to Bali - 80 Days

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 a trip that exceeded all of my expectations. I had an opportunity to visit places some people may never see in a lifetime and I got to make countless memories with amazing new people. I grew a bond with not only the students but also the staff that could never be replaced. We got to witness beautiful sites such as healthy coral, marine life, and beautiful islands. I gained a great knowledge of sailing which is one thing I had always dreamed of doing. Everyday I wish I could go back and relive it all just once more.

Sea|mester was a life changing experience! The most valuable aspect was the ability to grow your voice and gain confidence. I went into the program with a sufficient amount of confidence and wasn’t the type of person to raise my hand in class. As the program went on, I went outside my comfort zone as often as I could to grow my voice. I didn’t notice the increase in confidence until the student lead passage when I was Chief Mate and really utilized those skills and pushed myself even harder. For those moments, I’ll forever remember.

I really enjoyed my the experiences provided and loved becoming close to everyone on the crew. The most valuable aspect of Seamester was the experience of living on a boat for so long in such close quarters with an amazing group of people. The staff were also a very inspirational group, and I think everyone on board was quite envious of the life they lead. This was the end to my gap year, and it really made me very glad that I decided to take a gap year. It was the perfect culmination of having fun while still being able to accomplish a lot.

SeaMester is a great way to step outside of your comfort zone and get to know yourself in a new way through learning new skills and having unique experiences. Also, the relationships formed aboard are ones that will last a lifetime. SeaMester has had a tremendous impact on my personal growth because of the nature of the environment we are immersed in. It quickly grew in confidence with my ability to engage and interact with people and I learned how to be more patient and understanding since we were always living so close together. I would highly recommend SeaMester to anyone who is looking for both a physical and an emotional journey!

The fact that I was able to go on this Sea|mester trip has profoundly changed my life and where I think my boundaries lay. I owe a lot of this to all of the efforts of all the staff and crew, so thank you! I would recommend this trip to anyone who is interested in marine biology and expanding their worldview. It is definitely a one in a lifetime experience! You will grow a ton as a person and realize that you are capable of so much more than you thought. Plus you get to see some pretty awesome marine life.

There’s honestly no words that would sum up my experience: From sliding down natural water slides in Fiji to watching the sunrise with kangaroos on the beach in Australia to being able to celebrate Independence Day in Vanuatu. One thing for sure no day was the same! One time in middle of a passage we were able to jump off the boat with no land in sight being it was beyond calm that day and moments like those truly makes you appreciate life while you feel at peace. It’s amazing how close you become to the other people, even the staff was amazing at making our experience unforgettable. I miss the days where you could just hope off a boat and be in a new place and get to explore it, so I ended up doing another trip with them the next summer!

I can not even begin to explain how incredible my summer on Argo was sailing from Tahiti to Australia. Every day was different and exciting. I initially went on this trip to spend the summer sailing and diving. I did not anticipate that I would meet my best friends as well. From scuba diving, sailing, hiking to waterfalls, exploring so many new islands, the classes, and spending virtually every minute outside, I learned more than I can ever put into words. This experience pushes you as well. From all the midnight watches, cooking, and keeping Argo in tip top shape, I learned so much about myself as well as the world around me. If I could go on this trip again I would!! I am so grateful to Seamester for giving me the best experience of my life.