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Location
Multiple Locations +4
  • Indonesia
    • Bali
  • Malaysia
  • Mauritius
  • South Africa
    • Durban
    • Cape Town
Term
Fall
Subject Areas
Communications Environmental Studies Marine Biology Oceanography

Program Details

Program Type
Provider
Degree Level
High School Diploma
Housing
Boat
Language
English

Pricing

Starting Price
30970
Price Details
12 academic credits from the University of South Florida
International Yachtmaster Training (IYT): International Crew Certificate, Navigation Master, and Master of Yachts 200 Ton Theory (course based on experience)
PADI Open Water, Advanced Open Water, Rescue or Divemaster Certification
What's Included
Accommodation Activities Classes Meals
What's Not Included
Airfare
Jun 10, 2024
Dec 16, 2019
Wish List
12 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

Sailing aboard our 112-foot schooner is a unique chance already, but to traverse from Bali across the Southern Indian Ocean to Cape Town via Christmas Island and Mauritius is a lifetime opportunity!

This voyage is no mere vacation: it offers a full list of academics, allowing Sea|mester students to study and earn 12 college credits during this magical trip. Additionally, this Sea-mester voyage will develop your blue-water sailing skills, train you for SCUBA diving, and grant you access to different cultures. Sail training certifications for this voyage are issued through International Yacht Training, the only global regulator for professional yachting certifications. Additionally, students have the opportunity to obtain a Master of Yachts 200 Ton based on this and other previous experience and on their aptitude.

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Video and Photos

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At the helm
Sails Up
Students Studying
Sunset at the Helm
Atop a Peak

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Program Highlights

  • Become A Certified Scuba Diver.
  • Learn To Sail.
  • Earn 12 College Credits.
  • Cross the Indian Ocean.

Program Reviews

5.00 Rating
based on 5 reviews
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  • Academics 5
  • Support 5
  • Fun 5
  • Housing 5
  • Safety 5
Showing 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
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Blair
39
United States
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

A totally unique and EPIC experience

Dec 16, 2019

I was one of Argo's maiden voyage shipmates in the summer of 2006 when she launched in Thailand! Even though it was about 13 years ago, I still have very vivid memories of many different experiences on board.

It was an unforgettable experience completing night watches with my watch team, seeing pods of hundreds of dolphins riding our bow wake, navigating under the stars at night, watching the incredible sunrises... life at sea really teaches you a unique lesson of living in the moment. If you have any doubts, know that you grow so much by doing something you are unfamiliar with... and you'll also come home with some crazy stories!!

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
It's worth the risk. You grow so much when you do things you are unfamiliar with. You won't regret it.
116 people found this review helpful.
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Matt
29
Male
United States
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

The Trip I'll Never Forget

Dec 12, 2019

I did this trip in 2014 and I had an incredible time. I learned a lot about myself as a person, became a more proficient sailor, learned how to use my leadership style to my advantage, and became a good member of a team. There are so many soft skills you learn while living in this environment with this many people it's difficult to quantify. You learn plenty of hard skills around the boat that will follow you after the trip as well. You get to run the boat as a team while becoming very close with your mentors as well. The simplicity of life underway was one of my favorite parts. You're surrounded by a huge family on an incredible adventure, seeing beautiful countries and make memories that last a lifetime. I have nothing but the most positive things to say about this program and the impact it's had on my life.

What was the most unfamiliar thing you ate?
The most unfamiliar thing I ate was definitely Durian, one of the world's smelliest fruits.
136 people found this review helpful.
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Anchor watch during sunrise at Mauritius
Helming across the atlantic
Sextant use class
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Colin
26
Male
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

South Africa to Antigua 2018

Apr 25, 2018

I was on board Sea|mester's 112 ft schooner Argo for the Spring 2018 voyage from South Africa to Antigua. It was the highlight of my gap year, and certainly one of the best experiences I've ever had. The team of instructors were all knowledgeable and fun to be around throughout the trip and my fellow shipmates became close friends. If you are looking for a challenging, life-changing adventure and love the ocean I would highly recommend Sea|mester.

133 people found this review helpful.
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Nick
25
Male
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Amazing Experience

Apr 19, 2018

Amazing experience. If you want to sail across an ocean, scuba dive, and see a lot of countries. Choose this program. Full of adventure and discovery. Learning about the oceans and the vessels that sail them. Classes include seamanship, Marine Bio, Oceanography, and leadership. All taught by extremely smart well picked instructors. Seamester was the best experience I ever had, and it is sure to leave the same impression on all others who sail aboard Argo and Ocean Star.

131 people found this review helpful.
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Taylor
31
Male
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

The Best Experience Of My Life!

Oct 14, 2015

SeaMester is the most unique study abroad program out there! I learned more than just academics. I learned hard skills that I still use, I learned a lot about myself, and I learned how to be a leader and a member of a group. We also had amazing experiences in the countries and cultures we were immersed in. Most of all, SeaMester was a great experience and tons of fun, while sailing a yacht across an ocean visiting seven countries along the way.

134 people found this review helpful.
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Questions & Answers

Alumni Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with verified alumni.

Blair Williamson

Program
Seamester: Bali to South Africa - 90 Days

Why did you choose this program?

I chose this program because I wanted a hands-on experience where I wasn't just on a cruise. A lot of the other programs I was interested in were the typical "study abroad" program where the tour portion would be on board buses with tour guides. I wanted a much more immersive experience and was looking to do something "different".

What did your program provider (or university) assist you with, and what did you have to organize on your own?

I was attending the University of Virginia and I scheduled an appointment with the Head of the Environmental Science department. They reviewed the marine science course syllabus I was going to take on Argo and pre-approved the credits without hesitation. The credits and my grade transferred without a problem from Sea|mester to the University of Virginia.

What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone going on your program?

Write a journal! I wish I had written a daily journal of the things that happened during the trip. Some of the greatest adventures ever, and I wish I had written details down of everything because now, 14 years later, the memories are a bit fuzzy.

I would love to go back and relive my experiences and also have that for my kids to read one day.

What does an average day/week look like as a participant of this program?

I don't believe there are any 2 days that are the same.

When you are on passage, your day will change based on when your watch team is scheduled. One morning, you could witness an incredible sunrise if you are on the 3-6 am watch team and another could be pitch black dark sailing the entire night if you are on the 9 pm-midnight watch team.

Every day brings something totally new and different.

Going into your experience abroad, what was your biggest fear, and how did you overcome it? How did your views on the issue change?

My biggest fear was flying across the world completely by myself. I didn't know the language, I didn't know anyone who was going on the trip with me, there was a lot of unknowns going into my trip. Once I decided to just "get over it" and get on the plane, once I was actually physically there, those fears went away because I realized most everyone had the same fears.

Once I was there, all of my fears went away!

If you could do this trip again, what would you change?

Honestly, I wish I had stayed longer after the trip to travel around the country!

Some of the other students had been traveling a lot more than me in their life already...and knew they should stay after to travel a little. I wasn't really aware of that as an option.

I would have really enjoyed spending an extra week or two traveling around SE Asia.

Staff Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with program leaders.

Travis Yates

Program
Seamester: Bali to South Africa - 90 Days
Job Title
Managing Director and Marine Superintendent
Travis graduated from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in 1995 with a degree in Marine Engineering. Always a sailor, Travis competed at both national and international levels, culminating in a bid for the U.S. Olympic Sailing Team in 1996.

Travis holds an MCA/IYT International Master of Ocean Yachts, US Coast Guard Captain’s License and is an Instructor Evaluator for US Sailing. He is also a PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer and a licensed pilot.
Travis Yates

What is your favorite travel memory?

I had the opportunity to travel to Saudi Arabia in my early 20's and it was probably the most eye-opening cultural travel of my life and the SCUBA diving was more amazing than any place I have ever dived.

Being able to travel within a culture that I previously was only informed of by the Western media and culture was transformational in terms of my personal understanding of how similar we really are in this world.

How have you changed/grown since working for your current company?

I have worked for Sea|mester and Global Expeditions Group for my whole adult life. Working with, teaching and mentoring students has shaped every aspect of the adult, husband, and father I have become. The community we create aboard is a true family and through years Captianing our voyages I helped create and was positively influenced by every trip I led. I continue to be shaped by the experience I have with students in the operational oversight and management role I provide our voyages.

What is the best story you've heard from a return student?

Since 1998, I have been involved on some level with every student that has sailed with Sea|mester.

The best stories I have all involve Sea|mester being the catalyst for a student to make a huge shift in their trajectory to make the leap to become the person they want to be. From a student who came to us freshly out of dealing with some of life's hardest situations and then wrote to say they were living their dream working in wildlife preservation on an African game preserve. To a student who went on to captain their own small vessel and is looking to work up to being the captain on the Sea|mester vessel they first sailed on, students learn and grow aboard our vessels in a way that they cannot do on a college campus.

If you could go on any program that your company offers, which one would you choose and why?

I would choose to sail on our voyage from Australia to South Africa. Crossing the India Ocean is a monumental achievement and one that most humans cannot easily arrange. The longer ocean passages involved provide great sailing and the islands we visit are remote enough that some don't have scheduled air flights. That is a rarity in the ever-shrinking world.

What makes your company unique? When were you especially proud of your team?

Our staff is on program 24/7 for up to 90-days when they are running our voyages. I often describe our crews (students and staff) as families and that brings with it all the smiles, laughs and great times that a family goes through. It also means there will be harder days. Days that, if we were not a family, people would not be committed to seeing the hard days through and would not be there 'no matter what' for each other.

Our staff is always there for the students and each other. That is hard! I am proud of our staff every day for their commitment to the ship and her crew.

What do you believe to be the biggest factor in being a successful company?

Compassion, commitment, and professionalism.

In over 20 years of operation, Sea|mester has operated very successfully in the study aboard and gap year industry due to our core commitment to running safe, engaging, transformational and educational experiences worldwide. Our history and experience in the maritime world are unmatched and we continue to grow our offerings responsibly and with our core principles in focus.

About Seamester

Seamester offers unique educational voyages where students spend their time sailing between countries and continents. For more than 40 years, we have consistently delivered outstanding educational experiences for students. We design our programs to provide engaging learning experiences with real outcomes in ways that are impossible to replicate in...
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