Voyage Specific Travel Details 20,40,80-Day Voyages on S/Y Ocean Star We ask that you make your travel arrangements as soon as possible as space is limited when flying into the British or US Virgin Islands at certain times of the year. Additionally, you will also need to make sure your passport is valid for 6 months AFTER the end of your voyage. If it will not be valid, please renew your passport. Your voyage will begin and end in Sopers Hole, West End, Tortola, British Virgin Islands. The airport code for the Tortola Beef Island is EIS. It is also possible and usually more common to fly into St. Thomas, airport code STT, and take the ferry to West End, Tortola. If you are flying to STT make sure you land no later then 3PM so you will have time to catch the last ferry from Charlotte Amalie to West End, Tortola. If you have to land after the last ferry departs, you will have to overnight in St. Thomas and thus should plan an extra day of travel to arrive on the vessel on the voyage start date. For planning purposes please consider that your ferry/taxi/departure taxes for arrival and departure in Tortola will be around $90 or for St. Thomas will be around $110 (roundtrip) Regardless of your method of arrival to Tortola (by air or by sea), upon arrival you must pass through immigrations and customs. When officials ask where you will be staying you can produce the immigration letter on the following page and tell them you will be moving aboard the sail-training vessel S/Y Ocean Star. Tell the officer that you will be staying in the country for no longer than 2 weeks and will be departing by boat. It is very important that you make sure that the officer does not assume that you are trying to remain in the BVIs until the date of your return ticket out of the BVIs. You may also be asked about the purpose of your visit. You should tell immigrations that you will be participating in a college level educational program aboard a training vessel. If you have any questions or concerns regarding booking your travel or preparing to make your way to the vessel, please feel free to email or call the Sea mester office- 941.924.2900 or info@seametser.com. You will be receiving a final travel detail email a week or so before the trip to confirm last minute details and give you emergency contact numbers for the vessel. 18 of 23
PO Box 5477 Sarasota, Florida 34277 USA Tel. 941.924.2900 Fax. 941.924.6075 Immigrations Officers This letter is to confirm that this person is joining the sailing school ship S/Y OCEAN STAR (BVI Flagged) as a part of her student crew. S/Y OCEAN STAR is berthed in West End, Tortola and will be operating within BVI waters for no more than two weeks before departing. Thank you for you assistance and allowing free entry for this person. Kind regards, Travis D. Yates USA Number 941.924.2900 Managing Director, Sea mester Programs USA 19 of 23
Packing List Prepare to ship out! Pack your gear in ONLY one (1) large or (2) medium/small soft collapsible, non-rolling duffels or unframed backpacks which can be folded and stored after arrival. You ll have some locker space but it s no fun to share your bunk with a suitcase. You will also need a small daypack (back pack type) that can be used on day trips and hikes. Bring no more than the following items! There will be opportunities to wash clothes and buy replacement toiletries along the way. Clothing List It is helpful to use an indelible marker to label clothes with your name Any underwear quantity desired (6-8 minimum recommended) 5 pr sports socks, 1 pr thick warm socks 1 pr Flip Flops, Teva, Reef, or Keen 1 pr trail running or light hiking shoes with good support for shore exploration & hikes 1 pr of shoes for wearing on the vessel (crocs, topsiders, boots or athletic shoes made for sailing) 1-2 pr non-swim shorts (cotton/woven all-around shorts) 5-9 swimsuits or board shorts 2-3 Surfing style rashguard or synthetic, quick dry long sleeve shirt for sun protection 2 long sleeve shirts 1 sun hat or baseball cap (essential) 2 dresses for girls (and/or a sarong) Keep in mind that in some countries females will have to cover themselves in public more than is the norm in western culture. 1 pr jeans or warmer pants 1 pr sweat pants or athletic pants (to wear at night or under foul weather gear) 7-10 T shirts (or tank tops) 1 towel plus an absorbent sports chamois 1 Light weight rain jacket/shell for onshore excursions Foul Weather Gear For all our voyages it is important to have a set of waterproof foul weather gear to keep you dry while on deck. At the bare minimum you need to have a fully waterproof rain jacket along with a pair of waterproof rain pants. That being said, many of our past students found that having good technical foul weather gear from www.westmarine.com kept them perfectly dry, in all weather, while looking like a true seasoned yachtsman. Scuba Gear All students must bring their own mask, snorkel and fins should they wish to scuba or snorkel. These do not have to be expensive but do need to be made for scuba diving 20 of 23
and should be purchased from a scuba shop. Please feel free to call or email the office for additional information on this. Wetsuit students should bring at least an inexpensive short wetsuit (2-3 mm thick) For those who get cold easily, consider bringing a thicker/longer wetsuit. Waterproof watch (required for scuba diving). We recommend an inexpensive digital watch (water resistant to depth of 100m/300ft), such as a Timex Ironman, Casio G- shock or Freestyle brand. Certified scuba divers must bring their certification cards and log books!!! Do not bring: dive knifes or spear guns. Toiletries List Please pack all of the below in zip-lock freezer bags. 1 Mesh laundry bag Shampoo, face wash, and deodorant *please look for eco-friendly brands to help reduce our impact on the environment we are living and sailing in. Do not bring Dr. Bronners. Liquid body wash *again, eco-friendly brand if possible ***REQUIRED Antiseptic antimicrobial skin cleanser, such as Hibiclens (1 small bottle) #30 or higher waterproof sun cream (no oils) we like those recommended by dermatologists Chapstick or similar sunblock lip cream Bug spray 1 small bottle (or decanted travel bottle) of Woolite or other liquid detergent for hand washing laundry. 1 bottle of Swim Ear (pharmacy, non prescription) Any sanitary items needed Shaving cream and razors Any preferred pain relief medication (Advil, Tylenol, Aleve) Band-aids (travel box of small sizes) General Items 1 laptop computer (ipad will not suffice) Our vessels have standard US style 110v outlets. Please be sure to have a bag for your computer that offers protection from moisture and the occasional bump and jostle. You may consider, as an additional precaution, having a large Zip-Loc bag that your computer can sit within when it is stored inside your bag or case. Small day pack (back pack type) that can be used on day trips and hikes 2 pairs of good sunglasses (UV protected/polarized) Small camera, digital or film 1 headlamp, preferably with a red light feature (not for scuba diving, simply for getting around your bunk in the dark) Water bottle (Nalgene type), having a carabineer clip of some sort on top will help you keep track of it! Extra batteries for any electronics you choose to bring Extra pair of prescription glasses or contacts 21 of 23
Small travel alarm clock, or watch that also has an alarm Journal if you are looking to keep one Educational Supplies Thumb drive, flash drive or external hard drive to help transfer class assignments and personal files (4gb or higher). 1 spiral notebook space for all courses (purchase notebook that has dividers with folders/pockets) 1 small bound composition notebook 1 pencil case including pens, highlighter, mechanical pencils, ruler, eraser and a small calculator Academic Materials Sea mester provides all required textbooks, lab equipment and exam materials for each student aboard. The only academic materials that students are required to bring with them are the appropriate copies of the course notes for the Introduction to Oceanography and Introduction to Marine Biology courses. These notes are written and edited by the instructors who will be teaching aboard, and are updated on a regular basis. Students will find these notes very helpful during lectures and will most likely find themselves highlighting information and jotting notes in the margins. The current versions required for each course are available for download at the link listed below. The PDF files available online are full color versions, STUDENTS DO NOT NEED TO PRINT THEIR PERSONAL COPIES AS THEY MAY CHOOSE TO BRING THEM IN PDF FORMAT ON THEIR LAPTOP. Some students choose to have these files printed double sided, in black and white, and either spiral bound or simply three-hole-punched and placed in a small three ring binder. It will depend on how you best feel you need to use the notes for your best learning outcome. Please contact the Sea mester office if you are having troubles downloading or printing the necessary files. Address for page containing course note files: http://seamester.com/academic-materials Please note... No hair dryers ships power and lights are on battery. Use Mother Nature s warm winds to dry hair. Bed linens are provided aboard. Salt air is hard on cameras and electronics, so protect all equipment in heavy-duty Zip-Loc freezer bags. Bring extra bags to protect your paperwork, clothes, etc. You must have a waterproof watch (required for scuba diving water resistant to 100m/300ft) Although the vessel does have a stereo aboard, you may bring your own MP3 or media player. Please keep in mind, electronics may be ruined in the salt air and should be brought at your own risk. 22 of 23