Leader Guidelines
The responsibility of taking a group of Scouts on an International High Adventure trip can seem daunting, however, rest assured that many others have taken this trip before you. We have put together this guide in order to make sure you consider every issue before hand, make all necessary preparations, have a checklist to keep you on track and bring all paperwork and equipment in order to have a troublefree, successful trip.
When you book your trip with us we will email you our Crew Preparation Notes. Please ensure that everyone who is coming on the trip reads this document thoroughly. There will not be a private cabin for each crewmember, your Captain will not cook you breakfast to order each morning and you will not be watching movies and playing cards all day! Misconceptions on the part of your crew will be prevented by reading the notes and understanding what their trip will involve, what they will need to bring, what they will gain from the trip and what they should do to make the most of their sailing adventure.
Leader Eligibility & Hegith Weight Limit
- All Adult Leaders must pass the standard B.S.A. swim test within a 12-month period prior to their arrival in Marsh Harbour.
- For safety reasons, we advise all Adult Leaders considering our trips to refer to the BSA Height-Weight and body fat guidelines as laid out in the following form: http://www.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/34412.pdf Although, we do not enforce the CDC Body Fat limits, the main reason you must give them serious consideration is that this is a physically demanding trip and medical evacuation will likely take more than 30minutes. It is important for you to note that Medical evacuation will typically require water transportation, followed by ground transportation followed by medical air evacuation.
Anyone close to this weight limit should seriously consider the safety issues as well as the practical difficulties of living onboard a sailboat. Travelling to and from the sailboat in a dinghy will be time consuming and potentially dangerous, climbing out of the water after swimming or snorkeling, either into a dinghy or up swim steps may be challenging or outwith your ability. The absolute maximum weight limit for participating in our sailing adventure program is 300 pounds. In the event that an Adult Leader arrives in the Bahamas weighing in excess of this limit, we reserve the right to send this individual home at their own expense. - We treat all applications for participation in sailing adventure programs without discrimination or regard for gender, color, creed, race or nationality.
Please remember that it is your responsibility as an Adult Leader to look after the youth in your care. It is particularly important to maintain proper discipline onboard and your Captain will greatly appreciate your assistance in keeping an orderly, safe sailboat.
Payments
The cost of our Sailing Adventure Program or Advanced Sailing Adventure Program is $600 per person. Please refer to the How to Book section on our website for all payment details and our terms.
Combined trip
The cost of our Combined Sailing Adventure & Scuba Diving Program or Combined Advanced Sailing Adventure & Scuba Diving program is $900 per person.
BSA Tour Permit
As with most 'High Adventure' facilities, we insist on particularly high standards in terms of leadership criteria and trip requirements. We require all crews to ensure they have taken all the necessary precautions to safeguard their group. In order to obtain a National Tour Permit, at least two official adult Scout Leaders are required and one Scout Leader must have completed the B.S.A. Youth Protection Training course. In order to comply with the requirement of your Tour Permit, one crewmember must be properly certified in a recognized First Aid and CPR course. In addition, a Safety Afloat course must be completed.
Please review the BSA Leadership guidelines in the 'Youth Protection & Adult Leadership' section of the following URL: http://www.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/4419.pdf
It is important for all crews participating in our Combined Sailing and Scuba Diving Programs to also review the BSA guidelines on Scuba Diving in the 'Aquatics Safety' section.
Travel arrangements
Please refer to the How To Get Here page of our website for travel guidelines and information. When making your travel arrangements, you should try to schedule your arrival and departure around mid-day. This will prevent you from arriving too early and having to wait until your sailboat is ready and also allows sufficient time for you to clean the sailboat prior to leaving the Bahamas.
Flights
You can not fly directly to Marsh Harbour, Abaco unless you live in Florida. You will have to connect through a Florida airport (Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Jacksonville). Please be aware, if you are delayed in arriving or require to depart earlier than planned, we can’t provide any form of refund.
Accommodations
Please check your travel arrangements and organize any necessary 'layover' accommodations well in advance. Room space is often limited in Florida and the Bahamas, especially during peak tourist season, so it may not be possible to book at the last minute and it is likely you will find accommodation more expensive in the Bahamas and less suitable to a Boy Scout budget!
Passport
As of 1 Jan. 2007 there is a new requirement for people returning to the U.S. from a foreign country to have a valid passport. All US visitors to the Bahamas must possess a valid passport and if you need one it is a good idea to apply for this well in advance of your trip!
Crew Eligibility
- Crewmembers must be registered members of a Scout troop, under the designation of official Scout leaders.
- All crewmembers must achieve the age of Fourteen (14) years within three months of the date on which they commence their Sail School Bahamas sailing adventure program. In the event that a crewmember wishes to take part in a sailing adventure program but falls outwith the minimum age requirement, this must be agreed in advance with our staff. We reserve the right to send that crewmember home at their own expense.
- All crewmembers must pass the standard B.S.A. swim test within a 12-month period prior to their arrival.
- The maximum weight limit for participating in a Sail School Bahamas sailing adventure program is 300 pounds. In the event that a crewmember arrives in the Bahamas weighing in excess of 300 pounds, we reserve the right to send this individual home at their own expense. Also, review BSA height/weight and body fat guidelines.
- All crewmembers must be courteous, well mannered and considerate to others. Crewmembers should apply the Boy Scout Oath and Law in governing their behavior during this program.
Flight Details
At least 30 days prior to your arrival in the Bahamas you must email us your flight details.
Shoe sizes
Please email a list of shoe sizes to us at least 30 days prior to your arrival in order for us to organize the snorkel equipment that your crew will need. The largest snorkel fins we can purchase are 13-14 therefore if your shoe size is greater than 15, we will be unable to provide fins. (Shoe sizes are typically one size smaller than the required fin size!)
Medical Form
All crewmembers must be in good general health. They must complete the BSA Class III Medical Form (for completion and signing by their Family Physician and Parent/Guardian) within a 12-month time frame prior to taking part in a sailing adventure program. Click the BSA Class III Medical Form button above to get this form and you should bring photocopies of this completed/signed form for all crewmembers.
Medications or allergies
Crewmembers who require medications must bring an appropriate supply of the medicine they need and be responsible for its safekeeping - it can be difficult to obtain many medicines in the Bahamas! Adult Leaders must be aware of all medications required and should monitor their use. A back-up supply of any medication is always recommended. Individuals requiring medications should always contact their family physician regarding their suitability for participation in a program of this nature.
We need to know in advance whether you are allergic to seafood, fish or shellfish, and/or any other kinds of food. Please refer to the Medical Info page within this Leaders’ Info section of our website. Any crewmembers with serious allergies of any nature that require the use of an Epi-pen must ensure they bring these with them.
First Aid Kit
Your B.S.A. Tour Permit requires that each Troop bring its own First Aid kit. Although every sailboat in the Sail School Bahamas fleet has a First Aid kit, your crew's trained first-aider must decide whether treatment is necessary and what treatment should be given. You must use your First Aid kit to treat minor injuries.
Medical insurance
You should ensure that your Medical Insurance provides you with all the medical cover you anticipate may be necessary. All crewmembers must also bring with them photocopies of both sides of their current medical/health insurance details.
Travel insurance
We strongly recommend that you have adequate travel insurance cover. Previous crews have found this very useful in the event of a crewmember canceling at the last moment, flight delays etc.
Disclaimer Form
In order to take part in one of our sailing adventure programs, all crewmembers must complete a Disclaimer Form. You can find this printable form on the Leaders’ Info section of our website and you should bring photocopies of this completed/signed form for all crewmembers. Although there are risks involved in participating in one of our sailing adventure programs, it is important for each crewmember to be aware of these risks, be prepared for them and manage them effectively. You can do this by following a few simple guidelines and taking common sense safety precautions. With this approach you should avoid harm, illness or injury. All crewmembers should only take part in a sailing adventure program if they have satisfied themselves, their parents/guardians and any significant others of the risks involved and accept that these risks are an inherent aspect of the sailing adventure program.
Crew Chief
Your Troop should appoint a ‘Crew Chief’ to help take care of the scheduling/organization for the week. When you arrive, your Crew Chief will complete rosters for all crew tasks onboard and ensure they are carried out, organize shore parties and various other responsibilities onboard and onshore.
Equipment
Crewmembers should refer to the printable packing list on this section of our website.
BSA Swim Test
All crewmembers must pass the standard B.S.A. swim test within a 12-month period prior to their arrival. If you or your crewmembers wish to swim you must only do so at your own risk and therefore you should ensure conditions are appropriate for your level of ability. Should there be any medical condition or other restriction to your abilities you will require a formal medical certificate stating that you are fit to swim and/or snorkel. Likewise, you should only snorkel if you are confident in your own abilities and are comfortable with the prevailing sea conditions. Please see the note above regarding Eligibility Requirements.
Scout Hut Briefing
Prior to your arrival we recommend you schedule a ‘Crew Brief’ meeting so all crewmembers are prepared for the trip and know what to expect. After you receive your booking confirmation we will email you the Crew Preparation Notes which may be used for this purpose and which will answer most questions regarding your trip.
Copies
Before you arrive you must ensure you have copies of all essential documentation including:
- BSA Tour Permit
- Disclaimer Forms
- Class III Medical Form signed by their Parent/Guardian and Doctor
- Medical insurance
- Travel insurance
Accidental Damage Deposit
A $200 Accidental Damage Deposit is required to be made for each sailboat. In the event of any damage occurring to the sailboat there will be a deduction in part or whole. Cash is preferred, although a Traveler’s check or bank check is acceptable. The final decision regarding accidental damage will always lie with Sail School Bahamas. Every crew must show respect and care for their sailboat – all crewmembers must be aware that their $200 deposit can only be returned if damage or breakages do not occur!
Evaluation Forms
On your return trip your Captain will ask Adult Leaders and Scouts to complete our evaluation forms. This exercise should take no longer than a few minutes but your feedback helps us ensure that we are delivering exactly the trip you want, providing you with the best value for money and highlighting any opportunities to improve.
Adult Leader Debriefing
Once you are back at dock at the end of your trip, we will ask the Adult Leaders to meet with our staff for a short 10minute trip review. Your opinions and feedback are particularly important to us, we want to ensure your expectations were reasonably established and ultimately met, or exceeded. If you have valuable advice or constructive criticism then we want to hear your thoughts!
Troop T-Shirts
You may wish to have Troop T-Shirts made. If you prefer, we have our own Sail School Bahamas CREW T-Shirts and Polo Shirts for sale, as well as Baseball Caps and Outback Hats. You can ask your Captain about buying these when you get onboard.
Please Note:
Mail - we cannot deliver mail to Scouts unless it is extremely important, e.g. important personal medications.
Telephone - During your week aboard, there are no telephone facilities. However, public payphones can be found in the various settlements you will visit.
NOTE - All emails must include your UID (Unique Identification Number) which appears at the top of every email you receive concerning your trip allocation and payment details.
