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Expedition Skills
Group Dynamics
Open Boat Sailing Skills
Your course area in the Florida Keys is home to numerous birds and abundant marine life, is rich with the confluence of water flowing out of the Everglades into inner Florida Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. The waterways are shallow and intricate, providing an exciting cruising area for Outward Bound’s nimble shallow-draft sailboats.
Sailing courses cruise in three general areas. The backcountry offers challenging shoal draft navigation and the opportunity to explore mangrove keys, tidal flats and coral patch reefs. The Atlantic side offers excellent snorkeling at the outer reefs and open water sailing. The Everglades has beautiful sand beaches and a maze of rivers and bays to explore. Throughout the region, the turquoise waters, warm temperatures and prevailing easterly winds provide exceptional sailing, both day and night! Actual itineraries are based on weather, currents and length of course.
In Florida the HIOBS course area regions are the ancestral lands of the Seminole, Matecumbe, Cuchiyaga and Guarungumbe nations.
The 30-foot open sailboat is your home and classroom. Our boats are very seaworthy, fun to operate, and perfect for a team adventure. The boats are rigged to take full advantage of the power of the subtropical trade winds, and when the winds do not cooperate, the boats can be rowed by two or four people pulling on oars. At night the boat can be configured as a sleeping platform and you and your watch mates will take turns doing anchor watch under brilliant night skies. Underway, you will learn to adjust sails properly for sailing at different angles to the wind and execute sailing maneuvers like tacking and gybing, which turn the boat through the wind. As you practice rowing, you will discover that by coordinating all of the rower’s movements so that the oars splash as one, you halve the effort it takes to travel on windless days. You will learn to navigate using a chart and compass and among the thick and similar-looking mangrove islands, precision in plotting your course and concentration on the environment around you will prove essential in arriving accurately at your destination. It takes an entire crew to sail or row the boat well; the whole crew must participate mentally and physically. In addition to the challenges of moving the boat, living together aboard this small vessel requires commitment to the support of your crew-mates, and your community as a whole. As your expedition progresses, your accomplishments in all these areas result in a truly memorable journey.
The solo experience is a standard element of Outward Bound courses. With sufficient food and equipment, you will set up camp at a site on your own. The solo will last anywhere from a few hours to a few days, depending on the length of your course. Your solo site is chosen to offer as much solitude as possible, yet be within hearing distance of other group members. You will not travel during this time alone, and your instructors will check on you occasionally. The solitude and break from the fast pace of your expedition allows for rest and personal reflection, which is necessary to make the most of your experience.
Most adults find it hard to get away. Our lives are so busy, often filled with pressures and expectations that it’s difficult to find time to do things for ourselves.
On your HIOBS program, you will learn four important Outward Bound Core Values:
Our one- week adult courses are the perfect opportunity to unplug, get a fresh perspective, step out of your routines and challenge yourself in new ways, discover new strengths, and forge new friendships. No previous experience is necessary—all wilderness skills are taught from the beginning. Some of the most important lessons you take home are learning about yourself and your community while acquiring backcountry skills and having an adventure. As you will be traveling through wild places on your expedition, you’ll also learn to protect and appreciate the unique, unspoiled environments through which you travel.
You will only need to be physically fit and motivated to live, learn and work in a team. The expedition may only last a week, but the strength of the experience will be with you for a lifetime.