Day 2 – Into the Tasman Sea
Ahoy dear readers, Day 2 of our voyage began at anchor Athol Bay today.
It was a beautiful and still morning when Sailmaster Evan commenced the day with a 0630 Early Morning Activity on deck. We all met again at 0800 to sing the National Anthem as part of our (the Royal Australian Navy’s) traditional Colours ceremony, where we hoisted our suite of colours (Australian National Flag and the Australian White Ensign).
The plan for the day was then hatched before youth crew were introduced to their climbing harnesses by way of a safety briefing, then buddy checks and a climbing demonstration before we commenced our first night climbs. Each watch took turns at climbing, cheered on by Taronga monkeys, then when back on deck, their seamanship training continued.
I have to say that I was very proud of each and every one of them this morning, they definitely pushed through their fears and gave it their all.
After lunch, it was time to finally get underway, so at 1300 we weighed anchor and departed Sydney harbour into a two metre easterly swell. We gave the ship a little clean on the way out before turning-to sail handling training, setting and furling the fore, main and topgallant staysails. As anticipated a mass fish feeding event took place mid-afternoon, as youthies searched for their sea legs in a lumpy Tasman Sea. Some however were not perturbed by the movement of the ship and managed a climb to the lower top.
Dinner was smashed before commencing their first watches on deck, where they would conduct watch-on-deck duties of helming, lookout and rounds responsibilities, while the other watches slept. They will do this overnight, in a 4 hour watch rotation with some more climbing and sail handling consolidation thrown in. Anyway, a fantastic day and well done youth crew.
We’ve shaped a course to the south and will make ground towards Jervis Bay overnight, where we will look to anchor at approximately 1200 tomorrow.
Goodnight and sleep tight everybody.
Captain Adam Charlie Farley+
Latitude/Longitude:
Conditions:
Weather: Fine. Wind: E @ 5 kts. Swell: ESE @ 1.5-2m. Temp: 20.
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Thank you Tarvi, Kaeden and Matt for your narrative of today's events. Intentions are to remain at anchor in Hunters Bay, just off HMAS Penguin, home of the RAN Diving School, a place close to my heart, having spent many a day there under training as a young Officer! The plan is to weigh anchor and proceed to HMAS Waterhen, in Waverton, to pick up our Community Day Sailors from the Windgap Foundation and take them for a sail around the harbour for 3 hours. The Youth Crew will help us host our visitors and give them an experience of Young Endeavour. We will drop them back to Waverton and then proceed to anchor in the harbour where we will have a good view of the Bridge and the Opera House for the Youth Crew's last night onboard. Until tomorrow. Yours Aye, Captain Mike