A Toilet With Leg Room!

Early this morning we weighed anchor and berthed at Fisherman’s Island and got ready to meet our guests for the half-day sail. The rain gave us respite for the three hours on the harbour and we got in some great sailing. A group of young Australians with intellectually disabilities joined us and the YC played excellent hosts throughout the day as our guests helped set and furl sails and climbed to the lower top. This afternoon and evening we’ve got stacks of things to do in preparation for completing the Voyage. At the moment the YC are conducting end of voyage talks and tonight we’ll have the Concert. The Staff’s dress up clothes have gone missing but that won’t stop us from improvising with our own gear….scary….Tomorrow we will berth at Bulimba Wharf, Bulimba Barracks at 1000. Hope to see you there.Several Youth Crew entries this evening…Leanne Simmons…After a busy day we have just enjoy another beautiful dinner by Woody the Great. Today was an extra rewarding day, as we spent the morning with a wonderful group of people from ‘HANDS’. We were able to display our many skills as we showed them around our ship, took them climbing, and enjoyed their company. The rest of the day was spent chatting, harbour furling the yards (which was declared the hardest job to do), the staff playing jokes on us, and our last group meeting. We can’t believe that the journey is over and we will have to say goodbyes and leave the ship we now love. Hello to all my family and friends, especially Amber. Hi to all the kids at Eastwoods Heights OOSH as well as the staff – I hope you coped alright without me there, but don’t worry I’ll be back very, very soon so get prepared 🙂 Things I have missed the most (besides family and friends) – a toilet with leg room, a shower you don’t fly out of, my steady bed, hair drier, Snicker’s and Cherry Ripes, and I would have to say sleep. Thanks to everyone who has had input into the voyage, as it is one of the best thing that we have all had to achieve. Noel…Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end.The unofficial motto of the voyage was Carpe Diem (seize the day). This means different things to different people, but in the voyage’s context it was about having a go and stepping outside of your comfort zone. As the voyage draws to its conclusion, I can unequivocally say that all members stepped well outside their comfort zones. For me the major challenges were climbing up 30 metres above sea level and sharing a 4 square metre sleeping berth with six other people. Special thanks go to all members of the Young Endeavour Staff who provided a challenging but encouraging atmosphere. (It’s nice to know the Royal Australian Navy is staffed with committed, professional individuals who don’t mind a laugh). In particular I’d like to thank Dion (my watch leader) and Woody (the best cook in the world ��� sorry mum). If the future is anywhere near as exciting as the last ten days I’ll be a happy man.Stay tunedAndrew Davis