A Turn for the Best

Some more words from Youth Crew Captain Luke.Today started at 0000hrs for most of the crew aboard the Young Endeavour. New restrictions placed on us by the ‘ex-captain’ Gunna and previous navigation restrictions allowed for only a small passage past Pinnacle Point of Northern Hook Island. As a result we needed to wear the ship a number of times. These turns slowed our speed from a blazing 3 knots leaving us with a long sail to complete in the morning. Luckily our high hopes paid off and we were treated to a picturesque sunrise complete with a whale in the foreground. The sun continued to clear the skies and by 0800 we could see the clear blue above, with visibility rapidly increasing. We continued to reap the rewards as a pod of porpoises bobbed up on our starboard bow. Our lookouts continued to report sightings of whales and other beautiful marine wildlife. Our luck seemed to be continuing with the wind holding up just enough during our morning brief to allow us to pass between the now-named ‘rock of doom’ and ‘land of peril’ with 1 mile of leverage on either side. Unfortunately during this stage the wind seemed to be running out of puff and as a result we had to plead with the ex-Captain Gunna to allow us to sail the last 4 miles by engine. We just missed reaching the set destination (a specified way-point) at the set time of 1100hrs by 200 yards with a reluctant Rick passing the crew on the navigators challenge. As soon as we anchored the Sail Mistress, Rach, took control of the crew to complete some more tasks that were required of the Command Day. This included the drawing of a mural at midships that displayed each of our favourite moments on board the ship. As well as a rope tying demonstration completed by Lauren and Em showcasing their new knot tying skills. At the completion of these events six crew members took to the sea as part of our beach assault team (BAT) who were required to paddle ashore, raise the Australian flag, sing the National Anthem and return with a piece of Haslewood Island. As the successful crew returned, I was informed that it was time to hand back control of the ship. This was completed in a briefing in which the crew was conversed on how many tasks they completed and how many they failed on, including what lessons were learnt and what benefits they could take out of the exercise. We did a fantastic job and passed 21 of the 23 tasks. As a reward Matt allowed the crew to swim in the ocean straight off the side of the ship, enjoying the notorious rope swing as well. Many belly flops and backflips later, we returned to the ship to enjoy a barbeque cooked by the returning captain Gunna. When all our stomachs were full with great food we prepared for the Sods Opera where some cracking performances were viewed. The staff gave their humorous performance followed by each watch. There were some awesome shows, which included being treated to an amazing performance by crew member Julia, who sang beautifully. The night ended on a sombre note with myself, Rach and Matt on anchor watch.