At Anchor, Horseshoe Bay – Magnetic Island

Yesterday we handed over Command of YOUNG ENDEAVOUR to the youth crew, and here is YC Captain Ben to tell us what they have been up to.Yours AyePhil GadenLieutenant, RANRAt around 0015 HRS this morning phase two of our cunning plan to conduct Young Endeavour from anchor at Cape Upstart (approx 70km north of Bowen) to Horseshoe Bay at Magnetic Island came into force. We took over from the first command team who had successfully passed through one of our allotted waypoints and by a system of trial and error had the ship moving along nicely. The incoming bridge management team consisting of Sailing Master Ella, Navigators James and Kerryn, Watch Officer Michael and Myself along with our trusty crew of watch leaders and crusty new sailors bought a new vision of speed and 3am tacking. The number of tacks to be done between 12 ��� 7 was carefully weighed against the morale and fatigue management of our crew. As the windspeed increased we were experiencing 30 knot winds, with gusts up to 40 knots. This had an effect on our sail options as we found out that some of our sail inventory had maximum apparent wind ratings. We decided we had to tack and after 2 unsuccessful attempts to push the bow of the ship up through the wind we learned from a few of our mistakes, set the jib for power up forward and tacked. This put us on an awesome bearing for the next waypoint and with a balanced ship we soon had Young Endeavour humming along at over 7 Knots, pushing 9 at some stages, allegedly the fastest she had gone under sail on our voyage. After a strength building breakfast from our youth crew chefs Luke, Laura and Sean we were ready to take on the extravaganza that is morning brief. This took on a familiar feel, with many of the segments blatantly ripped off from the staffies, to the point where Ian was impersonated by Michael. Jules’ brilliant ���Garry the Garbologist�� performance in the role of Nanna was however the high point of the brief, and a new direction entirely. Unfortunately while we were enjoying the briefing our focus was away from the ship’s course and we were unprepared to harden up into the wind after hitting our next waypoint. This then led to a frantic hour or so of getting everyone away from their beloved cleaning stations and up on deck to sheet in sails and eventually tack, although not entirely by choice. While luffing up to try and allow better purchase on the sheets and clewlines we accomplished what before had been so hard, which was to push the bow of the ship up into the wind and tack, however this time we were unprepared for it. With the help of the more experienced ship’s staff we were able to rectify this situation, and although we were unable to sail right into Horseshoe Bay given the prevailing conditions and time constrictions, we made it into the anchorage under power and sail, and eventually under power alone. Once at anchor it was into the remaining challenges, such as building a rope hammock on deck, a pictograph of our journey, a special brass cleaning edition of happy hour (the chemicals are free) and a display of knotwork from Christoph. The most remarkable activity was the landing of 6 of our crew on the beach at Horseshoe Bay, raising the flag and claiming the land for the youth of Australia and convincing an incredible 65 people on the beach to sing the national anthem. This netted us an incredible amount of points and boosted our total massively. This claiming of the beach allowed all of us some time ashore in the afternoon to have a welcome chill-out and a chance to call our loved ones back home. Overall, the 12 hours were filled with fast sailing, unorthodox tacking and we were heeling so much the boys on the port side of the 12 berth at the bow felt it necessary to protect themselves from rolling out of their racks with leecloths. The most pleasing thing from my perspective was to see the knowledge that we have learned over the last week put to use, and it was as if everything almost all fell into place at the right moment. As we have heard a few times, it takes 24 people to sail the ship, and collectively we possessed the knowledge to do it, and as a team we did it, with teamwork, courage and a little bit of help from our friends. The teamwork among the watches and the entire crew at tacking stations was phenomenal, especially when those on the bridge were asking for sails to be sheeted in hard in trying conditions. The teamwork on the bridge was amazing and I knew that I could leave the bridge for a sleep and breakfast, safe in the knowledge that the capable hands of Ella, James, Kerryn or Michael had the whole thing under control. The waypoints, the bearings and the speeds pale into insignificance when we think about how much we have all grown in ourselves, as a team and of the friendships formed along the way. Youth and the sea; tested against not only the elements, but ourselves.I would like to thank everyone for their courage, their strength, their muscle and their minds.We did it!BenQuotes:There are no such things as mistakes, only learning opportunities ��� (said by me, stolen from somewhere) To venture causes anxiety, but not to venture is to lose one’s self. And to venture in the highest sense is precisely to become conscious of one’s self ��� Soren Kierkegaard