AT ANCHOR WHITEHAVEN BEACH

Hi Everyone,                    As we made ground last night to the Outer Reef the wind strengthened to 25kts from the south east and the swell increased to 2 metres making it quite unpleasant for our new mariners. By 2330 we were only 4nm from the Outer Reef so the ship was called to tacking stations and we altered course to the south west and shaped a new course for Whitsunday Island and our planned anchorage at Whitehaven Beach. Despite a number of cases of seasickness the Youth Crew continued to perform well throughout the night and their spirits remained high.This morning was overcast with scattered showers. Following morning brief and a short period of down-time the ship came to anchor just of the spectacular Whitehaven Beach. On completion of lunch and a quick set of cleaning stations (Happy Hour) the Youth Crew were ferried ashore were they were given the opportunity to swim in the crystal clear water, play beach sports or just take a long walk along this fantastic beach. Despite experiencing some torrential rain whilst ashore the Youth Crew had a wonderful time and came back onboard completely cured of the previous night’s seasickness. This evening we had planned to have a Teak Deck BBQ but unfortunately due to the inclement weather (more torrential rain) this had to be cooked in the galley and eaten below decks in the ships café.On completion of dinner the weather had cleared so everyone mustered up on deck were we all enjoyed an entertaining round of three way talks (communication and public speaking exercise).To complete this evenings activities, Rick the Navigator gave a presentation on how to keep the ship safe at anchor then we reverted to anchor watches for the night which will ensure that everyone gets a well deserved good nights sleep.Tomorrow morning we will depart our anchorage at Whitehaven Beach and continue to explore the Whitsunday Islands prior to commencing our passage north to Townsville.Until tomorrow, take care.Yours AyeCaptain Gav