Awesome art

Good Evening Shipmates,Another brilliant and special day.Woke this morning snugly at anchor in the rugged but beautiful Jensen Bay. I went for a sunrise climb with some of the YC and that certainly started my day on a high.After colours and morning brief we commenced ferrying the YC ashore. No sign of crocodiles but our mission today was to find a very sacred and special place and that was to view some aboriginal rock paintings. After about 30 minutes we reached our destination. The rock art was amazing and the whole experience was very moving. Knowing that very few Europeans would have had the chance to see these paintings made us feel very privileged indeed. We have an Aboriginal youth crew member onboard and she also found the visit special and moving. It was back onboard for lunch and then Dion announced to the YC that we would be shuffling the watches around. This is not normally done during a YE voyage but being a longer voyage than normal we thought we would give it a go. Certainly the reaction from the YC has been very positive. Shortly thereafter we sailed from the anchorage and continued our passage westwards towards Darwin. Tacking drills were conducted to bed down the new watch organisation and that all went well.We all experienced a typical Northern Territory sunset before we had an hour of silent running with the generators shut down. Pure bliss.I’ll sign off now and leave below some words from Bec.Yours ayeAndrew ���Gunna’ RourkeCommanding OfficerCarpe’ DiemOn the very first day of this voyage the entire youth crew were promised an experience that would amaze and challenge us. We were told we would be experiencing things that we could not even begin to imagine possible and that we were in for a truly unforgettable experience. I can safely say that this promise was definitely delivered upon. Everyday has been fuelled with constant energy and enthusiasm from the staff and in return with the excitement and wonderment of the youth crew who are always left feeling in awe of their new found home. The past two days have definitely been a tribute to the perseverance of all those involved. Whilst I will keep all the memories, skills and friendships I have gained from this voyage for years to come, there is definitely one image that will forever stick firmly in my mind. Sitting atop the highest point of the ships mast as we sailed through the Gugari Rip of the Wessel Island will definitely remain one of my all time greatest memories. This particular passage was no easy task having to time our entry to the passage with the strong twelve knot tidal changes and navigate the shallow and narrow channel using only the power of sail. Gazing outwards to the rugged terrain and isolated coastline surrounding us there was not one crew member on board who wasn’t aware of how special the moment was. The following night the youth crew spent hours deliberating the many possible ways we could launch an egg from halfway up the mast and having it survive. This activity proved just how well we had all bonded as teams and how we could once again overcome the challenges placed before us. Waking up this morning on the Young Endeavour there was a fresh sense of excitement and anticipation floating through the cabins as no one was mistaken in thinking today would be anything like yesterday. With the morning wake up call sung by our fellow youth crew members still ringing in our ears we emerged from the depths of the ship into the beauty and wonder that surrounded us. Whilst proceeding to wake up drills directed by the ever enthusiastic crew we were able to feast our eyes upon the natural wonder that was Jensen’s Bay. How many people get to wake everyday surrounded by vast ocean and tropical islands passing them by? Today’s trip ashore was spent exploring the vast and wild terrain of the section of islands north of Arnhem Land we had ventured to. We were guided to a small overhang where we were able to see indigenous rock paintings that have survived to this day. To put into words what we have experienced and still are experiencing is almost impossible. Through these many once in a lifetime experiences we have formed bonds that will carry through for many years to come with all of us being able to look back on this experience and never fail to crack a smile. GO BENEDICT! By Bec