Day 9 – Command Day Part 2 – and 40 knots

Captain Kenny is still goofing off (working on his tan) and learning his lines for tonights SOD’S Opera (Ships Operatic Department)…over to Captain Mike——GURDY GURDY GURDY!
The day began not with a 6:30am wake-up call, but at 12am as we continued to fight the swiftly-changing tides and winds. With teamwork, persistence, and a couple coffees, we managed to sail ourselves straight into Sydney Harbour where we were rewarded with a breathtaking half-crescent moon that perched perfectly above the harbour bridge. Or as some of us put it – the moon kinda looked like a lemon. Originally, we were meant to arrive into the harbour at 5:00am; however, due to the gusting winds and waves that kept many of our heads over the side of the ship, we ended up arriving by 2:00 – much ahead of schedule.
I felt that the empathy and care of our team yesterday and today was exceptional. After crashing in bed for a quick nap, I couldn’t stop thinking about the genuine care that radiated from each youthie. We cooked for each other, cared for the seasick (and mildly concussed), and were forgiving when fatigue got the best of us. This was celebrated at our morning brief where we sung our anthem to three different tunes that the staffies had to guess – although it didn’t really help with our Sail Master whispering each tune before it was sung….
Following the morning brief, our staffies were educated on the intricacies of Snapchat and music festivals which very much intrigued the C(K)arlys. We then headed into our ship’s makeshift nightclub Her Majesty’s for a quick rave before Happy Hour. Clambering past the dirty towel used as a makeshift curtain, it became clear that Her Majesty’s was really just the boys’ berth with couple of glowsticks for cosmetic appeal. However, as we all got jumping and witnessed Hastie propose to Adz, we put muggy musk behind us and tried to ignore the fact that we could taste how it smelt.
When Happy Hour concluded and we had finished polishing the cannons and the staffie’s mirror, we handed the ship back over and crashed into naps. To celebrate a successful Command Day we all went ashore to Double Bay. There was no better feeling than cooling off at the beach after a challenging 24 hours and those who were waiting on their ATARs were finally able to get them using the local library’s computers!!
We are currently continuing our festivities with a barbecue on deck and a series of skits form our in-house, onboard comedians. After having already seen Bill Nye, the Rock, and Jackie Chan on board, we are all excited to see what comes our of tonight as we get a stable night’s rest at anchor.
The past 24 hours were undoubtedly the most valuable so far. It was an opportunity for everybody to put our skills to the test and collaborate to complete the 26 Command Day tasks (of which we completed 24.166666…) in a safe environment. I think it is safe to say that everybody is hoping to make the most of the last couple of days and to see Nan Beryl one more time.
Until next time,
Mike