DEAL ISLAND

Ahoy Shipmates,At 0615 this morning all sail was handed in and YE proceeded to anchor in the picturesque East Cove at Deal Island. Once safely at anchor it was the normal routine of morning brief, breakfast and cleaning stations. To finish of the morning the Boats Officer Dave (Yak) provided the YC with an informative and interactive presentation on Rules of the Road (how not to run into other ships). Following lunch all of the YC were ferried ashore to East Cove beach were most took the opportunity to complete the two hour walk to the historic lighthouse while others opted to visit the local homestead and museum or just chose to laze on the beach. This evening we enjoyed the first of our “Teak Deck BBQ’s” for this voyage (cooked by Bel and myself) which was followed by a very entertaining session of three way talks (communication and public speaking exercise). As this is our first night at anchor since departing Devonport all watches have been reduced to anchor watches for the night allowing both YC and staff the opportunity to get a good nights sleep, ensuring that everyone will be well rested for the days ahead.Tomorrow morning we will depart Deal Island and commence our 120nm passage to Port Phillip Bay. The pleasing news is that the weather forecast is good!!!.Please find attached Captains Log entries from some of the Youth Crew.Until tomorrow, take care.Yours AyeCaptain GavVOYAGE 17-08 CAPTAINS LOGDay five of our sea voyage adventure we are in a beautiful bay at Deal Island. For the first time during our trip we have calm water and beautiful sunshine. It is a blessingï¿½ as we have been faced with and met the challenges of the weather Gods thus far. Most of us giving into the sea sickness and admiring the power of the ocean around us. It has been an awesome experience. I am truly grateful for everything that we have succumbed to so far! Hello to all my loved ones! I amï¿½ alive and well!Natalie NobleIt is Day 5 of our Young Endeavour journey and we find ourselves anchored in the beautiful surrounds of Deal Island. Today was the first time on this voyage that the weather has smiled on us and indeed our first opportunity to go ashore. It was a nice experience to sail to such a beautiful island where some of our group tackled a leg crunching walk to the lighthouseï¿½ and some of us just stayed on the beach and lazed around in the sun. Although the journey has been rough we are all having a great time. Hello to Mum, Dad, Jodie and Mark and a very happy birthday to HamishLisa CameronAhoy me mateys!! Day five and we are anchored at beautiful Deal Island. Blue skies, calm waters, isolated beaches, sailing with best friends..what more could one ask for. Have been having the time of my life taking the Helm of the ship, climbing aloft and learning how to navigate. Looking forward to command day when the youth crew will take total control of the ship for 24hrs. I encourage everyone to try out for the Young Endeavour, it really is a once in a lifetime opportunity.Quick hello to Jas, the Ryans’, Erin, Jess and JohnSailor Steve.Wow if only you could have traded places with us for the day! After a shocking few days of sea sickness went finally got on shore at Deal Island and it is GORGEOUS!! We had a wonderful hot day of walking and then had a bbq on the boat, if you haven’t tried it, do it NOW!!Jess BSailing on the Young Endeavour is like being in a completely different world. Rough seas, calm seas, dolphins, islands, and sandy beaches are some of what we’ve come across, at all other times it’s an endless expanse of nothingness. 5 days in, nestled amongst the Kent Group of island, a barby at sunset and a walk on land was a welcomed exercise by all on board. This voyage has brought the best out of each of us. Each day reveals new concepts, and inturn new individual talents and team skills. From on board the Young Endeavour, we sayï¿½Yarr Harr.Paul KOhhhhhh my vomit bag, how well we have gotten to know each other over these last few days! You were my friend, my ally, and at times my enemy. Through the rough seas, and open expanse of water, oh how we grew to tolerate each other! Day 5, 8:30 pm at night. The seas are calm, the weather is mild, and we are sitting in a small bay between Victoria and Tasmania, full on a hearty barbeque tucker. Today was our first day ashore, and we relished the small opportunity of feeling the sand beneath our toes on dry land once more, having spent the entire voyage rocking like a baby in a cradle (a very rough cradle, with the sea, like a madman pushing us from side to side as he takes swigs from a large brandy bottle and letting out huge belly laughs, his prisoner on the open sea). Highlights of the day?? Hmmmm, climbing to the top of the island, to an amazing view, and exploring the lighthouse that has been here since 1849. The days ahead?? Doesn’t matter! The sea, the ropes, the horizon, we are gonna have it all!My love to Mum, mark and Jules (wee wee), lovely Poodles, Pip, Michelle and the Wagga Gang! Ciaooo mates!Jo CiolpanAfter a rough few days (nearly everyone was seasick.) today has been amazing. We are nestled near a bay on Deal Island, we went ashore and hiked up to the lighthouse to amazing views, the weather has been perfect and everyone is happy. I have made friendships that will last far beyond this voyage, and experienced things that will stay with me for the rest of my life. A few highlights include climbing to the top of the mast, navigating and taking control of the helm. This is one of the most rewarding and challenging things I have ever done. If you’ve considered trying out for the Young Endeavour do it now, you won’t regret it!Hello to my Mum, Dad and friends back in Healesville!! MISS YOU!!Ashlee GrimsonHello beloved friends and family! (mum, dad, pete, gra, kris etc).Missing you all lots but having heaps of fun. It’s been a rough couple of days but we’ve been assured it should be much smoother sailing from here! We’ve seen some beautiful parts of the world that most people will never get to see, it’s been amazing. Gra- We’re getting so good at setting and furling sails, and we can pretty much tack the ship in our sleep (which we sometimes need to do). We’ve all learnt so much over the last few days and there’s still heaps more fun things to experience!Love you all- Give Jazzy a cuddle for me, I hope her foot is better.Emily M.Hello to everyone back in Hobart! We’re settling in to an evening in the beautiful, isolated bay at Deal Island. Minus the seasickness a couple of days ago I’m having a great time and I cant believe we’re half way through already!! I’ve learnt heaps and met heaps of great new people, and can’t wait to see what the rest of the voyage brings!!Luv Catherine M.Â Â

Latitude/Longitude:

39Â°28's / 147Â°18'e

Conditions:

Currently at anchor in East Cove (Deal Island) and enjoying light SE winds without any swell.

AUTHOR: Commanding Officer STS Young Endeavour

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V04/24

19 February 2024

Day 11 – Last Day of the Voyage

Good morning Shipmates, Sailmaster Sara's final Wakey Wakey song was pumped through the Ship’s speakers to jar the crew of YE from their deep slumber after a particularly tiring day of the Community Day Sail. Activities included end-of-voyage chats for the watches, harbour furling the square sails, eating as much home made pizza, cooked by master chef Ash, as we possibly could and knocking over final command day tasks including the Slide Show. It was up on deck for a quick head count to make sure everyone was out of their ‘racks’ and ready for their final day onboard. Breakfast was followed by the morning brief on the plan for the day and then the Staff Crew weighed anchor and got us underway while the Youth Crew laid aloft for a quick harbour cruise. Navigator Seb piloted the Ship from our Athol Bay anchorage, past Fort Dennison under the Harbour Bridge, where we fired the Ship’s saluting cannon, and then into Balls Head Bay to our berth. We berthed at HMAS Waterhen at 1000 to the warm welcome of friends and family of the Youthies, waiting on the wharf for us. Once we had secured the ship alongside we invited our guests onboard, allowed them a walk around the ship to see where the Youthies had lived and worked for the last eleven days, and then we gathered everyone at midships. Sail Master Sara spoke about our adventures during the voyage and then I presented the Voyage Completion certificates to the youth crew and the Young Endeavour Award to Liv for her outstanding hard work on in undertaking the voyage and her dedication to helping her fellow youth crew members to achieve their voyage goals. We then farewelled the Youth Crew of V04/24 after a fantastic challenging and enjoyable voyage. Thank you for following our adventures and hope you enjoyed hearing about them. Yours, aye, Captain Mike

V04/24

19 February 2024

Day 10 – Community Day Sail Sydney Harbour

Good evening shipmates, After a well-earned quality night’s sleep at anchor in Hunters Bay, Sail Master Sara woke us with another of her soothing tunes to get us on deck for a quick early morning activity. After breakfast the staff crew weighed anchor and conducted the transit to HMAS Waterhen, at Waverton. We berthed there at 0900 and prepared to embark our guests for the Community Day Sail. At 1015 we cast off our berthing lines and departed with our 34 guests and commenced our 3 hour tour of the harbour. Our Community Day Sailors were a group 30 members and staff from the Windgap Foundation. We also embarked some defence personnel as well. We again passed under the Harbour Bridge and then proceeded into Rose Bay where we set some sails and commenced sailing back towards Waterhen. Whilst on the harbour our fantastic youth crew helped us host our Windgap special guests. They encouraged our guests to participate in setting the staysails and a square sail by helping to pull on the sheets and clewlines. The youth crew also helped Chef Ash to prepare and deliver the food to our guests on deck. At 1300, after 3 fun-packed hours on the harbour, we berthed back at the southern wharf at HMAS Waterhen. Once we had farewelled our guests it was time to commence our end-of-voyage activities and preparations. The staff crew managed to organise a visit to the RAN Ship MATV Sycamore, which is crewed by a mixture of civilians and Navy staff, is a multi-role aviation training vessel. The youth crew embarked with their watch leaders and were given a 45 minute tour of the ship by some of the Navy crew. On completion they returned onboard and Young Endeavour sailed and proceeded to our anchorage in Athol Bay, which affords a great view of the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House. During the transit to the anchorage the Youthies undertook their end-of-voyage chats, facilitated by their watch leaders, to examine if they had achieved everything in their full-value contracts they had completed at the start of the voyage. After the traditional last voyage dinner of home made pizzas, Sara gave the Youthies the Harbour Furl brief, who then donned their climbing harnesses and laid aloft to undertake the ‘Harbour Furl’ of the square sails to make them look immaculate for our ceremonial arrival at the end of the voyage tomorrow. Once that was completed, the youth crew then finished off their final outstanding Command Day tasks, which were planned for the last night onboard. These included the Voyage Slide Show compiled of photos taken by everyone. This was excellent and provided a touching reminder of what we had experienced and the beautiful coastlines and islands that we had visited during the voyage. The final activity of the day was the end-of-voyage administration, which for the youth crew included a feedback questionnaire asking for feedback on their experience of the voyage, as well as a letter for each crew member to write to themselves on their experiences during the voyage, which the Young Endeavour Youth Scheme will post to the youth crew in 6 months time. The aim of this is to help reinforce what the youth crew have learned about leadership, teamwork and about themselves from the experience of the voyage. Once these were completed the crew were encouraged to go to bed. The Ship will remain in Athol Bay overnight and weigh anchor and sail in the morning at 0900 and undertake the transit to HMAS Waterhen, where family and friends will meet the Ship on arrival at 1000. Until you hear from me tomorrow for the final instalment of Voyage 04/24. Yours aye, Captain Mike

V04/24

19 February 2024

Day 9 – Command Day Part 2

Ahoy from Sydney! For today’s Captain’s Log: the Youthies took over and completed several tasks including singing the national anthem in three different tunes as well as giving salty sea facts to start the day in a nautical way. We finally made it! After a long and weary effort of the command team and watches, we were able to fully sail into Sydney Harbour. At approximately 11:50 we anchored in Hunters Bay. To celebrate we had a groovtastic disco in the 12 berth due to excessive rainfall but the youthies made it work, having a blast dancing to Billie Jean. Afterwards, the youthies as well as the staff reflected on our efforts during command day, following the handover of the ship to the Staffies, where we highlighted what we did well, what we could improve on and what lessons we can take back to our normal lives, of which there are many. Continuing on from the previous log, with command day still ongoing. We encountered multiple problems. One of which being that mother nature didn’t bless us and gave us little to no wind to work with. However with the efforts of the Youthies we were able to successfully gather up to 8 knots of speed after a 4am tack in which the youthies persevered despite a lack of sleep enabling us to make our way into Sydney. Before our reflection the Youthies finished their day strong with a ‘Happy Hour’ cleaning session and one final dance. The afternoon was spent relaxing and recharging from ‘Command Day’, going aloft and furling the square sails. For dinner, Ash prepared a barbecue with steak, sausages, chicken kebabs with buns and an assortment of salads with a delicious chocolate cake for dessert. The Youthies are looking forward to the Community Day Sail tomorrow which will be a great opportunity to give back to Australia and put our sailing knowledge to the test. We have learned many lessons during ‘Command Day’, we pushed ourselves out of our comfort zone and together a crew of 24 youth were able to sail a tall ship into the harbour of Sydney. Today’s score: 9 camels and a donkey (Amazing) Until next time Rock on! Tarvi, Kaeden and Matt. P.S. Happy Birthday for tomorrow little bro, love Lil xx P.S.S. Kai, sorry I didn’t do the thing for Meg. I just remembered and will do it when back.

Thank you Tarvi, Kaeden and Matt for your narrative of today's events. Intentions are to remain at anchor in Hunters Bay, just off HMAS Penguin, home of the RAN Diving School, a place close to my heart, having spent many a day there under training as a young Officer! The plan is to weigh anchor and proceed to HMAS Waterhen, in Waverton, to pick up our Community Day Sailors from the Windgap Foundation and take them for a sail around the harbour for 3 hours. The Youth Crew will help us host our visitors and give them an experience of Young Endeavour. We will drop them back to Waverton and then proceed to anchor in the harbour where we will have a good view of the Bridge and the Opera House for the Youth Crew's last night onboard. Until tomorrow. Yours Aye, Captain Mike

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DEAL ISLAND

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