Iron Headsails

Ahoy ShipmatesThis morning saw everyone called on deck to tacking stations at 0350. This had been expected but it still does not make it any easier for the watch that had only gone to bed four hours previously. With the tack successfully completed and the watches handed over it was back to bed for the rest of us while the ship continued to make progress to the south east across Discovery Bay.Late this morning the predicted wind failed us so it became necessary to start the iron headsails (main engines) and motorsail whilst we awaited some favourable winds. This quite period allowed us time to conduct half-way voyage talks, another set of rope races and the final part of my sailing theory lesson. This was followed by a huge afternoon tea served on deck by our very talented chef, Jarod then a final set of demonstrational tacks prior to settling down for the evening watches. During the night we are expecting some favourable westerly winds so hopefully by lunch time tomorrow we will have entered Port Phillip Bay and proceeded to anchor in preparation for the commencement of Command Day. Yours AyeCaptain Gav Captains Log entry from Tegan Evans (Teegs) Woo-Sah what a voyage!! My name is Teegs and I’m a member of the youth crew onboard, our ever inspiring Captain Gav has asked me to write an entry and I must say it’s going to be hard keeping it limited to the last 24 hours! There is so much cool stuff to write about. From the second we all stepped on board it’s been challenge after challenge and a huge journey both mentally and physically for all of us. For me it’s actually sort of all come together in the last day or so, I’m getting a handle on my place and abilities on board. But more importantly than that I feel my Watch really embraced each other, came together and became a team yesterday. As well as our sailing activities yesterday we did an exercise called Apples and Onions. This is where each member of the watch spent a bit of time by themselves and wrote down something they liked and something they felt needed improvement about every other member of the Watch, an Apple and an Onion. Our watch had a whole tree worth of apples, there is a lot of good people in our Watch, and genuine respect between our members. Everyone had something good to say about everyone else, and some of us heard things we’d never heard before. To receive a wholehearted complement or thoughtful observation from someone you’ve only known for five days is a very humbling and beautiful thing. Some of us found it hard dishing up our onions, or finding them at all, but for those of us who were served onions, we weren’t hearing anything new, they were things we already knew about ourselves. Our Watchleader, Lindsey (bless his stripy thermals), described it as a ���talking mirror’, to hear your own feelings in someone else’s words.See onions, when cooked and presented properly, can be just as tasty as apples.Later in the day, during our Ship’s Watch Lindsey set us a task. We had to set the Main Gaff Topsail. Now this wasn’t just yanking on some lines like every other sail we’ve set, this thing was a folded up pile on the deck and tied up with string. It needed to go to the very top of the aft-most mast. Lindsey tossed us an instruction book and said ���I’ve personally never even seen it up, but you’ll be right guys’ and off he wandered.So we sat down at the base of the mast with sail and the instructions and worked it out together, Lindsey did help us with a little terminology we weren’t familiar with but really let us take charge. We ran into a few trouble spots but got through them together.I saw little bits and pieces of the apples and onions exercise coming through in our teamwork and we definitely worked together, as a team, with a better knowledge of ourselves and each other. Needless to say the Main Gaff Topsail is now flying proud, and we were flying even prouder! Just as we finished and as if to say ���Well done Red Watch, you guys are the bomb!’ a pod of dolphins appeared to starboard side. These gorgeous creatures swam alongside the ship leaping out of the water and chasing each other, we could even see a new calf just under the water. We ended the day on the bow of the ship, clinging to the rails and riding the up and down motions as we traversed over the swell. There is point in that motion where you become weightless, just before the bow comes crashing down throwing water and spray everywhere. Two of our girls Brooke and Inkie went right out onto the bowsprit (Wearing safety harnesses of course, don’t panic Mums!) to ride the waves, up until they got drenched as the bowsprit came down right on top of a wave, spraying them both from underneath, those of us on deck wet ourselves laughing. Myself and my watchmate Roy stayed out on the bow to watch the sunset, laughing our heads off and yelling at the sea to give us bigger waves and more spray, it was a blast, we both said we felt so very very free.This morning started with Ship’s Watch at 0400, early morning watch isn’t exactly the best part of the voyage, unless you’ve got��_ Da-na-na-naaaaaaaaaaah, Super-Lindsay! (World’s greatest Watchleader did I mention?) who just to make our Watch more interesting, took five of us up the mast to watch the sunrise. It’s kind of comforting sitting up there, twelve odd metres above deck, swaying back and forth as the ship rocks (Again Mum’s, safety harnesses!) its like a little world within itself, and really peaceful. Lindsay has a way of making you appreciate all the parts of the voyage, and making the good bits really special.It feels like a whole world within itself out on this ship, as I write this, Brooke has spotted a pod of Pilot Whales off the port side and now the whole crew is hanging off the side of the ship in awe. Every day has its challenges, its hard bits and its beautiful once-in-a-lifetime moments. I’m so glad that right now, this is where I am in the world.Teegs