Captain's Log

Sep-16

16 June 2016

Day 1 – Voyage Underway

Hi Everyone,

Welcome to Young Endeavours third voyage of our 2016 Circumnavigation of Australia. I have just returned from having a voyage off and am really excited to be back sailing this part of the Australian Coast.

The Young Endeavour Staff Crew for this voyage are as follows:

Captain â€“ Gav

Sail Master â€“ Kenny

Navigator â€“ Luke

BOATSO â€“ Jarrod

Red Watch Leader â€“ Adam (Assisted by Megan)

White Watch Leader â€“ Evan

Blue Watch Leader â€“ Jess

Chef â€“ Jenko

Engineers – Horto

The voyage commenced at 1500 this afternoon when our new Youth Crew joined Young Endeavour berthed alongside at HMAS Morton which is located within the Bulimba Army Barracks. Once onboard and all gear stowed, everyone mustered on deck for my welcome address and Staff Crew introductions. On completion we farewelled family and friends and quickly made preparations to get underway so that we could depart our berth and get well ahead of a P&O Cruise Liner due to depart Hamilton Wharf at 1600.

This was achieved and by 1545 we were well clear of our berth and had commenced our pilotage out of the Brisbane River. During this pilotage the Watch Leaders conducted some â€˜ice breaker activitiesâ€™ and ships tours. Dinner followed with Chef Jenko producing the first of many great meals for this voyage.

At 1730 we entered Morton Bay then shaped a course for the east of the bay and our planned anchorage at Morton Island. During our passage across Morton Bay we conducted Captain and Sail Master Chats and on completion came safely to anchor just to the north east of the Tangalooma Resort at 1930. Once at anchor Kenny and Megan mustered everyone at midships and gave them a very thorough safety brief which was followed by harness and climbing briefs.

Normally on completion of these activities we would go straight into first night climbs but given our late anchorage we have decided to defer these climbs until tomorrow morning ensuring that the Youth Crew will be well rested prior to undertaking this activity.

Given the current weather forecast it is our intention to remain at anchor at Tangalooma overnight then weigh anchor early tomorrow afternoon, conduct our pilotage out of Morton Bay then shape a course to the north and start making best speed to Harvey Bay, which is currently planed to be our next anchorage.

Until tomorrow evening, take care.

Yours Aye

Captain Gav

Latitude/Longitude:

27 10 S / 153 22 E

Conditions:

Currently at anchor at Tangalooma and experiencing light ESE winds with nil swell and the current temperature is 15 degrees.

AUTHOR: Commanding Officer STS Young Endeavour

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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

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Day 9 – Command Day Part 2

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