Day 10 – Port Adelaide, Harbour Furls…and a Final Farewell.

Ahoy shipmates…Day 10, the penultimate day of the voyage…always bittersweet. Alex and TY have covered the day (and voyage) quite succinctly below, so I’ll be brief. From Melbourne to King Island (via a bouncy Bass Strait), Kangaroo Island and finally Adelaide, it has been a blast. The youth crew have been a pleasure to have onboard, and have done an outstanding job, evidenced by a very successful Command Day. They are all now part of the Young Endeavour family and we wish them every success, whatever their futures may hold. Wishing you all fair winds and following seas, Captain Kenny, out!———-
Captains Log Day 10
The sleeping arrangements were different this morning. Most of the Youthies slept up on deck due to the cool night breeze and the excitement that had been building over the voyage. This morning was a special one for the blue watch as they ticked off one of our group goals which was to do a sunrise climb. This involved waking up at 0620 hours, buddy checking harnesses and then climbing up to the course sail yards. While the clouds did indeed block the initial first light, the blue watch thoroughly enjoyed seeing the sun rise over port Adelaide.
As the sun rose higher in the sky and the rest of us awoke it all started dawning on us how much the voyage had taken out of us. We were tired. However there was much yet to do. So we cracked on with it. The happiest hour of the day brightened and energized our hearts while the morning briefing gave us our mission. To make our way through the industrial port complex of Adelaide to our mooring and unfortunately our final destination.
Members of the Defense Reserve Support Group and Navy Reserves came aboard for a tour of the ship, a taste of the competitive side of the Young Endeavour with a thriller educational game of Ropies and a good feed. Once everyone’s stomachs were full the three watches wandered into the harbor of port Adelaide in search of ice cream and also to review and consolidate our Full Value Contracts. This included our favorite moments/highlights of the voyage and, our personal and watch goals. While maybe not all of us succeeded in the goals we set ourselves, I believe that we succeeded in so much more than we thought possible. Good work team!
While out and about in the hot harbour weather, a couple of the watches decided to get wet via the beach as well as a cool water slide. While frolicking in the shallows of the beachy waters, a crab was found, which had been in the wars and was now dead. It was then further examined by throwing it up and around at youthies and staffies. Keithy, being a crab expert, deemed it fit to eat so several brave youthies sampled the crab as we returned back to the Young Endeavour.
After a pleasant pizza party up on deck we harbour furled the square sails, wrote some inspirational letters to our future selves and prepared the Young Endeavor for its next adventure. And to end the day the watches came together to enjoy the trials and tribulations of our wonderful voyage.
To sum up the experiences we have all had, both wonderful and challenging, into just a couple of paragraphs would be a disservice to the incredible journey we have completed. However at this late hour, in the tired states we are in, there is not much more we can do. The memories, love and bonds that we have created over the last several days however will do it justice. Our increasing chemistry brought us closer together and helped us individually find our true potential by working as a team. Whether it’s overcoming fears, learning new skills or bringing smiles to our faces. We did it together! What an amazing week and a half this has been. New friends, new ideas and a whole new zest for life gained. A bargain any day!
I think I can say on behalf of all the Youthies and Staffies that we will always have a connection to each other, the Young Endeavour and the experience of a life time we have shared.
Shout out to the Batemans Bay squad from Alex and to Mum and Dad, for awkwardly standing around and taking photos earlier today and all the friends back home from Oscar.T.Y.
See you all on the returnee voyage team.