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.
Latitude/Longitude:
Conditions:
Wind: SE at 8 knots Weather: Fine Sea: Calm Location: Berthed Port Adelaide
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ARRRGH, ahoy there from the spectacular Jervis Bay! We’ve all been taken A-back by the crystal clear blue waters and snow white sands.
After a well deserved sleep in these sheltered waters which was a refreshing change to clinging to our bunk racks for dear life for the past few days, the ship rose to another banger of a morale tune “sung” by Blue Watch. Brekkie was fun after the early morning activity to get us all up and moving. We held another round of competitive not-competitive rope races which culminated in smashed eggs on deck and the mummification of said egg smashers.
Roast lamb for lunch was prepped by the staffies in the absence of our culinary wizard Steve. Once cleaned up, we took the RHIB’s across to Captains Beach bordering HMAS Creswell which was a mind-blowingly beautiful little spot. Pretty much everyone had a dip in the drink and a roll in the sand and played some creative beach games run by our Suitability legends, Speedy Sam and Eggs.
A few hours at the beach made everyone ready to head back home and attack a teak deck barbeque, devouring cheese platters, steaks, sangas, and salads. With our full stomachs, us youthies initiated the highly anticipated elections for our command day roles. Which will commence sometime around midday tomorrow. We held a vote for each available role that all willing youthies put themselves forward for.
The following roles were voted as follows: Captain – Warwick, Sailmaster – Hugh, Navigator – Ruscoe, Officer of the Watch – Dan, Watch Leader – Nick, Ben, Bridget, Master chef – Emily, Mackenzie, Alyshia
We were greeted after our elections by a low flying anti-submarine MH60-Romeo Helicopter which did a cool fly around our ship. *Thanks Squizz!!* And then watched an amazing film about the rounding of Cape Horn back in 1929 on a 7 story tall sail ship.
Signing off from our anchor watch, Ben and Giles.
“I believe that positive energy and optimism help us to take up any challenge in life and to succeed in even the most difficult tasks. I also believe that positive energy is contagious: We can transmit it to others”


After a rather nonchalant guts watch with the Bluies, Reddies came in guns a blazing, setting our beautiful square sails preparing us for a speedy and eventful day at sea. Scaling (laying aloft) the Foremast, whilst the ship swayed kept the Reddies on their toes, holding on for dear life as they let out the gaskets for the Topgallant and Topsail Yards. A challenging activity to start off our day rewarded with a beautiful sunrise over Starboard.
During the day we participated in a Meteorology Brief led by our resident Nav guru TOMO, learning everything there is about fluffy, rainy and stormy clouds. This was followed by Lunch and a needed Siesta.
Whilst some slumbered, Bluies kept watch. They had brave volunteers to climb both main mast and to the topgallant yard to sea furl the sails.
In the afternoon, our Watches came together to have Mid Voyage Chats, where we had the opportunity to reflect on our voyage goals, experiences and discuss our hopes for Command Day. There were some very heartfelt talks, from overcoming fears, to gaining confidence in working as a team, and we set our eyes upon what we want to achieve in the rest of the voyage.
The first dog (Reddies) (from 1545 to 1745) was full of excitement, with over 50kn winds and up to 50 degrees on the OOOH AAAH meter (heel). Watching the waves break higher than the rails was an exhilarating experience and kept us holding on tight. Sites of sharks and a Cargo ship kept our lookouts entertained, while Callum lead an engaging activity on Charts. At the end of the first dog watch, Nick and Phil braved these treacherous conditions to lay aloft on the mainmast to wrangle the mainsail!
Rockin and rolling, Youthies (the newest salty sea dogs) Hugh, Bridget, and Nick!!