Day 5 – Broken Bay

Ahoy there everyone,Welcome to day five, the morning commenced with a rousing tune from Sail Master Matt, when everyone mustered on deck at 0630, you guessed correctly it was still raining and remained the same for the entire day. Our early morning activity was vigorously conducted prior to breakfast, morning brief and happy hour. Watch Officer Jarrod then presented an intriguing maritime Rules of the Road lecture, an important component of safely navigating the ship to avoid colliding with other vessels or running aground by correctly identifying various lights, shapes and navigation markers. With this new found knowledge, sails were cast loose as the ship weighed anchor from Dangar Island in the Hawkesbury River and motor sailed into Broken Bay. From this location the ship conducted a series of rotational tacks. This activity required the three Youth Crew watches to rotate through each of the tacking station positions enabling each member to gain a more comprehensive understanding of how the sails and yards are handled during this important manoeuvring evolution. At lunch Chef Squiz out performed himself as usual providing a superb selection of fine cuisine as the ship motored to an anchorage adjacent Cottage Point. After lunch the ship’s sea boat transferred the Youth Crew ashore to stretch their sea legs and hug a tree. Each of the watches under the facilitation of their watch leader then conducted mid voyage talks where each discussed individual and collective progression against their initial goals, then reset priorities and revised goals for the remainder of the voyage. When all hands were back onboard Leon the Engineer conducted round two of non-competitive ‘Rope Races’ enabling the Youth Crew to challenge themselves by remembering and identifying various equipment located around the upper decks. With the rain continuing to fall the Youth Crew regrouped in the café where I presented a lesson on sail theory in order to consolidate the practical aspects of the deck and sail work that they have been conducting over the previous five days. After a magnificent dinner three concurrent activities were conducted; a meteorological presentation, a navigation lesson and a teamwork and communication exercise. With each of these successfully completed the Youth Crew settled into anchor watches overnight. It has been a wet and engaging last five days which have seen a significant development in the overall journey of our young adventurers. As a team they have progressed enormously both individually and collectively as the voyage continues to gain momentum. Many have achieved goals they would never have thought possible at the commencement of the voyage showing true perseverance, determination and commitment. The intention is again remain at anchor overnight due to the prevailing weather conditions offshore and continue operating within the Broken Bay area. Until tomorrow evening, take care. Yours Aye Captain Damien