Day 7 – Crossing the Tasman

Ahoy there Shipmates,Overnight the ship remained on a Westerly course making ground towards Sydney. The winds remained light and variable and the average speed achieved was 7.5 knots. The watches all undertook the leadership and teamwork exercise named ‘the Bearex’. It involved each watch being given a sail to set they had not seen done before. They were given a set of instructions, allowed to ask one question and had to set a time to complete the task before they started. It is a very valuable exercise as it highlights the importance of good two-way communications and develops the teamwork of the group.The Redies woke us at 0700 with the attached song and Gabe doing a great job on the guitar accompaniment. After another fantastic breakfast of bacon, eggs, assorted side dishes, porridge, cereals, fruit and yoghurts turned-out by Haydo with help from Jesse, Davin and Tim, we launched into another extravaganza we call the morning brief! Once again ‘Salty-the-Seadog’ honoured us with a visit to explain more expressions with a nautical origin and further expand our ‘Jack-speak’ vocabulary. Nana found just a few items of youthie clothing ‘sculling about’. Today she taught us the words and actions to the song ‘Green Alligators’.While some climbers cast-loose the square sails the remainder of the crew carried on with Happy Hour. At 1045 we set all three squares, the first time the youthies had seen the Course out. That increased our speed to over 8 knots in the 10 kn breeze.After lunch the watches met with their watch leaders and undertook mid-voyage chats, an opportunity to amend or add to their voyage individual goals. An hour of free time was followed by round four of ‘Ropies’. Sail Master Dion organised a few deck activities for the crew before we broke for dinner, which consisted of a galley BBQ created by Haydo and his assistants for today, Lakshmi, Grace and Mel.As the sun was setting the ES Easterly breeze was freshening as forecast and increasing the likelihood we would arrive in Broken Bay in the evening of Tue 19 as we had hoped.Yours Aye                                                                                               Captain Mike RED WATCH WAKEY WAKEY SONG – SUN 17 NOVLITTLE SHIPSI don’t like waking up on this cold and rocking ShipBut if you awake you get to hear our songThe decks creak as you sleep, I’m rollin in my bunkIt’s the sun telling you to open your eyesSometimes I can’t even trust my gut,I’ll take my travelcalm and be alrightAlthough the sea may challenge usThe Ship will carry our bodies safe to shoreSo listen to the words we say, HAY!So come up and greet the day HAY!    “