Day 9 – Command Day Part 2

Hi everyone,
Welcome to day nine of our voyage. Well we have just finished a very successful Command Day and completing one of the final tasks which is writing tonight’s Captain’s Log is Captain Ben and Sail Master Jake, please enjoy reading about their adventures.
Until tomorrow, take care
Yours Aye
Captain Gav

CAPTAINS LOG – 24 JUN 16

Greetings from the high seas,
Here writing tonight’s log is Command Day’s Captain Ben and Sail Master Jake. After receiving our sailing coordinates from the “Sashay” discovered by yesterday’s secret beach assault team, we weighed anchor and set sail for Gladstone.
Our sail was a dream come true, wind from a stern of 25 knots, all sails set, clear skies, whales to port, dolphins to starboard, a flock of Albatrosses hanging from the yards and Percy the possum on the helm. We could not believe our luck, the weather gods had smiled upon us and given us the smooth sail of the century.
Snapping out of what we imagined our time of being Captain and Sale Master we soon learnt that reality had a different fate in mind. Our former Captain Gav have given us 30 minutes to motor out from Keppel Island with the assistance of 5 knots of wind. Once the engines were off we were cruising high speeds of one knot for the first couple of hours. Slowly our luck began to change as the winds improved to a mighty 17 knots. Under advice from the ship’s navigator, Luke, we decided to capitalise on the wind speed and set two additional sails (the fisherman staysail and main gaff topsail), which haven’t been set since the Young Endeavour’s World Voyage. As midnight approached our top speed climbed to a staggering 5 knots and our Command Day Navigator, the Travinator assured us that we’d be able to reach Gladstone without engine assistance. Having heard the good news, we decided to hang up harpoons, pipes and hats for the evening and get some sleep.
We woke in the early hours of the morning to some distressing news indeed. Despite the fantastic work of the youth crew in their sail setting and Watch Officer Jack’s fearless tack with a skeleton crew the Krakens, the wind had fallen again to absolute zero and a reluctant Travinator was able to justify the use of engines to get us to our final milestone. However, we weren’t under engine power indefinitely as Captain Gav still wanted us to demonstrate that we were capable of wearing the ship. So, with 5 knot winds Captain Ben and Fearless Commander Jake called the ship to tacking stations and under the guidance of Gav and Kenny, we were able to make two successful wears. Having completed our final navigation challenge, we were able to put the ship back under engines and head into Gladstone Port.
Not only have we achieved getting the ship and her crew safely from Keppel Islands to Gladstone, we were responsible for insuring activities were conducted for all the youth crew. Not only had we built a 27 man hammock, climbed the yards, conducted a Beach Assault Team (BAT) but we wrote songs, poems, tied knots, brassed, cleaned, hunted sharks, shared stories of old seaman tails but most importantly learnt a little bit more about the value of teamwork. As a reward, we both decided to award ourselves field promotions to the rank of Commodore Ben and Fearless Admiral Jake, pending approval from the Australian Royal Navy.
All in all it was a very successful Command Day. The youth crew showed exceptional leadership and teamwork qualities. Yes we were exhausted and glad to hang up our responsibilities, but the experience that we had as Captain and Sail Master along with the rest of the youth crew had in their respective positions was invaluable. Command Day was certainly a highlight of our voyage and one we will all remember for years to come. Right now, however, it’s time for all of us to get some sleep and prepare ourselves for the activities still to come.
Stay chipper,
Captain Ben & Sail Master Jake