Day One – The departure and finding safe harbour
Ahoy there fellow sailors, land lubbers, armchair sailors, friends and followers,T’was a great pleasure to meet the lovely youth crew of Voyage 8 today in Newcastle. They embarked at 1500 with friends and family in tow, who came to inspect the ship and the staff crew, and to farewell their loved one for 11 days. I told them to rest assured, we would take very good care of their young sailors, as we have a very experienced staff crew for this voyage.Namely: Sailmaster Taffy Navigator Kyle Watch Officer Kenny (aka Knuckle) White watch leader Matt Red watch leader Horto Blue watch leader Marcos Engineer Danny Chef Keely. We also have embarked two ‘suitability candidates’ to conduct an 11 day job interview – Harry and Lauren.And so it was then, at 1600 (with three youthies yet to arrive) we departed our berth at Queens Wharf to make a transit for Port Stephens, to find a safe anchorage and bunker down for the east coast low to pass, which is forecast to move through Saturday and Sunday. Luckily our intrepid Youth Scheme operative, Marty, was on hand to pickup two Victorians – whose flight was delayed – and then made rendezvous with the third scallywag before calling in a boat transfer. As we had only just then, shaped a course to depart the mighty Hunter River, we happily obliged and sent forth ‘Knuckle’ in our seaboat to pick up our tardy travellers.Course was then set for Port Stephens and a detailed safety brief was conducted. Ice breaker activities and ships tours took place, then Keely whipped us up a lovely feast. I was pretty sure the spaghetti meatballs were spectacular, but not 100% convinced, I needed another bowl to confirm. Yes, we are going to be spoilt this voyage (Mental note – must do some aerobics-oz-style in the morning).At 2200 we entered Port Stephens, with most of our hardy sailors safely tucked up in their racks, with a nice hum of zeds, emanating from below decks. The ship came to anchor in Salamander Bay at 2325. Staff will take care of anchor watches tonight to ensure our youthies are well rested for a big day tomorrow. So, a nice introduction to life at sea this afternoon with a little sea state causing only a hand full of youthies to ‘feed the fish’. Others not afflicted, enjoyed getting to know each other, singing a few melodies accompanied by guitar and ukulele, and others still got a handle of the helm.Day one is done and dusted folks, looking forward to day two.Yours Aye,Captain Adam
Latitude/Longitude:
Conditions:
NE 10-12 kts. Low easterly swell. Temp 19
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Thank you Tarvi, Kaeden and Matt for your narrative of today's events. Intentions are to remain at anchor in Hunters Bay, just off HMAS Penguin, home of the RAN Diving School, a place close to my heart, having spent many a day there under training as a young Officer! The plan is to weigh anchor and proceed to HMAS Waterhen, in Waverton, to pick up our Community Day Sailors from the Windgap Foundation and take them for a sail around the harbour for 3 hours. The Youth Crew will help us host our visitors and give them an experience of Young Endeavour. We will drop them back to Waverton and then proceed to anchor in the harbour where we will have a good view of the Bridge and the Opera House for the Youth Crew's last night onboard. Until tomorrow. Yours Aye, Captain Mike