Sailing under the Full Moon

Situation at 20:00- The night watches provided an opportunity for the Youth Crew to take part in team building and lateral thinking exercises. Throughout the night the Ship had to fight head winds to make groundto the North, only to have the wind back into our face again as we altered to round the top of Fraser Island. As the afternoon wore on,the wind eased completely and right now the sea is flat calm and we are drifting slowly at the mercy of the tide. We sighted both Lady Elliot and Musgrove Islands and then altered South into Hervey Bay. Today we have sighted both Whales and Dolphins as well as several different types of sea birds.The Youth Crew had a relatively quiet day today. A new feature of the morning brief was a description by Dr. Susan Buzer of what Matthew Flinders and his Ship’s Company were actually doing 200 years ago today. Dr. Sue is a Flinders educator from the University of Queensland and has joined YOUNG ENDEAVOUR for this voyage. Aftermorning brief and happy hour were out of the way, Captain John explained the theory of sailing and how sails work. After lunch XO Paul led the first episode of rope races, followed by an exercisedesigned to emphaise the importance of communication. Most of the Youth Crew were aloft to watch a supurb sunset, as well as anotherPod of Whales. Overall it has been a terrific day. Happy Birthday Vicki.YOUNG ENDEAVOUR fact file: The Ship is fitted with two, solid brass saluting Cannons used on ceremonial occasions to pay respects to visiting dignitaries, start Yachting races and, best of all, scare other tall ships when we see them.Thought of the day: He who has a why to live can bear with almost any how. Frederick NietzscheYours, AyeJohn CowanAhoy, Dr Sue here,We really are experiencing history this voyage, we are at the same place and time that Matthew Flinders passed here exactly 200 yearsago with the Investgator. We are even experiencing the same frrustrating wind conditions that he mentioned in his log.An interesting thing we have noticed reading Flinder’s writings is that even though he knew that there were whales all about here (hementions several times that whaling ships were known to be in the area, and even spotted a couple) Flinder’s never mentions that heactually saw whales. I guess that they simply weren’t such an unusual spectacle to his people.Watching the Youth Crew climbing aloft, listening to them gathered on the midships deck talking, resting between their watches, I get thefeeling that a part of life on sailing voyages hasn’t changed that much in 200 years. After all, most of Flinder’s crew were very muchlike ours, young, adventurous and reaching out for something a little different in their lives, eager to learn.As I sign off, I can here the watch chanting as they furl one of the sails, as the ship slips quietly along under the full moon, along thepath of the Investigator and its people. Its a little bit eerie….Dr Sue Buzer