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Captain's Log
29 March 2000
Sailing with One and All
Big day at the office yesterday. By mid morning the clouds had burnt off and a fresh SW breeze came in that made for perfect sailing conditions. The youth crew had a lot to learn and went about the day in a frenzy learning the lines and how to set and furl the different sails. By mid afternoon it was all coming together and the ship went to tacking stations for the first time. We conducted three tacks that went well and I assessed that the crew were now safe and competent enough to sail through the night.We headed west into Investigator Strait to make our rendezvous with ‘One and All'(OAA). At midnight the wind all but wind died and we were forced to motorsail. At 0630 we met OAA and tacked ship to reverse course to the east.The two tall ships make a wonderful sight together as we cruise along about 200m apart. We will continue this relaxing posture until some significant wind comes in. We’re hoping for an afternoon sea breeze. When that occurs we’ll mix it together and do some close quarters sailing and tacking duels. It’s always very special to catch up with another tall ship and of course it’s a lot of fun.Until tomorrow
Latitude/Longitude:
35° 30' South / 137° 12'
Conditions:
Course 080, Speed 5kts (Motorsailing in Investigator Strait) Wind 250/5kts, Temp 18, Sunny day.
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And so ends another amazing voyage of self discovery and adventure - thanks for the good times Voyage 08/25. On the 13th of May we set sail with 16 landlubbers and today we arrive at our anchorage off Thursday Island with 16 salty sea dogs. We sailed nearly 600 nautical miles and explored some very remote sections of the Australian coastline - and had a lot of fun doing it!
The South Easterly Trades took us North on a beautiful broad reach, right up through the Inner Great Barrier Reef, and we shared the vast ocean with dophins, turtles, and lots of sharks! The odd Spanish Mackerel was seen to be dancing with the ship as we gracefully yawed our way down sea and down wind.
Captain Georgia and her team did an amazing job sailing us out into the Gulf of Carpentaria during Command Day and had us re-entering the Prince of Wales Channel right on time to be back at anchor before dinner on Day 9. Lots of self reflection and open, honest, discussion teased out life lessons that our Youthies will take with them back into their respective hometowns in Australia. Hopefully they will continue to send ripples of positive energy back out into Australian Society with their new found sense of purpose, identity and motivation.
The Crew were sad to see them go but we know that when they look back, they will look back with pride and - hopefully - with a smile as they remember all the fun times. The friendships and memories will endure as the sun sets on this particular adventure.
For now we are going to remain at anchor near to Thursday Island Wharf and clean up the ship. We are hoping to have some visitors from the Australian Navy Cadets onboard tomorrow for a ship tour and a chat. We're making new friends up here in the Torres Strait as we had four members of the Australian Border Force stop by for a visit this morning. As a Royal Australian Navy crew we love engaging with our friends across all services - if you're up here then please reach out and say Ahoy!
Until Monday
Captain Leups Out +
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Day 10 – V08/25, Cairns to Thursday Island
Today is our last full day on this wonderful voyage. We started at anchor in the Torres Strait, near our destination of Thursday Island (conveniently located next to Wednesday and Friday Islands). Overnight we were treated to the sight of a large shiver of beautiful reef sharks. We woke up in this lovely spot taking in all the views of the islands, the clear blue water and playing a game of Ubuntu. We then cleaned the boat for some special guests that were arriving. We had the absolute privilege of meeting the whole of government effort in the Torres strait with representatives from; 51 Far North Queensland Army Regiment, the Australian Federal Police and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. We showed them around our ship and the skills we have learnt over this incredible voyage. We also learnt so much off them and the important roles they play in such a remote area as well as the importance of working together to achieve a common goal of keeping Australia safe.
We then did our final rope races, with Red watch coming out on top but participation of all watches and staff made this such a fun competition throughout the voyage. We then had our final lunch, and we were treated to a Chicken Parma (not parmi) and teriyaki noodles. We set sail for our last run at sea for a few hours and began making our way to our final destination, anchoring between Thursday and Horn Islands. Whilst at Sea we climbed the yards and challenged ourselves once more by putting on the UV cover of our sails whilst underway at sea but still able to take in the beautiful views of this remote part of Australia.
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This journey is truly a once in a lifetime opportunity and all the people we have met and made incredible connections with will forever hold a place in our hearts. The memories we have made and the self-development we have achieved has made this voyage priceless. It will be incredibly sad to say goodbye to everyone tomorrow, not just other youthies but also the extraordinary staff that make this program possible. They are the most passionate people you will meet with huge hearts and a lot of love to give. There is no big enough thankyou we can give to everyone on board. If you’re ever thinking of taking this opportunity have no ride regret and just submit that application because it will truly change your life no matter how big or small.
Love youse all x
Your favourite ginger twins (Georgia and Taylah) +
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Afterwards, we had command day debrief and reflection where we went through our strong points, areas to improve, and major takeaways from the 24 hour experience. From this, we had time to do some quiet reflection on how we could apply what we learnt to our personal lives.
This was a relaxing way to end the day and prepare ourselves for our final full day tomorrow.
Nathan & Tobias Out +
