Captain's Log
4 June 2003

Setting and Furling

Situation at 20:00: Overnight the Youth Crew learned how to conduct below deck rounds and practised setting and furling the stay sails. It was aquiet night at anchor and the time on watch went by quickly.At 08:00 we weighed anchor and shaped a course to the north towards Whitsunday Passage. At morning brief, Salty Sea Dog Lisa, ably assisted by Red Watch Leader Polly, described the origin of theterm ‘Ship’s Head’. Engineer Rags was almost beside himself with joy at the size of the haul be gathered for his scran bag. Most of the Youth Crew soon found themselves singing for their gear. Happy hour was next and XO Luke was pleased with the effort that went into ensuring the Ship was clean. After a delicious morning tea, XO Luke led the Youth Crew through how to set and clew up the square sails and how to set and brail up the mainsail. All this activity ensured that the lunch prepared by Chef Stony was thoroughly enjoyed by all hands.After lunch, the Youth Crew had a bit of free time to enjoy the view as the Whitsunday Islands glided gently past. The main activity of the afternoon was tacking drills. The watches closed up to their assigned tacking stations and the Ship carried out several tacks. This is a complex evolution that requires precise timing andeffective teamwork.Overnight the watches will learn how to steer the Ship and act as lookout. There will be opportunities to climb aloft, as wellas improve their technique in setting and furling the sails.YOUNG ENDEAVOUR Fact File: All safety equipment onboard is maintained to the standard required by the Royal Australian Navy. There are eight 10-man liferafts and 110 lifejackets. Each liferaft is fitted with an Electronic Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) which automatically provides position information to aircraft andshore authorities through satellites.YOUNG ENDEAVOUR Glossary: Stay- A supporting wire or rope leading from the head of one mast to the foot or otherwise of anothermast, or leading from the head of a mast to the bow or stern of the vessel. Tack- To change direction of the Ship by passing the bow through the wind so that the wind ends up on the opposite side of the Ship to where it was at the start of the evolution.Thought of the Day: To understand life is to understand ourselves and that is both the beginning and end of education. JidduKrishnamurti Yours, Aye John CowanLCDR, RAN

Latitude/Longitude:

20° 4' South / 148° 39' East

Conditions:

At sea motor-sailing under five sails. Wind: Light airs, Temp: 26c, Cloud:2/8.