Sharks and a Man Overboard

Overnight the ship motor-sailed east across Hervey Bay in calm conditions, however those fish were still mighty hungry and wanted to be fed – from aloft this time. We have had a fairly busy day with several tacks in light winds to begin and end the day. We sailed passed Lady Elliot Island and whales were sighted at regular intervals but not close enough for photos until late in the day when an enormous Humpback surfaced close aboard. Other activities included rope races, a navigation lecture and a man overboard exercise. Tonight we will sail to the south east towards Lagoon Anchorage on the western side of Fraser Island in anticipation of a day ashore in the National Park. Matt Clayton, 22, of the Goldcoast and Malcolm Wallace, 19, of Traralgon, give their version of the days events: After a long night underway Blue watch was on watch at 4am to catch the sun rise and the moon fall behind the distant horizon. Clear skies put on beautiful conditions for the long day ahead of us. We started the day with a refreshing breakfast prepared by the fantastic chef, Ange. The day began with a navigation lecture that was interrupted by the special appearance of the Jamaican Bobsled team. After another brilliant lunch, the youth crew took part in rope games which red team won however their victory was questionable. We then moved into our tacking stations for 3 tacks followed by an unexpected man overboard drill that put everyone on their toes. After a successful rescue of the lifering, sharks were spotted feeding on burly provided by a seasick crew member. We then had to move elsewhere to swim (we don’t know why). The sharks must have been able to smell Ange’s cooking and they decided to follow us to the next swimming location where the staff crew did some rifle practice on floating apples. All this activity amongst whales and dolphins and beautiful scenery combined with a young and vibrant crew is making for ‘the experience of a lifetime’ for all of us. We would like to send a big hello to those family and friends reading this from all the youth crew. PS The captain is great at Uno.Speak tomorrowAndrew Davis