Day 7 – You won’t believe what happened to us in Fingal Bay!

As our propinquity to Newcastle grows closer, we find ourselves plagued with a bittersweet longing for the close comfort of home but also excitement for the much anticipated Young Endeavour Command Day. We started the day at 00:00 (literally), as we continued anchor watches from the night before. During these watches, us Youthies undertook a Navigation competition, our crowned winners being Hannah, Annabell and Charlie. Awoken to the festive Christmas anthem of Mariah Carey’s ‘All I want for Christmas is You’, we started our day with an early morning game of evolution. For breakfast we had our usual croissants, fruit, bacon and eggs – courtesy of our fantabulous Chef Stevo, and might I say a pretty fancy feast.

We then started the preparation of our much anticipated Command Day; Captain’s Setting and Furling. This activity required each watch to complete a necessary assessment in order for the captain to deem us competent in regards to sailing and safety – all watches received hefty green ticks, accompanied by some much needed Tim Tams. Next on the agenda was lunch, a fusion of Chinese Sweet and Sour Pork and Roasted Garlic Butter Turkey.

As we left our temporary home, we found solace in the sand bank of Fingal Bay, exploring a secluded, private part of our beautiful country – seemingly there just for us, a place that “took our breath away”.

Fingal Bay; where the bright blue sky meets the cold clear water confound in the rocky palisades of the surrounding islands – our little corner of the world. Here we went swimming – of course – hugged a few trees, went snorkelling amongst dolphins, hiked to the lighthouse (where we saw Sperm Whale mates), played rope relay (which Red Watch won), followed by a bonus round of drawing the STS Young Endeavour in the sand (to which the Red Watch won again).

To surmise this perfect afternoon we had an indoor barbeque – courtesy of the flash storm that rocked the ship, and brought along with it an extravagant array of bright oranges and purples as the sun bid goodbye.

Here is where the real fun began: deciding on whom would assume the critical positions necessary for Command Day – a day wherein youthies take complete control of the ship and all corresponding positions. Elections took place over the course of an hour, as shipmates pitched their desires and qualifications for specific roles. The positions have been voted in as follows:

Captain: Murray

Sail Master: Annabell

Watch Officer: Om

Navigator: Mel

Watch Leaders: Gabe, Charlie and Indigo

Chefs: Lacey, Lumi, Crystal

A big congratulations to our fellow ship mates – tomorrow is expected to be an extraordinary adventure.

Tonight, as we lay at mid ships beneath the star-scattered sky, we watched ‘Around Cape Horn’ on the projector, a documentary narrated by Captain Irving Johnson, showcasing the treachery that lies within the unpredictability of the ocean – a harsh reminder that day two of our voyage wasn’t all too bad.

As this marvelous day upon the STS Young Endeavour comes to an end, we once again conclude the night with anchor watches and much needed sleeping as we excitedly await Command Day.

Dearest mothers and fathers, we miss you so very much, and cannot wait to share the stories of this transformative adventure with you (lots of love, Emily, Peta and Indigo).

Quote of the day: “Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take… but by the moments that take our breath away”