Voyage 06/16 Day 4

Ahoy there Shipmates,

Overnight the Ship continued to make ground to the north towards Port Stephens. The wind freshened to 20 knots during the middle watch which made for some exciting sailing. Sail was handed-in during the morning watch as we approached the coast and engines were started for the entry into Port Stephens.

We anchored off the Nelson Bay Marina at 0830. That was followed by Morning Brief, Happy Hour and then I think I saw every member of the youth crew lining up in the cafÃ© for some lunch. The first time I had seen this since lunch on Sunday before we sailed out of Sydney Harbour. Some faces I hadnâ€™t seen much of at all!

The first round of Rope Races was conducted at 1230. This is a game designed to improve the youth crewâ€™s knowledge of the ship, the sails, the lines (ropes) used to manipulate the sails and the important equipment on the upper decks in a healthy inter-watch competition. Points are scored each round and a prize will be awarded to the winning watch on the last day of the voyage. This was followed by a Navigation Brief given by Kyle and covered the theoretical aspects the crew will need to know for Command Day. They will have opportunities over the next two days at sea to gain practical experience of navigation.

The youth crew proceeded ashore by boat at 1330 for a leg-stretch and the opportunity to get a coffee and a slice of cheesecake. Many took advantage of the local beach and had a leisurely swim. Everyone returned onboard by 1600 looking relaxed and re-vitalised. After a quick climb to the lower top, for those interested, we all and enjoyed a â€˜Teak Deck BBQ on the upper decks, taking in the sights of Nelsons Bay whilst enjoying some more of Jenkoâ€™s delicious food. I was given an apron and allowed to cook the steak and the lamb chops!

Dinner was followed by an activity called â€˜three-way chatsâ€™. The youth crew are split into groups of three, one member from each watch, and they have to learn things about each other so that they can speak for 3 minutes but they donâ€™t find out which member of their group they will talk on until immediately beforehand. It is a great opportunity for the youth crew to learn more about each other and try out some public speaking.

It is intended to remain at anchor overnight, departing the anchorage tomorrow to conduct the remaining at-sea activities required to fully-prepare the Youth Crew for Command Day.

Until tomorrow.

Yours Aye,

Captain Mike

PS. Mary wishes her sister Liz a happy 28th birthday for tomorrow.

Latitude/Longitude:

32 43.0 South / 152 08.6 East

Conditions:

At the anchorage in Nelsons Bay: light and variable winds; Nil waves or swell; 19 deg C; fine and clear

AUTHOR: Commanding Officer STS Young Endeavour

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Day 9 – Ahoy Moreton Bay! (Command Day Part 2)

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Voyage 06/16 Day 4

Latitude/Longitude:

Conditions:

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