Whirlpools and Eddies

Having finally completed our tacking drills yesterday evening the YC settled down into their watches overnight. There was little sleep to be had as at each watch change we wore ship with all hands required on deck.At 0800 this morning the ship transited Long Island Sound, a very pretty but narrow stretch of water. The ship was sailing against the tidal stream and for a 10-minute period I reluctantly had to use engines as we were going backwards despite having a log speed of over 4kts. The water resembled a fast flowing river with whirlpools, eddies and standing waves. Having escaped the narrows of the sound, the ship started to tack back south through the Whitsunday Passage.The ship was tacking every 15-20 minutes and the YC were kept on their toes. By 1300 we were clear of the passage and we could relax somewhat and enjoy the splendour of this magical area. We reached across the bay south of Hamilton Island and then sailed through Solway Passage, another beautiful piece of water. We sailed to our anchorage and once the YC had lay aloft to gaskett the sails, we ferried everyone ashore to the gorgeous white sands of WhitehavenBeach. We had a couple of hours ashore playing cricket, soccer or just going for a swim.Shortly after sunset we all returned onboard and enjoyed a deck BBQ followed by very good ���three way’ talks. It was a lot of fun. Today has been one of those ‘just awesome’ days. The scenery was beautiful, the sailing fantastic but the highlight has been working with this wonderful YC. I have been really impressed how quickly these guys have moulded as a team and how they work (and play) so well together.Tomorrow we will weigh anchor at 0800 and commence our hard slog south working against the prevailing SE trade winds.YC entry by Russ Billingham (age 21 from Canberra) – Since sailing from Mackay, the YC have been faced with many challenges. Being able to live in close and confined spaces, coping with long and often strange hours and of course sailing the ship. Nevertheless we have all coped and are still willing and determined to work together as a team to sail one of Australia’s most important pieces of maritime history. When you come onboard this ship, you will find out very quickly that it’s not easy and no holiday. It’s you who sails the ship, and if you don’t, it doesn’t go anywhere. The voyage lasts only a few days, the memories will last a lifetime.YC entry by Emily Yorkston (age 19 from Brisbane) – Last night I had the ‘guts’ watch (midnight to 0400) and throughout the night we tacked twice. I haven’t had much more than 12 hours sleep in the last 3 days and getting really sick on top of it made me think about all the people I know who were at home, warm and asleep. This morning we hit calmer waters as we sailed around the Whitsundays and the YC (myself included) started to look much more alive. After a day of frequent tacking, we anchored off Whitehaven Beach and went ashore for some fun and games. Tonight after an awesome deck BBQ (I can eat food again) we had Three Way Talks, which had me in fits of laughter. Learning about the achievements of my fellow YC, especially those who have overcome seemingly impossible odds, is truly inspiring and it makes me realise that if I was at home, warm and not seasick, I probably would not be learning the lessons that I am.That’s it folks. Tomorrow is going to be another huge day. Chat tomorrow evening.Andrew (Em and Russ)