Work and Play

Situation at 20:00- Today has been a good balance of work and play. Once morning brief and cleaning stations were astern of us, Captain John put the YouthCrew through their paces setting and furling various sails in order to ensure that they are able to safely work the rig during Commandday. Each of the watches proved that they have the technical ability and the organisational skill necessary to do so. At 12:30, the Shipanchored in Bustard Bay and, after a quick lunch, all hands proceeded ashore for a sports afternoon. Despite being outnumbered, the StaffCrew were victorious in Touch footy and Poison ball. Chef Polly prepared a magnificant Indian feast for supper which could rival thebest restaurants in Sydney.As I write this, the Youth Crew are busy holding their Command day elections. They are deciding who amongst them will fill the differentstaff positions tomorrow when they take command of YOUNG ENDEAVOUR for 24 hours. Their mission will be to sail from Bustard Bay to theGladstone Pilot boarding station, passing through several waypoints along the way. They will have to send a team of four ashore and claim a beach on behalf of the youth of Australia and encourage as many local residents as possible to join them in singing the National Anthem. They have their work cut out for them but they have worked hard to learn as much as possible and are well prepared.YOUNG ENDEAVOUR fact file: The Ship is fitted with a climbing system that ensures that all hands working aloft are at all times connected to a safety line designed to prevent them falling more than 60 centimeters. The system is made up of a vertical component for climbing the rtlines, a transfer component for moving from the ratlines to the yards and a horizontal component for moving and working out on the yards. Recovery from aloft procedures are regularly practised by the Staff Crew.Thought of the day: We generate fears while we sit, we overcome them in action. Fear is nature’s warning signal to get busy. Dr. Henry LinkYours, AyeJohn CowanAhoy again from Dr Sue,We’ve moved closer to the coast, as we hoped, and more towards Flinder’s path. The Investigator’s scientific gentlemen would take every possible opportunity to go ashore botanising, as they called it. In actual fact they would collect a whole variety of fauna and flora specimens, some to be drawn before they deteriorated, and someto be preserved and transported home. Ferdinand Bauer’s exquisite works remain as an example of the standard of these. I know our Youth Crew can fully apreciate the difficulty of drawing such detailed illustrations on a lively square rigger.Our Youth Crew went ashore today to uphold the tradition, and since they lack the manservants that the Investigators scientific gentlemenhad to assist them getting to shore (for example, carrying them and their equipment through the surf), everybody received a proper dunking (including myself). There are no records from the Investigator describing the antics of the young seamen on the beach, but other diaries and logs, including some from Captain Cook’svoyages, tell of high spirits and boisterous activity during these shore visits. I can assure you that both were present in abundance today.So until tomorrow, signing off…Dr SueHello to all at home. We’ve just elected all our positions for the big day tomorrow – COMMAND DAY. We’ll be taking charge of the ship for 24 hours, and doing absolutley everything ourselves, fromplotting the course to setting the sails and organising the watches.I’ve managed to score one of the watch officer positions. This meansI’ll be the captain’s representative on the bridge during watch. We had a great day today, going to anchor in Bustard Bay and playingfooty on the beach. And I’ve now seen whales from the t’gallant yardarm, 30 metres above sea level. Gotta go, but see you soon.Vicki Hallps They made a cake for my birthday and I got happy birthday sung about four times.