Day 8 – Command Day concludes

Ahoy there friends, Welcome to day eight of Voyage 01/12, which saw the Youth Crew bring the Young Endeavour into Eden, and hand over the ship to the Staff Crew at the close of Command Day. During the early hours of Wednesday morning the bridge and deck of the Young Endeavour was alive with activity, as the Youth Crew sailed the ship through a series of waypoints down the south coast of NSW between Merimbula and Eden. Wind speed and direction varied throughout the night, providing a constant challenge to the crew, who tacked and wore the ship many times by first light. The determination and positive attitude of the Youth Crew towards the constant sail changes, navigation adjustments and conduct of watch duties was admirable. The fatigued (but satisfied) condition of the Youth Crew by morning is a testament to the hard work the Staff Crew performs every other day of Young Endeavour voyages. The Young Endeavour anchored at Eden at 0745 h, and with the galley manned by the talented Sofia, Fabian and Elly, all hands enjoyed a sumptuous breakfast. The Youth Crew had command of the Young Endeavour until 1400 h of this day, with twenty-two assorted objectives to meet before handing the ship back to the Staff Crew. The Youth Command Crew conducted the morning brief at 0930 h, which included the celebration of Staffie Leon’s birthday, and memorable ‘performances’ from Bec and George. Following the morning brief, the ship received a thorough interior clean during ‘Happy Hour’ and the Youth Command Crew met to discuss the last remaining objectives to achieve as 1400 h approached. Soon, all hands were on deck performing an assortment of tasks; including scouring away rust, polishing the brass (cannons), roping, knotting, multimedia, and drawing. Just after midday, eight intrepid Youth Crew members paddled a small craft to a nearby beach in the harbour, claiming the land for the youth of Australia by raising the Australian Flag whilst singing Advance Australia Fair, with the help of some locals. Mention must also be made here to the exquisite European-themed lunch prepared by our Youth Crew Chefs, with some of the Staff Crew claiming it to be the best meal served during their time on the ship. Storm clouds drew near however, and just after 1300 h the fine conditions turned sour as thirty knot winds and rain set in, preventing the Youth Crew from climbing aloft to complete their final task before the deadline. This was the only setback in what had been a highly successful twenty-four hours, testament to the quality of the young Australians who had become family during the past week at sea. At 1400 h, I handed the ship back to Captain Damien, and the Youth Crew enjoyed a few hours of R&R before the Staff Crew debriefed the Youth Crew on their Command Day performance. During the evening, a below-deck BBQ dinner was followed by a video documentary on the square-rig trade ship Peking, and as I write now on the bridge, Youth Crew members have settled in for a night of anchor watch. This is my second and final entry into the Captain’s Log. It has been an unforgettable honour to briefly serve as Captain of the STS Young Endeavour and to lead the remarkable young men and women on board for Voyage 01/12. Yours Aye, Youth Crew Captain Ryan