CLIENT: Emerald Christian College
VOYAGE NUMBER: 20190527
FROM: Rosslyn Bay To: Airlie Beach
DATE: 28 May 2019
POSITION: Middle Percy Is
REPORT BY: White Watch
The day for White Watch started 0500: all seven of our members, including our Watch Leader, were coaxed up onto the deck to practise tying certain knots, fill out our work booklets, polish the ship’s brass and watch the sky turn into an array of pinks and yellows. After waking up the rest of the watches (courtesy of the bugle), we started everybody’s day off with a swim off the boat in Pearl Bay. After everybody who wanted to swim had had their turn to jump off the boat, we all quickly went to work at raising the sails. White Watch was in charge of hoisting the Jib and Staysail but first, most of our watch was dispersed off to help others with raising the Main and Fore sails of South Passage.
It was a long day of sailing, winds of around 20 knots hurtling the boat towards the Duke Islands, but despite the tossing and turning, everybody on board made the most of it. The teachers took their turns sitting on the bowsprit along with the students, and the first three sea-sick students had their turns to chuck-up over the side of the boat. (They’re feeling better now, don’t worry). Halfway through the day, the wind eased and a new course had to be set to reach Middle Percy Island, the place at which South Passage is anchored while I’m writing this. Red watch is above us on the deck, conducting the regular anchor watches while admiring the starry skies that can show shooting starts, satellites and planets clearer than any city sky could.
Tomorrow’s course is still yet to be determined, but we’ve all been promised another swim and beach watch in the morning.