CLIENT: Youth School Holiday Voyage
VOYAGE NUMBER: 20190707
FROM: Cairns To: Townsville
DATE: 7 July 2019
POSITION: Fitzroy Is
REPORT BY: Blue Watch
The loudly played bugle dragged us all, tired and ill-rested, from our beds at 6:30am. The Skipper gave us an introduction and the sailing master gave us a safety briefing which we all sat impatiently through. Everyone was ready to set off. With green mountains and cauliflower clouds framing the horizon, our watch leaders introduced us to the refined language and art of sailing. With words like “flaking ropes”, “belaying”, “hoisting”, “sweating” (not the type you’d think) and “hauling downsail”, it was truly like learning a foreign language. Nevertheless we persevered, dropped lines and left the marina. With muscles sore from strain and hands red from hard work, we motored out and set the sails.
Needless to say, the aquamarine waters and colourful shoals of Fitzroy Island were a welcome sight after all our hard work. Everyone changed and jumped into the cool water where we competed to climb the front of the ship and kiss the ‘golden mermaid’. Using every technique available, climbing over the boom net and scrambling up the chain plate, eight boys and one heroic girl succeeded. We took a dingy to shore and were shocked to find that, instead of sand, a blanket of bone-white coral layered the beach! Lots of people went snorkelling, and were lucky enough to witness the incredible beauty of the natural world through the technicoloured fish and otherworldly coral.
We ended the day with a knot-tying competition, which Red Watch won – with a little bit of help from the skipper. We finished our day by filling our bellies with a delicious meal of mash potato, drumsticks and vegetables, followed by a dessert of apple pie and custard, which we all ate under the dazzling dome of stars above us.