CLIENT: The Hills Grammar School
VOYAGE NUMBER: 20181217
FROM: Sydney To: Sydney
DATE: 19 December 2018
POSITION: Stockton Reach, Hunter River
REPORT BY: Red Watch
The daily 6:30 wake-up call from the newly polished bugle marked the beginning of our third day sailing on the South Passage. After our cold and hot breakfast wonderfully prepared by our chef Hugh, our Bowline Knot competition witnessed a victory from the Red Watch again. Before setting sail, a Backstay round robin competition was held in order to test our ability in timely putting a backstay on or off. The well-rehearsed technique of the Red team allowed seconds to be spared in order for the win.
As the crew continue to better their sailing skills, raising the sails and beginning the journey towards Newcastle started efficiently. As we exited the heads wet weather struck dampening those on watch with ‘liquid sunshine’. Despite the weather, the longer journey of close to 50 nautical miles was pleasant along the less choppy sea. We did not experience as much wind and therefore relied on the motor to push us along to Newcastle.
After our 4 hour long shift, members of the red watch slowly began to fall asleep one by one, migrating to the lower deck bunks. Many of our crew were very tired due to our early 4-8am shift and felt refreshed after a short nap during the day. Chef Hugh cooked up another splendid meal for lunch that we devoured – Spaghetti Bolognaise. It is surprising how hungry the whole crew get during the day.
Although we didn’t swim today, we are hoping that we will be lucky enough to swim again tomorrow. Having a swim everyday allows us to unwind from our duties and acts as a substitute for a shower for some. Maddy and Nic