CLIENT: Youth Voyage
VOYAGE NUMBER: 20250706
FROM: Cairns To: Townsville
POSITION: Mourilyan Harbour
DATE: 7 July 2025
REPORT: Red Watch
Our day started earlier than most working the graveyard shift (0000 – 0400), anchored in Fitzroy Island harbour, the weather was calm allowing the stars to shine as a cool breeze drifted through. Watch tasks included calculating bearing to island ends and the jetty lights, counting nearby ships, water depth, wind speed/direction, deck check (ropes/lights), and completing logs. There was also an unusual banging sound that we had to investigate that stopped shortly after and wasn’t able to be identified. Once the watch finished everyone returned to bed to attempt some more sleep.
We were woken by white watch’s appalling attempt at sounding the bugle. It was 0630 and time for breakfast number 1 (we get 2 breakfasts each day – 1 cold and 1 hot – no one is quite sure why but its good all the same). Come 0700 we were promptly ushered on deck for our journeys first knot tying competition – the round turn and two half hitches. As red watch is by far the most skilled at tying knots, we were able to beat the other watches by a glamorous 20 seconds. There was no time to bath in our glory though as we had to quickly eat our 2nd breakfast (Scrambled eggs on toast) and prep the main sails for voyage. Tahlia was made Bosun and took lead allocating our positions and soon all sails were in the air, and we embarked on the next leg of the journey.
The weather was choppy and cold all day and the wind was working against the ship meaning we had to tack often. Red watch had a cruisy morning below deck and were off watch until 1000. Between 1000 and 1200 Red watch was on watch rotating through the five sailing stations – Helmsman, port standby, port watch, starboard watch, helm standby. During our shift we had to tack twice against the choppy waves. A few times we all got soaked by stray waves in an attempt of belittlement, but thankfully we all managed to stay fairly warm while on deck. Come 1200 we were relieved and quickly filled below decks for “Hungry Hugh’s Burgers” and it is true the burgers are better at “Hungry Hugh’s”.
After lunch everyone was quite tired after little sleep the night before so spent the time relaxing – playing some card games then reading and/or sleeping. Everyone was woken up at 1700 for an early dinner (beef/tomato stew on white rice) and desert (Mango cheesecake) before rugging up and heading on deck for watch.
We were to sail into the night, so each took up our sailing positions at 1800, as we continued the rotation. The wind was against us fully at this point and the Helmsman was left struggling with never ending corrections but thanks to the insightful guidance of our skipper Jim and the help of our watch leaders as everyone rotated through the Helm soon each got the hang of the technique. It was rather overcast but the moon shone brightly allowing us to see without the use of torches. We had to tack once while on watch, but everything went smoothly. Come 2000 white watch took over control of the ship and red watch retreated below decks for showers and to prepare for bed.
Just past 2100 everyone heard the engine cut off – knowing we must have arrived at our anchoring location (Mourilyan Harbour) everyone rushed to get lifejackets on and climb up on deck. The harbour was amazing even at night and sheltered the ship from the enduring winds that had plagued our voyage. The night air was refreshing though clouds still hid the stars from our view. No one complained as we all stood on deck admiring the harbour until 2130 when all crew not on watch were sent below decks for bed.