Platabeen Rover sails the high seas

From running up the main sail to climbing the mast and taking watch, Jacqueline had the experience of a lifetime on the Young Endeavour.

The Platabeen Rover Scout sailed from Geelong to Sydney in October, undertaking a unique leadership and development opportunity in a setting that truly tested her limits.

Jacqueline said she found other participants at the airport on the way to Geelong who were wearing matching Young Endeavour gear.

“We were able to share our predictions about what was to come,” she said. “We soon found that it was easily the best thing we had ever done!

“I learnt about my interests, strengths, weaknesses and even possible career directions from the people I met on board and the things we got to experience at sea. We took part in night watches, rounds, navigation, steering, cooking, cleaning, furling and setting sails in order to run the ship.

“Our memories were tested to learn as much as we could about sailing a tall ship over 11 days. In our rest time, we saw an astounding number of whales and dolphins jumping metres from us in the water. We also got to visit a secluded beach and take a leap of faith from the ship’s rope swing.”

Despite some sea sickness, Jacqueline enjoyed the opportunities to expand upon what she had learned in Scouts by developing new skills and challenging herself in different ways. She also found the importance of putting herself out there and learning from her own mistakes.

“There is only so much you can learn from watching others and their mistakes,” she said.

“I enjoyed getting to know everyone, particularly my watch group of six people from NSW, ACT, Victoria and Tasmania, as we spent the most time together and being able to laugh about our ups and downs. I also met Venturer Scout Sophie from 1st Hornsby Heights Scout Group, which is in my Region!

“My favourite part was climbing the mast while underway and at nighttime. It certainly wasn’t the easiest time to be climbing, but I made it right to the top and completed the task required on the sail, alongside my fellow youthies. It was also very special to enter through the heads of Sydney Harbour on a foggy morning, firing our canons, and being a part of the voyage that completed the ship’s circumnavigation of Australia.”

Jacqueline was impressed by the resilience and maturity of the youth crew, especially younger participants as young as 16. Sailing a tall ship was a completely new set of skills they needed to learn in record time.

“We were guided for days by the Navy crew to prepare for ‘Command Day’ where the youth crew take over the ship for 24 hours,” she said. “We were thrown into a true test of leadership and teamwork on Command Day.

“We also had a Community Sail Day where community groups sailed on Sydney Harbour with us on our final full day. It was a great chance to realise how much we knew by teaching other young people who were visiting for the day.”

It was not all smooth sailing for the crew though, with a storm in the Bass Strait creating challenging conditions.

“It completely ripped the main sail, which had to be replaced with a new one while at sea,” she said.

“Our fantastic staff crew made sure we were safe and changed the navigation plan to accommodate the storm. We all got to take a piece of the sail home!

“I sent my brother Nicholas off on his voyage last week. There are many people like us that go on voyages after hearing about the program through family who are ex-youth crew. I introduced him to the idea of the Young Endeavour as soon as I heard about it through Scouts. Then we applied at the same time, and his voyage just happened to take place after mine.

“I think I have access to many youth, leadership, and outdoor opportunities because of being part of Scouts; I would not have known about things like the Young Endeavour if it wasn’t for Scouts. It has helped me grow as a person and explore what my different interests are. I have also met some close friends who support me both in and out of Scouting activities.”