“The crew always love coming to Airlie Beach. It’s a beautiful spot, the marina here is fantastic and the locals around the place make us feel very welcome,” he said.
After re-charging their batteries, the crew welcomed another 23 young people aboard for the ship’s last north-bound leg to Cairns.
Lt Farley explained that the ship, gifted to the people of Australia by Great Britain in 1988, operated along the east Australian coast each year, providing a youth development program for young people aged 16-23.
“We do an 11-day program teaching them all the skills they need to sail the ship such as navigation, sail handling, how to avoid collisions at sea and helping out in the galley,” he said.
On day eight, the ship’s regular crew hand the vessel over to its youth crew, who take command for 24 hours as an exercise in management, communication, leadership, and teamwork.
The Young Endeavour will be back in the Whitsundays on June 13, when she will dock at Hamilton Island on her journey south from Cairns until June 16.