YOUNG ENDEAVOUR ROUNDS CAPE HORN

28 January 2015: Sorry for the gap in posting (for those of you who noticed there was a gap), but got too busy with my current book and it took me away from the blog.

I thought you might be interested to read a bit about the Australian school ship Young Endeavour which is on a 'round the world cruise with students. She left Sydney Australia 37 days ago and yesterday, was turning Cape Horn (bottom of South America and some of the most treacherous water in the world.)

Young Endeavour off Cape Horn
 

The ship was a gift to the government and people of Australia from the United Kingdom in 1988 to mark the Bicentenary of Australia's founding (as a penal colony at Botany Bay). She was built in England, laid down in 1986 and left there for Australia in August of 1987 with a crew of English and Australian young people. The government of Australia determined that the Royal Australian Navy should manage the ship and established a "Young Endeavour Youth Scheme" as a sail training program. The vessel has participated in many tall ship events around the world.

She is 144 ft overall (93 ft on the waterline) and has a draft of 13 ft. Rigged as a brigantine, she carries 5,500 square ft of sail. She also sports 2 Perkins diesel engines totaling 165 hp.

She is a fine looking ship and her world voyage is only one of several she has/will undertake. The current itinerary calls for a February run from Rio to Cadiz, March to Cannakale, April to Southampton, May to Amsterdam, June back to Rio, then on to Cape Town, and on to Fremantle by September. She is planning another similar voyage in 2016.

        

                           Fair Winds to you, and Young Endeavour

                              Old Salt