Australia Day: A Fine Days Sailing

The ‘HMB Endeavour’ Replica was sailing from its mooring at the Australian National Maritime Museum for the Australia Day Celebrations in Sydney Harbour. We set off about 10am to watch the Ferry Race and join in the Tall Ships Race. All aboard!

The ‘James Craig’ joined us as we departed Darling Harbour and headed for Sydney Harbour Bridge. The passengers of the P&O’s Pacific Pearl got a bird’s eye view throughout the day. Onboard, the ‘Endeavour’ a band played traditional seafaring tunes as we cruised along, enjoyed our morning tea and got to ‘know the ropes’.

The harbour was teeming with a colourful cavalcade of boats heading up for the Ferry Race, we bided our time and watched the passing parade while having a ‘first rate’ view of all the action.

There was plenty of room ‘above board’ as we got underway again, heading towards Watson’s Bay and South Head. Nothing like being the centre of attention amongst this modern day flotilla. Time for a ‘square meal’, although the increasing swell near the Heads and an ominously open sea meant just having enough to ‘tide me over’.

Time to make sail. Up the rigging went a few hardy soles to unfurl the sails. All hands on deck to raise the sails. This is seriously hard work with all crew and volunteers on deck and needing to pull together. There seemed to be miles of rope passing through the hands of these dedicated men and women, and probaby more than a few blisters too! Before ‘battening down the hatches’ there was just time to prepare the canons!

The Tall Ships Race included the ‘Endeavour’, ‘James Craig’, ‘Soren Larsen‘ and the  ‘Southern Swan‘ and started at Bradley’s head with the Harbour Bridge being the finishing line.  No ‘taking the wind out of her sails’ for the ‘Endeavour’ which cruised majestically into 4th Place. Imagine the ship’s bell heralding the time as the hearty crew and tireless musicians delivered their happy cargo back to the Australian Maritime Museum. What a terrific day on Sydney Harbour celebrating the ‘true colours’ of our home! Why not give it a try next year, perhaps they’ll even have scones!