Recently I returned from a 10 day development voyage with the Spirit of Adventure. My mother said, “If I had even a cent for every word you’ve spoken about the Spirit of Adventure then we would get our money back three times over!”

I certainly loved it!

When I arrived on the ship I had with me my old mentality. However by the time I set foot back on stable land, I had developed a confidence to tackle any future challenge that is thrown at me. The voyage provided me with the opportunity to break out of my comfort zone and has equipped with new knowledge and skills. Learning how to sail a tall ship was just the very base of the voyage. On top of this: team activities, making new friends and taking on responsibilities.

Each voyage is unique, but perhaps the highlight for many who attend a 10 day voyage is “Trainee Day”. On day 9, the trainees take over the ship filling in the roles of the permanent crew and the challenge is to safely get the ship back to port. I was elected ‘First Mate’ by my peers and had heaps of fun working with my other ‘mate’ to organise the sail stations to perform a few gybes. In the afternoon we got the rope swing out and after the captain mastered a backflip I thought, “I want to do that”. Long story short- I took a risk that I wouldn’t usually under normal circumstances and was rewarded for my perseverance when I finally nailed a backflip on my 5th attempt, thanks to a bit of peer pressure!

Another highlight was paddling back to the boat in our inflatable rafts after the bonfire evening onshore. As it grew dark, the wind started to pick up. When it came time to return it was gusting 25-30 knot winds (40-50 kmph), this made it incredibly difficult to paddle back, which certainly challenged our teamwork and determination, but in the end (after about 45 minutes) we got a tow from the safety boat. Ultimately it was a slightly scary but exhilarating experience.

Overall I would highly recommend this voyage. If you ever get the opportunity-take it, it will be very a rewarding decision.