It was all hands on deck for 15 lucky Tulgeen Group clients when they climbed aboard the Young Endeavour on Thursday at Snug Cove, Eden.
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The new passengers set sail for three hours with the Young Endeavour crew before returning to land.
Tulgeen INSYNC team leader Heather Cameron said it was a great opportunity for the clients to be out on the water.
“They don’t have the opportunity to do something like that all that often,” Ms Cameron said.
“It’s quite adventurous to be on what looks like a pirate ship.”
Grey skies greeted the new crew when they arrived about 9.30am at Snug Cove, but calm waters allowed for the ship to set sail.
There was a mixture of excitement, nervousness and curiosity among the new passengers, who were informed of the obligatory safety notices before setting off into Twofold Bay.
It is at least the second time the Young Endeavour Youth Scheme has taken Tulgeen Group clients on board.
The scheme contacted the disability service provider two weeks ago to offer another experience.
“It’s something one or two of our clients have been on before and they were keen to go again,” Ms Cameron said.
“Everyone’s been talking about it this week. They couldn’t wait to go out with their friends.”
Ms Cameron said the fact the opportunity was free meant it was more accessible for everyone to attend.
“It’s very rare that something like this is completely free of charge,” she said.
The Yong Endeavour set off from Sydney on Tuesday before arriving in Eden on Thursday.
The present voyage will terminate in Eden on Friday morning before the ship holds an open day on Saturday, March 25 from 1pm to 4pm.
A new voyage with a new youth crew sets sail on Monday, March 27 at 4pm and still has limited spots for people aged 16 to 23 years.
The non-for-profit scheme has been running since 1988 when the United Kingdom presented the ship to the Australian people as a bicentennial gift.
It provides young Australians with a unique, challenging and inspirational experience at sea.