Hello again! Chief Mate Jess here, chronicling our seafaring saga from Hobart to Sydney. It's been a delightful four days since we embarked on the 11th, and the days at sea have a way of all melding into one.

Our maritime escapade kicked off with a blend of motoring and sailing. The breeze eventually filled in, and for a glorious 24 hours, the engine took a well-deserved break. My crew earned their sea legs, practicing the art of putting in reefs and shaking them out like pros. Who knew sailing involved so much folding and unfolding?

Now, let's talk about Kevin and his two left feet. No, not a dance floor mishap – in his boots! On our first night at sea, as my watch stumbled onto the deck for the late shift, the mystery of Kevin's peculiar footwear unfolded. A boot mix-up, courtesy of the previous watch – right boot on the left foot. A maritime Cinderella story, if you will.

Enter our resident fisherman, Darren, who cast his hopes (and his line) into the deep blue. Of course, as fate would have it, the elusive sea creature decided to test our patience when Darren was cozily tucked in his bunk. A team effort ensued, with the crew taking turns in a desperate attempt to reel in the colossal catch. Alas, victory was not ours, as the mighty fish slipped away just 50 meters from our boat. Note to self: next time, slow down the boat quicker for a fisherman-friendly capture!

As the days unfolded, we settled into the rhythmic cadence of our watch systems. Well, most of us did. John, in a sleep-induced stupor, donned his wet weather gear, thinking it was time for his watch. I kindly informed him he had a solid two hours of shut-eye left. He promptly retreated to his bunk, and honestly, who can blame him? Midnight maritime escapades are an acquired taste.

In an attempt to keep my watch on their toes, I decided to spice things up. Forget identifying lines by colour – I challenged them to understand the purpose of each individual line on the boat. A mini maritime brain teaser, if you will. They groaned, but progress was made, and I’ve informed them that there WILL be a test at the end.

I must say, I'm genuinely impressed with how much the crew has absorbed. No longer do I need to dash to the mast to supervise every time we need to hoist sails or put in a reef. They've got it down pat, leaving me with the luxury of staying behind the helm, or in my snug bunk if I’m off watch!
Next stop Sydney!