ONCE-A-YEAR VISIT TO BUNBURY

Join us on a day sail on our only visit to Bunbury this year! 

This coming weekend a group of excited trainees are set to sail our blue canoe to Bunbury on a youth explorer voyage, where we will be opening the ship at the Port for two exclusive short sails on Saturday 5th October.We only visit Bunbury once a year, so this will be your only chance to hop on either a day sail or twilight sail and explore the unique surrounds of Bunbury, by tall ship. 

Saturday 5th October

Day Sail (11 - 2pm)

Twilight Sail (4 - 7pm)

Don't miss out! Places are filling quickly so visit sailleeuwin.rezdy.com to book your spot!

MEET OUR MATE!

It’s 7am on a weekday. Some of us have had a solid night’s sleep and have gotten used to the rocking motion of sleeping on a ship. Some of us have only just shut our eyes after just coming off the 12-4am night watch. All of us are woken up by the sound of Abba blasting through the ship’s speakers, followed by a Croatian accent greeting us with “Morning guys, guys morning. Time to get up and do some stretches, then we go eat.” Sitting in the Charthouse at the other end of the speaker, holding his cup of freshly brewed coffee, is Slaven Roje, our First Mate.

Born in Croatia, Slaven moved to Oz and joined the Leeuwin team in early 2012, having previously been in the position of First Officer on the Queen Mary. Slaven has sailed on cargo and cruise ships all around the world, and has travelled to places as diverse as Antarctica and the Caribbean. He worked as the second mate on the Queen Victoria before jumping ship to the Queen Mary as second mate and working his way up the ranks.

“Before I joined LOAF, I didn’t really know what to expect from Sail Training.

Does it really work, is it just an excuse for people like me to have fun on tall ships… now, a year smarter and definitely more experienced in Sail Training, I can say that the previous year of my life has been a fulfilled one.

I am now convinced that what we do here does make a difference and it can change young people’s lives.

I know it sounds like a cliché, but then again if it wasn’t true, it wouldn’t be a cliché.”

As First Mate on Leeuwin, Slaven is second in command of our ship. He is the one of our five permanent crew members that works most closely with trainees on voyages and runs the trainee program on board.

When Slaven isn’t sailing he enjoys photography, running, the gym and motorbikes. He would also like anyone who owns a long board with a single fin to give him a call!

MEET THE CHEF!

Some of the questions we always get asked when we visit schools and tell students about the Leeuwin voyages, are "What's the food like? If we get really hungry will there be enough? Can  we go back for seconds?" After returning from their first voyage the trainee's post-voyage letters almost always read words gushing over how good the food was, all thanks to our awesome Chef Aidan.

After an early morning start, woken up after having just come off night watch, morning stretches, climbed the mast several times and done a solid morning's sailing, the tempting smell of freshly baked biscuits wafts up from below deck, making all mouths on deck water. Trace that alluring smell down the main companionway and you will find our chef Aidan in the galley, music loud and cooking up something delicious. 

Growing up in the WA country town of Denmark, Aidan first came to Leeuwin as a trainee himself, with his first voyage in 2005. He enjoyed his first voyage so much that he returned as a volunteer often and as much as he could, with ratings of Bosun’s Mate and Watch Leader, every year until he came on board as the Leeuwin chef in early 2012. 

For Aidan, the Leeuwin exposed him to a different and more positive social avenue as a teenager. He wants to be able to provide the same experience he had to other people. “If in some small way I can give that to other people, I will.” 

With a love of food and a ton of experience working in a variety of restaurants, bars and cafés all around Perth, Aidan always manages to please trainees with his food.

“Working on Leeuwin is a truly unique experience; you will never have a working environment the same as this.”

JOIN US FOR MARITIME DAY

This Saturday, 31st August, is Fremantle Port's Maritime Day. 

There is a ton of fun and interesting activities and events happening including a performance from visiting Indonesian Tall Ship Dewaruci's marching band!

The Leeuwin team will be manning our stall in the B SHED, along with lots of other stalls, so if you are down in Fremantle for the day, come and say hi!

We will also have a team of Red-Shirts ready to give you a full deck tour of our beautiful "blue canoe" for just a gold coin donation 10 - 4pm.

Hope to see you there!!

JOIN US ON A JOURNEY DOWN SOUTH

This amazing weather is making us more and more excited to start the next sailing season, and we are starting it with a bang! We're headed to Bunbury and there's still space for you to join us!

Why not swap an otherwise uneventful week sitting in front of the computer, monitoring an unmoving Facebook news feed, for a spontaneous sailing adventure? 

When was the last time you did something for the first time?

This school holidays/ uni break, join us on a seven day ocean adventure that promises to be packed with new challenges, experiences and adventure. Meet a whole crew of new mates, wake up every morning out on the open ocean to the fresh salty air, and try something you wouldn't get the chance to do in every day life. 

Our crew will teach you every aspect of sailing a tall ship, giving you the chance to take the helm, plot our course, climb our 33 metre main mast and experience the thrill of setting and furling all sails. It's not uncommon to witness some pretty spectacular sights out there on the ocean, everything from standing on the bowsprit while dolphins play in the water directly below, whales within metres of the ship, meteor showers and the amazing phosphorescence during night watch. All of this makes for an awesome week, and is made even better by sharing it with a great group of new friends. 

VOYAGE 13/14 

Departing :  Fremantle 28th September
Arriving :     Bunbury   4th October

VOYAGE 13/15

Departing : Bunbury 7th October
Arriving :    Fremantle 13th October 

Email: ashleigh@sailleeuwin.com
Call: 9430 4105 
Visit: www.sailleeuwin.com

To enquire about scholarship opportunities, for more info or to book your spot.

LIFE STARTS NOW! 

WHAT'S NEW IN THE WORLD OF REFIT

It’s been the start to a busy month down here on the wharf. A ship in maintenance has seen the B shed buzzing with volunteers, contractors, crew and staff seven days a week; all giving their time, effort and skills to repairing the ship that has, at some stage, played a prominent part in each of their lives. 

With five weeks down and just over three more to go the refit troops have finished, as some would say, “de-fitting” the ship and preparations for “putting the pieces back together” are underway. Progress so far has seen:

• The galley floor been repaired and being painted as you read, with all cupboards and sinks yet to be put back, lino to be laid and final ‘plumping’ to be done.

• Main mast work has been in full swing with welders aloft all week, every week, working hard to repair rusting and wear. The main mast will be soon ready for a final lick of paint.

• The water tanks in the main saloon have now been patched up with the companion way back in and ready to be bolted down. Lots of woodwork has taken place with everything wooden now sanded, varnished and looking sleek.

• A few of our cabins are currently getting a lick of paint and will be back to ship shape in no time

• The Leeuwin laundry is in the process of getting a revamp with everything having been stripped down and now ready for rust treatment.

•  Our beloved Lioness figure head has been given a well needed coat of paint and a shining and is now looking fantastic.

• In addition to all of this there has been plenty of tarring, oiling and painting all around

A big thanks to the team behind the scenes. They are doing an amazing job and will have our beautiful blue canoe, looking the goods and ready for the upcoming voyages to and from Bunbury at the end of September. We can’t wait to have her out on the ocean again and start the next sailing season fresh!

THE RED RIBBON PROJECT

"Never doubt that a group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world;

 indeed it's the only thing that ever has."

- Margaret Mead

This week at Leeuwin, we have been dragging all of our volunteers into the back office to sign a giant piece of red ribbon. If you are one of our amazing red shirts or volunteers and haven't yet signed the ribbon... pop in to say hi in the next two days to be part of the Red Ribbon Project.

To celebrate 25 years, Volunteering WA is inviting all volunteers of Western Australia to sign  a piece of their red ribbon. At the end of the two weeks, our section will be collected and sewn to other volunteering organisation's sections to create one long red ribbon.

Once completed, the finished product will be wrapped around Government House on International Volunteer Day, December 5th, with thousands of signatures as a symbol of how volunteers make the world a better place.

Without volunteers, the Leeuwin would not sail and our amazing ocean adventures would not be an opportunity available to so many young Western Australians. The Red Ribbon Project is the perfect opportunity to show off some of our amazing volunteers.

Meet some of the team...