The Unsinkable Ship by
Shaharil
 I was really excited when I heard
about the STS Leeuwin II, more so when I got to read all
about it on the brochure. I can still remember Umi
announcing her intentions about the voyage after
returning from the Yayasan trip to Cameron Highlands. I
thought to myself that this kind of trip would be a
whole new experience for me, and a whole new environment
and that it was bound to be different from all the other
trips that I had been on. For after the trip, I was to
come back as a new man. A man who would be a responsible
and able leader, and a man who would no longer have a
fear of
heights!I’m thankful that I
had been chosen to participate on the voyage.
Furthermore, I was an ambassador of Malaysian youth, and
I had a mission, to be a part of the Eco-Youth Challenge
and lead other young people in exploring and
appreciating all the wonders of God’s creation.  A few days before I left
for Australia, I was excited as ever! My stuff had been
packed, and I kept a checklist to make sure that I had
brought everything with me. My family had already left
for my hometown on the first day of Hari Raya, so I had
stayed at Nik’s house for two days, as we were leaving
for Australia on the second day of Hari Raya.
I couldn’t sleep at all
the night before, as I was too busy thinking about what
would be happening. My thoughts ran into positive and
negative realms. Time flew by very fast, and before I
knew it, there I was in KLIA. I wasn’t really tired, but
I was just so indescribably
excited! I was amused with
Australian people. Their manners and attitudes impressed
me. The people were friendly, kind and helpful. I just
wish that Malaysian people could be more like that.
During the barbecue that evening, I met almost all of
the Millennium Kids, a few permanent members of the crew
and some of the parents. We played cricket, a game that
I now miss quite a lot.
I was speechless when I
first saw the Leeuwin. A person should have to see,
touch and feel the ship in order to realise how
wonderful it was to be on board. There she was, proud
and courageous. The Leeuwin is without doubt the most
unique ship that I had ever set my eyes on. It was just
the right size for a sail training ship; not too big,
not too small. Just perfect for 50 crew members on
board.
Blue is my favourite
colour, and there I was in Blue watch. The members were
Jo, Ina, Andrew, Hurri, Ashaari, Jenny, Rachael,
Tursina, Lawrence and myself. Jo had set a god example
as our watch-leader, and we were kind of a low profile
group, meaning that we weren’t that famous or always
being praised or being told how great a team we
were.
Being there in the
ocean was a dream come true. But it was also a nightmare
at times. I had good times, and bad times. One of the
bad times was when my watch was on the lower topsail and
was furling the square sail. At that time, the wind was
blowing a good 40-50 Km/h, and the huge Indian Ocean
swells were hitting us hard. It was a nightmare being up
there! I felt like I was on a wild roller coaster that
just wouldn’t stop.
 My good times were seeing with my
own eyes the beauty and wonder of the ocean. I had the
chance to see a bottle-nosed dolphin, flying fish,
exotic birds, snakes and tamars as well as the superb
sunsets and sunrises. I admired the landscape of Garden
Island, and realised that just like the sea-grass
meadows, there are some things that you just can’t find
in urban areas.
Well, before I end my
story, I would like to take this opportunity to say
thank you to all my friends who had been with me
throughout the voyage. To Umi and Pak Mat, it was a
dream come true and for the both of you, the Leeuwin
voyage was a huge success. I feel great to be with the
Yayasan. It’s like family to me. In the future, I’ll
tell my children all about this great adventure that I
had on the Leeuwin, because it was a voyage of a
lifetime.
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