WHEN Tapitallee resident James Patterson got a call from organisers of the Young Endeavour Youth Scheme in early September, it came as quite a surprise.
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“I’d put my name down for the program more than a year ago and when I didn’t get drawn, I kind of forgot about it,” he explained this week.
Mr Patterson, now 20, had since signed up to the Navy and was working part-time in Berry, but even though he had only two weeks’ notice to board the ship, he jumped at the chance.
“I’ve always been interested in sailing, so I got out of work and went to Brisbane to sail back with them,” he said.
Of course, the Young Endeavour doesn’t always provide a smooth ride. The challenging youth development program pushes kids to learn new skills under pressure, without the guidance of regular friends and family.
Mr Patterson said one of the most difficult tasks was climbing the vessel’s 33-metre mast at sea.
“I absolutely hate heights,” he recalled after stepping off the boat back in the Shoalhaven this week. “But overcoming a real fear made doing the job feel so much sweeter.”
During the 10 days he spent at sea, Mr Patterson couldn’t communicate with his friends back home and didn’t have access to any of the normal creature comforts he was used to.
“Having no phone was a challenge at first, but after a while I realised I didn’t really need it, and you kind of lose track of time when you’re at sea anyway, so in the end I didn’t even know what day it was.”
He also said making new friends was a happy result of not being glued to his mobile.
“I met people all over the country and have already started to keep in touch with some of them, including one guy from Albatross, which was a funny coincidence.”
As well as conquering his fear of heights, Mr Patterson said his communication skills have been developed from the experience, along with his patience for living with strangers in close quarters.
“It was a really amazing experience and I’d recommend it to anyone who’s thinking about it,” he said. “Just don’t apply if you don’t want to have fun.”
And, judging from Mr Patterson’s experience, that includes at least two years after you make that first call.
