A high seas adventure awaits for Hastings teenager Phoenix Nincsics as he prepares for an 11 day voyage around Tasmania on the STS Young Endeavour.
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The Hastings Secondary College year 12 student will brave the southern swell during the Hobart-to-Hobart leg of the Endeavour from January 4 to 15 next year.
Mr Nincsics said he applied for the voyage ballot in September this year and been accepted.
"I was initially prompted by my mum to sign up for it as a good experience, I learnt more about it when I was accepted," he said.
"I've had a few friends sign up for it and they've said it's a life changing experience.
"I'm always looking for more opportunities to further myself and any other skills I can learn along the way.
"The whole experience is quite exciting because it's not something that I've done before. I don't do much sailing at all, I'm excited to learn about that and meet the people on the journey."
Aboard the 10 sail, square rigged tall ship are opportunities to navigate, keep watch, climb the 30 metre mast and take the helm.
The entire journey is guided by nine trained Royal Australian Navy crew.
Mr Nincsics has proven himself recently in the Tacking Point Lions Club Youth of the Year Quest for 2019 when he was selected as the Bonny Hills/Lake Cathie Lions Club speaker in the regional finals.
He has also represented Hastings Secondary College at the NSW Public Schools State Drama Camp in July this year.
Mr Nincsics said he has limited sailing experience but is enthusiastic to take a leadership role.
"I've got no sailing experience at all. I've been fishing on boats near Kempsey and I've done kayaking in Port Macquarie but that's about all the experience I have on the water," he said.
"I don't let things get to me and I don't think about what could go wrong. I just sign up for stuff to do it and I just get it done.
"Probably steering the boat will be the coolest thing I think. Having that feeling of power as the captain of ship will be good."
Each year the Young Endeavour, launched in 1987, travels along the east and south coasts of Australia in 20 voyages.
The ship was originally given to Australia by the British government in 1988 to celebrate the Australian Bicentenary.
Phoenix's father, Chris Nincsics said the family is fundraising for the trip and airfares from Port Macquarie to Hobart.
"It will be interesting down there. I think it's a good bonding experience in a team environment for him," he said.
"It will be a character building experience for him. I'm hoping having less experience in boating is not going to be a bad thing.
"Lake Cathie Lions Club have donated a couple of hundred dollars to help out in travel. Anything people would like to help him get over there would be good."
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