It may be wet, windy and cold, but one Karratha 16-year-old can’t get enough of sailing the high seas

Sailing on the rough, windy and cold ocean might not be the dream way for every 16-year-old to spend their summer holidays, but one Karratha girl can’t get enough of it. Ellie Ballantyne joined the crew of the STS Leeuwin II in January just before starting Year 11 and sailed from Busselton to Albany in ‘true’ seafaring conditions. The expedition was part of the Youth Explorer Sail Training Voyage which teaches young people sailing skills and develops their teamwork and leadership abilities. Ellie is no stranger to the high seas, however. Last October she sailed from Dampier to Exmouth, but her latest voyage was a far cry from that sun-soaked expedition. With no land in sight and 5m swells, she said the crew had to battle incredibly tough conditions, including people falling out of their bunks at night due to the wind. Ellie said at one point the wind got so strong the main sail tore and the crew had to replace it in dire conditions. “It was really cold and rainy,” she said. “The waves were quite a bit tougher than on my first voyage and the sail even tore because of the strong winds.” While the conditions were terrible, Ellie said the part of the experience she enjoyed the least was not having the basic amenities. “It’s really good going home because you get to have a shower,” she said. “Onboard, you’re not allowed to have a shower that’s more than two minutes. “You have to turn the water on, turn it off and turn it on again. “And it’s early bedtimes and early getting up.” Most people onboard got seasick but not Ellie, which she said was a catch-22 because it meant she had to complete more chores on deck in the terrible conditions. While to many people this might not seem like fun, Ellie said that because of the friends she’d made and the experiences she shared, she wished she could go back. “I’ve still got friends from both of my voyages,” she said. “I feel so much more like myself on the voyages. “I got away from it and wish I hadn’t left.” Ellie said she was looking forward to more voyages and had signed up for two more voyages out of Dampier later in the year. The voyage was supported by the City of Karratha through its small community grants scheme and the Pilbara Ports Authority community support initiative.