Prior to his death, Tim had tabled an agenda item for the next meeting – that the Wharf Trust should sponsor a local student to go on a Youth Development Voyage on the R. Tucker Thompson. He wanted it to be an opportunity to give a young person who was already interested in sailing the chance to grow their experience, and potentially as he did, think about a career at sea.

To honour his memory, this proposal was accepted at the next meeting. In terms of choosing some that would fit Tim’s criteria, it was decided to speak with the organisers of the RŪNĀ sailing programme which was run through the Russell Boating Club. They put forward Philip Hunter.

A berth became available on 2^nd November and Philip set sail. The voyage, with 11 other trainees, took him from Ōpua, up to the Cavalli Islands and the Whangaroa Harbour, then back to the Bay of Islands.

Some of the highlights of the voyage were climbing the Dukes Nose in Whangaroa, and working with Kirstie from Project Island Song monitoring the wētāpunga on Urupukapuka in the morning, then completing the Tucker Challenge and sailing to Deep Water Cove.

The “Takeover” day on day 6, where trainees take over the running of the ship, kicked off with breakfast with The Biologists and the TriOceans team. The group enjoyed learning about the ecosystems and the environment. Then with the trainees in charge, the group sailed to Waewaetorea passage, keen to get in the water again and explore the Taniwha tunnel before heading to Moturoa island and Army Bay for the night providing a chance to explore the army bunkers on land. A night swim in the bioluminescence meant the group felt they were actors in moana and made for the perfect last night on board.

Philip’s goals for the voyage included sharing his sailing knowledge with others and spend time exploring under the water. He certainly achieved his first goal and his highlight was learning to dive.

A strength that Philip displayed during the voyage was curiosity, Phillip was always interested in every activity, constantly asking questions to learn as much as possible, showing interests in some of the army bunkers found around the bay. The crew also noted that when interacting with the crew and other trainees Philip was incredibly kind and respectful, he would often check in with others in the group to see if they were doing all right and made friends with others quickly. He developed his teamwork skills during the voyage and the crew were impressed with his efforts to work with others.

Philip was very appreciative for his whole experience.