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Noakes Group will act as an industry partner for the STS Young Endeavour tall ship under a new contract with the Royal Australian Navy.
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The NSW marine company will service Young Endeavour until the end of its service life, in the awarded two-year contract, with extension options for a further three years after a competitive tender process on 17 March.
The company will maintain the Navy’s Young Endeavour at HMAS Waterhen and provide support to its crew during operations away from their home port in Sydney.
Young Endeavour was originally given to Australia as a gift to celebrate Australian Bicentenary by the British government in 1988, and has since hosted more than 14,000 young Australians in the Sail Training Ship Young Endeavour program delivered by Navy staff crew.
The ship has so far sailed more than 400,000 nautical miles, including two world voyages and four circumnavigations of Australia.
Head Maritime Sustainment Rear Admiral Steven Tiffen said the contract would ensure Young Endeavour was operationally available to serve the youth of Australia where and when needed.
“Noakes has been instrumental in providing maintenance, engineering, supply and operating services to Young Endeavour for the past 30 years and are well suited to ensure the vessel is kept in a reliable and safe state to deliver youth development activities,” Rear Admiral Tiffen said.
“This contract will ensure all necessary support is given to Young Endeavour until a replacement vessel is made available, continuing the proud history that began in 1988 when the ship was handed to Australia from the United Kingdom to mark the bicentenary.”
Young Endeavour is Navy’s national sail training ship and conducts a year-round development program on behalf of the Young Endeavour Youth Scheme for Australian youth aged 16 to 23.
“Navy has entrusted the complete care and maintenance of its beautiful Sail Training Ship Young Endeavour to Noakes as prime contractor for the past 30 years,” said an online statement by Noakes Group.
“One of the world’s most complex modern square-riggers, she was Great Britain’s bicentennial gift to Australia.
“Noakes provides Young Endeavour with all maintenance services from rigging and paint to complete refits.”
The Young Endeavour Youth Scheme announced earlier this year that a new three-masted, barquentine rig, sail training ship accommodating 42 youth crew will be built in Australia to replace STS Young Endeavour.
