Official Jessica Watson Blog

Hi Jess...

Congrats and best wishes!

Six years ago I rode a push-bike - (a pushie for those in other parts) - from Sydney to Perth.

Four years later it was 14,000 kms around America.

I know this is nothing like the adventure you have before you. But it's that sense of adventure I admire.

I just wish I'd done it at your age when I first thought of riding from Sydney to Melbourne.

(The girlfriend said it was a stupid idea back then, but I made up for it twenty years later!)

I know this is getting off-topic, but having taken a chance, and riding off into the unknown, I know you'll return with so much satisfaction and memories of individual days you'll never forget.

Have the time of your life and have a rest before the next adventure - you'll need it.

As always,
Geoff Thomas
The Gold Coast.
http://thewideworldoflupus.blogspot.com/

I heard of you in a german newspaper and I'm really impressed as i won't dare sailing around the world and -well- I'm ten years older than you... Good luck and have fun.

I just heard about this! Amazing!

GANBATTE!
from Japan

Happy Birthday for the 18th Jessica- now you can really set sail! All the best, after reading Jessie Martin and Tanya Aebi's books about their circumnavigation's I really look up to anyone willing to give it a go.
I wish you all the luck, cant wait to follow how your getting on.

Happy birthday and all the best.

You make the young people proud!

Regards from Thomas and his daughter Yeilyn.

Germany

I just read your story and all I can say is WoW! You are an incredible young girl. I'm blown away and so inspired by your story and your dreams. I've added a link to your site on our magazine's link page. www.myicemagazine.com I wish I could share your story with all of our readers. You have the power to inspire SO many people. I wish you the BEST of luck and I will be following your journey on your blog! Keep us posted! Can't wait to read more!

hi jessica, robert from italy

I just heard about this! Amazing! Your parents are such good people, too, I can tell just by this act of love, trust and release. I will be thinking of you!
Kate

It would be a treat to see the boat both before and after the refit. I don't think I'll make it down to the boat show, though. I'm in California, USA, and the trip to Australia would put a serious crimp in my saving for a boat of my own.

I've been following the blogs of Mike Perham and Zac Sunderland for quite a while now, and I'm looking forward to hearing how you overcome your obstacles. I have a daughter just about your age (does that make me creepy old-guy blogger?) and I'm hoping that telling her about you will encourage her to want to do more than sunbathe on the foredeck.

If you're interested, I wrote a song inspired by Zac's trip, called, "Set Your Sails." You can hear it at my myspace page, or if you want to buy the CD, it's available
here!Mouse in Whittier
Praying Numbers 6:24-26 for all the young circumnavigators out there.

www.myspace.com/mouseonamotorcycle

It was great to meet all the family at UCOL last month, you are all really remarkable people, I know Jess is in the spotlight now but as an outsider looking in i could see you all really shining and each and every one of you is an inspiration.
I bet you are now at the stage where people who dont know you will start to judge you all and i can only imagine the comments you must be getting, its easy for the rest of us when our childrens dreams are to get to the next level of dream life 7 real edition, or to sneek some booze for there 16th birthday party, but what do you do when the child that you would give your life for and that you love without question wants to risk it all and sail around the world solo?
Answer: i dont know and i hope and pray i never find out but i think i would do this........ say "of course you do dear" and hope they dont, then say "mabee when your older", then comes "no way" then you lock them in there room and last of all you tell them that you love them and always will no matter what and you do what ever it takes to keep them as safe as you can on there jurney......... i think thats where your at now and my hopes and prayers are with you all. We have so few real heros today and as mums,dads,brothers, sisters,grans grandads and auntie caths you are all my heros.
Jess, No matter what you do now you are and will always be a winner, you see you dont have to go anywhere as you have done something that i and "all" other adults have lost the abilty to do, you dare to live your dreams. We dont even dare to dream anymore.
Jess, over the next year you will find yourself standing on the edge many, many times. Sometimes you will jump, some times not but you are the one who stood where many dare to tread. For me you have done it already, anything you do now is just a bonus.
You and you family have shown me that its ok to dream again, sometimes i try to live them sometimes i except that im not brave enough.
My love to you all
Thank you for the dreams....
Mark and family

You are doing great. I personally really like solo sailing and wanted to do what you are doing now after i read Jesse Martins book. If you could please email me because i want to see how you got to this point and the stages you took.