Official Jessica Watson Blog

Hey Jess- Good to hear about your daring adventure, you are in peak of making a history in the world, my lots of wishes for you, Good luck:) God always with daring people, God bless cheers:)-Avi from India

Hello Jessica!
Downwind for a long distance must be awkward, I don't envy you. It's not the sort of motion a boat like EPL or any boat would enjoy, I guess. But at least albatrosses sounds like the wind is blowing you the right direction.
Wow, only three more weeks for Cape Horn - hard to believe but, yes, looks fair enough!

D'you know that every pic you take is a present? You do look well - which says more that lots of blogs.

Take care and look forward to a very special Christmas!
BavariaBlu

hi Jesse,
Another great blog. And isn't it amazing how we always manage to forget something, no matter how many lists we make! The bird book is probably sitting on the hall table by the front door. Now if you could only get one of those petrels to swoop down so you can tell it where your home is .... :-)

I like that you like the grey and misty days as much as the sunny days and the rosy sunsets. They're all beautiful in their own way.

And it sounds like you've been a good girl this year so don't forget to hang up your Christmas stocking so Santa can fill it for you. What brave and unselfish people your parents are. They will no doubt have a real mixed bag of emotions on Christmas day.

Love the fashion look. The fashionistas will all be envious of you. You could start a fashion house when you get back. :-)

I never really enjoyed downhill sailing, a good reach for me. Even pointing high was better than the wind on the tail I thought. Keeping the wind just on the starboard quarter or the port quarter was not my forte at all. So good luck with it.

Til next time, fair winds and not too much rolling. Well, I suppose any rolling is too much!

Cheers
Toni

Hello Jessica, just joined your blog. Reading about your exploits is an adventure for me. I'm 62, never done anything so adventurous but wish I would have (but I love life anyway). Was reminded about your trip when I went to Ella Bache Toowong (Brisbane). I have made your website my home page, so I'm going to be reading all your blogs from now on. I love the sea, grew up at the beach, and I can always hear the Pacific Ocean in my ears when I tune in to it. I love "grey and misty" too. Cheers, Erica, Brisbane

Hi Jess

Merry X Mas and stay safe...

Cheers
king-solo

Hi Jesse,
I just started following your blog and I think you're doing great! Thanks for sharing this amazing journey. My Dad and brother are at Puonce, Puerot Rico getting ready to set sail back to Oz in the New Year. They'll be sailing via Rio then across to Cape Town then across to Albany and over to Adelaide. Reading your blog gives me a better understanding of what they might experience but also I want to show my support for your awesome adventure too!
Have a very merry Christmas.
Cheers,
Sophia, Dysart, QLD

Hey Jesse
First time to blog but have been a regular reader of your exploits from the beginning and greatly entertained by your blogger family. They 'mostly' echo my thoughts and worries and I look forward to the regulars and their wonderful sense of humour. What are we all going to do after Jessica finishes her trip???

You are brilliant Jessica and I love the messy hair look, too many important things to do then brush ones hair - like drink hot choccy and admire the view, just shove a hat on it and relax. I worry about you every day but also rejoice in your accommplishments. Hang in there.
Love Aunty Chris - Tamworth NSW

amazing to read the posts that go out to you on a daily basis, they seem to be from all over the world. I think you are sailing for a great many people Jessica and fulfilling a great many dreams of those of us who always wanted to do this but for whatever reason, have never attempted it. Be safe and fair winds to you.

A sailor in California

Hi Jess, great to see your soaking it up ( so to speak ) must be having a blast. We're all thinking of you here at home and wishing you a safe voyage. Have a merry christmas out there on the big blue, lots of love from all of the Uptons, Ben

Hi Jess
Nice pic - thanks for the update and you keep rolling down girl.
stay safe.

Vijay

Hey Jess,

Cool.... Very Cool,

"As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country."

Hang in there,
You're a legend
Mick
MNC NSW

Hey Jess,

Just dropping in to wish you a happy and (especially!) safe Chrissy before we go on Holidays. You 100% rock!!!!

Still can't help worrying about you... but the further you go the less I worry.

All the best Ross Cleveland Brissy

Jessica!
I am a working single mom and had no idea I was so out of the loop of things going on around the globe. I live in Charlotte, NC USA and having been following your blog for a few days and read all about you...
You are an amazing brave girl and I will keep you in my prayers daily. Good luck to you and safe travel and calm seas! Diane Roach

Depending on where you are today or tomorrow is the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year.

Best of Luck!!

Jim
Babylon, NY

Want bigger Pics?! Try this:

(1) Click on the photo. this should open it in its own window.

(2) Position your cursor on the photo, hold down the Ctrl key and (while holding it down) roll your mouse roller wheel.

This will enlarge and reduce the photo; at least it does for me.

Steve in California
(of which there appears to be two posting here!)

Jessica,

That is really cool seeing your first Albatross. Since you're seeing quite a few birds, I wonder what the chances are that you'll have one of Silly's relatives join you for a ride. One day when it was cold, windy and many miles from land, I had a small bird that appeared to be extremely tired land on my boat and before I knew it, he was inside of the cabin. I put out dinner for him and he rode along in the cabin for almost a day. When he was rested and had enough energy, off he went. It was nice to have his company. You never know, maybe you'll have a bird come into your cabin and cuddle up with Chick-With-Attitude.

You sure will be sailing downwind for much of the trip now. I imagine that Parker isn't real crazy about sailing downwind, or does he do O.K. with the apparent winds that you'll have? Not many days of light air ahead of you. Remember,Jess, no peeking at presents until Christmas.

Have fun, stay safe and happy sailing.

From Seattle, WA, USA
SaltyDog

Hey Jessica! I'm from Norway, my dad showd me youre blog yesterday, I'm twelve yers old, and I have tried to sail some times. One time i startet get in my head that boats were gonna be my favorite subject, I didn't come so long with my "project" (if I can call it that) anyways. Well I just wanna wish you good luck and have fun! -Emilie Oshaug!

Rudolf the Red-nosed Reindeer
Rudolf, the red-nosed reindeer
had a very shiny nose.
And if you ever saw him,
you would even say it glows. All of the other reindeer used to laugh and call him names. They never let poor Rudolf play in any reindeer games. Then one foggy Christmas eve Santa came to say:
"Rudolf with your nose so bright, won't you guide my sleigh tonight?"
Then all the reindeer loved him as they shouted out with glee: "Rudolf the red-nosed reindeer,you'll go down in history!"

:DDDDD Tim B

Maybe if you post some pictures of the birds you see, comment bloggers can tell you what they are and about them. :DDDD

Are you singing any carols for xmas yet???

-Tim B.

An Albatros! I don't think they are sea birds any more than Eagles are, but I have read about the distances they can fly in a day, just by gliding on their extradorinary wings. What a treat to see one! Good luck with the downwinds, and have a very happy Christmas.

Cheryl, Melbourne - following your journey closely, Jesse and wishing you EVERY BEST OUTCOME. Go well, friend.

Hi jessica :-) love to read your blog, i think you are great :-) as for cool weather, i`m from far north from where you are, norway, and from here i can report of 20 cm of snow and from -10 to -25 Celsius, so i think you are lucky down south ;-) Hope you take some pictures of pink lady in full xmas-decoration :-) As for birds down in the south pacific, you probably are spot on about petrels, but i would guess that you also are seeing some skua`s down there :-) Happy sailing and a merry xmas to you, keep posting! BEst wishes from Asgeir in Norway :-)

Hi Jesse,

scrolling through all the comments I saw but one mentioning the mysterious disappearance of "the other girl", 14 year old Laura Dekker from the Netherlands who was trying to do the same thing last August you're doing right now and was stopped by the dutch authorities.

She disappeared from home last thursday, and as it turns out somehow she has managed to get into Caribbean, concrete intention unknown. She was found on St. Martin I think and in the radio they said they would carry her back to the Netherlands now and probably put her under custody:

What a dreadful fate for someone loving freedom so much (even if I admit that I consider 14 as really a little too young for the trip), and what a sad story which yet shows the dimension of your achievement!

So this Christmas, my thoughts will be with you - but also with all the other young people who are not just average teenagers craving for the latest iphone or sneakers under their Christmas tree but who would do really great, fabulous, touching things if only they were allowed to!

As this is probably my last message to you before Christmas, I wish you some fine holidays with just the right amount of wind, and of cause some time to enjoy the calls to your family and friends, not to forget all the packages mysteriously droped on Ella Pink Lady by a special Santa Claus water sleigh dispatch! :D

Nico
Frankfurt, Germany

12-21-09 @ 15:21
Hi Jessica,
I just wanted to comment on the picture of yourself at the tiller with the open sea behind you. You can see the angle of the boat compared to the water. I didn’t see it the first time since I couldn’t get past that smiley, happy face in the foreground. But isn’t that the drain spout right above your head??? You’ll need an umbrella. LOL…….
Keep going and enjoy yourself, and remember, you and ELP are #1 everything else can wait. Please do not worry about grammatical errors, everybody makes them, even the complainant. Had to laugh at that one.
Make sure you get some more “Jessica Time” before you hit the cape.

For SaltyDog, From Seattle, WA, USA
Amen to that. Great Post

Take care of yourself and all the scallywags.
Love from another one of your adoptive great grandparents!!
Always proud of you and always thinking of you.
May God be with you and watch over you and may the angels keep your sails full, and I will keep you in my prayers.
Michael (74) from Kingwood, WV