Official Jessica Watson Blog
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Yesterday was just about perfect sailing, with 15 knots of wind, great speeds, clear skies, gentle sea and a lovely sunset to finish. Better still, today is more of the same and the forecast for the next few days is also good, as a slow moving high pressure system moves away. With the speeds that Ella's Pink Lady has been doing lately, I'd say that I'm not the only one keen to make some miles to the east. The temperature is a lovely 25c in the sunshine so I'm getting about in a singlet and pulling on a light jumper during the night. I feel a little spoilt!
So it's all smooth sailing at the moment. Well actually, not quite. The dunny
(toilet) is giving me a bit of grief. Despite spending yesterday afternoon pulling off and replacing various pipes, it's still refusing to work, which really has me stumped as it's not exactly the most complicated or high-tech pice of equipment. Definitely not the most glamorous or pleasant job, but I can only keep trying!
Other than that, I treated myself to fresh sheets and a new towel today. Not exactly something to get excited about. but the thing that really hit me when I cut open the plastic packaging, was the fresh and faint smell of detergent.
It made me realize how few different smells there are out here. It's mostly just all fresh and salty sea air. I imagine that when I do get back to land, all the different smells will really stand out.
On a completely different subject something that I've been working on lately with all the team back in Australia, is coming up with a title for the book ('Around the World' was just a working title). Finding a title that really fits and we all like, is turning out to be quite a challenge. So we wondered whether you guys might have any suggestions, as the time has now come where we have to pick something.
So would love to hear from you if you have got any ideas!
Yesterday was Clean Up Australia day, so I hope it all went well. There's not much that I could do to help the cause out here, but I did make an extra effort to tidy up the cabin!
Jesse
Recent Posts
- Only Six Weeks Until Our Exciting Campaign Starts!
- The Mini Fastnet, Turning 18 and World Food Programme Youth Ambassador
- Our Youth Should Have A Voice!
- Study, Ella’s Pink Lady and New Zealand
- Introducing The New Project!
- Bilbies, Bike Rides and Other Events
- Jessica the Bilby!
- Young Australian of the Year & Germany!
- Lion’s Club Fundraiser for the Flood Appeal this Sunday
- Happy New Year, Sailing & QLD Floods
Comments
I'm tipping you'll get such a flood of suggestions for a title that you'll have to call it 'A Sea of Support'.....seriously, though, the right title will be there somewhere and it might just have a hint of the character behind the gesture of actually asking eveyone to be involved.!
A name for your book: "Pink Lady - One Tough Cookie" ... and at the bottom of the front cover "tales of the sea from jessica watson, youngest to circumnavigate the globe" - background will be your gorgeous face - as you have it on the opening page of this website! For the back cover - you with that happy smile as you posed in your tough cookie t-shirt.
Happy planning & best wishes xx
Stay safe and fair sailing, Lionel.
PS My wife loves the shirt and cap.
Fair winds and following seas from an old USN retired.
Once again an excellent blog. There is nothing better than nice clean sheets on your bed!! And with all that nice weather to go with them!
Pitty about the Dunny but at least it's not too far to go now so you won't have to rough it for too long (if you can't fix it that is!)
About the book title Jess i'm sure your blog fans will come up with hundreds of Titles, i myself can think of a few so here goes...
"In the Pink"
"Jess and the Pink Lady"
"Jess and Ella....an oddesy"
"An Aussie Oddesy"
"Two Ladies.....One Planet"
"Around Planet Earth"
"Non-stop Girl Power"
Ah a bit cheesy maybe? (i can hear the publisher cringing!!)
Anyways Jess, you will know it when you hear it. I will buy the book regardless of what it's called!!!
Take care Captain and bring her home soon!!
Jules of the NSW Riverina
What a lovely compliment to your loyal blogging family to invite suggestion for the title of your book. I for one cannot offer anything literary appealing, but i'm sure this current blog will hit the 1000 comment mark! There are guaranteed to be some 'crackers' (as opposed to pringles)!
Pity you dont have Kenny (koala?) out there amongst your crew, as he would sort your dunny out in no time flat!
I heard that you and your voyage were discussed yesterday by Ian Keirnan on the Today Show as an aside to Clean Up Australia Day. He knew precisely where you were and what you have been up to. Another magnificent Australian supporting you.
Anyway dear, enjoy your cruise and keep eating well.
Wonderful to hear that you are going along at the rate of Knots. We check in every day to see how you are going and when you have not blogged for a couple of days really miss your cheery remarks. We are grandparents and keep our grandys up to date as well, we can only hope that they grow up with your intestinal fortitude (in other words "guts"). We will have to try and think of a title for your book maybe we should incorporate the "sweet sixteen" factor lol?
Bye for now Jesse, fair winds and smooth sailing till we see you back home in good old OZ
Gordon and Lynette
Hi Jess,
Another great blog. Today is International Women's Day 2010. It is a global day celebrating the economic, political and social achievements of women past, present and future. If they need an Ambassador I think you fit the bill perfectly. You have achieved so much for one so young.
Anyway just a short blog for now, we have to start Rosie's school work. Hope you get the dunny fixed soon.
Stay safe and hooked on,Tim and Rosie,
Caboolture
Bengt "Ben" Larsson, Sweden
And once again, as you have accustomed us, a great entry.
Perfect sailing, good speed, nice weather is exactly what your many followers have been wishing you for months. As you can see, we armchair-tied friends are like in a slow motion movie. W e d o n o t m o v e q u i c k l y. But finally, alakazam, the perfect sailing was delivered.
What you notice about smells is certainly fair dinkum. You will be assaulted by many smells as soon as you will get on land. I wonder if you are not joking about smelling only the fresh and salty air. Honestly, Jesse, aren't you living and sleeping in a tight cabin with two BEARS, who never take a shower nor a bath? That might explain why you don't notice all the other smells around you... Hot chocolate, rotten flying fish, tomato sauce, nachos...
Sorry for the bug with the dunny. Not totally surprising after the shock due to the storm, and also because everyone knows Bugs Dunny, ha ha ha. I am sure Andrew will find you an on-line plummer to help you fixing that.
As all of us are going to do, I am launching a rushing and deep brainstorming for a title. The results, good or bad, will be posted tomorrow. Thank you for consulting your supporters, I hope that some will bring you a few fine ideas, but you will very probably already have thought of them. Whatever, who knows?
Go on, Captain, you are the hope of the world. Happy surf to Cape Leeuwin... Our eyes don't leave the chart, for real when we are near it, in our minds when we are not!
Beyond the Swell
Beyond the next wave
Yippee, there you are -it's so good to hear from you! I check on you every day and was hoping that there would be a new post this afternoon (PST). While I was worrying about you, here you are just sailing along in the sunshine and having super days at that - just as it should be!
I continue to be amazed by your courage, determination, grace and talent. I hope you continue to have only great days ahead. Steady progress, good weather and stay safe. I am loving this journey with you.
Sharon
San Diego
Sorry to hear about the dunny! Hope you get it working today.
Book title, Around the World has probably been used before! We will put on our creative caps for you and send in a suggestion or two shortly.
Great to hear the weather is good: sounds more like a cruise!
Remembering your t-shirt gift from Mum, a book title could be "Two Tough Cookies: Ella & Jesse".
Yeah, well we will continue to think about.
Enjoy the next few days of good weather.
Love to you and your crew!
I promise I'll work on a bevvy of better titles.......Have a lovely evening with those new-to-you sheets and good luck on repairing the dunny.
With oceany waves full of hugs to you,
Mary, Maine, USA
I was in advertising all my life. This will work.
I hope that you are enjoying the warmth after the cold regions you have been in recently.
Best wishes and smooth sailing all the way home.
"Too Young?" or "Age No Barrier"
or maybe
"I'm Not Alone Out Here" - which more accurately sums up how many people are actually along for the ride with you.