Official Jessica Watson Blog

I still can't report any great progress towards Australia. This time it's light headwinds that are stopping us making any real progress east. I hate to be one of those people who are always complaining about either too much or too little wind, but it's starting to feel a little like that.

Last night when I gave up adjusting the tiller every few minutes to keep us on course, Ella's Pink Lady actually drifted around in a big circle. I'm not sure it's something to be proud of, but if this was a synchronized loop-drawing contest, we'd have easily taken first prize. It was quite a loop! Maybe there's a future for me being one of those pilots who draw and write things in the sky? Jokes aside, I'd really love to be flying towards Australia right now, but the weather has other ideas. So there's not much I can do other than wait it out and go with the flow.

As always, the calm conditions have been a great chance to keep up with maintenance.

Yesterday I got stuck into a bit of de-squeaking and while going over Ella's Pink Lady with a spray can, I found a few shackles that had worked themselves loose. So it was good to find them now while it's nice and flat.

I also treated myself to a whole bucket full of hot water for a bath. Yesterday, rather than just the normal kettle full. Talk about luxury, even if it did take forever to heat it all up. Queen Mary 2 has nothing on Ella's Pink Lady! There was even left over hot water, so I was able to sit with my feet in it while brushing my hair. Then of course I finished up by turning the heater on to blow dry (my 12 volt hair dryer sadly stopped working back before Cape Horn, a total tragedy!).

The other day when things were still a bit bouncy with those big seas, I was talking to Dad over the satellite phone and he asked me to describe what the motion was like. It made me think about how best to describe it to all you non-sailors out there. I think the main thing is that you're not just moving in one direction and that the motion isn't in the slightest bit consistent. First there's the rolling, maybe like swinging in a hammock. Then add pitching (like on a swing), then there's the occasional acceleration as we take off surfing down a wave, just like you do at the beach. Add a few sudden drops and rises like a hyperactive lift and finish by tilting your whole world on a 45 degree angle. (Sorry I'm struggling to come up with an everyday comparison to that one!). So sort of like living on a roller coaster (well I think that's what a rollercoaster is like, but who knows because I've only been on one once and hardly remember it because I was completely terrified!). But a roller coaster with sudden stops and random sideways jerks, add a bit of noise and a lot of water and that's sailing in 40 knots of wind and big seas.

And talking of the satellite phone, I wanted to put a quick word in for the guys at SatCom Global, who sponsored my Iridium satellite phone and also the Sailor 250 that I use to send these blogs, pictures and video. I mean you have to admit, taking on a 16 year old girl's phone bill is a pretty brave and amazing thing to do. So thanks heaps guys!

Anyway, I'm going to finish up with some good news, I've got some wind again!

While I've been typing this, a nice steady breeze had slowly picked up and Ella's Pink Lady is moving along at over 3 knots in a south easterly direction.

Australia, here we come!


Jesse