Saturday, May 9, 2009

From the classroom, soon to be 16 and on the water

Looking at the calender yesterday I got a bit of a shock to realise that my 16 th birthday is only just a week away on the 18th May, Wow time has been passing fast!
As well as being the big sweet 16, it will also be an important date as I'll be getting my boat licence, what a novelty it will be, to legally skipper boats.
Yesterday started before sunrise with a trip down to the beach to take sextant bearings off Venus, followed by a series of sun sights.

It was really satisfying to plot our position on the chart within 4 nm using only the sun, planets, sextant, almanac...oh and a lot of help from our instructor John who has been amazingly patient with my ability to mix up figures and my inability to add and subtract!

While I was plotting away in the classroom converting bearings to position lines in the chart there was plenty of action on the water.
Yesterday afternoon, Bruce and Suzanne arrived back in Mooloolaba after a season cruising and racing in the Hydro Tasmania Three Peaks Race.
Also, Australia said farewell to Mike Perham (17 year old English sailor halfway around the world on his own circumnavigation) who sailed out of Hobart yesterday.
I'm so glad I had the chance to meet Mike while he was in this part of the world.
Thanks again for all the confidence you gave me Mike!!

Time for me to head off to school but stay tuned for all the latest exciting news, only 5 days till the big launch.
Wednesday 13 May, 10.30am at Rivergate Marina, Brisbane.

See you there

Jesse

10 comments:

Niklas Eriksson said...

Hi Jessica!
I did read about you on the CNN website. And I am very impressed of what you are planning to do. Sailing around the world at your age are more then impressive. I will follow you on your blog and website. Good luck with your impressive task.

With kind regards from Sweden,
Niklas Eriksson
( nick(at)thefence.us )

Njea said...

Hi Jessica,

I think you have got a wonderful idea. I wish you goodluck and God's guidiance. I will follow you up on your website.

Regards from Cameroon,
Njea Maxcilline

Anonymous said...

Hi Jessica,
My name is Bruno.
I live in Brazil.
I wish you goodluck and please, contact me, ok? In MSN.
www.hotmail.com.br
e-mail: brunocameloneri@hotmail.com
Um grande abraço e boa sorte!!!
You not alone in this sailing around the world.
; )
Other e-mail: brunoc@funcef.com.br
byby
Obs: My english is not so good but a try heheheh

Unknown said...

Hi there Jessica,

Any chance you could setup and update a Twitter account while on your adventure? Would be fantastic to hear short snippets of your experience. No idea of your blogging intentions or technology limitations, but your tweets from the middle of the world's oceans would be great to receive and follow!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twitter

Cheers, and best of luck!

-shane s.

Colombo said...

Jessica, no doubt that you're a young warrior. A good one.

Great sailing.
Osvaldo Colombo

Gervasio Spittlebug said...

Hi Jessica,
I am happy and impressed to hear of your adventure. I am praying for all of that right and you can complete the journey. I am from south of Brazil and I am sailing with my boat (Spittlebug) at the Guaiba River and Patos Lagoon. I love sailing but I have not had opportunity to sailing round the world.

Congratulations and have a good luck.

With warmest regards
Gervasio
gervasio@pucrs.br

Gervasio Spittlebug said...

Hi Jessica,
I am happy and impressed to hear of your adventure. I am praying for all of that right and you can complete the journey. I am from south of Brazil and I am sailing with my boat (Spittlebug) at the Guaiba River and Patos Lagoon. I love sailing but I have not had opportunity to sailing round the world.

Congratulations and have a good luck.

With warmest regards
Gervasio
gervasio@pucrs.br

Anonymous said...

Hi Jessica,

from the other side of the planet, from a country with no sea, I wish you all the luck that there can be!
Given the many and different kinds of danger (particularly around kap horn, indian ocean), are you sailing completely alone or will there be boat(s) somewhere nearby in case of an emergency?

Will follow your challenge with great interest, regards

Mat D., Switzerland
(mad_world 'at' gmx.net)

CrisTina said...

uau....what a surprise... I was just surfing on twitter, and I saw a link to website youngest round, and reading your blog I saw your b-day was 18th may too, like mine. Jessica, your courage is inspiration to me. Blog saved as favorite...=]

Good winds, good vibrations...
Cristina.

CrisTina said...

PS: I'm from BRazil too. I can see you have a lot of comment coming from Brazil.