Jessicawatson.com.au

Jessica's Blog Has a New home

2010-02-22T12:11:00.000+10:00

Jessica Watson's blog has moved to www.jessicawatson.com.au. Now everyone can access all of Jessica's information in one place. All of the old posts and comments have been transferred over, and Jessica's newest post, Almost Around the World and Why I am Sailing Around the World, has just been published. Click here to visit the blog and read the latest from Jessica Watson.

Quick Update on some Fast Sailing

2010-02-21T09:45:00.005+10:00

Lots of nice, fast sailing over the last few days. Now only 250nm until we pass under the Cape of Good Hope!

Ella's Pink Lady has been surfing off down the waves, keeping up a great pace in 25 knots of wind. Despite the wet drizzly conditions (see pics below), I've been spending a lot of time on deck watching us fly along.

I decided to give Parker a bit of time off yesterday and spent quite a bit of time hand steering which I really enjoyed. I still get a kick out of feeling us take off down a wave and I don't think watching the waves and birds will ever get boring!

Jesse

Pic 1: Little patches of blue sky as Ella's Pink Lady hurries along down wind.

Pic 2: Another grey day down in the 40's

4 Months at Sea

2010-02-18T17:28:00.000+10:00

Four months at sea today, but it still feels like only yesterday that we were leaving Sydney! It's almost a bit scary how fast the time has flown and how completely I've settled into everyday life out here. But I'm also really looking forward to all things land and home.

We've got pretty rubbishy, overcast and drizzly weather at the moment but no complaints as progress is good. The wind is about 25 knots and because we're

running pretty close to directly with it, Ella's Pink Lady is rolling and surfing a little uncomfortably. Not long now till we're back in the 40's and with the temperature dropping a little more, it looks like my nice, sunny Atlantic holiday is over. But on the upside, hopefully I start seeing a few more albatrosses again.

There's still the odd ship around. Another one passed pretty close last night, they were really friendly again and when I mentioned over the radio that I was a little uncomfortable with how close we were set to pass each other, they immediately offered to change course to give us a little more room.

Something I forgot yesterday was to give you an update on how the food is going. Apart from those few tragedies with the Pringles and Tomato Sauce,

overall it's all going really well. I'm eating a bit less than what Mum planned for, which means there's quite a bit left over in each food bag, which

means that I'm able to pick out my favorites and leave the not so good stuff. The dried fruit, chocolate, pasta, tinned pie, mixed Chinese vegetables and tuna are the first things to go and by the end of the fortnight, the pile of leftover's normally includes crackers, banana chips, dried peas and tinned beans. Which gives you a pretty good idea of my likes and dislikes. Anyway to cut a long story short it looks like I'll be returning with enough food to feed a small army!

We've got just under 600nm sailing to do to pass under the Cape of Good Hope. So that's going to be it for today.

Jesse

www.jessicawatson.com.au

Going Places and Wear and Tear

2010-02-17T09:46:00.003+10:00

It wasn't too long after I'd sent the last blog that we started getting some wind and sailed across the prime meridian into the eastern hemisphere - thank goodness! After that, the wind sat at around 30 knots for most of yesterday, so Ella's Pink Lady's been flying along, covering lots of lovely miles to the south and east.

I'll admit I'm not really all that thrilled about the south part, after having temperatures between 20 to 26 c for so long. I can't seem to get enthusiastic about heading south back into cooler waters, I don't think Ella's Pink lady and Parker like the idea of the cold any more than I do. It's taking a lot of correcting from me to keep us heading south east rather than east. But unless we do head back to more southern latitude it's going to take us much longer to get back home. So south and cold it is, reluctantly!

Anyway, I promised a condition report on how Ella's Pink Lady is holding up. Overall it's pretty good considering the miles she's covered. I mean, how you would feel after almost 4 months hard work without a day off!?

To start with, I suppose you could say that along with the bent up targa frame, a few other scars and the odd rust spot on the deck and stainless steel, she is looking slightly weather beaten. But the rigging, sails, sheets etc are all doing pretty well, with only a few signs of chafe and wear.

Parker, the now slightly crooked Fleming windvane, is doing as good a job as ever steering us, although he does have a bit of a habit of chafing through the lines that link him to the tiller, which means I'm constantly end for ending, or shortening them.

The little Yanmar engine has really proved itself and has never once not fired up first go, when I start it up to give the batteries an some extra charge (out of gear of course). The only maintenance it has needed has been a quick tightening of a fan belt, the occasional squirt of grease on the stern gland (where the prop shaft goes through the hull) and I had to drain a little water from the fuel filter last week. One of our local mechanics (Jim) fitted a special filter that separates water from diesel (we actually got some water in the fuel tank during one of the knockdowns, when we were upside down). So thanks Jim!

Since the starboard solar panel got a little bent up during that storm, it's rudely stopped contributing any power to the batteries. But as the other panels and wind generator are still doing their share and because we've still got plenty of diesel, this isn't too much of a loss.

Fresh water supplies are doing ok. I've got enough to last till home, using close to 2 litres per day, which is plenty for drinking, along with my juice. But it doesn't leave a lot to spare, so the fresh water is strictly for drinking and cooking unless I get some good rain and manage to collect some more.

Most of the electrical equipment is holding up pretty well against the damp and wet. Well apart from one of my Panasonic hand-video cameras which got a little wet whilst filming some dolphins a while back, ouch! But the Toughbook laptop has more than proven itself it be super-tough, after coping a lot of salt water and mis-treatment. I'm down to using only one burner on the meth stove and have more meth than I'd be able to use in about three circumnavigations, so it looks like we over catered a little on that one!

And the skipper, well her hair has grown quite a bit longer and as far as I can tell, she's as healthy as ever. Although I do wonder if my legs are a bit thinner. I still do various exercises for them most days, but I'm thinking that maybe I won't be running any marathons right after getting home!

Well that's enough waffle for now.

Jesse

Pic: The crew were starting to smell a bit musty, so the skipper sent them outside for a bit of sunshine and fresh air!

Drifting Around

2010-02-15T16:28:00.003+10:00

We haven't actually been doing a lot of sailing over the last few days, more just sort of drifting and rolling, sometime backwards, not particularly exciting stuff. So we still haven't quite crossed over the Prime Meridian. We're sitting just a few nm away from the eastern hemisphere and not able to get there because there isn't any wind!

I've been spending my time either in the cockpit hand steering or buried in a book trying to ignore the rolling and it's pretty frustrating - very frustrating actually!

Not making any progress makes it feel like we're just wasting time out here. I've discovered that the best way to stop from pulling my hair out is to apply the 'refuse to let it get to me' strategy like I do for storms. Isn't it great that teenagers are good at being stubborn? Oh and
chocolate that helps too!

The good news is that the wind is forecast to start picking soon, so looking forward to that.

I was going to give you all a more detailed rundown on how Ella's Pink Lady
is holding up, all the wear and tear etc. But I'll save that for tomorrow.

Jesse

PS - Thanks for all the Happy Valentine's Day messages!

Outdoor Office

2010-02-13T17:20:00.005+10:00

Flat seas and sunshine for the last few days and I'm loving it, even if Ella's Pink Lady's speeds are a bit of the slow side. There's been a few too many 3 knots on the 'speedo', not exactly glamorous but we are moving and with thesun shining it's a bit hard to worry about anything too much!

This is definitely an attitude I'm going to have to put some serious effort into changing, if I ever decide to have a go at racing. Otherwise I'd be left at the back of the fleet every time the sun came out!

The other day I finally had the bright idea of un-bolting the Toughbook computer from its place at the nav station and taking it out into the cockpit to get some typing done. (Don't ask me why I didn't think of this earlier?). Sitting in front of a computer is a hundred times more pleasant when outside right next to the water. It's also far easier to persuade myself to actually sit down and get everything done. Apologies to anyone reading this while surrounded by four walls!

So while sitting outside in my lovely outdoor office I had two cute bluefish join us. They spent the afternoon swimming around us, nibbling away at who knows what on the hull. It's good to know that someone's keeping the hull clean of weed. Sort of like a drive-through car wash really!

Ella's Pink Lady is moving nicely at the moment but we've got headwinds with the wind from the south east which means that we're not quite making the course that I'd like to be on. Also, tomorrow or possibly later today, we should becrossing over the Prime Meridien. I can't wait to be back in the eastern hemisphere, then it really will feel like we're on the way home.

It's great to have everyone back online after the problems with the blog server. The technical details are completely beyond me, so I'll stay out of trying to explain, but it sure sounds like it caused all sorts of drama back on land. Welcome back to everyone anyway!

Jesse

www.jessicawatson.com.au

Blue Sky & Sunset

2010-02-11T11:49:00.000+10:00

Pic 1: You've gotta love that blue Sky!

Pic 2: Another lovely sunset

Pic 3: Typing away on the Toughbook in the cockpit

Jessica's Blog Now Has a New Home - UPDATE

2010-02-09T12:46:00.004+10:00

UPDATED POST - 12 February, 2010

Due to technical issues, we will remain on Blogspot for now. The Official Jessica Watson Blog "will" have a new home once these issues are rectified. This will be at:

http://jessicawatson.com.au/_blog/Official_Jessica_Watson_Blog

You will then be able to get all the information and updates on Jessica in the one place on her website. All of Jessica’s posts and everyone’s comments will also be transferred across, so you will not miss a thing.

We apologise sincerely to everyone for the technical issues experienced this week during the transfer of servers. You have all been very patient and we appreciate that.

Cheers

Andrew

Flying-Fish, Rubbish, No Wind then Lots of Wind

2010-02-09T11:47:00.000+10:00

We've had both very little wind and plenty of wind in the last few days. All made much more pleasant because of the tropical feeling temperatures. I actually found a few little flying fish (which are mostly only found in warmer waters) on deck and got wet inspecting it. But I don't squeal half as loud these days when an unexpected wave gives me a drenching!

Along with the flying fish I've been seeing quite a bit of plastic and rubbish floating past recently, it looks so out of place and ugly drifting by on the swell. So I've resolved to put a lot more effort into refusing plastic bags and using less plastic when I get home.

Yesterday and again last night, the wind was up to 35 knots which kept Ella's Pink Lady moving nicely, reefed down and flying along. Sunday started out being extremely frustrating when the wind dropped right out to nothing. It wasn't so much the fact that we were making no progress that had me on edge, but the horrible rolling motion. With a big 4m swell leftover from the latest weather system and no wind to
hold the sails steady, the rolling was extremely un-pleasant and really had me in a bad mood till the sky cleared and the sun came out. That one little thing made all the difference!

I spent the rest of the day having a great time in the sunshine going through my extensive stash of Ella Bache products, giving myself a total pampering and ensuring that my skin got its share of attention too!

By the time the wind started coming in again I was feeling better than I had in a long time, definitely ready to take on the rest of the world!

Another ship passed last night and as I often do, I gave them a call on the VHF radio and to check that they were aware of our position. Despite the fact that I'd rather have been asleep, the ship's watch-keeper sounded really friendly, it was good to chat to him till the conversation came to a bit of a dead-end, when I explained what exactly I was doing out here. I get that reaction quite a bit, apparently it must just be a little too much for them to take in or something?

But to be fair to them, I suppose it's a bit out of the norm to come across at little pink yacht in the middle of nowhere disappearing in and out of the swell on a dark windy night. And well, I suppose it would be quite un-expected to be casually told by a girly sounding voice that her next port of call is Sydney!

So time for a long awaited update on this fishing stuff. No good news I'm afraid. I've been putting the line out every now and then but after a bird went for the lure and got himself tangled in the line a few weeks back I've been a bit timid about it all since. The bird got himself free but I felt so bad, that I spent the rest of the afternoon feeding the other birds chocolate biscuits (I'm pretty into my chocolate biscuits so I think that gives you a pretty good idea of how bad I felt!). Seeing as I've only got so many chocolate 'bickys' onboard, you could say I've been a bit scare-easy about putting the line out recently. But we've still got plenty of miles to go, so I'm
sure I'll get my confidence back sometime soon.

That's it for me today, the wind has dropped off to 15 knots, so it's time to go pull anther reef out of the mainsail to keep us moving.

Jesse

Bouncy and Dolphins

2010-02-07T07:53:00.004+10:00

Yesterday was a bit bouncy with the wind up a bit as we just clipped the edge of that nasty weather system to the south. My best "Jess-timate"(this is what Bruce calls my often slightly vague descriptions of what the wind is doing) would be 40knots in the gusts.

The sea is still over 4m which isn't particularly huge, but the waves are a bit messy and really rolling through with a lot of punch behind them, so Ella's Pink Lady is being knocked around a little.

The wind went up and down just as expected and with everything ready well beforehand, there wasn't much to do other than hold on and roll with it. Now that we've been through a few gales out here, handling 40knots of wind has become pretty routine, just like the way tacking, gybing or reefing has almost become an automatic reflex too. But if anything, it's only made me more cautious than ever. Knowing that everything has been double-checked is the only way to get any peace of mind.

Before the wind started coming up I was treated to a visit from some dolphins (see pic below), actually hundreds of dolphins! There were dolphins everywhere, in every direction right off to the horizon. Long lines of dolphins leaping out of waves, dolphins shooting off down the swell, dolphins playing on Ella's Pink Lady's bow and dolphins quietly swimming along chatting away to each other in small squeals and squeaks. I didn't know where to look and their visit came just at the right time too, as I'd been feeling a little bit mopey and frustrated, but the dolphins sure put the smile back on my face!

The dolphins haven't been my only company lately, I've also been seeing a bit of shipping lately. By that I mean three ships in the last two days, which is a lot by my standards.

When doing a galley re-stock from the stores in the bow the other day, I discovered that I'm running short on Pringles (I'm down to my last pack!), getting low on tomato sauce and fast running out of tinned fruit. On the positive, I did come across a hidden stash of Nutella (chocolate spread)!

So just over 1500nm to go till the Cape of Good Hope, but we'll be passing well south and clear of land.

Jesse

Pic: Some of the many dolphins that joined me!

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Schoolwork

2010-02-06T14:45:00.003+10:00

Pic: Doing some schoolwork when the sun came out yesterday - well, trying to anyway!

Cruising Along

2010-02-03T21:19:00.004+10:00

It's almost starting to feel a bit 'same old, same old' out here at the moment, which is probably a silly thing to say, because now that I've said it, 'Murphy's Law' says something's bound to happen! And it's not as if no action is at all a bad thing. No news it good news right?

It also looks like my quota of sunshine is up, which is particularly annoying, as when I was going through some lockers the other day, I came across the sextant (an instrument used for finding your position from the sun or stars) and I'm itching to get the books out and see what I can remember - that would be much easier if I could actually see the sun. I managed to capture a pic of a cloudy sunset last night which had some nice colours (see below).

But that's enough complaining, on the upside, progress has been good still with lots of 6 and 7's on the speedo. There's a lot more birds around too, maybe because we're getting close to islands. I'm seeing some different types as well. The birds up this way seem to be smaller than the ones down south and I sure miss seeing those albatrosses!

Even though it's looking like we'll miss the worst of that nasty weather to the south, we're expecting to see some pretty strong wind in a few days. I'll be glad when this front is all over and done with so we can go back to heading directly east again.

Jesse

P.S. Its looks like I spoke too soon! I'd just finished typing and was sitting here at the nav station staring out the port hole (one of mymore glamorous hobbies!), when I got a huge fright as a great big orange object floated pastless than a meter away. It turned out to be some sort of fishing buoy complete with aerial and just avoided geting into a tangle with Parker!

Pic: Sunset last night!

Life Goes on as Normal Out Here

2010-02-02T09:42:00.004+10:00

Still more nice sailing for Ella's Pink Lady and I. Yesterday was particularly great with our speed sitting on an almost constant 7knots all day. The wind has mostly been between 12 and 17knots. Well that's my best guess anyway, because since losing the wind instruments, I've had to resort to the oh so primitive method of looking out the window and at a piece of string tied to the rigging, to determine the wind speed and direction!

These are just the sort of conditions Ella's Pink Lady and I love. Does anyone object if I give Sydney a miss and go around for a second lap?! No, don't worry I wouldn't do that to you. I might still be having the time of my life out here, but there's also things back home that I miss. There's no way that I'd be able to sail past a hot shower and I'm worried that if I'm away much longer I won't be able to recognize my brother, who is apparently getting taller by the minute!

We've also had more of the weird foggy/sunny combination. It seems a bit strange to record 0% cloud cover next to 'very poor' for visibility in the log book. But I do come from Queensland, so fog will probably always be a bit of a novelty to me!

Also you may have noticed that we're heading North East, rather than East again. Bob's got me sailing north some more to avoid a particularly nastily system passing to the south.

It's crazy to think that not so long ago it was a battle to keep warm, particularly my feet, layered in socks and tucked away at the end of my sleeping bag. Now I'm constantly being irritated at being be woken up with hot feet! The fact that a little thing like this is annoying me gives you an idea of how nice things are out here at the moment.

So life goes on as normal out here. Yesterday was a housework (boat-work!) day and there's always the odd bit of maintenance to keep me busy, like tightening the fan belts on the engine and re-taping a few chafe points. I also seem to be able to spend (or waste) a pretty huge amount of time cooking. My powdered egg omelets are steadily getting better but my attempts to change or add to my Easyfood meals are failing miserably, along with most of my other food experiments.

It's a good thing that there's no one else to complain about some of the meals I manage to ruin!

Jesse

Sunny, Foggy and Flat

2010-01-31T08:58:00.002+10:00

I know sunny and foggy isn't your normal combination and up and until yesterday I had no idea that the two could exist together either. It was certainly very strange, as one minute I had a perfect sunny conditions and the next the sun was still shining, but through a thick layer of fog. A bit odd or I thought so anyway. The fog hung around for the rest of the day and the night reminding me of the foggy conditions we had at around this latitude heading south in the Pacific.

We've also had really gentle sailing conditions, I can hardly believe how little swell there is and flat it is, which makes life nice and comfortable. We haven't been making the most amazing speeds with the light winds, but Ella's Pink Lady has been able to keep up a steady pace to the east. All this warm sunshine and easy sailing reminds me of the tropics and feels like holiday!

It's amazing that after only a few days of quiet conditions so many of my habits have changed. Mostly little things like leaving things out on the bench and sleeping out in the cockpit , its actually quite a thrill to be able to sit a cup down for a moment without it flying across the room. I have to keep reminding myself to keep everything tidy and shipshape, as I know that this will only last so long.

Only 2000nm to the Cape of Good Hope. That's going to be it from me today as I'm keen to get back outside into the sunshine!

Jesse

Present!

2010-01-30T00:50:00.003+10:00

The picture below is of my very cool new t-shirt which was a present from Mum in my latest food bag. I had to share it with you guys as my crew aren't doing a very good job of sharing my excitement!

Jesse

Pic: My new 'One Tough Cookie" t-shirt!

Eastward

2010-01-28T23:07:00.002+10:00

The temperature is hardly cold anymore and Ella's Pink Lady and I am now far enough north to avoid the worst of the nasty weather systems to the south (not that we couldn't still cop a storm anywhere). So it's time to start making some serious ground to the east. Go too much further north and we would risk losing the prevailing westerly winds that mean easy sailing and good progress.

With only 2300nm till we pass under The Cape of Good Hope and Africa we're getting pretty close to being half way across the Atlantic already. Time flies when you're having fun!

There's really not too much new and exciting to report from out here, just that all's well. I'm still loving every moment, enjoying all the little things. I've still been finishing up a few jobs from after the storm and yesterday I made the most of some sunshine to catch up of some washing - the rigging and lifelines make a great washing line!

With everyone back home back to school (sorry guys!) it's probably time that I have a go at finding where I stowed my school work too.

It looks like I'll be in this calm patch for a while longer so we should have quiet sailing and hopefully good progress for a while longer.

Jesse

Australia Day!

2010-01-26T12:06:00.002+10:00

Every year at school we used to get asked what Australia Day meant to us, this year I couldn't be much further from Australia, there's none of the things that make a typical Australia Day celebration out here, no sunshine, beach, no taking the day off or BBQ but this year I really can say I'm proud to be an Aussie! And also how great it feels to have the support of the country behind me!

I've still got a lot of the world to see (a lot of Australia too actually!) but the things that are special about Oz to me (other than all the cool scenery!) is our relaxed positive attitude and 'can do' approach! I'd like to think that we're a county that's capable of coming together to tackle challenges, one that's capable of showing the world that we can achieve the things that we believe in.

So how am I celebrating? Well last night I was pretty thrilled to get a call on the sat phone from Kevin Rudd who offered to pass on a Happy Australia Day message to everyone from me! That's about all I needed to make my day!

In other news, I'm pleased to report that the dunny is all back together (thank goodness!) and that the stove fired up again (yessss!!!) after drying out a little. Can I just say that, after enduring a few days without a stove my respect for James and Justin (the guys who kayaked the Tasman) and any other sailor or adventurer who's main food source was self-heating freeze dried meals has just gone up about a million notches!

So getting Ella's Pink Lady back into shape after our little battering has been going well, not helped by another front that passed yesterday but luckily it didn't give us any more than 40 knots of wind. I'm currently waiting for the wind to ease a little more so that I can finish patching the main sail and pull it right up again. Ella's Pink Lady looks a little worse for a few battle scars but more importantly is still as strong as ever.I shouldn't really be surprised as this is what we set her up to take and why we picked the S&S 34. Still it's nice to know.

I certainty can't complain about the miles we've been covering lately, we're flying across the Atlantic, I'm starting to worry that it's all going to be over and we're going to be home before I'm ready!

Well I'm going to sign off and have a go at making meat patties with tinned mince for a hamburger. Then maybe even some cake or muffins just because I'm so thrilled about the stove working!

Happy Australia Day!

Jesse

P.S. Congratulations times a million to Abby Sunderland for departing on her voyage last Saturday, I know what a challenge it is, just to get to the start line. Despite the fact that there seems to be a lot of adults determined to see Abby and I pitted against each other as rivals, I only wish her the best of luck and am totally thrilled that there's another girl going for the record!

Wind, Waves, Action and Drama!

2010-01-24T11:44:00.004+10:00

My quite sunny conditions ended with a bit of a bang, Ella's Pink Lady and I have been having a very interesting time out here. The wind had been expected to rise to a near gale, but none of the computers or forecasts picked that it would reach the 65knots that I recorded, before losing the wind instruments in a knockdown!

That much wind means some very big and nasty waves. To give you an idea of the conditions, they were similar to and possibly worse than those of the terrible 1998 Sydney to Hobart Race. We experienced a total of 4 knockdowns, the second was the most severe with the mast being pushed 180 degrees in to the water. Actually pushed isn't the right word, it would be more accurate to say that Ella's Pink Lady was picked up, thrown down a wave, then forced under a mountain of breaking water and violently turned upside down.

With everything battened down and conditions far too dangerous to be on deck, there wasn't anything I could do but belt myself in and hold on. Under just the tiny storm jib, the big electric autopilot did an amazing job of holding us on course downwind, possibly or possibly not helped by my yells of encouragement! It was only the big rogue waves that hit at us at an angle (side on) that proved dangerous and caused the knockdowns.

The solid frame of the targa (the frame that supports the solar panels) is bent out of shape and warped (see pic below), which provides a pretty good idea of the force of the waves. Solid inch thick stainless steel tube doesn't exactly just bend in the breeze, so I think you could say that Ella's Pink Lady has proven herself to be a very tough little boat!

With my whole body clenched up holding on, various objects flying around the cabin and Ella's Pink Lady complaining loudly under the strain, it was impossible to know what damage there was on deck. It was a little hard at times to maintain my positive and rational thoughts policy, but overall I think I can say that the skipper held up us well as Ella's Pink Lady. It was certainly one of those times when you start questioning exactly why you're doing this, but at no point could I not answer my own question with a long list of reasons why the tough times like that aren't totally worth it!

So in the middle of all the drama, back at home Mum received just about the worst phone call possible from the Australian Rescue Coordination Center (RCC), telling her that one of my EPIRBs (emergency signaling devices) had been activated. One of the knockdowns had caused the automatic EPIRB mounted under the dodger to turn on without me knowing. Luckily I called in only a few minutes later before anyone could really start to panic. I was pretty annoyed at the stupid thing for going off and giving everyone such a scare!

We didn't come though completely un-scathed though, as there's plenty of minor damage, but luckily nothing bad enough to stop us. Actually I think it's a huge credit to our rigger David Lambourne, that the that mast is still standing and appears in perfect working condition. So other than the wonky looking targa, the starboard solar panel is all bent up and the windvane is now sitting on a bit of an angle, but amazingly and very luckily, it still works fine (go Parker!). There are also a few tears in the mainsail and one of the stanchions is bent in.

Down below, the cabin was a totally disaster zone, everything is wet or damp. The dunny (toilet) which fell apart, was in pieces spread from one end of the boat to the other, along with other equipment. The meth stove wont light, but will hopefully fire up when it dries out a little more.

After clearing up the worst of it and despite finally managing some good sleep, I still feel like a giant marshmallow. Physically, my arms and legs are all heavy and pathetic and of course I have a lovely collection of bruises! Mentally, I feel like I've aged a good 10 years, but I'm back to normal now and in good spirits as we approach the half way mark.

When the wind had finally calmed down, I was treated to a pretty incredible sunset and as I was clearing things up on deck, a couple of dolphins stopped by just as if they were checking that we were all OK.

I owe a huge thanks to Bruce, who was completely perfect, saying just the right things on the phone every time I called in and also to Bob who stayed up through the night to keep me updated on when the wind could be expected to ease.

I could go on forever, but better finish up as this has turned into a total novel and there's plenty still to do!

Jesse

Pic: The bent tubing on the targa frame from a rogue wave!

Pre Storm Pics

2010-01-23T13:57:00.006+10:00

Below are some pics Jessica captured before the big storm. For more information, please go to the Latest News section of Jessica's website at: www.jessicawatson.com.au

Pic 1: The rising sea just before the storm

Pic 2: The sea rising fast!

What I Miss The Most

2010-01-21T10:19:00.000+10:00

Ella's Pink Lady has been steadily plodding along north and east out into the Atlantic and yesterday I was treated to a day of incredible sunshine. It was so lovely that I actually drifted off to sleep, sprawled out across the cabin top (of course, with my Ella Bache sunscreen on!). The warm sun and the sound of the water against the hull had me nodding off within minutes.

Better still I was woken up by a pod of beautiful back and white dolphins swimming along next to us. As always they were a treat to watch, playing in the greeny, blue swell. Then there was the pretty pink sunset that I could actually enjoy sitting outside without feeling like my fingers and toes were about to fall off. Sorry, I feel like I'm bragging!

Seeing as I've been out here for over three months and very almost 100 days, I thought I'd put together a list of what I miss the most. Not that it's not all totally worth it out here!

Family and friends pretty obviously come first .Particularly my brother and sisters. Second is being able to sleep and relax without the constant feeling of needing to be ready for anything. Third would be sleep - long, uninterrupted sleep with no alarms and nothing to wake me! (That's how I intend on spending my first few weeks back home, so please don't make any plans for
me!).

Then there's walking. I really miss being able to stretch my legs on the beach or anywhere actually. And food. Even though I'm still not at all bored with what's on-board, I'm often having a craving for various types of fresh food, a crunchy salad, any type of fruit, even vegetables. I'd give a lot for a good cup of coffee, as you can't do much with slightly gross tank-water and powdered milk!

A long hot bath goes without saying and I can't say how much I'd appreciate someone else taking a turn at washing the dishes for a change!

Oh, and chocolate that hasn't been melted and re-set, I certainly miss that. It just doesn't taste the same!

It's another nice day in this part of the Atlantic. Ella's Pink Lady is reaching at 5knots with 13knots of wind. I'm off to put the fishing line out again. Something that I've neglected since it got cold. I'm not sure what there is to catch down this way, but no harm in trying right?

Jesse

Typhoon Jetfighter and North Again

2010-01-19T13:59:00.001+10:00

After a few days of light winds, we're only just properly clearing the Falkland Islands now. The birds, kelp and shipping that I've been seeing a lot of lately is steadily becoming less common as we head out in to the South Atlantic. I'm sure that it can be just as nasty as any ocean, but after looking over all the latest charts, I can't help being a bit surprised at how small the South Atlantic seems after the never ending Pacific!

The other day while slowly drifting off the coast of the Falklands, I was treated to a flyover from a RAF Typhoon Jetfighter. Even though I was expecting him, I still got quite a fright when he turned up making a pretty amazing noise as I was finishing my breakfast. He did a couple of passes, put a big smile on my face and then took off again. Very cool!

After seeing the pictures taken from the two flyovers, I'm totally thrilled at how great Pink Lady is looking, cute as ever! It's sure a credit to the many coats of anti-foul from International Paints that the hull is completely free of growth, and also to Ullman Sails that the sails are holding up
so well and still looking almost new! It's great to have come this far with so few signs of wear and tear.

With Cape Horn being the subject of all my attention for so long, it's strange now to refocus and start thinking ahead to the rest of the voyage and the other milestones along the way. Even though it's all been very exciting and a total novelty, I'm also glad to again be clear of land and the shipping that comes with it. It's nice to be able to settle back into some sort of vague attempt at a routine and to be able to sleep better knowing that it's just Ella's Pink Lady and I again. Actually I don't really think that you could describe my random sleeping and eating habits as routine!

Even out here I've been hearing all about the terrible earthquake in Haiti, I can't imagine what it must be like for the survivors and for everyone working with aid organisations in what sounds like horrific conditions. My thoughts and good wishes are with them. It's great to hear about all the support pouring in for them from all around the world.

Jesse

Highlights From An Incredible Few Days!

2010-01-16T19:40:00.004+10:00

I'm going to apologize in advance for the over-use of exclamation marks (!), but it's certainly been an amazing few days! Sorry not to have updated you all earlier on my side of events, but after running on not much more than adrenalin for a good 4 days, I've only had one thing on my mind - sleep!

So much has happened lately. So many highs. But I'm going to start at the beginning with Tuesday and 60nm between us and the Cape. Passing squalls, the waves standing up a little as we passed in to shallower water, the wind settling into a consistent 40knots by nightfall, all made life pretty interesting.

But the fast disappearing miles till the Cape and sighting land (Diego Ramirez Island) on that afternoon had me completely pumped up and totally bouncing with excitement! Seeing land after so long was incredible. I can hardly remember feeling so thrilled, which when I think about it, seems like a bit of an overreaction considering I couldn't actually see anything more
than the outline of a grey bit of rock disappearing frequently, as we dropped into the troughs between waves. Through my eyes at the time, that distant bit of rock was the most beautiful and incredible thing I'd seen. It's amazing how deprivation can make something look a million times more special! I imagine that my first long hot shower when I get back home will be much the same!

That night was a busy and sleepless one as we approached the Cape. To ensure that we didn't just go surfing by in the dark, I put a bit of effort into slowing us down and just as it was getting light, there it was - the distinctive outline of Cape Horn!

Against the grey sky and with albatrosses flying in the foreground, it was just as I'd imagined for so long. Mythical and striking pretty much sums it up! The poor visibility didn't exactly make it the best sightseeing weather, but if we'd drifted comfortably by on a nice sunny day, it wouldn't have been half as special! In between taking pictures and phone calls, it was an extremely proud moment!

Then the flyover with Mum and Dad sure turned out to be quite an adventure in itself. With pretty poor weather conditions it was only on the third attempt that the plane managed to find Ella's Pink Lady. I'm sure you can imagine what an emotional roller-coaster it was for me, not to mention Mum and Dad. First I'd hear that they'd just taken off and would be overhead within a few hours. Then would come the bad news that they had to turn back! When the plane finally did find us, the 45 minutes that they spent overhead, passed in an extremely fast blur. I got myself very dizzy and totally tangled up in my tethers watching then fly around in circles! In the end I think it was a good thing that I couldn't really make out Mum and Dad through the windows, because if I had been able to I don't think that I would have managed to keep my composure. I owe a really big thanks to everyone who made the flyover happen.

Mostly the wind has been nice to us over the last two days and we're already very close to the Falklands. But with quite a bit of shipping around and with the side effects of all that adrenalin, I hardly managed any sleep at all till yesterday. Today I was treated to full clear skies and tonight I've got stars like I haven't had in a very long time!

But I haven't been the only one not getting a lot of sleep lately. Mum, Dad, Bruce and Andrew have all been keeping very strange hours and they're only a few of a very long list of people that played a huge part in seeing Ella's Pink Lady and I safely around the Cape. Thanks a million!!

Love Jesse

Pictures of the Cape!

2010-01-14T12:20:00.008+10:00

Pic 1: Surfing along in 40 knot winds approaching the Cape

Pic 2: The Cape - how exciting!

Pic 3: The Cape again looking almost mythical!

Pic 4: Despite the conditions, rounding Cape Horn was amazing, the highlight of the trip to date!

Jessica Rounds Cape Horn!

2010-01-13T21:14:00.003+10:00

http://www.jessicawatson.com.au/jessica-conquers-cape-horn

Pic below: Diego Ramirez Islands in the background, taken by Jessica earlier today, approx 60nm before reaching Cape Horn. This is significant in that it was the first land Jessica has seen since departing Sydney on 18 October.

Blogmaster Andrew

A Stones Throw from the Cape

2010-01-13T07:03:00.004+10:00

With the wind gusting to 35knots Ella's Pink Lady is really surfing away the last 80nm to Cape Horn. It's looking like we'll be rounding the Cape first thing tomorrow morning, super exciting! Fingers crossed that the cloud lifts a little and I get a half decent view as we sail past.

Up in Punta Arenas (Chile), Mum and Dad are getting ready to take off later today and will be circling around overhead in a plane. We'll be able to chat over the VHF radio so looking forward to that.

Also, boats from both the Chilean Navy and Argentinian Navy are expected to swing by to give us a wave. It's been over a month since I've seen another boat and almost 3 months since I've seen another person, so I feel totally thrilled and spoiled to have so many guests all at once! I was extra careful brushing my hair this morning, (which is of course completely pointless in this wind!).

The other exciting news is that I heard from Dilip that he and Mhadei rounded the Cape ahead of us and are now on course to the Falklands to sort out his steering problems.

Anyway, there's plenty happening and things that need my attention out here, so I'm going to sign off for now.

Jesse

Closing on the Cape. Slowly!

2010-01-11T09:39:00.003+10:00

I'm really not having the most exciting time down here at the moment. We've still got very, very little wind meaning very, very little progress towards the Cape. All this slow progress and light winds really wasn't something I expected in these latitudes, so I've sure had to adjust my expectations.

Yesterday the wind dropped out again to the point that Ella's Pink Lady sat completely stationary rolling on a glassy swell for quite a few hours. Making any ground at all in conditions like this means a lot of sitting out in the cold, either hand steering or constantly adjusting Parker to keep us on the right heading. I have to say I'm a lot more prone to giving up and just letting us drift and going back in to the warmer cabin, than I was when we were becalmed in the warmer areas in the doldrums!

To try to take my mind off the tedious speeds and uncomfortable rolling, I've been working away at a few books, totally throwing myself into the stories. Mum keeps asking me what books I'm reading and I think she's a bit surprised at my replies. I've hardly picked up an adventure or sailing story since leaving. Instead I've been reading and re-reading the most mindless, trashy
stories that I have. When part of your mind (and often all of it) is constantly thinking of nothing but sailing and all the different aspects of looking after Ella's Pink Lady, the last thing I feel like doing is reading about more sailing!

So things out here couldn't be more different to all the stories of swimming, sunshine, diving and surfing from back home. But as always, I wouldn't be anywhere else. Having no wind can completely drive you up the wall, but at the same time seeing the surface of the big, gentle swell become so glassy that it reflects the moody, grey sky is just incredible. So good things still do come with the bad.

Anyway down to business. The has wind has finally picked up to a steady 12knots in the last few hours, so Ella's Pink Lady is pushing along nicely again now. You have no idea how good it feels to be moving again! We've still got about 270nm till Cape Horn and if the wind behaves as expected, we are aiming for the rounding sometime on the 13th.

I've got all my fingers, toes, limbs and everything else crossed hoping that the weather works out ok for the fly-over with Mum and Dad!

Rounding the Cape is sure going to be a huge milestone!

Jesse

Becalmed

2010-01-08T20:11:00.004+10:00

Just a quick update. Becalmed today, but the Albatrosses have joined us again (see pic below).

Only 450nm to Cape Horn and I'm even more excited now as Mum and Dad flew out of Australia today to watch Ella's Pink Lady rounding the Cape!

Jesse

Pic: Becalmed in the Southern Ocean with Albatrosses sitting in the water off Ella's Pink Lady's bow

Closing on the Cape

2010-01-07T22:58:00.002+10:00

Thanks for being patient waiting for the next blog. My great shore team will always post an update when I don't have the time to.

The wind hit 40 knots again on Tuesday which kept life interesting and a little bouncy. Since then it's steadily dropped off to my current 8 knots today, which is really only just enough to keep us moving, slowly!

In typical Southern Ocean style, the visibility hasn't been great with almost constant light, misty drizzle and not the slightest hint of a clear sky. But no complaints from me. Like I've said before, in its own way it's just as pretty as sunshine and blue water. Looking at it another way, you could always say that at least the low visibility means that you can see very little of the bad weather!

The good news is that I was able to fix the little problem with the mainsheet block easily. But the bad news is that despite spending yesterday morning trying to fix the heater, it still won't play nice! Oh well, on the scale of things the heater not working really isn't much of a problem, just one of those optional extras.

I'm really starting to get pretty excited about Cape Horn as we're getting so close now, with just over 500nm to go!

That's going to have to be it from me today as my fingers as are pretty keen to slip back into some nice warm gloves!

Jesse

Cold!

2010-01-05T01:20:00.000+10:00

The good news is that so far the wind hasn't been nearly as strong as expected. But on the down side, it sure has been and still is very cold!

The cabin temp has been sitting on 4 degrees Celsius and the wind chill outside is really quite something. Handling wet lines on deck is just downright painful, but mostly I'm staying toasty warm in all my layers. But without any help from the heater which seems to have picked this as a good time to blast cold air rather than hot! I think the problem is fixable but that's going to have to wait till things are a little quieter.

I've also got a little problem with a block on the main sheet (the line that controls the mainsail). Again it's not a biggy, but for now I've got the mainsail down and seeing as there's still plenty of wind, Ella's Pink Lady is making good ground with just the headsail up.

So as I'm writing this, the wind is sitting at about 30knots and it's just become daylight again to reveal an angry, grey ocean. Nothing too serious, but I'm still a bit on edge, as there's more wind expected again today and the odd big wave is knocking us around a bit.

With everything in order there's not really much for me to do for now, so in between frequent glances at the instruments and out the companionway I've been reading, watching the occasional DVD and working my way through all the messages and comments from you guys.

I hope I don't sound like a broken record, but once again thanks so much for all the messages of support. Whenever I sit down to down to read them, I normally laugh and smile the whole way through!

Oh, and I just love the way you guys all keep yourselves entertained chatting in my absence!

Jesse

Calm Before The Storm

2010-01-02T19:49:00.002+10:00

It's been calm and sunny again today. I spent the morning doing jobs on deck and soaking in the lovely sunshine. Talk about a treat to have such lovely conditions!

I end-for-ended the headsail sheets, runners and windvane lines (as they were all showing signs of chafe), re-lashed the spinnaker poles, scrubbed at a few rust stains and re-stowed all my rubbish in the aft locker.

But it doesn't look like the calm is going to last though, with the wind forecast to really start coming up again tomorrow. Its sounds like this one is going to be pretty nasty, so this is probably the last time you'll hear from me for a few days. But please don't worry as Ella's Pink Lady and I are completely ready for it!

The wind is not expected to be too much stronger than last time, but it is blowing straight up from Antarctica, so it is expected to be very cold. The little diesel heater will probably cop a bit of a workout!

My action plan for this one is really very simple; stay calm and confident. If I can't manage that, then I will fake it and just pretend to be!

I'm off to get some sleep while I can.

Jesse

Happy New Year!

2010-01-01T17:49:00.007+10:00

I've had a very different day again. We've spent the day almost completely becalmed. But the novelty of having a clear sky, sunshine, slightly warmer temperature and the company of two Albatrosses that kept me from getting too frustrated.

There was so little wind that even the Albatrosses were flapping their wings today. I know a lot of you have requested some pics, so I had the chance to get some close ups today as they kept landing on the water right next to Ella's Pink Lady (see pics below). An Albatross taking off without any wind is very clumsy, as they have to flap hard to lift themselves off the water which is very out of character for such graceful birds!

I also caught some vision on video (see Videos section of my website).

So it's now New Years Eve for me and now just 5 minutes away from midnight (see pic below). There's quite the wild party planned out here, all the big names from miles around are attending! Entertainment will include party poppers and a range of my favourite treats will be served - believe me, the treats are one part that you really don't want to miss!

This makes it the second New Year in a row that I've spent at sea. Last year I was out in that Tasman sailing another 34footer to New Zealand. As it was only the third day out and a bit bouncy, we were still all feeling a bit queasy. So the treats that Mum had packed for us last year were completely ignored. But not this year!!

Deciding on my New Year's resolution wasn't exactly hard. I think that getting back to Sydney safely will be quite enough of a challenge and my main wish for 2010!

Happy New Year everyone and thanks so much again for all your support!

Jesse

Pic 1: Just before midnight on New Year's Eve with the moon and its path on the water!

Pic 2: Albatross at sunset

Pic 3: The Albatross in full flight

Pic 4: Even the Albatross likes a rest sometimes!

First Gale With a Dolphin at Our Side

2009-12-31T21:33:00.004+10:00

Sorry I didn't update you all yesterday. I've been catching up on a bit of sleep. I've certainly had an interesting few days.The wind started picking up pretty much right after I'd sent Tuesday's blog and topped at 44knots mid-morning yesterday. Which makes for my first Southern Ocean gale.

Ella's Pink Lady and I came through beautifully and I learned a lot about how she handles when the sea's up. There's a good chance that we'll see worse somewhere along the line, but apart from a bit of fast surfing (a bit too fast for comfort!), everything went really smoothly this time. After a while, some of the waves started to knock us around a bit which got just a little hard on the nerves. But one thing I'm really happy with, is what a good job Parker did keeping us on course!

The sea was really quite something. My best guess would be conservatively 5 metres and far more amazing than any of the pictures or how I'd imagined it! The ocean in a state like that is downright spectacular and fascinating to watch, but I think it's really one of those things you have to experience first hand. I'm not sure I can really describe it and pictures really don't do it any justice.

But the most amazing thing of all was the dolphin that swam along next to Ella's Pink Lady for over 6 hours while the wind was the strongest, just as if he was keeping an eye out for us! Every time I'd glance out the porthole I'd get another little flash of fin or tail just as if he was reassuring me that he was still there. I haven't seen a dolphin for weeks, so to have one see us through the gale like that was something special and very comforting!

The wind and sea kept dying off today, so we're making good ground with nice 15 to 20 knots of wind and 3m of sea. It's currently the middle of the night for me but it hardly seems dark as for the first time in weeks I got a sky full of stars and a brilliant full moon! It's such a novelty that I've spent the last few hours bundled up in more layers that I would have thought possible braving the cold and sitting out in the cockpit taking it all in.

With my mind on other things for the last few days, New Years Eve has crept upon me a lot faster than I'd realized, so I think I'll save my New Year's party for tomorrow in my own time zone. But I would like to wish Happy New Year to everyone out there celebrating tonight. Looks like I'm going to miss the fireworks so make the most of them for me!

Jesse

Better Wind

2009-12-29T20:48:00.003+10:00

I'm pretty thrilled to have made good progress to the east over the last two days. We've finally had 15-20 knots of steady breeze and Ella's Pink Lady has been surfing along nicely. The wind is also expected to keep increasing, so you never know, it might start getting a bit more like the Southern Ocean down here after all!

The light drizzly rain has become a constant and the temperature seems to drop a little lower each day. At least the fog seems to have disappeared now (see pic below). There's still plenty of birds around, but I'm not doing so well at getting pictures of them as they just won't sit still for me. I'll post some pictures just as soon as I manage to get some half decent shots!

When I venture up on deck these days, I feel a bit like a clumsy elephant with all the gear that I have to wear. First there's all the thermals and various different layers, then boots and wet-weather gear, hat, life jacket and what feels like half the hardware stashed in the pockets of my overalls. I'm always carrying my knife, PLB (personal EPIRB), shifter and more often than not a selection of various other tools. It's far easier to just take most of the spanner set with you, when picking the wrong size means an extra round of clipping and un-clipping tethers and opening and replacing washboards.

I'm still having the time of my life, doing a lot of reading keeping up a constant stream of hot drinks, having fun with my cooking (my chocolate pudding was a great hit with the crew yesterday!) and today I've a had few little jobs to do when shackles on the vang (which holds the boom down) andwindvane decided to give up the go. But a bit of improvising and we were all good again.

So just 1500 nm to Cape Horn and 2009 almost over. I can't believe where this year has gone. It's nearly 2010 already!

Jesse

Pic: A foggy few days over Christmas!

The Not So Fearsome 50's!

2009-12-27T21:12:00.002+10:00

It's been a bit of a slow day with only a little wind and drizzly rain. You wouldn't guess that this is the Southern Ocean! Well, that is apart from the long swell and Albrotross, oh and of course the cold.

I've been finding the light winds and slow progress a little frustrating, but I shouldn't complain because life is so much more comfortable in the light conditions and the wind chill is going to be quite something when it does eventually pick up. Thank goodness for all my warm Musto gear and the protection of the dodger!

One thing that's really cool (that wasn't meant to be a joke!) about being so far south is how few hours of dark there are.

Lately I've been keeping in touch with another solo sailor Dilip Donde who is from India (http://sagarparikrama.blogspot.com/) and part way through his own circumnavigation. It's been great to talk to him and compare conditions as he's not far to the west of us and also heading for Cape Horn. Dilip's boat Mhadei is quite a bit bigger than Ella's Pink Lady at 47ft so he's catching us up pretty fast!

That's all for today.

Jessica

Fearsome 50's

2009-12-26T20:40:00.005+10:00

Christmas wasn't just an exciting day for all the obvious reasons (presents and food!). But also because we passed into the Fearsome 50's and now have less than 2000nm to go till Cape Horn.

Also as many people pointed out, yes I did celebrate Christmas a day early for the time zone I'm currently in, but I figured that it would be far nicer to be celebrate with everyone back home rather than a day later and truly alone!

Christmas must have been my foggiest day yet and I have to admit I spent the day being pretty lazy, just doing the bare minimum to keep us moving vaguely in the right direction and staying out of the cold. Phone calls, eating all my favourite foods and opening the presents (see pic below) that had been stashed on Ella's Pink Lady, kept me busy all day. Down to the smallest, silliest thing, I enjoyed and treasured every present far more than I ever would have back home and believe me there were some silly ones, including a blow up Kiwi and a pink doll which expands in water (known as a 'grow your own best friend'!). Other then that there was also the normal collection of warm socks, books and other odds and ends.

No watching the start of the Sydney to Hobart yacht race or Boxing Day sales for me today but I'm pretty thrilled as I was treated to a few hours sunshine and an albatross doing a few close circles of Ella's Pink Lady. The albatross really is an amazing bird. No matter how long I watch them for, I never seem to see them flap their wings. They make flying look so effortless and seem completely relaxed weaving in and out of the swell, thousands of miles from land.

Jesse

Pic: Opening Christmas presents on my bunk bed!

Christmas Video

2009-12-25T09:03:00.002+10:00

Hello everyone

As promised, Jessica's Christmas video has just been loaded on to her website. To view, click on the link below:

http://www.jessicawatson.com.au/videos

On behalf of everyone in Jessica's team, we would like to thank you all for your wonderful support on her blog. It has just been amazing. Jessica loves reading all your messages of support, but as you can appreciate, it is impossible to reply to them all. So please keep them coming.

Wishing you all a safe and Happy Christmas. Go Jess!

'Blogmaster Andrew'

Christmas in the Middle of Nowhere!

2009-12-24T20:32:00.003+10:00

It's still been pretty foggy and gray out here but we've been able to make good progress with 15 knots of wind from the west. Both the air and sea temperatures have dropped a few more degrees and this morning we pretty much sailed right over Point Nemo, which is known for being the point of ocean furthest from any land. You really could say that I'll be spending Christmas in the middle of nowhere!

With pretty steady conditions and a reasonable forecast for the next few days I took the Christmas decorations in the cabin to the next level, there's now tinsel and little bauble-balls everywhere swinging in time to Ella's Pink Lady's motion.

Well that's it from me as it's getting late and I'd better get going to bed or Santa might catch me awake, I really hope he can find me out here!

Till tomorrow!

Jesse

Foggy

2009-12-22T20:49:00.002+10:00

We didn't exactly get anywhere today with very little wind. This morning was misty and overcast again, but this afternoon has been pretty special with a really thick fog closing in. It feels like there's a great big grey moist blanket draped over the world and just before it got dark the fog got so thick that I could hardly see 50 metres ahead. It's really a pretty amazing sight, but along with the almost complete silence, it's not far off feeling downright eerie.

I've been working hard not to let my imagination run away from itself, but it just feels so surreal sitting almost motionless with a big rolly swell passing undereath and the white swirling fog surrounding us. Now that it is dark Ella's Pink Lady'snavigation lights at the top of the mast are lighting up big rays of red and green fog. It feels like something out of a movie!

I think I've got the complete opposite to the sunshine, heat and the craziness of the last minute Christmas shopping that everyone's experiencing back home. Out here in my own little world things couldn't be any more different!

I have to say I've been feeling a bit homesick on and off today but I refuse to let it stop me from appreciating every moment out here.

I've been carefully planning out my Christmas dinner and the light winds mean that I'm almost constantly on my toes adjusting Parker's course. It's not exactly the most difficult task. I can normally correct Parker without even leaving the cabin by reaching out and adjusting the windvane line on the tiller, but the constant adjustments get a bit tedious when trying to get some down time.

Less than 2300nm to Cape Horn now, so despite all this slow progress we are slowly getting there. If this fog keeps up I'll be having a white Christmas of sorts!

Jesse

Grey and Misty

2009-12-21T16:56:00.004+10:00

I've just come inside from sitting out in the wind, with a cup of hot chocolate and watching the light fade. No sunset as I've got heavy cloud and poor visibility, but the light misty rain and big rolly grey swell is just as lovely as any sunset.

I've been seeing quite a few birds around and I love watching them fly low over the waves and around Ella's Pink Lady. I'm pretty annoyed with myself for not bringing a bird book, but I think I'm mostly seeing big petrels and I spotted my first albatross for the trip this morning.

It's been a pretty uneventful day, just giving the cabin a tidy up. I also put up a few more Christmas decorations in the cabin. We've been keeping up a nice speed but the motion has been a little rolly, as downwind sailing isn't Pink Lady's strong point. I'm just going to have to get use to rolly though, as a pretty big percentage of the voyage from here on is likely to be downwind - fast downwind sailing!

My best guess is 20 days to Cape Horn and just 4 more sleeps to Christmas!

Jesse

PS. Don't worry, it's not as cold as it looks in the picture (see below). I'm wearing the hat mostly because it saves having to brush my hair!

Pic: Me and my woolen hat preparing for the colder weather!

Quick Update

2009-12-18T22:23:00.005+10:00

Glad you all liked the pic from the mast yesterday. It's been an overcast day today and the wind has been pretty light, but we've been able to make reasonable progress with the big light-wind reaching sail up. That was the one sail that I didn't expect to be using at this latitude!

It's cooler again with the temperature down to 17c and over the next few days I'm expected to see a low of 12c.

I spent the afternoon tackling a little electrical problem. The battery monitor (a gauge which tells me the condition of the batteries and all my ins and outs of my power) had stopped working. I thought it was well and truly a 'goner' (Aussie slang for finished!) and that I'd have to go without, but thanks to some really detailed and helpful instructions from Neil our astute electrician, combined with an afternoons hard work, I'm very happy to report that I had a win! With all the tricky little details involved, I can't say that I was that confident that it was going to function. So you should have seen how thrilled I was after replacing the last fuse to see it fire up again!

That's it from me, it's past midnight local time and I'm feeling a little overdue for some shut eye.
Good night!

Jesse

Up The Mast and Into The Roaring 40's

2009-12-17T17:10:00.004+10:00

Yesterday was a nice calm day so I decided it was time to have a go at climbing the mast. Down came the mainsail, on went the main electric auto pilot, on went my dorky helmet and up I went. Ella's Pink Lady hasn't got the tallest mast and there wasn't much of a sea, but I certainly felt every little roll up there!

It was good to have a look around up top after being at sea for so long and before we hit the bumpy stuff. I'm happy to report that everything looks to be in perfect condition. The view was definitely great and it was really cool to see Ella's Pink Lady sailing along from another angle (see pic below). If I can say so myself, what a cute little boat! The trip back down was the most interesting part because I didn't manage to give myself a very smooth ride, ouch!

Typically, while I was swinging around at the top of the mast, the wind, which had been steady all morning, started knocking us about (changing direction to come from the direction we were headed). Luckily I had my remote commander (a gadget that controls the main auto pilot and displays information like our heading, the wind strength and etc.) with me and was able to bring us around to a better course. It wasn't exactly a high drama situation as there was only a light breeze. Worst case scenario would have been an even more uncomfortable trip back down, but I got a thrill out of the fact that here I was swinging around at the top of the mast sailing Ella's Pink Lady like a remote control car. Pretty amazing!

It wasn't till yesterday morning that I noticed that my adventure up the mast didn't leave me completely untouched. I'm just a little stiff all over and have a few extra bruises. But all good.

We've had great progress lately with the wind a steady 14 knots. Ella's Pink Lady loves reaching in conditions like this and yesterday I hardly saw our speed drop below 6 knots. I love this sort of sailing too because the motion and heal is nice and comfortable. It's a treat being able to move around the cabin without doing the arms and legs everywhere (spider impersonation!) that it often takes to stop myself being thrown about.

Also, yesterday we sailed into the 40's. The wind didn't suddenly start roaring or anything but I'm sure that part comes later. Today's been a pretty average day. Not average as in bad, as everyday's great! Just nothing much new or out of the ordinary.

I dug out all my Christmas music today (my favorites would have to be snoopy at Christmas and Christmas with the Wiggles!) and have been singing along very loudly and very, very badly!

Jesse

Pic: View of Ella's Pink Lady from the top of the mast!

Amazing Sunset

2009-12-14T20:09:00.004+10:00

Mostly it's just been a normal day out here, not a lot of wind but just enough to keep us moving on a gentle sea at a steady 5 knots.

Tonight's sunset was far from normal though, it was amazing! I thought it was good to start with, but then the colours just kept getting better and better as the sun disappeared. And yes I captured some pics (below) to capture the moment and colours. Hope you like them.

Well it's just going to be a quick update for today as my tummy is telling me I'm way overdue for some food!

Jesse

Pic 1: An amazing sunset in the background

Pic 2: Ella's Pink Lady also enjoyed the sunset!

Lucky Not Lonely!

2009-12-13T20:08:00.002+10:00

For the first time in over two weeks I saw something man made other than Ella's Pink Lady (drum roll please!). It was a small white piece of plastic that floated by this morning while we were becalmed for a short while. Not all that exciting, but it made me think about just how completely in the middle of nowhere I really am and about how every mile is taking us further into a pretty much empty stretch of ocean. It's still strange to think that I'm probably hundreds of miles from the nearest person, in fact it's now almost two months since I've seen anyone. Sure I've seen other boats but none of them have come close enough toactually make out the crew.

Maybe stranger still, I can honestly say that I've not once felt lonely out here. Homesick sure and I've missed everyone since the moment I sailed outof Sydney, but not lonely. Lonely is the word for a Friday night with nowhere to go, sitting at home feeling sorry for yourself. The difference is that I choose to be out here. For some crazy reason I chose to be on a little boat in the middle of the ocean. Maybe the dictionary puts it better than I do (yup, I'm actually quoting a dictionary!). 'Lonely; a depressed feeling of being alone'. I might be about as physically alone as you can get, but I'm not depressed about it at all. How can I feel lonely with people all over the world thinking of me, talking about me (my nose just doesn't stop itching!), some probably still hotly debating whether or not I should be out here. And with my family and friends waiting for me back home. Lonely no, that's not the word. Actually. I feel like the luckiest girl in the world!

Another first for today was a little blue sky, it's been 4 days since I've had any sunshine and I hadn't realized how much I'd missed it. Living on the Sunshine Coast with its often endless stretches of perfect weather, I used to love a rainy or overcast day just to break up the monotony, but out here nothing makes me smile faster than a little sunshine. I've even got a fewstars tonight. How spoiled am I?

So other than that patch of practically no wind this morning that left Ella'sPink Lady rolling uncomfortably in the swell, we've been able to make goodground to the east, just plodding along one day at a time!

Jessica

Banana Muffins and Watching the World Go By

2009-12-11T20:40:00.002+10:00

For the last few days we've had a dark and slightly eerie sky and a building sea. The wind picked up for a while and was expected to hit about 40 knots and I have been waiting for some action. But it looks like we've missed out this time as we've just sailed clear of the squash zone (an area where two weather systems come together). Oh well, there's always next time. I can't see there being any shortage of strong winds further south. Call this one a practice run!

My favorite pastime lately has become standing in the companionway, under the dodger, sheltered from the wind, watching the world go by. You could say that I'm entertained by small things but I still find watching each wave roll under Ella's Pink Lady, with the occasional one dumping over us, just fascinating.

The weather really hasn't been anything special with the heavy overcast skies and occasional rain giving us pretty poor visibility, but in its own way it is just as spectacular as some of the stunning cloudless days.

Climbing into my cozy sleeping bag is already becoming something I look forward to. The getting out again part is more of a challenge though. I even pulled on a set of thermals today, probably over-reacting really, as the temperature is only down to 20c, but for now the cooler weather is still a bit of a novelty.

As always I'm good spirits but couldn't help thinking this morning of how nice it would be to be able to take a few days off, to think of something other than sailing and to be able to let down my guard for a while - just wishful thinking really and after all, its just part of the challenge!

I discovered something this morning that I can see becoming a favorite, hot custard for breakfast! And talking of food, in an effort to get rid of some of the banana chips that Mum must have packed for me (on the off chance that I actually might start liking them!) I had a go at making banana muffins this afternoon. Everyone present voted that they turned out perfect! They must have been pretty good as I'm eating the last one now!

As you've probably noticed on the tracking map on the website, we've finally been able to make a little progress to the east lately and the outlook for the next while is for conditions to calm down a little more.

And for everyone asking where they can send letters to, the best snail-mail address to reach me on is via my management company in Sydney;

Jessica Watson
c/o 5 Oceans Media
220 West Street
Crows Nest NSW 2065, Australia

All that mail waiting for me when I get back to Australia will be another thing to look forward to!

As always, thanks for all the support!

Jesse

Ready For Some Wind!

2009-12-09T17:46:00.002+10:00

I've been having a busy few days doing jobs and double checking everything before we get too far south, all the while flying along in great sailing conditions. Of course possibly the most important job of all had to be the installation of a safety strap for the crew, my stuffed toys! Hope you liked yesterday's pic.

The cabin has copped a full re-arrange, with everything properly secured, light wind sails shuffled to the bottom of the pile to be replaced with the storm sails, all my warm clothing has been dug out along with wet weather gear ready for easy access. Sorting out the bow area had been something I'd been dreading as it had become a bit of a dumping ground, a lot like the way I've always shoved stuff under my bed at home! But it turned out to be good fun as I discovered all sorts of things that I'd forgotten were there, including all my Christmas presents! Don't worry I managed to restrain myself and save them for Christmas.

Turns out to be good timing as it looks like I'm going to be in for some pretty strong weather tomorrow. Although the wind has been nothing severe today, the clouds have slowly been rolling in and the wind is expected to start picking up any time soon. Chances are that things are going to get pretty bumpy for me tomorrow. Call me crazy but hearing that Ella's Pink Lady and I are finally going to get some rough stuff was in one way a big relief, as it's been keeping me in suspense waiting!

I'm a tad nervous but mostly just excited knowing that I've done everything that I can. Well that's it for me, I'm off to have something good to eat and to try and catch some sleep while the going is good.

Jesse

Pics!

2009-12-08T19:07:00.003+10:00

Pic 1: Tonight's sunset, lots of pastel colours

Pic 2: All ready for the Southern Ocean. My crew with their newly installed seat belt!

Quiet Sunday

2009-12-06T21:59:00.005+10:00

It's been a nice and pretty uneventful day, what with being so far from land and home it must seem a bit strange but it felt just like a Sunday out here today, don't ask me to explain exactly how a Sunday feels but that's just how it felt!

Ella's Pink Lady still flying south and its definitely starting to get cooler, sitting outside in the breeze, I actually had to put a jumper on this evening. It's not exactly cool yet with the air temperature down to 28C (I recorded a top of 38C in the cabin above Kiritimati Island) but what did surprise me was the change in water temperature today. It jumped from 26C earlier today to 24.5C and compared with the 30C we've had for so long that felt just a little cool when I had a scrub down this afternoon, brrrr!

With the sea flattening out even more I've been doing the typical Sunday thing and catching some extra sleep and generally not getting up to much. I spent most of the day buried in a book which turned out to be just what I needed, it was so nice to completely put my head in another place for the day and I feel like I'm all recharged and ready for another week!

That's it for me tonight,

Jesse

Doesn't Get Much Better!

2009-12-05T14:18:00.005+10:00

We've had that messy sea and squally conditions for the last few days but the clouds and squalls have well and truly cleared out today, leaving Ella's Pink Lady to fly along in picture perfect trade wind conditions. The trade winds are the name given to the band of steady south easterly winds in this part of the world but what the books don't say is how lovely the sunshine is, how nice it is to have a steady breeze and how amazingly blue the water looks speckled with whitecaps. Maybe it's just that I'm just in a particularly good mood and seeing everything through happy glasses but I don't think it gets much better than this!

On the down side the south easterly trade winds are also a bit of a pain, because south east is exactly where I'd like to be going! We've been able to make some great progress south but we're not getting anywhere when it comes to making ground to the east. Still nothing to worry about because as we go further south the wind will drop off and probably come from a bit of everywhere (this areas known as the variables or subtropics) before settling in from the west when we get down south to the roaring 40's. Bob's latest forecast gives us around another week on this course with similar conditions before we're able to turn on to a more direct line to Cape Horn.

We're now well clear of French Polynesia, actually with the wind we ended up getting, it turned out that we avoided most of the islands and reefs anyway. Other than a few little islands that we are set to pass tomorrow it's just open water between us and Cape Horn, 4380nm of it!

Oh and one thing that I'm sure everyone is quietly wondering, no I'm not at all sick of the pink yet! Ella's Pink Lady's slightly 'out there' color scheme still gives me endless smiles and turned out to be a pretty good colour for the tropics, keeping the cabin cool and making a nice change to the blues and grays which is just about all I see out here! Still I've got quite a while out here yet so I'll keep you posted on just how I feel about pink as time goes on!

Well I'm off to heat up my current favorite Easyfood meal, beef stroganoff for an early dinner and after yesterdays success with some scones I think I might have a go at making some more, maybe with cheese this time.

I'd apologize to all my worried adopted parents for the lack of updates over the last few days but from what I've seen of the latest comments I'd probably get a telling off for that too so I'm just going to keep my trap shut!

Jesse

Just Briefly

2009-12-02T20:06:00.002+10:00

Just a quick update, it's been another squally overcast day and tonight's become a bit bouncy with the wind gusting to 30 knots and the seas standing up as we pass over a shallow patch. The winds been very shifty, every time I put my head on the pillow to catch some sleep something always seems to happen and back on deck I go, it's a pity that Parker cant also trim the sails and navigate! No complaints though and we're still making great time south!

The clouds have finally parted a little just now and the moon light shining down on the messy sea makes it look like seriously scrunched up tin foil, only far more shiny and of course moving!

Jesse

Cooler Weather, Rubbish and New Food Bag

2009-12-01T23:50:00.003+10:00

Still good progress south but the big news for today is that I actually turned one of my little Hella cabin fans off this morning for the first time in weeks! Two little fans probably don't sound like anything to write home about but believe me they've been a total lifeline, running constantly and doing a great job of helping me keep cool. Maybe it's too soon to start hoping, but it finally feels like it's started getting cooler over the last few days. You can be sure that it will be no time at all and I'll be complaining about the cold!

It’s still been very squally out here, with the squalls leaving behind a messy chop on the swell and making a mockery of anything I'd like to call sleeping patterns. I've been cat napping all afternoon to try and make up for lost sleep. Ella's Pink Lady's still making good ground south at the moment. Then sometime tomorrow morning we'll be tacking over to make some ground to the east to hopefully pick up a more easterly wind. We passed back over the date-line today putting the local time zone at GMT-10, not that that means all that much to me. If anything I'm still running on Queensland time!

One of today's little jobs included my weekly attempt to compact and package up my rubbish for storage in the bow. Obviously anything that's degradable goes over the side and anything that's left, which is pretty much only plastic packaging, gets washed out if needed and carefully packaged up till I get home.

With nothing left in the last food bag but a tin of baked beans and a packet of banana chips (dinner wasn't looking very exciting!) today marked the start of a new food bag (see pic below), lots of exciting new treats, and there's even a present from Grandma in this one!

Jesse

Pic: Getting into the new food bag!

Wind Getting Up Again

2009-11-30T19:48:00.003+10:00

Today started off with a passing squall giving me a very wet wake-up while reefing down and trying to catch it on camera (see pic below). I'd have thought it was pretty clear that I was wide awake after the first wave but apparently not. To think that some people start their day with a quiet coffee!

As usual the squall was far more bark than bite, looking very dramatic asit approached as a great big dark cloud, but not coming to much more than 30knots of wind and some rain. Although I was a little surprised at how fast a messy chop built up on top of the swell. It's been overcast and drizzly ever since, but at least the wind settled into a steady 18knots this afternoon. Ella's Pink Lady is hard on the wind again but it's life as normal, passing the time reading, doing a little schoolwork or my all time favourite, just standing behind the dodger, wind and spray in my face watching us blast along. I can't see myself ever getting bored of that one!

I've had the charts for French Polynesia out swatting up on what's coming our way in the next while and have been thinking about a few of the jobs that need to be done before we hit the south. I've been a bit lazy with my cooking lately mostly just heating up an Easyfood meal or snacking on crackers. I probably shouldn't be admitting it (I'll ruin my reputation), but I've even resorted to eating two minute noodles when I really don't feel like cooking.

Sorry but that's it from me tonight.

Jesse

Pic: My morning wake up call!

Another Day

2009-11-28T16:58:00.003+10:00

Mostly just the usual out here today, still flying along really nicely, any tips on avoiding speed cameras?! A few squalls have kept me busy reefing in and out and I spent a lot of my down time today catching up on a little sleep after being kept awake last night with a passing boat and a few little squalls.

You've probably noticed on the tracker that we've been passing the odd island but nothing compared to what's coming up next week as we reach French Polynesia, I'm enjoying the sea room while it lasts!

I'm not sure how best to put this but a lot of people have been wondering and asking so here goes; yes, it's definitely me writing these blogs! Having someone blog under my name is a big no go for me. Can you imagine letting your Mum or anyone else describe your feelings to the world under your name? Ouch! Well maybe it's just a teenage thing! But I do have to confess, my updates have to be spell checked before being published. My spelling is, can we just say a little notorious!

While I'm on a roll with these confessions, I've got another one for you too. Sorry everyone, but I don't just blog to satisfy your curiosity, but also because I love writing them!

Oh and yes I did open that can of mangoes and quite a few cans after that! I've been justifying my total mango pig out by telling myself that as a tropical fruit the mangoes need to be eaten while still in the tropics. There's plenty of other treats stashed away for the cooler legs.

Everyone back home is out having fun at the local Christmas lights parade tonight (I'm a little jealous but right here on Ella's Pink Lady is still my first preference). So, not to be outdone, I think I'll have another movie night with plenty of popcorn and chocolate. Anyway the stars out here would easily get first prize in any competition!

Jesse

Flying Along and Mangos

2009-11-27T19:47:00.003+10:00

Heeled over, under full sail and throwing water everywhere Ella's Pink Lady has been flying along today. It can't just be me that's busting to get south! The wind has come round to the east a little more, meaning that we've been able to ease off the wind a little, making life a little more comfortable and reach along directly south.

While giving the galley a reorganize today I was pretty thrilled to come across a stash of tinned mangoes! I've been hearing all about how lovely the mangoes are back home at the moment, so finding I had my own supply on board was a lot like Christmas! Sure they are not quite the same as fresh but they're not bad either. I have a feeling that this just isn't something that I'm going to be able to ration! Oh and I think I can safely say that tinned mangoes are every bit as messy to eat, as the fresh ones or maybe that's just me?

Nothing too much else to report out here today so I thought I'd explain a little more about the plan for the next leg to the cape. The distance (5450nm) that I gave yesterday as the distance to Cape Horn is the distance in a straight line but weirdly we're actually going to be sailing a slightly shorter route, I know it sounds really strange but it's all to do with something called the great circle route and the curvature of the earth. I'm probably not the best person to explain it but as an example, if I were to plot out our course directly to South America taking in to account the earth's curvature the fastest way to get there would actually be to sail in an arc to the south. Our great circle route or the fastest way to get to the cape is to sail south and then gently arc over to the east (5130nm). So if we can keep up an average speed of 5 knots, eta (estimated time of arrival) at Cape Horn should be around the first week of January, but who knows there's every chance that we might pick up a little speed down south and get there bit earlier?

That would all be easy enough but then there's all these annoying islands and reefs in the way! And to add to the fun, it's not like the wind ever just lets us go where we want to.

I'm going to finish up by apologizing to all the people my explanation maybe just completely confused!

That's me for the night, Parker's wondering off course a little as the wind is dropping off slightly so I better go set us back on course, then I'm faced with a bit of a tough decision, do I or do I not open another can of mango?

Jesse

P.S Thanks for all the Happy Thanksgiving's from America!

Washing Machine

2009-11-25T22:15:00.005+10:00

It hasn't been the most amazing out here today, overcast, squally and the sea has been a bit of a mess, it must be a lot like the inside of a washing machine! Bob predicted that the swell would become a little uncomfortable with an east going current clashing with the south easterly wind and believe me, he was right! I have to admit my mood was reflecting the grey sky for a while this afternoon so I had to give myself a good talking to, it didn't take much and I'm right back to feeling 100% positive again. No point in wasting a single minute of my time out here feeling miserable! I really don't have anything to complain about because even though the sun hasn't been shining we've made great (and slightly bouncy!) progress south. Oh and even when things were looking a little blue I still couldn't think of anything I'd rather be doing. I'm sure that there's not many people who can say that, so I'm a pretty lucky girl!

It's still such a long way off but I've already started counting down the miles to Cape Horn (5450 nm to go!) it gives me something to stay focused on. Can't wait to see Albatross again and to see what those huge southern ocean swells are really like!

Sounds like there is already Christmas decorations going up on land so there's another thing to look forward to!

Should be plenty more fast sailing over the next few days and plenty of lovely sea room, apart from when we pass quite close to a little island called Starbuck Island. If I wasn't doing this unassisted, I'd put in a stop for coffee!

Time to go find out something for dinner again, I'm thinking something along the lines of Spaghetti Bolognese and then maybe having a good dig in the goodies locker to see what I can find.

Jesse

South Again

2009-11-24T23:09:00.005+10:00

We crossed back into the southern hemisphere this evening, its nice to be back home! I said a quick hi to Neptune and thanked him for the fish! Still no sign of the big red line though, I'm starting to think that all this water must have washed it away?!

More of a quiet day out here, nothing too exciting just keeping up with all the ins and outs, doing a little school work, reading and napping. Mostly we've made great progress and have had some light squalls come through. The squalls didn't give us any more than gusts of 20 knots of wind but that was just enough to make conditions just a little too wet to have the hatches open, making life pretty hot and sticky. Did I mention I'm looking forward to some cooler weather?

Plenty of open water ahead for the next few days so it will be nice to have some more uninterrupted sleep and I'm itching to put some miles behind us. Bob's latest forecast predicts south easterly winds, so looks like we'll be able to make some good progress south but none east for a while.

Hey guys, loving all the comments and support but please don't worry if I miss a blog now and then, I write when I can and love doing it, but sometimes I have to put the time and energy into something else. Just remember, I'm always in contact with the support team and chances are, if you don't hear from me, I'm just too busy sailing and having fun!

Back to Easyfoods for dinner tonight after that last of the fish for brecky, oh and yes it was really tasty!

Jesse

Finally a Fish!

2009-11-23T18:54:00.004+10:00

Yes I'm more than a little pleased and very relieved to report that I finally got a fish! (see pic below). That was starting to get a bit silly. My best guess is that it's a yellow fin tuna, its not huge but I'm sure that there will be plenty for everyone! I can't say that there would be many fisherman who would be proud of the mess I made filleting it. I'm just glad there was no one here to witnesses the whole thing, but practice makes perfect right?!

Turns out that wasn't my last tack last night. The wind and current weren't going to make things easy for us, so it was a particularly sleepless night as we tacked and inched along ever so slowly.

Every time I thought that we'd finally cleared the Island, the wind would change slightly and we'd have to put another tack in. It's all a bit frustrating but as always it's hard not to feel cheerful when the stars are shining and the music's turned up.

I spent a lot of the day on deck enjoying the shade from the sails and trying (without much success!) to give the stainless a polish up. Also I've been noticing quite a bit chafe on the windvane lines (not to worry I've got plenty of spares) so have been playing around trying to stop some of the chafe. It's a good reminder of the way Parker is constantly working. There's always something to keep me busy, whether it's wiping the salt crystals off the solar panels, replying to an email or trying to keep up with the house work (boatwork?!) side of things.

There's been a lot of birds around again and I've really been enjoying listening to them call out to each other as they swoop low around Ella's Pink Lady. It made me think about all the other land noise that I haven't heard for so long and that made me a little home sick. But I know as soon as I do get back to land, that I'll miss the constant noise of the water along the hull and all the little creaks and groans as Ella's Pink Lady sails along.

When I checked my emails this morning I found a very serious email from my clearly worried Mum, telling me to watch out for all those 'boys' - I think they could have seen me rolling my eyes from space!

I'd love to write more but it's time for some fun in the galley and the long awaited fish and chips!

Jesse

Pic: Finally, I caught one!

Around Kiritimati Island

2009-11-22T19:56:00.004+10:00

Winds on the nose and a current against us for the last few days has made for pretty painful progress, we're only just getting close to Kiritimati (Christmas) Island now. All going to plan we should be around and clear by the morning, it'll be a relief to have a bit of sea room and to be making progress south again.

Kiritimati Island sounds pretty interesting so I've added it to the list places to stop off at next time! Apparently it's the world's largest atoll and thanks to a few random changes in direction by the date line its also the worlds eastern most country. From what I've read it sounds pretty picture perfect with white sandy beaches and coral lagoons but don't worry I'm not too tempted to stop, in fact I'll be lucky if I can even see a distant glow of lights as I pass by tonight. Oh and its said to be a good spot for fishing!

We passed a boat (three actually!) for the first time in over a week yesterday, they were big fishing boats but didn't appear to speak English. I also got a bit of a fright yesterday, I was sitting down below at the nav station and heard the horrible nose of something rubbing down the hull, I
climbed outside in time to see a big brown buoy caught up in the windvane, luckily it freed itself before I could do anything and there wasn't any damage. I spotted a few more buoys during the day but have no idea what exactly they are and what they're doing just bobbing about out here?

Plenty of clear and starry nights lately and I've been seeing plenty of them because even thought it seems to have cooled down a little lately it's still much easier to get anything done after the sunsets. I was a little jealous to hear that everyone back home was heading out to the movies last night so I had my own movie night watching a DVD on my Toughbook and making up some
popcorn!

Still plenty of tropical sailing to go yet but I'm already thinking more and more about the south and Cape Horn.

That's going to have to be it from me because its time to go tack over again, fingers crossed this should be the last one to get us round the island!

Jesse

Northern Hemisphere

2009-11-20T21:20:00.003+10:00

No change that I can see. The water is still blue, the waves are still rolling and the wind still blowing, but apparently now the water splashing across the deck and slipping away behind Ella's Pink Lady, is northern hemisphere water!

I couldn't have asked for a better day to cross the equator, flat seas,15knots of wind and sunshine. We crossed the line at 2017 utc doing 5 and a half knots and celebrated with the usual toast to Neptune, the traditional dunking in salt water and plenty of excited phone calls. I also had a few presents stashed away, especially to open for the occasion. They were mostly chocolate which turned out to be very melted! Neptune was toasted with fruit juice and plenty of chocolate. I'm not normally one to toss good chocolate into the sea, but I figured that this was my chance to get myself into Neptune's good books. I'd hoped that my generous offering might by rewarded with a fish on my line but no such luck!

I thought that crossing the line would be just like any other day out here, so I surprised myself a little by getting a bit emotional as I juggled three different cameras while counting down the latitude read out on the GPS. It's not so much physically crossing into the northern hemisphere that had me so worked up (you can only get so excited about an invisible line in the water!!) but the fact that it meant the end of the first leg. Sure this has probably been one of the easier legs (call it the shake down!) compared to some of the sailing down south to come. But the distance we've already covered is pretty amazing. Getting this far (and everything that happened before the start line!) has given me the confidence to know that even though we've got some seriously tough times ahead, we're going to be able to have fun tackling whatever comes our way.

Great sailing overnight again so we're well into the northern hemisphere and well on our way to Kiribati Island which we might be rounding by late tomorrow. It's been a slightly eerie feeling with overcast conditions all day but I think it was more my imagination than anything and Ella's Pink Lady has made steady progress, so I can't complain.

After all the celebrating and fun yesterday I got back into a few jobs today (not that jobs and maintenance aren't fun too!). I'm sure keeping on top of even the slightest little potential problem will pay off in the end and keeping busy keeps me more than happy.

We've finally got a bit of a moon out here this evening, I'm not sure about dinner yet but I'm thinking of attempting some kind of apple crumble with stewed fruit for dessert. A bit of ice-cream on top would go down pretty nicely too but maybe it's better not to think about that!

Thanks to everyone for all the congratulations. Sounds like plenty of people had a great time celebrating on my behalf as well! But I still say the credit all goes to Ella's Pink Lady and the amazing team that got her to the start line. I'm just along for the ride!

Jesse

A Big Day - Pictures Tell a Thousand Words!

2009-11-19T20:23:00.005+10:00

Pic 1: "Can you see the line?! Un-tangling it from the keel was quite a challenge!"

Pic 3: “Mostly I celebrated crossing the line with a lot of slightly melted chocolate! You can see the chart plotter behind me displaying our position now in the northern hemisphere.”

Pic 3: “The traditional dunking of salt water of any first time equator crossing, can't say it was all that bad!”

Shooting Star and Crossing the Line Tomorrow!

2009-11-18T21:00:00.005+10:00

I'm not much of an Astronomer but with all this talk of meteor showers last night, I was keeping an extra good eye out and did see the most amazing shooting star. It was so bright and big that I was actually a bit spooked before realizing what it was. But I can't tell you what I wished for though!

Well 'Silly' left us this morning (see pic below) but it was nice to have someone to talk to and have the company for a while. He really did have the most interesting opinions on the subjects of fashion and boys! He wasn't at all interested in any of the food I offered and didn't seem to mind the flash of the camera.

Not a real exciting day out here today, other than the usual chores, sail trimming, HF radio skeds etc. I actually slept through most of it. I'm becoming more and nocturnal lately because it's so much easier to get anything done when it cools down after the sunsets. It was good to get a few extra catnaps in while I've still got plenty of open water and nice conditions.

Dinner tonight was the yummiest omelette with powdered eggs, tinned butter, bacon bits and dried parsley.

I also attended (via a phone call!!) my first equator crossing party tonight, some of my aunties, uncles, cousins, Grandma and Granddad and all their friends got together in Cromwell in the South Island of New Zealand to celebrate Ella's Pink Lady and I crossing the line - but they were a little early!

The winds have been nice and steady all day so we've made good progress and only 50nm to the equator!! Anything could happen but right now it looks like we'll be crossing in about 10 hours which is Thursday morning back home in Australia. So it's a big day tomorrow.

Jesse

Pic: That's "Silly" sitting on top of the sailor 250

30 Days at Sea And Company

2009-11-17T20:25:00.007+10:00

Tonight I've got company out here, let me introduce you to 'Silly'. He's a little brown sea bird that's landed on the sailor 250 satellite dome on the stern of Ella's Pink Lady. Silly earned his nickname because of his dangerous fascination with the wind generator and his amusing attempts to land on the bendy windvane blade. Even though the wind genny isn't spinning too fast at the moment, watching him fly so close to it again and again was a little nerve racking! Anyway he's been sitting there for well over three hours now and seems to have made himself quite comfortable perched on the dome.

Other than Silly, I've been seeing a lot of birds out here today, mostly little Jesus Petrels and Brown Gannets, (at least that's what I think they are!) which is kind of surprising as the nearest island is about 200nm away. Apart from when some light rain came through this morning it's been pretty close to perfect sailing all day.

It's really hard to believe but as of tomorrow we will have been at sea for 30 days, exactly a month since we left Sydney on 18 October. One down, seven more months to go! Leaving Sydney really does feel just like yesterday, but It's crazy to think that I haven't seen another person for 30 days. I have to say I honestly don't feel any different for it. It's a lot like someone asking whether you feel any different after a birthday. But it's just the same old me!

I pulled out a new food bag today its back to all my favorite treats. I'm planning on having pasta for dinner, I wonder if Silly likes pasta?

It doesn't look like we'll make the equator tomorrow as I'd hoped, but with only about 240nm to go, so it won't be long now. I'll keep you updated as we get closer. Getting pretty excited!

After crossing the line I'll be sailing north another 200nm up around Kiribati Island, my rounding point in the northern hemisphere, then south back across the line and on to Cape Horn.

That's it from Ella's Pink Lady, Silly and myself for tonight. Below is a pic of EPL doing well today.

Jesse

Pic: Ella's Pink Lady 'flying' along earlier today!

Mixed Progress and Dolphins

2009-11-16T20:28:00.005+10:00

Progress had been a little on and off over the last few days. When we have a little wind, Ella's Pink Lady flies along the flat water amazingly. But there's also been a few times with not any wind. This afternoon particularly was a little un-exciting, just rolling around not going anywhere in the heat. I started on a bit of school work this morning, thinking that if I couldn't be achieving forward progress, at least I could be achieving something. But I can't say I stuck with it for very long.

Instead, between dunkings of cool salt water and prodding the tiller to at least keep Ella's Pink Lady pointed in the right direction, I ended up giving the little Yanmar engine a full polish up and scrubbed out the bilges. As the sun set I was able to stand back hot and greasy but happy that I'd at least achieved something for the day. I'm sure that after another few months at sea, poor old Ella's Pink Lady wont quite be looking as great as she did sailing out of Sydney, but I'm a least going to do everything possible to try. And its like I'm constantly being told 'look after the boat and she'll look after you'.

When people talk about all the things needed to sail around the world they never seem to mention patience, but I'm fast learning that it's as important as anything.

This afternoon was pretty cool, a pod of dolphins spent a couple of hours hanging around and I had a great time sitting in the shade of the sails on the bow, feet dangling over the side (and yes clipped on!!) watching them play in clear water. I'm not sure what kind they were (small and completly grey) but they hung around for ages, so they can't have thought my music was too bad! I loved the way the dolphins would play around riding and shooting along the swell and can only imagine how much fun they must have in a big sea.

I'm really getting down to the dregs of the latest food bag so have been eating a bit randomly lately (dinner tonight was mince, tinned fruit and noodles!) Funnily enough I'm really looking forward to pulling out the new bag.

I've only just released how late it is. So that's going to have to be it for the night.

Jesse

PS: Thanks to Dad and Bruce over the last few days for being so patient with me over the phone and for understanding that sometimes a girl just doesn't feel like chatting!

PPS: Even with all the slow progress, now only about 370nm until we cross the equator!

Mum Meeting Bob

2009-11-14T18:57:00.005+10:00

Bruce, Suzanne and I met with Bob McDavitt (Jessica's weather adviser) on Monday in Auckland, New Zealand. There he was, all nestled into his office right in the middle of Boatbooks...bit like heaven really. Well certainly Jessica's version of heaven, if she wasn't out there.

It was great to meet Bob, we have worked with him when he did Jessica's weather routing across the Tasman in January. (Wow January just seems so very long ago).

We went over in detail, the forecast for the next week and also what he expected for the next month. He has various sites he looks at and also some computer modeling programs. If you were into weather, you really need to become rather good on the computer, seems the two go hand in hand! Weather and Bob seem to be synonymous. He had a remarkable way of making it all sound quite simple and understandable...although his statement about weather being a mix of pattern and chaos, reminds us that it really is a difficult thing to predict.

We went through some of Bob's charts looking at some specific areas Jessica will go through. He showed us some typical weather patterns in these areas and the currents (if any) she will expect.

Jessica called in while we were there for her regular sked and spoke to Bob about the weather she had right there and then. She had spoken to him at length whilst planning her route prior to her departure. In that preparation time, Jessica prepared some information for Bob about the yachts 'Polars' so that he would know what speeds Ella's Pink Lady can do at particular angles to the wind. This makes his forecasting more accurate.

It is a pleasure to be working with you Bob, thanks for being on the team!

Julie (Mum)

Pic: Bruce Arms, Bob McDavitt and Julie Watson.

Fish, First Aid, 'Parker' and Bread

2009-11-14T18:12:00.005+10:00

My resolve to catch a fish was strengthened again yesterday when I called in to have a nice long chat to all the family as they were having Friday night fish and chips. I've got it all worked out now. First there will be sashimi with soy sauce, then steaks lightly fried, maybe with a light batter and lemon juice (not fresh of course) and possibly some kind of fish curry. All depending on the size and type of fish. Sadly it seems to take more than resolve to catch a fish, still nothing!

With all this talk of food I've noticed that a few people have been commenting about having to watch my figure. Not to worry I do! I'm actually proud to report that after years of struggling, in the last few weeks, I've actually put on just a little weight. You must be thinking that really is the strangest thing for a 16 year old girl to be saying but I've spent years being told by all the old salts that I need to bulk up a little and have a little in reserve, as it could be helpful as Ella's Pink Lady heads south and around Cape Horn.

No squalls at all today so I've been able to get plenty of uninterrupted catnaps. Really has been lovely sailing, 'Parker' the windvane has been doing his job amazingly and nothing much has needed attention. (Sorry I don't think I ever properly explained Parkers name for those people who weren't able to guess. Parker is the name of a character out of the TV series Thunderbirds. He drives a transforming pink Rolls Royce for a Lady Penelope!). So a few of you guessed it right.

Last night was something special with so many stars that I could swear that the air felt thicker for them. Also there's been a bit of phosphoresce in the water lately so the wash around Ella's Pink Lady is speckled with glowing lights. I got my first minor injury for the trip today, nothing at all serious just a little burn from the stove on my thumb. Treatment involved sitting out in the cockpit with my hand in a cup of water enjoying the sunset then a little cream and of course, the all helpful Band-Aid! Not exactly anything to write home about and believe me I'm about to regret it because as soon as this blog gets published, the phone's going to start ringing and I'm going to be subjected to several full medical interrogations. Talk about being wrapped in cotton wool! Well actually while today's little mishap really wasn't anything serious, the chance of me giving myself a real injury out here is quite serious. Thanks to Mum, a local Pharmacist and sailor Susie, Mark White and the St John Cadets from Dromona Secondary College and my doctor, Margaret Williams (who sailed solo round Australia a few years back) Pink Lady has a first aid kit to rival any hospital. I've also completed my marine medical course, know the kit inside out and as I mentioned, have plenty of advice ready at hand.

I just baked some lovely fresh bread (see pic below) so I'm off to go nibble at the crusty bits before they cool down. Of course covered with jam and cream, then bread and soup for dinner.

Just one more thing, with all this talk of me being mature, I have to say I had a bit of a giggle as I looked down at my bright pink toe nails!

Now just over 500 nm till the equator!

Jesse

Pic: Covered in flour, kneading bread in my open air galley at sunset.

Squally Sailing

2009-11-13T21:33:00.004+10:00

Sorry it's been a little while without an update.

I was told that this has become the most watched blog in Australia and stage fright has left me a bit speechless! No just kidding it's all good. Well actually it's pretty amazing and more than a little hard for me to comprehend out here all alone. Well, physically alone. It really is amazing to be able to share the voyage with so many wonderful people. To me, it is just sharing my journey with you, in what is sometimes a not very exciting life. Plodding along out here, taking whatever is thrown at us, just feels completely normal. I know I'm going to get a million cries of disagreement. But think about it. How strange would it feel to you to be describing to the world all the ins and outs of your everyday life? It is all a bit surreal. That said, thank you all for your support!

And talking of those little ins and outs, Ella's Pink Lady and I have been making good progress for the last few days. The latitude read out now puts us in the single digits - wow!

Conditions have mostly been lovely (steady breeze form the east or south east, sunshine and very gentle sea) but have also been frequently interrupted by squalls. Still nothing too severe but just enough to keep me working hard pulling a sail in and out and constantly keeping a lookout for any partially nasty black clouds. Last night a squall with a lot of lightning passed pretty close. Sitting there waiting for it to pass with all the electrics turned off got a little boring, so I made chocolate cookies in the torch light to pass the time. I suppose I should have been a little scared about all the lightning, but after doing everything I could, I figured there wasn't much point in worrying.

I'm finding it hard to believe how the days are flying. In between getting enough sleep, keeping up with the day to day maintenance and chores, checking that fishing line, feeding myself and keeping in touch with everyone back home, time just flies and I'm constantly wondering what happened to the day.

Even though Ella's Pink Lady is built and set up for strength, endurance and easy handling when the weather is nice, I've really been enjoying playing around, tweaking the sails for a little extra speed. Of course as soon the weather is up it's all about being totally conservative!

Lastly, I've only just heard the news from back home about the proposed Traveston Dam project being aborted. I just wanted to say congratulations to everyone on the Sunshine Coast who worked so hard to prevent the Mary Valley from being flooded. It is a good result for my local community.

600nm till the equator!

Jesse

Robbed of Dinner!

2009-11-11T22:08:00.004+10:00

Exciting news to report today. I pulled the fishing line in to discover that I finally caught a fish! I'd love to tell you what it was, how big it was and how yummy it tasted, only someone (with rather big teeth!) got to it before me. Apart from a few bits of flesh left hanging on the lure, my beautiful fish had been gobbled up by something bigger. I can only keep trying!

Not much sleep last night because I was keeping an eye on a few nasty looking squalls, nothing much came of them though and we spent the first part of the night drifting backward a little, ouch! There were a few jokes about that when I called in this morning.

Steady progress today though, I've been catching up on a little sleep and enjoying the nice sailing. The Southern Ocean certainly isn't going to be like this.

For all those having a guess at when we cross the line, the latest weather forecast from Bob gives us an eta (estimated time of arrival) at the equator of the 18th, in about 7 days time!

Jesse

Pic: Me and what was left of dinner! Can you make out the teeth marks on the lure?

Slowly But Surely getting to the Equator!

2009-11-10T16:06:00.003+10:00

Not much in the way of wind today, so I spent the morning hand steering and tacking to make the most of the few little puffs of wind we did get. All covered up from the sun in a big dorky straw hat, sunscreen (Ella Bache of course!), sunnys and a sarong, sitting at the tiller was the nicest place to be with a light breeze keeping me cool.

The Fleming Windvane 'Parker' does an amazing job steering, much better than me most of the time, but when the wind drops out to under 5knots, even poor old Parker calls it quits. This afternoon the wind dropped right off to the point where I've just aborted the tiller, as there isn't much point in steering a boat that isn't going anywhere!

It's overcast again now with rain squalls (see pic below) sweeping across the ocean and marching along the horizon. I think I'd be finding the lack of progress pretty frustrating if it wasn't for all the moody greys and blues looking so amazing on the glassed out water.

Despite this afternoon's poor progress, we've still only got 950nm until the equator (that is to the actual point where I'm hoping to cross the equator) and I can't wait for that!

Jesse

Pic: Calm and interrupted by towering rain squalls, it's been a pretty typical day for ITCZ (Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone or 'doldrums'). Lucky for me the ITCZ is pretty weak at the moment, so it shouldn't be too long until we pick up a bit more a breeze to take us to the equator.

Busy Day and Water

2009-11-09T20:33:00.002+10:00

I've just come back into the cabin after pulling the fishing line in for the day. No fish but the lures are covered in huge big teeth marks, so looks like I've been getting some nibbles! Well maybe nibbles isn't the right word? I've decided not to think too hard about exactly what left the great big teeth marks, but I'm sure it wasn't anything nearly as dramatic as my imagination would like me to think.

Looks like it’s going to be another dark night out here and warmer than ever, but I'm a happy girl after a busy and productive day. The sea and wind finally dropped off (and the sun came out!) this morning so I was out of my bunk bright and early ready to launch into a few jobs on
deck that I'd been putting off due to the bouncy conditions. I got through my little list of maintenance and gave Ella's Pink Lady a really good check over for chafe and wear. Then the wind dropped off even more, to the point where we were left to roll a bit un-comfortably, not making any progress. But before it started getting too frustrating, a great big rain cloud came along and gave us a soaking in fresh water. Rain might not sound like something to get too excited about but I was just about in heaven!

Using the mainsail and the little gutters we strategically built into the dodger, I was able to collect enough water to top the water tanks up, fill a few empty containers and give myself a lovely fresh water scrub down. In fact I ended up with more water than I knew what to do with - even after washing all my clothes. So I decided to get right into it and ended up giving every surface in the cabin a wipe down. With the music up and the air temperature down for a while with the rain, I was really enjoying myself and I never thought I hear myself saying that! I've never exactly been one to enjoy cleaning and washing so maybe I am going a little crazy out here after all? It provided me with some great exercise as well.

Anyway this brings us to one of the questions that I still haven't answered for you all – water.

What am I doing for fresh water? Believe it or not along with all the food, Ella's Pink Lady is pretty much carrying all the fresh water I'll need. It might sound a bit hard to believe but I'm only using fresh water for drinking and cooking and there's only one of me. Also, I'm relying on being able to top up the tanks again in squalls a few times before leaving the tropics and heading south. As an emergency backup Pink Lady's also carrying a little hand desalinater, but judging by the amount of water I was so easily able to collect today, I don't think that I'll ever need it.

Another squall came through this evening, dumping a whole lot more rain and keeping my life interesting with a few grumbles of thunder, a pretty strong gust of wind and some random changes of wind direction. Ella's Pink lady took it all in her stride. Compared to some of the more severe tropical squalls I'm sure we'll soon be getting, this little puff will just look a lot like a fluffy white cloud.

There's not a heap of wind at the moment, just a gentle 13knots. But thanks to the quiet conditions this morning the sea has pretty much flatted right out leaving Pink Lady to fly along on a reach, unstopped by any of those wet, bouncy things - waves!

Just glanced at the speedo and we're doing a very healthy 7knots! I wouldn't say no to more of this, but the wind is predicted to drop off again soon, so I expect the next few days will be hard work trying to keep us moving along.

That's me for today. I'm now off to open a tin of mandarin pieces with a double
dose of cream for dessert!

Jesse

Sunday Blog a little late!

2009-11-09T17:14:00.002+10:00

Sunday has been much the same out here. Just had a nice ducking of cool salt water and am running my little fans to try and chase away that sticky humid feeling but I think it's just something I'm going to have to learn to live with.

My sleeping bag has been safely stowed away and I think a singlet and sarong have become my uniform for the next while. Sailing in the tropics!

My breakfasts now have become cereal rather than porridge (still with my extra large helping of cream, dried fruit and honey!).
The wind peaked at 30knots last night so life's still a little bouncy out here as we're sailing upwind. It's a little frustrating every time something goes flying across the cabin or when I discover that something else has somehow become wet and salty, but it only takes a glance at the log ticking away at the miles to keep me more than happy. Only a little over 1200nm till the
equator!

I was talking to my brother Tom who's spent the weekend tramping with some friends and it made me realize how much I'd love to stretch my own legs with a long walk right now. I hadn't realized how much I miss being able to take a walk or jog up the beach. The stretches and few exercises I do most days just aren't the same. It's funny how I never even thought to appreciate something like being able to go for a walk until now when I can't. Made me think of all you lucky people back on land. Hope you're all making the most of your Sunday afternoons to take nice long walks!

Jesse

Trade Wind Sailing

2009-11-07T20:22:00.003+10:00

Really loving the way Ella's been chewing away the miles over the last few days. With the wind sitting on 20-25knots from the south east its good trade wind sailing, even if the sun hasn't been doing too much of that shining business lately.
We're also really starting to make some good progress north. The GPS readout now puts our latitude well into the teens.
The temperature is just starting to get a little warm in the cabin, but with so much water over the deck, having the hatches open is completely out of the question. But I'm sure this is nothing compared to how warm it will get over the over the next few weeks!
With a bit of a headache, plenty of sea room and Ella's Pink Lady not needing much attention from me today, I pretty much just spent the day wedged into a comfy position working away at a book and staying dry. Apart from the odd flying fish and bird there's not really been a lot of wild life around lately and still no luck catching any fish. Then again we have just passed over the Tongan Trench one of the deepest places on earth. I'm not much of a fisherman but maybe it hasn't exactly been the greatest place to catch fish? I'll just have to keep trying!The overcast skies have been making for some dark nights out here.
The sky and sea are completely black with no way of telling them apart. It's completely pot luck whether or not I get a face full of spray when I stick my head out above the dodger for a look around. But even if I do get un-lucky and cop a wave, I can't say it really bothers me. Normally I'll just laugh or squeal, even if I'm half asleep!
So it's all going well and at this pace, we'll be passing Samoa in the next few days and from there it really is a clear run to the equator.

Jesse

A Picture Blog!

2009-11-06T22:58:00.007+10:00

Pic: Me and Ella's Pink Lady on another overcast day

Pic: Looking out into the cockpit at sunset

Pic: Ella's Pink Lady getting along nicely with the sun setting and the moon rising

Wet, Bouncy and Cupcakes!

2009-11-05T16:28:00.006+10:00

With a good bouncy sea and water going everywhere today everything's starting to feel pretty salty. Every time I come in from being on deck I seem to bring a lot of water with me. Also, despite all the effort we put into tracking them down before leaving, a few small leaks have made themselves known. The leaks aren't at all dangerous, just aren't much of a help in the war against salt and damp. So I've been playing around with a tube of sealer and (fingers crossed), looks like I might have put a stop to some of them!

We passed close to another boat this morning but couldn't see him through some rain.

I pulled some sail in and out as the wind dropped off, then came back and right now we're doing a nice 6knots with 20knots of wind. Have passed 2000 miles today and my best guess is around 16 days to the equator, but it could be anything as it is all weather dependant over the next few weeks.

This afternoon I decided it was time to have a bit of fun in the galley. I've been making chocolate cupcakes! It's been quite an adventure really with ingredients and mixture going everywhere, as Ella's Pink Lady bounces along. Life would be so much easier with a third arm but I got there in the end with all the mixture, less the stuff all over my face! (Maybe I should consider a career as a juggler when I get home?). Then divided it out into the paper patty pans. Then the fun part, icing and decorating!

They are all cooked now and they smell very good. Better go now and try them out. But I've attached a pic of the cupcakes below for you all to see!

Jesse

Pic: Jessica's Chocolate Cupcakes!

Rest, Relaxing and Reading

2009-11-04T18:29:00.003+10:00

After some pretty interrupted sleep lately, this morning my head felt a lot like it was full of cotton wool. So I've pretty much spent most of the day in my bunk reading and dozing, popping my head out the companionway to keep a look out and to tweak the sails. All the R&R today has left me feeling a lot better, so I'm full of energy again this evening, playing music and sitting up on deck watching all the shades of grey turn to pink and orange.
No sunshine at all today so we're a bit down on power but progress has been reasonable. We've had a pretty consistent of south easterly so Ella's Pink Lady has been slipping along nicely under full sail. A few people have been commenting on how it must be nice to have other yachts around every once and a while but I can't say I really feel like that. Sure it was nice to chat to them over the radio, to find out where they'd come from and where they are heading to, but I can only really be comfortable when Ella's Pink Lady and I have the ocean completely to ourselves. Every time a bit of land pops up on the chart it weighs on my mind and almost feels a little claustrophobic!
The forecast is for more of the same weather for the next few days. Then as we keep heading north we should start seeing some tropical squalls. I'm starting to see more and more flying fish jump out of the water and am really starting to tick off the miles till reaching the equator.
That's it for today because my tummy is telling me that it's time to go cook up something up for dinner. I'm thinking tacos (or maybe I should call them nachos, as they are a bit crushed up!) with freeze dried mince, tinned tomato and tinned capsicum.

Jesse

Slow Day, Communication and Website

2009-11-03T18:35:00.005+10:00

It's been a quieter day today, a bit too quiet actually. For most of the day the wind has been a bit non-existent. Any progress we did make could probably be put down to drift more than anything! But there's a nice breeze again now so off we go again. Rolling about not going anywhere started to get a little frustrating today, so I kept busy doing some school work and I finally put the fishing line out. No luck catching anything but there's always tomorrow. I also didn't have much luck with school work. After completing the first English assignment I sent it off to discover that I'd opened the wrong bag and have been working on next year's assignments, oops!
To cheer myself up I had scrambled eggs for lunch, made with powdered eggs and cream, really yummy! So I'll have to have them more often. Powdered eggs aren't exactly an off the shelf item, but all the effort Mum put into tracking them down was well worth it! Last night I brought my sleeping bag out in the cockpit and managed to get a bit of sleep under the full moon. It was a pretty cool sight with the moonlight making the waves sparkle and lighting up the sails. I have to keep reminding myself to make the most of nights like this as things are certainly going to change when we head back south and into the Southern Ocean.
For everyone who's been curious about how I keep in touch with the rest of the world I thought I'd explain the communications equipment on board Ella's Pink Lady. First off, I'd like to say a huge thanks to Satcom Global, the amazing guys who have provided all the satellite gear for me. To start with, I've got two handheld satellite phones (one lives in the grab bag ready for me to take with me if I ever had to abandon ship). Most days the satellite phone is a completely clear line and it's as if you're right next door to the person you're talking to rather than out in the middle of the ocean! Then I've got internet connection through a small satellite dome on the stern called the sailor 250. This is what enables me to send video clips, pictures, blogs and emails but it can become pretty costly so I can't exactly just browse the internet all the time. Ella's Pink Lady's also got a HF radio which I use for skeds and listening in to see what other yachts are in the area. Other than that there's a tracker which sends back a constant signal to the appropriate people and all my different EPIRBs (emergency position indicating radio beacons - a signaling device in other words), but they come under the rather extensive subject of safety equipment, so I won't got there tonight!
Talking of communication, the other day I was having a major cheese craving and couldn't find the cheese anywhere, so I called Mum to ask whether she knew where it might have been packed. Mum was actually in Melbourne having lunch with Jesse Martin and his Mum Louise at the time. My quick casual call about something as unimportant as cheese really highlighted the difference between my voyage and Jesse's. Back when he sailed around the world satellite phone calls were so costly that they were saved for pretty much only emergencies and Jesse certainly didn't have luxuries like cheese! Anyway they all had a good laugh at my expense and it sounded like they were having a good time.
I hope everyone in Australia had a win on the Melbourne Cup today. I hear some of my shore team picked the winner Shocking, so that was good news. I'm not really sure what I can do to celebrate it out here, any ideas?
Finally, I hope you all like the updated website which now has a tracking map so you can all keep an eye on me.
It's going to be long night out here tacking around another reef but all part of the fun!

Jess

All's Well and a Busy Day

2009-11-02T21:57:00.003+10:00

Been a bit of a busy day and time got away from me so I'll keep today's update short. Just wanted to let you know that all's well. More than well really, as we've been getting along so nicely out here. Loving every moment!
The wind’s been sitting on about 15knots from the south east so Ella's Pink Lady is sitting on a close reach plodding along at a steady 6knots. After passing reasonably close to Minerva reef(below Tonga and Fiji) this morning, I've been spotting and passing quite a few yachts so that's kept me vigilante on deck. Other than that, I've been pouring over charts and forecasts again, chatting to a few people on the sat-phone and keeping up with chores and a little maintenance.

Jesse

New Food Bag, New Chart and Last Orange

2009-11-01T08:59:00.003+10:00

Pic: Working away at the nav station, my favorite place to sit!

Well that's it, the last of my fresh fruit. I've just been savoring my last orange and I'm sure going to miss fresh fruit! And on the subject of food today I pulled out my first new food bag. A food bag lasts 14 days. It feels like a bit of a milestone and I'm looking forward to dinner tonight because I get first pick of meals. By the end of the week all the good stuff will be gone and I'll be back to eating all my second favorites.

Progress has been a little slower today with the wind dropping right out to pretty much nothing for a while last night, then coming round on to Pink Lady's nose this morning. But we're still eating away at the miles and getting very close to the edge of the chart. So I pulled out a new chart and spent the afternoon looking over it studying up on areas we're sailing into. It feels
like we're really getting into unfamiliar waters now, I've never sailed this far east before so it's all new and exciting stuff from here.

I'm a bit annoyed with myself at the moment after thinking it was calm enough to open a hatch and being quickly shown otherwise by a wave breaking over the deck and pouring right into the cabin. There's some wet salty clothing hanging up, but it’s all drying quickly now.

Also, sorry about the delay in getting a tracking map up, but the team will have something on the website for you all next week to follow.

Alright I'm going to sign off now because I'm off to do something brave, daring and possibly a little reckless. I'm going to open the bag labeled 'School Work'. OK, so maybe I'm being a bit of a drama queen, but wish me luck on this one!

Hope everyone's having good weekends.

Jesse

Flying Along and Power

2009-10-31T15:28:00.000+10:00

Still overcast with a pretty bouncy sea out here but we're loving it and making some really good progress. I'm missing the sunshine a little but all the different shades of grey make for a pretty picture too. Looks like we're going to be on this course for a few days yet, with a steady wind slowlycoming around to the south east. Plenty of empty ocean in front of us for now before we start getting in among a few of the islands and reefs off the bottom of Fiji and Samoa.

Life on board is really pretty simple with all the little things filling up the day, but when the sea is up a little, then even the simplest task becomes an adventure. But the little things are keeping me more than happy. Food, talking with everyone back home, plotting our position to see how far we've come each day, music and standing behind the dodger watching the sun go down have become the highlights. Sure I'm missing everyone back in Australia a little, but mostly I'm having the time of my life out here! Bring on the next challenge!My sleep patterns are becoming a little strange as we keep going east and in to new time zones. I've got four different clocks all on different times zones, just to confuse myself! I've been sleeping less and less at night and more in the mornings and eating when I feel like it. Maybe I should call it Pink Lady time because it really is like we're off in our own little world. Well that is apart from all you guys who are out here with me!Anyway thought I'd finally get round to explaining the power systems on Ella's Pink Lady. Power is pretty important stuff because it runs the satphones, HF radio, computer, navigation equipment and possibly most importantly thestereo! But saying that we've also got to be able to survive without it all.If there was ever a power problem and when it comes down to it, all we really need is some wind (preferably 15knots behind us with sunshine lol). Hopefully it never comes to it but I've got sextant on board and know how to use it just in case.

First off we've got four 80 A/Hr gel batteries and another for starting the engine, I find that I'm almost constantly checking to see how full they are and how much power is coming in and out. Then for charging the batteries we've got two 80Watt solar panels, a 60Watt solar panel and a Rutland windgenerator. The solar panels give me plenty of power when the sun’s shining and the wind generator constantly works away trickling in a little power. Then for the days when the sun is not shining and the wind is down and I've been playing the stereo too loud, I can run the little Yanmar engine (out of gear!) to give the batteries a little extra boost. So far everything's been working great, probably thanks to Neil the electrician who completely rewired Ella's Pink Lady.

So it's pretty cool to be completely self sufficient, just think how great it would be if everyone used and produced there own power? Sorry if I all that got a little boring and technical but lots of people have been curious about the power!I'm off to go pull a reef out (pull some more sail up) as the wind is just dropping off a little and I should probably turn the computer off because we are a little low on power today with all the cloud around.

Jesse

Pics

2009-10-29T14:31:00.004+10:00

Pic : Bathtime in the sun with the cockpit covered in cosmetics!

Pic : Ella's Pink Lady 'surfing' along yesterday

Night-time, Little Habits and on to the Equator

2009-10-29T10:45:00.002+10:00

I'm now full of energy today after getting some good sleep during the night and a good breakfast with a plenty of cream this morning!

There's still a good sized swell today but it's much longer and more gentle and the suns even out at the moment, so I've been standing outside enjoying it. When we're in trough between two waves Ella's Pink Lady feels small and a little lost then up we go again to the top of the next swell, and with a good view out to the horizon. It's as if we're on top of the world. Then off rolls another wave giving us a little push along as it goes.

The wind eased off a bit overnight after blowing 25knots yesterday and this morning we've got a perfect 15knots still pushing us along on a broad reach. We're making the most of the wind and loving the good progress while it lasts. Now that the Tasman is behind us I'm really starting to look forward to reaching the equator, it'll be my first time crossing the line so it should be pretty exciting!

I've been thinking about some of the little habits I've fallen into, like brushing my teeth every morning sitting out on the cabin top, the packet of lollies or nuts that sits beside me while I'm working at the computer and sleeping in my harness, lifejacket and overalls, with a knife in my pocket and a headlight about my neck. It might sound a little un-comfortable but I get my best sleep knowing that I can be in the cockpit clipped on and in the cockpit in less than a few seconds.

A few people have been asking about what it's like at night out here so I'll have a crack at describing it. I think a lot of people get goose bumps when they think about being out here all by themself because I think most people imagine it to be like a night in the suburbs all quiet and eerie. But it’s not like that at all. Firstly, because there's the constant noise and motion of the boat. Then there's the waves and wind for company! On a clear night the stars are pretty amazing but I love the dark overcast nights almost as much when I can stand behind the dodger for protection, feeling Ella's Pink Lady ploughing along and not really knowing what comes next!

Keep an eye out on Network Ten’s OneHD tonight from 7.30pm when I'll be talking to Thursday Night Live on Skype. For those who cannot see it, keep an eye out on the website and I'm sure it'll be loaded up there by the team tomorrow.

I was meaning to explain the power systems onboard Ella's Pink Lady today but this is long enough for now so I better go start on a few little bits of maintenance and today's chores.

With so many comments on the blog, I don’t get the chance to reply to every one of them, but Mum also keeps me updated on all the comments each evening. I enjoy hearing a little more detail about everyone and love the little quotes and positive messages etc, so keep them coming!

Jesse

Cleared Norfolk Island

2009-10-27T20:57:00.007+10:00

The comfortable routine I had been getting very used to fell apart today with the wind picking up to 25 knots. A short building sea has been making life, I wouldn't say uncomfortable, but certainly different to some of the quiet days we've had. It's nice to be guaranteed some good progress and even with two reefs in the main sail Ella's Pink Lady has almost been surfing
along in the swell at up to 8.5 knots.

This morning we finally cleared Norfolk Island which was a relief because I didn't get much sleep last night with land and a few boats around and have now settled onto a north easterly course that should take us straight to the equator!

This afternoon I was feeling a little down, so to cheer myself up I made a few phone calls, turned the music up, gave my hair and teeth a good brush, all the things that would normally make me feel on top of the world before realizing that I'd forgotten to feed myself! A good helping of tinned potatoes, fried into chips later and I'm back to my normal cheerful self.

No colorful sunset tonight with the over cast skies but it's a little too wet to be sitting around on deck enjoying it anyway.

Sorry but thats all for today,

Jesse

Squid On The Deck

2009-10-26T18:29:00.005+10:00

Pic: Jessica at Ella Bache media launch in Sydney.

When it got light this morning I did my usual check around Ella's Pink Lady to find a whole lot of little squid lying on the deck where they'd clearly got stuck after jumping on board during the night. One of them was a good 25cm long and as I worked on the deck during the day I kept finding more little ones tucked into all sorts of unusual places. Hopefully I found them all or I'm going to know about it when they start smelling in a few days!

Conditions are still pretty quiet, we've had about 14knots of wind right behind us all day so we're rolling along at a steady 5knots.

After all the usual chores, I spent the morning catching up on a few emails and reading. I've been re-reading Kay Cottee's book about her non-stop trip around the world and of course Jesse Martins book Lionheart. l love comparing my trip so far with their voyages. After reading how organized Kay was with the housework side of things I've made a new resolve to do better myself!

This afternoon I kept busy on deck working out the easiest way to pole the headsail (using the spinnaker pole to hold the headsail right out) to make sailing downwind (with the wind right behind us) more comfortable.

The water was still a little chilly when I had another salt water scrub down today and a quick rain squall came through so even Ella's Pink Lady had a nice wash down. So now we're both as fresh as roses! It's nice to have non-salty decks for a while and the rain was a bit of a novelty because it's the first I've had so far.

I've finally started getting a little more imaginative with cooking. Last night was cheese scones and very creamy soup (thanks to me adding maybe a little too much cream!). This morning was porridge with some of the last of my fresh fruit. Lunch was pasta again and I'm thinking Easy Foods chilli bean and chips (fried tinned potatoes) for dinner tonight.

Jesse

One Week Down and the Shore Crew

2009-10-26T11:10:00.004+10:00

Well we've been out here a full week now and into day 8 today! I've just been doing the maths and we covered 740nm in week 1 which is as much as I'd ever hoped for and pretty good considering some of the windless days we've had. If anything, the first week's run puts us very slightly ahead of schedule, but I hate to say that so early on!

We're near Norfolk Island which sounds like a pretty interesting place so I'll have to add it to the list of places to stop off at next time. Not long now till the Tasman is ticked off and then it's on to the equator.

Something I maybe should have done long ago is to introduce you all to my amazing shore team. If you ask me, they're the true heroes handling all the tricky stuff back home while I have fun out here! Here's just a few of the people I rely on and talk to every day, the complete support network is made up of even more amazing people with all sorts of different skills. And that's not to mention all the people who worked on Ella's Pink Lady and all our sponsors, it's more like a huge big extended family than anything. So along with all you guys thinking of me and Ella's Pink Lady I'm not really alone out here.

Firstly there's Bruce the Project Manager. Bruce and his wife Suzanne have worked on the voyage full time for most of the year, were hugely supportive before then and a big inspiration to me. I love Bruce's calm 'can do' approach and I talk through boat performance, conditions, any potential shipping etc with Bruce.

I talk to Dad (Roger) on the sat-phone twice a day for the official skeds (slang for a scheduled talk normally by radio). Dad's great for talking through any little problems with me and is kept busy chasing up all sorts of bits and pieces. It's nice to talk to Dad and hear all the ins and outs of what's going on at home.

Then there's Scott and Andrew who handle a lot more than just my management and media. Scott's always there to patiently help me work through the camera systems and the some of the sat communication gear. Andrew looks after the blog, sponsors and other news updates.

Bob McDavitt (the ambassador for New Zealand's met servos) is providing all the weather forecasting and routing us around the worst of the bad weather. It gives me a lot of confidence to have such a good idea of what's coming.

And lastly Mum (Julie) keeps me up to date with the outside world, forwarding on emails, sending me any news that I might find interesting. She's also the one who packed all the food so when I can't find something she's the one I ring!

More soon.

Jesse

Perfect conditions and food

2009-10-24T19:54:00.005+10:00

Well, perfect is about the only word for it out here today, we're doing 6.5 knots on a broad reach heading for a waypoint below Norfolk Island. The wind was just getting up above 15 knots so I pulled the first reef into the main this morning to keep the motion comfortable and to make the steering easier on Parker (the windvane).

It's such a nice day that I've just spent the morning sitting up on deck enjoying it all, watching Ella's Pink Lady sail along and listening to music. Today there's little speckles of white streaked across the water, as if they're there just to break up all that blue! Just think how great it would be if it were like this every day. On second thoughts maybe it would get a little boring!

It's taken awhile but I think the enormity of the voyage and everything that's happened over the last few months finally caught up with me today, surprisingly it didn't make me feel at all daunted, just proud of all the people who got us here and a little overwhelmed, wow this is it! And it's so much better than I ever dreamed! Still there's a lot to get through yet but I know we can do it, one leg at a time. I'm about half way between Lord Howe and Norfolk Islands now.

So rightyo, foods another big thing that I get a lot of questions about, here goes;

It was definitely a bit of a mission and Mum has done an amazing job of putting together a tasty menu that will last 8 months, plus extra just in case. Ella's Pink Lady doesn't have refrigeration (because it draws too much power) and after a lot of forced sampling, I concluded that fancy
sports foods and most freeze dried food, just wasn't going to work for me.

With a lot of help and advice from other sailors and from Gray Slater a dietitian from the University of the Sunshine Coast, I ended up with a pretty good diet that's amazingly close to normal food. My main meals are range of about 10 different meals called Easyfood which is pretty amazing, tasty stuff that only needs to be heated and lasts on the shelf for 18 months. Breakfasts are normal stuff like cereal and porridge and I'm able to bake my own bread (I think I'm going to have to try my first loaf soon because the stuff I took, is getting very stale!) and things like scones in the pressure cooker. Other than that there's tined fruit and veggies,
plenty of treats, hot drinks and etc.

I'll see if I can remember to tell you more about what I'm eating as we go, tonight, I'm planning to have Easyfood lamb chops (they are so nice!)with deb (mashed potato) and asparagus.

Ok, that was too long in front of a computer screen so I'm off to enjoy the rest of the day and maybe have a bucket bath in the cockpit.

Cya,

Jesse

Slowly

2009-10-23T20:49:00.004+10:00

Still more slow progress out here, but past the 500nm mark which is a bit of a milestone. We spent last night completely becalmed next to Lord Howe Island drifting along at less than a knot. But when we finally did get a light breeze as the sun was coming up it made for a pretty amazing picture which I have included in this blog for you. . The water was completely glassed reflecting the rising sun, so as we started picking up a little wind it was as if we were gliding along a sheet of glass.

Today was more of the usual stuff for me, playing with cameras, catching up on a little sleep, keeping us moving, carefully monitoring my power ins and outs, feeding myself, the usual tiding up, lessening to music (there's noone to complain about my taste or volume I like to play it at!) and sending a few emails. It probably doesn't sound all that exciting but its keeping me happy and I still can't see myself ever getting bored, there's always something to do. Sailing around the world sure isn't all high action and excitement but quiet days reading are part of what I signed up for.

Not much wildlife around today, just Ella's Pink Lady, myself and lots and lots of blue, what more could anyone ask for?! We are not moving too badly again now, doing 6knots under full main, headsail and staysail.

Sorry I'll have to keep this short today because I better go and turn the HF on for a radio sked. As always, thanks to you all for all the support, I can't believe how many people are following the blog. It means a lot to me knowing you're all out there thinking of me!

Jesse

Out into the Tasman and Sleeping

2009-10-22T14:38:00.004+10:00

Sorry I didn't get an update to you all yesterday. I was busy on deck and around the boat, then wow, another day gone! If time keeps flying at this rate I'll have to seriously consider another lap or maybe it's a little early to be thinking about that? Again it's possibly a little early to be reflecting but I can't believe how well the first week is going. I'd always expected that settling in would be one of the toughest times for me but I've been in great spirits, keeping busy and enjoying all the simple things.

Overall its been pretty quiet out here, but after a great run of 155nm yesterday, the wind dropped off again and now we (Ella's Pink Lady & I) are back to plodding along slowly. So we're well and truly out into the Tasman now, near Lord Howe Island, with Australia well behind us. Ella's Pink Lady is under full mainsail and genoa at the moment and doing a slow but steady 3knots.

The sun's still shining and the water is an even more amazing shade of blue, but I've been finding that sunset is my favorite time of the day when the whole world turns pink! This morning I had a school of dolphins pass by and the odd bird also drops in to check us out. I think keeping the cabin tidy is going to become one of those never ending battles. Is it just me or does housework
always take this long? And then washing up. There's no one else offering to take their turn, so I'm stuck with it after every meal!

I'd love to answer some more of your questions but there's just way too many! So what I thought I'd do is to talk though one aspect of the voyage or Ella's Pink Lady in more depth every time I have a quiet day. We've got a while to go, so maybe I'll have answered all the questions by the time I get home?

Starting with 'sleep'. Everyone's fascinated about what happens to Ella's Pink Lady when I'm
sleeping and it's a subject that we've put years of thorough research into. I better start from the beginning so everyone understands, sorry if I'm boring you with the basics.

Firstly I obviously can't be hand steering the whole time so Ella's Pink Lady has got three different self steering systems, two electronic autopilots and the Fleming Windvane mounted on the stern whose nicknamed 'Parker' ( can anyone guess why??). The windvane is my favourite because unlike the other two which draw a lot of power 'Parker' steers us by responding to the wind over a blade and the water over a paddle trailing off the stern. But I'll get to the
power subject some other time.

Then I've got four different ship detection systems, which all sound like loud alarms if there are any ships approaching. Ella's navigation lights and radar reflector also make us more visible to other ships at night. But even with all that I never just put my head down a get a full night sleep. If there's a bit going on I'll take a 20min power nap popping my head up to check on everything before going back to sleep. When things are quieter I'll sleep for 40min or longer at a time. It's amazing how used to the motion of Ella's Pink Lady I've already become, if the wind picks up a little the nose will wake me or if we drift off course the sails luff (flap) and wake me. It takes a little getting used to I but I find that I can get all the sleep I need like this and wake refreshed every time.

Before I go to sleep each time I set up two different wake-up alarms so that there's no chance that I'll sleep through. You should hear how loud one of them is, it still makes me jump out of my skin every time I hear it.

All the equipment probably all seems a little over the top but we're going to be out here for a while and the collision taught us that there's no such thing as being too careful!

Also we will have a basic tracking system setup on the website within the next few weeks or so to give you an idea of how we are progressing.

For those in Australia, you can tune in to ONE HDs Thursday night live show tonight at 7.30pm because I'll be talking to them via skype and they'll be playing a little video footage I've
been taking out here today. If you can't watch it tonight I'm sure it'll be up on the net soon enough.

Wow that was quite a mouthful, hope I didn't drone on a bit there!

Jesse

Moving!

2009-10-20T17:18:00.002+10:00

Today was definitely a better day for progress with 13knots of wind from the north east pushing us along nicely. But if anything, it's been pretty quiet day out here again, just a lot of sparkling blue water and blue sky.

I was kept busy last night avoiding a bit of shipping and adjusting the Fleming windvane when the wind dropped right out. It was so quiet and flat for while that I brought my pillow out into the cockpit and grabbed a few cat naps of sleep under the stars.

It already feels like I'm settling right into a routine, grabbing a bit of sleep through the night and into the morning when I can, logging and plotting my position, digging through the food bags for meals and calling in for phone skeds twice a day. There's always something to do or check.

I've been hard at work eating my way through all the last minute presents and sweets that were shoved aboard just before we left. Every time I think I've eaten them all I seem to discover another packet stashed away somewhere!

Thanks for all the comments.

Jessica

"Blues and Pinks"

2009-10-19T19:16:00.003+10:00

Today's been a quiet one out here. For a while again this afternoon we were completely becalmed again. I expected that it would frustrate me making so little progress but I really enjoyed the chance just to take it easy and start on a book between tweaking the sails. It's been so long since I've had anytime just to take it easy for a while and the freedom was amazing. No deadlines, nothing to rush off to, I can eat whatever I like whenever I like, no one to send me off to bed! It was pretty special this afternoon when the sea glassed right out, it was as if you could see right to the distant blue bottom apart from huge schools of jelly fish floating past. We even had a couple of dolphins drop in to say hi. The other unexpected visitor was a small plane who circled around overhead, just when I thought I was finally by myself!
I've already discovered that a tidy cabin means a happy Jessica. I can only relax when everything on deck, in the cockpit and down below is in its place and ready for the unexpected. Right now the sun's setting and the sky's turned a shade of pink, exactly the same as Ella's Pink Lady, very pretty! So I might get the camera out before finding something to eat (I'm thinking sweet and sour lamb and then pancakes), getting Ella's Pink Lady ready for the night, then calling in for evening skeds.

Jesse

Across the Start Line

2009-10-19T15:07:00.002+10:00

Well yesterday was the big day, leaving Sydney and crossing the start line. After a good night sleep, a good breakfast and a last hot shower, that was it and I was off to sail around the world! Getting out of the harbour and across the start line was a bit of a feat in itself with spectator boats, helicopters, very little wind and a swell rolling though. It kept me on my toes but in the end we managed a sort of slow drift across the line and found a little more wind after clearing the Sydney Heads. I didn't really have much time to take it all in as a I crossed the actual start line, but I can't describe how proud I felt motoring away from the dock with my brave family standing there, along with so many of the people who made this happen. Getting to the start line has been the furthest thing imaginable from a solo effort!
My first day was busy for me trying to keep Ella's Pink Lady moving away from the coast in very little wind, working through a few small problems and avoiding shipping. I'll admit I was a little emotional for a while after all the goodbyes but on the plus side I already feel like I'm settling in and with such calm conditions I haven't even been feeling any of my normal first few days at sea queasiness.
So after all the excitement of getting away, progress has been pretty slow. We're still only just over 65nm from the coast, currently doing a not very remarkable, but steady 2.5knots. It's a little frustrating but I'm not complaining. I'm just taking it one day at a time for now, giving myself a little time to settle in and waiting for a little more wind.
Loving all the comments!

Jesse

Thank You From Mum

2009-10-18T13:57:00.005+10:00

Hi everyone. I know you are all anxious to hear from Jess, but she's a little pre-occupied on her first day, so just a quick post to let everyone know that the departure went well this morning, officially passing the start/finish line at Sydney Heads at 9.49am. On behalf of all of our family, I would like to sincerely thank all those wonderful people who came out on the Harbour this morning and down to the marina to wish Jess well. The positive messages of support from not only Australia, but all around the world, has just been overwhelming and we are most grateful. I am sure you will hear from Jess soon.

Julie (Mum) for Jessica

''Tomorrow I'm going to get up and sail around the world!"

2009-10-17T20:04:00.002+10:00

I'll keep this update even shorter but just letting you all know, if you havent already heard, that tomorrow is finally the big day. I'll be leaving the marina at around 0845 in the morning and clearing the Sydney heads soon after. The forecast is looking pretty positive and I'm just itching to get out there. I've had a nice final day fiddling round on Ellas Pink Lady and doing a little last minute packing with family and friends. Its hard to believe that the big day is almost here!!

Jesse

Thanks for all the Support

2009-10-14T11:57:00.000+10:00

I’ll keep this short as it’s a pretty busy time at the moment, but I just wanted to say a huge thank you to everyone who has been offering their support, luck and best wishes. Thanks to everyone for commenting on my blogs, sending emails and to the constant stream of people stopping by Ella's Pink Lady, bringing gifts and letters. I’m not doing a very good job of remembering everyones names! But have to say how lucky I am to have the chance to meet so many interesting people. Its pretty special to meet so many people of all ages who are so totally inspired by the voyage and what I am setting out to achieve!

So we are all working away at last minute things, checking that nothing has been forgotten or left undecided. I’m staying pretty relaxed (but definitely very excited!) surrounded by family, friends and my absolutely totally amazing team.
Thanks everyone!

Jessica

Whirl Wind Sydney

2009-10-12T09:06:00.003+10:00

It's been a busy and exciting week in Sydney with one of the highlights being the Ella Baché launch in Circular Quay. We managed to strike a lucky break in the rain. So sailing past the Sydney Opera House and under the bridge was really nice and must have provided a pretty cool photo opportunity. I'm so proud of having Ella Baché on board, and all around it was a pretty exciting day.

I've also been kitted out with the full range of Ella Baché skin care products, and to begin with, I'll admit to being a little intimidated by all those tubes and bottles! But armed with a manual and plenty of great advice I think that keeping my skin in top condition will be good fun.

The link below is to a segment I did with Jesse Martin on the 7pm Project. It's a must watch, and I had a lot of fun filming it. Spending time with Jesse was great and I have to admit I got a bit of a kick out of bossing him round on Ella's Pink Lady when we went for a quick sail!

http://7pmproject.com.au/video.htm?channel=7PM+Catch+Up&clipid=2689_7pm-seg2-081009&bitrate=300&format=flash

So in and around all the media and corporate stuff we've been working away at plenty of little things on the boat, running new halyards, fitting new electronics including a pretty cool set of water proof cameras, testing out storm sails, laying out drogues and then sea trials to test it all.

It was a great shock for all of us Saturday morning to hear the terrible news of the yachting accident down the coast and the death of Andrew Short and Sally Gordon. We've only known the Short family for a brief time while staying at his marina but the hospitality we've received has been amazing. Nothing was too hard or too much trouble! So from myself and all the team I'd like to extend our condolences to the Short family.

I've still got a few of those butterflies when I think about leaving, but it's almost like my head is already out there, and, if anything, after so many years of build up, leaving feels all a bit normal!

We still haven't pinned it down to a day but not long now and I'll be off! Before then I'll be kept more than busy cramming in a last few long sleeps, hot showers, good normal food and spending plenty of time with all the team and my family.

Anyway, remember to keep an eye on the news page of the website so we can keep you updated on the departure date.

For now,

Jess

Dry Land Again!

2009-10-06T20:58:00.006+10:00

I might have passed through the Heads and arrived in Sydney yesterday butI’m telling you Australia is still rolling. Since I stepped off Ella’s PinkLady yesterday afternoon my head has been spinning and I’ve been doing abit of stumbling into things! Getting my land legs again has taken a while. I can’t image what I’m going to be like after 8 months at sea, rather than 5 days! The last day at sea I was keep busy keeping Ella’s Pink Lady moving withvery little wind and light rain squalls. The sea flattened out after apretty bouncy few days and I even had the chance to tidy her up before coming in. In fact on Sunday afternoon I covered the whole cockpit with cosmetics and had a good scrub up myself! As is becoming a bit normal lately we had a full media circus turn out to meet us, helicopters and a few boats pushing their way a bit too close. But it was a nice welcome into Sydney really and I have to say I started to get pretty excited (and a little nervous!) about leaving. It's starting to feel so real. All up the sail down was a good test for both Ella’s Pink Lady and I. We found a few more little things that need to be modified and had a bit of fun. Thanks to Bruce and Suzanne on ‘Big Wave Rider’ for sailing alongside me for the last few miles and escorting me into the Heads yesterday and to my brother Tom for jumping on board at the last minute to help me dock. At the press conference afterwards there were a few questions about the handsome young man onboard with me! Thanks also to Andrew and his family at Andrew Short Marine for hosting us. This morning I had a bit of a sleep in before heading down to the boat to start on a few things and the Panasonic technicians came down to give me a crash course on photography. Tomorrow is the big Ella Bache media conference in Sydney so another busy day ahead.

Jessica

P.S Below are a few pictures of Ella’s Pink Lady reefed down in a bit of a sea, how cute does she look!

Cooked Breakfast and 3 Metre Seas

2009-10-03T20:58:00.002+10:00

Jess called in this evening to say that she has 23 kts of Southerlies and she is on a heading of 202 degrees True. She has 3 metre steep seas. Southerly change has come in but should change again to the South East later on. She sounds good and has has been busy checking her equipment and systems. She had a cooked breakfast this morning and has been tucking into some sandwiches, honeycomb and apples during the day.

Julie (Mum) for Jessica

Quick Update

2009-10-02T20:44:00.003+10:00

After good conditions during the last two days, the wind has gradually picked up as I head south down the NSW coast. Wind is gusting to over 30 kts with similar conditions forecast for Saturday, so it’s certainly a good workout for Ella’s Pink Lady.

Just a quick update tonight. More news tomorrow.

Jessica

Sailing Again, Take Two!

2009-10-01T22:58:00.004+10:00

Well the most exciting news is that I set off again early this morning and I'm now sailing along at 7kts heading out to sea before turning south for Sydney. It's great to be out here and it's been a good first day!
For the last week we've all been steadily plodding away to get Ella's Pink Lady back on the water and sailing again. We have been retesting everything and installing a few new pieces of new equipment. I want to say one last huge thanks to Dean, Ryan and the crew at Gold Coast City Marina and Black Joe and Scooter at AME for looking after us and for a nice quick turnaround. They were just amazing.
Another thing that has been amazing is the constant media attention we've been getting. The interest has been a bit overwhelming and while most people are still so supportive, it's been a shame to have so much energy wasted on coping with some of the negative and silly stuff being published. Oh well, we move on. But overall the local media at the Gold Coast over the past few weeks have been really nice to us.
The northerly's should last till Saturday so it'll be a nice fast run till then and if all goes to plan we'll be in Sydney early next week. It's pretty nice out here at the moment with just over 15kts of wind and clear skies but as always it'll take me a few days before I get my sea legs and stop feeling a little green.
Thanks to all of those people out there who have taken the time to send me some special messages and kind words. I can't reply to you all individually as there are just so many. But I am getting through them all, so keep them coming as we all love reading them.
I better get going now but I'll update you again soon.

Jessica

Back On The Water

2009-09-30T22:09:00.004+10:00

It’s been a crazy few days here on the Gold Coast with all the media hype, so sorry about the delay on the updates. Ella’s Pink Lady finally hit the water again yesterday and what a relief to get back out sailing again. We did some testing for a few hours and everything appears to be in perfect working order. So I'm almost set to depart the Gold Coast and head south down to Sydney. The weather conditions are looking good with northerly winds predicted for the next few days. All going well, the plan is to head off tomorrow and aiming to arrive in Sydney early next week. A big thank you to mum and dad and all the team for their support over the past few weeks.

Jessica

Still Going Well

2009-09-23T14:26:00.000+10:00

There's not a huge amount to report apart from the fact that everything's still going really well. All the work to the hull is finished up, and the rig will be in any day.

Ella's Pink Lady is only a wash away from looking totally cute again, but right now there's not much point in getting the soap out because the Gold Coast is covered in a haze of orange dust! With the dust storm getting thicker and the weather feeling so eerie, maybe it isn't such a bad thing to be tucked safely out of the way in a shed.

I'm looking forward to getting out on the water for a few quick sea trials over the weekend before setting off to Sydney again. Everyone's still in good spirits, working away at all sorts of little bits and pieces that will make my life more comfortable. It's great to be able to get a few things done while we've got the time. Dad's built me a little set of steps to make getting in and out of the companionway just a little easier, particularly for my more inflexible guests! Chris deserves a medal for tackling what had to be the world's most uncomfortable job: fitting one-way valves to the cockpit drains while lying upside down in a very tight spot. And another project has been setting up a system of pumps for transferring fuel and water from jerry cans into the tanks. I've been writing up checklists and studying charts and weather for the pacific.

That's it from me for now,
Jessica

Weekend Off

2009-09-21T10:30:00.003+10:00

The repairs and work on Ella's Pink Lady are almost completely finished up. So it will be out of the shed and into the water early next week before the rig goes in some days later. Watching Ella's Pink Lady slowly come back together again has been great and everyone at the yard is so keen to help and fun to spend time with.

On Friday, we had a lunch to thank some of the people who've put so much effort into getting us back on the water, particularly Joe from AME who's been a huge part of getting up this far. Everyone stood up and said their part, and I gave Joe a framed copy of a cartoon that one of the papers printed showing the lighter side of the collision.

Even though most people's reaction has been positive and supportive, I've been a bit disappointed in some of the completely un-factual articles being printed. It's a little sad when even the basic facts become completely twisted! But it's all part of the fun and the only thing that's important right now is getting back on the water safely.

With not much left to do on Ella's Pink Lady, I've been dragged home for the weekend. I'll admit I was a bit hesitant because I'd left without cleaning my room! It's been nice and a bit strange to have the weekend off. I've been mucking round with friends, spending time with family and working away at a few different projects. There's always something to do, and having the time to put a little extra effort into a few things has been a bonus - as well a having the chance to recharge, ready for all the next challenges!

Jessica

Finally, an update on repairs!

2009-09-17T14:23:00.006+10:00

Things are going well in the shed. The hull and deck damage has been patched, and the damaged fittings are being replaced. The new rig is well underway. The guys have been powering away. So, I've been spending my time keeping up with everything that's happening, getting my hands dirty and being part of all the decisions.

I just can't say how great everyone here has been. AME boat building have been completely fantastic! It's not hard to stay positive surrounded by such great people.

At this point we're aiming to have Ella's Pink Lady back in the water and ready to go again towards the end of next week.

I've just realised that I've never posted a picture of Ella's Pink Lady completely finished. So, here goes . . .

Looking totally stunning the day we sailed out of Mooloolaba!

And also, here's a picture taken after the collision.

Motoring into the Southport seaway, not looking too pretty but holding our heads high.

Jesse