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Thursday, October 22, 2009
Out into the Tasman and Sleeping
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 thesails 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
Posted by Jessica Watson at 2:38 PM 369 comments
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Moving!
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
Posted by Jessica Watson at 5:18 PM 1281 comments
Monday, October 19, 2009
"Blues and Pinks"
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
Posted by Jessica Watson at 7:16 PM 899 comments
Across the Start Line
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
Posted by Jessica Watson at 3:07 PM 384 comments
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Thank You From Mum
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.


SOURCE:
http://www.youngestround.blogspot.com/

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