Follow jessica around the world

[Kelly Hanson East]

Every person who singlehands offshore violates the "shall maintain a watch at all times"....

[bastonjock]

i wish the young girl all the best on her trip,i do however think that she is not fully prepared for her venture either that or she lacks the discipline that is required for singlehanded sailing,she is putting too much faith in her electronics,if the news is correct she has not maintained keeping a note of her last position,that alone has been the reason for past failures and sucesses with solo navigators.The you english lad that holds the record had a support team that NASA would have been proud of,personally i feel that his record breaking sail,watered the title down a bit.

good luck to jessica and may god look after her

[LOUIS B HOLUB]

Every person who singlehands offshore violates the "shall maintain a watch at all times"....

Indeed. I have the movie, The Dove, produced by Gregory Peck. This true story is about a teenage kid circumnavigating on his 23 ft boat, single handed. He was awakened by a very loud rumbling noise, and when going atop, he saw a Tanker passing with a "near miss"
I looked at that situation, and simply resolved...its NUTZ to go-it-alone...

[Kelly Hanson East]

Louis - how is that movie - okay for the kids??

[bjmeunier]

Don't know about the movie, but the book was great. It was an Xmas present when I was around 12-13 and I loved the adventure...Mine was titled "The boy who sailed around the world alone"

[DaveB]

The Dove last time I saw it was for sale in disrepair on a anchor in St. Thomas in 1983.(think around $1500)
He never did finish his solo trip and changed to a Luders 33 to finsh the round.
Natonal Geographic Mag. covered and sponsered his trip at age 16.
I cannot say he or anyone else doing a solo around the world has a sound mind.
I can say at a teenage they don't have the experance to deal with life as they are unexperance.
I once told my father at age 15 to buy a lapstreak 19 ft. wooden hull powerboat so I could intercoastal it from SW. FL. to Cape Cod. (he had to pay fuel).
He was good enough to say NO!
Dave

Every person who singlehands offshore violates the "shall maintain a watch at all times"....

Indeed. I have the movie, The Dove, produced by Gregory Peck. This true story is about a teenage kid circumnavigating on his 23 ft boat, single handed. He was awakened by a very loud rumbling noise, and when going atop, he saw a Tanker passing with a "near miss"
I looked at that situation, and simply resolved...its NUTZ to go-it-alone...

[Morimaro]

I thought International Col Regs had a catch all that says in effect, the stand on vessel should take appropriate action to avoid collision, if the give way vessel has shown no intention of giving way!

Not being mown down is far preferable, then saying you had the right of way to Davey Jones in his locker.

Sixteen or sixty, single handed around the world why?

Cheers

Morris

[bastonjock]

the problem as i see it when you are single handed sailing would be when you are in the middle of one of the great Oceans,nothing but water all around.The ultimate test of mental stability would be something along the lines of being becalmed for a few weeks just drifting along in the currents.

Solo sailing around the UK? yes i could see me doing that,travel 50 miles at a stint ,then pop into a nice little harbour? yess please

[Kelly Hanson East]

I think Dove was lost in a hurricane in the mid 1990s IIRC, perhaps down in St Thomas still?

I think the skipper ended up in Montana eventually.

[Phillip]

Here is an opinion I cut-pasted for here.
Cheers
Phillip


ONE of the world's leading yachtsmen has written to teenage sailor Jessica Watson, urging her not to try to sail solo around the world and warning she has one chance in three of losing her boat or her life.

Andrew Cape, who has sailed around Cape Horn seven times and has logged more ocean miles in sailing boats than any other Australian, wrote to 16-year-old Jessica to "make known my concerns regarding your planned record attempt".

"I do not want to shatter your dreams but to undertake such a voyage requires more experience than you currently have," Cape wrote in a letter delivered yesterday to Jessica in Sydney, from where she plans to set sail this weekend to try to become the youngest person to sail solo around the world.

"Obviously you have to start somewhere to gain experience but to head straight into the Southern Ocean on your own is foolish."

Vote now: Should Jessica continue her solo voyage?
In pictures: Jessica Watson, solo sailor
In-depth: Jessica Watson special section
Jessica's blog: Track her progress

Cape warns of the dangers of the Southern Ocean and rates her chances of success, The Australian reports.


He estimates her chances of making it around the world at 33 per cent, of damage to boat or crew that "prevents continuation" at 33 per cent, and "33 per cent of total loss of boat or crew".

"Believe me that when you are at the mercy of the weather it is a matter of probability. These odds change rapidly with experience gained."

In the letter, Cape compares the attempt to "growing up on a farm and, upon acquiring a 303 rifle, (feeling) you are ready to take on the Taliban".

Cape recommends Jessica attempt a training voyage to Hobart, followed by a navigation around the south of New Zealand to Dunedin, then on around the east coast of the country and back to Sydney.

"If gaining such knowledge puts you outside the limits of your record for being the youngest person to sail non-stop around the world then so be it."

[Phil M]

This link is a picture of her sailboat:

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/.a/6a00 ... 39d970c-pi

"She’s a really cute little boat and I’m so proud of her, but she’s really tough as well,” the adventurer said this week during a news conference regarding her controversial odyssey.

I hope she calls the voyage off. Sensationalism like this is compared to driving a motorcycle on a ramp, through a burning ring, and over a bunch of piled up cars. But lots of people pay money to see that sort of thing.

Phil M

[LOUIS B HOLUB]

Louis - how is that movie - okay for the kids??

I would say it's okay...no skin, cussin', etc. The "sailor" meets a gal on the trip, but it stays "clean"
Its intertaining, and quite interesting with a heart warming ending.

[kmclemore]

I'm with the folks saying she should not go... at least not until she's more skilled. I've watched her videos, and on that alone I am not impressed. However, the report of the Australian Maritime inspectors really puts the magnitude of the risk she faces into perspective... dozing off, yes, that's expected but you need to manage it carefully... and re the alarm, she did have two other alarms (both failed), and she did not set the third one, so that might be forgiven... but the latter three points, which I've underlined, are really deal-killers on this one... she is a risk to herself and others who may need to go into harm's way to rescue her...

Maritime Safety Queensland inspectors concluded the Sunshine Coast teenager:

• Most probably dozed off before her vessel hit and was dragged alongside the 63,000-tonne cargo ship.

• Did not turn on a device that would have warned her of a potential collision.

• Could not produce a clear, plotted plan for her journey.

• Had not developed a fatigue management plan.

• Kept a log with "irregular latitude and longitude entries".

Acting Premier Paul Lucas last night said Jessica should abandon her attempt to become the youngest person to sail solo non-stop and unassisted around the world.

"I'll be honest. On this evidence I don't think she's ready to do this," Mr Lucas said. "We all admire this young woman's spirit, but sailing solo around the world is a demanding and dangerous venture. It's not a task anyone young or old should undertake lightly. The decision about whether she undertakes this trip is one for Jessica and, ultimately, her parents. But I'll say this much – just because our maritime safety experts may not have any powers to stop her, it doesn't mean they don't have a duty to talk to her parents about any concerns and how they could be addressed. Our authorities have officially cautioned her and her parents and they've sat down with them to talk about Jessica's plans. The fact is the ball is in their court," Mr Lucas said.

[Kelly Hanson East]

thought International Col Regs had a catch all that says in effect, the stand on vessel should take appropriate action to avoid collision, if the give way vessel has shown no intention of giving way!

Indeed, COLREGS rule #!, the most important rule there is.

Translation for pleasure boaters. If you see another boat, dont hit it.

[DaveB]

I know that after seeing the Dove in St. Thomas ( I was anchored 200 ft. away for 3 mo. in my Alberg 35) it was so low in the water I thought it would sink. It was such a shame as when I planned my around the world trip for ten years than cast off one of my best reading was the Dove and insperation.
I was 32 when I cast off but thats 10 years of preperation and another 2 yrs equiping my Alberg 35.
I already had 18 yrs of boating experance and lots of 10 day trips off Cape Cod and SW. FL. comercial fishing in wooden 34 and 39 ft. boats.
I also had min. 8 yrs in sailing 4 of my other boats rangeing from a lighting to a 24 seafearer and few power boats includeing a 1940 Christcraft 40ft. I recondition and lived aboard when I was 21.
Rob as I know it returned to Washington State and been a Landlubber.
I will tell you this, no one can deal with a storm or hurricane with 40 ft. seas and breakers 6 ft. high off them beating to windward for 3 days. I went thru that in my Alberg from Beaufort NC to St. Thomas the 3rd day out.
Safty harness with two straps on all the time as the breakers washed and beried the cockpit.
My girlfriend after 1st day couldn't take it and she stayed down below in the lee cloth berth tucked in. All hatches and companionway sealed, Aires selfsteering vane did all the work under a storm jib surfing at 9 knots or more down these waves and zig zaged the boat perfect all thru this storm.
Celetial sites were undoable, sextant was useless but between dead reconing and taff log we found ourself only 50 miles off rumb line after 6 days at sea and made St. Thomas in 10 days. Not bad for a 1250 NM trip.
I wouldn't wish that trip with those conditions on anyone, you can't get in your car and go home..you get fatuige but you have to get yourself in a clear mind.
Anyone going thru a storm that follows you for 3 days is one sorry Sailer, but some just love to push to the limit.
Dave

I think Dove was lost in a hurricane in the mid 1990s IIRC, perhaps down in St Thomas still?

I think the skipper ended up in Montana eventually.