Solo Around the World

Off and on over the last month I’ve been reading the blog written by Jessica Watson, she’s the 16 year old Brisbane Australia girl sailing solo around the world. I’m interested in what she has to say about each day as it passes. Apart from the islands she sails by as she moves forward, how much is there to see? Even the islands can only be described from a distance since she’s doing the trip non-stop, and un-assisted. So far her writing has been interesting and not overly repetitive, you can tell that she’s still excited and looks forward to the adventure of each day.

The round the word solo thing has been done before, as to youngest, I remember reading in the National Geographic Magazine about an American guy, around 16 years old like Jessica, who did it quite a few years ago. His boat was called Dove, a small sailboat like Jessica’s. Being about the same age then, I was fascinated. I might be wrong but I don’t think he did it totally un-assisted,  and he did stop along the way. In fact he took four years and got married while out there. Then there was Jesse Martin, another Australian who did the tour in 1999 he was around 18 and did it the un-assisted non-stop way.

Overall there are around 250 people who have done the trip, some doing it harder than others, some using shortcuts like the Panama Canal. Short cuts don’t diminish the effort a great deal, or do they. The fact that only a relatively few have done it at all means something, and don’t tell me “too much time on their hands”.

It’s a little different now compared to say 15 years ago. Satellite navigation improvements, vastly better communications, and of course writing a blog at sea requires a computer with wireless internet. Jessica is in daily contact, I’m sure no one would weigh that against her endeavours. Self imposed her prison like environment may be; a quite night at home it’s not.

Seeing the world is something we would all like to accomplish in our lives, from a cruise ship would be fine, it would be relaxing if you could avoid bad weather and children. But non-stop, with no help, alone, small boat, sounds to me like all the fun will start at the end of the trip. To put a perspective on the exercise, the number of people who have been into space now sits at around 450. That’s if you follow the Karman Line measurement, i.e. Space starts at 62.1 miles or 100 kilometres, straight up. The early astronauts did it un-assisted to the same extent as Jessica, but they only spent a few days and were only a few kilometres from dry land.

                                                              
                                                                                                              Photo by NASA
I admire Jessica Watson because at 16, she has know-how, a clear objective, determination, and spirit. It’s not just because she’s young, alone and a girl. I’m sure I could do it, but I get seasick and don’t like fish.

Jessica Watsons Blog                                   Sailboat Photo by Javier Gonzalez 

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December 2009