Yachting FAIL - Jessica Watson

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by GordMay

There are (at least) two ways to measure the seasons:
- Astronomical seasons (solar, determined by equinoxes)
- Meteorological seasons (weather, determined by temperatures, rainfall, etc)

For each of the four seasons, the astronomical season generally lags behind the meteorological season by about three to seven weeks..............

Thanks for the info Gord, I knew someone on CF would have some data on the seasons .
FWIW, the Australia Pilot Vol 1 states summer in the Indian Ocean (and its Southern Ocean counterpart) is November to April and winter is May to October.

I am still in Mark's camp in that it will be cold for JW (and wet).

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by osirissail

.........
- - Taking that a step further means that the motivation is not to "set a record" but to "sell a record" or in her sponsors cases, cosmetics, etc. and she is looking to the personal financial gain from books, media appearances, etc. .......

I do believe that is (and was always) the real goal but regardless of motivation, it is still a daunting undertaking. And perhaps (certainly?) better than going to the office from 9 to 5 for personal financial gain.

[TaoJones]

Originally Posted by Wotname

I am still in Mark's camp in that it will be cold for JW (and wet).

As am I, Wotname. And I'm still of my previously stated opinion that she will return to Australia after making her loop around an equatorial island, and never get wet in the Southern Ocean. If she does actually head for the Horn after her sojourn to the equator, I could see her abandoning the effort somewhere in Chile without attempting to 'round the Horn.

TaoJones

[Lodesman]

Originally Posted by TaoJones

I am still of my previously stated opinion that she will return to Australia after making her loop around an equatorial island, and never get wet in the Southern Ocean. If she does actually head for the Horn after her sojourn to the equator, I could see her abandoning the effort somewhere in Chile without attempting to 'round the Horn.

You might be right Tao, but I'm going to hold off on making any predictions. I think the last prediction I made was about that nutbar doing 1000 days at sea - I hadn't heard much recently, but a google search shows that he is past 900 days and still alive. But reading his recent blog entries, it appears he's gone completely off his rocker, so still a chance for my prognostication to happen.

[John A]

Originally Posted by Lodesman

it appears he's gone completely off his rocker,

I'm curious. Why the heck would you expect singlehandlers, especially long distance singlehandlers to be normal?

Part of the attraction for us singlehanders, is to do something that "normal" people don't do, just to prove to ourselves that we can.

Always remember that everybody is different, except you and me, and sometimes I wonder about you.
John

[Christian Van H]

Originally Posted by TaoJones

As am I Wotname - I am still of my previously stated opinion that she will return to Australia after making her loop around an equatorial island, and never get wet in the Southern Ocean.

Wait...so are you Wotname or TaoJones? This is soooo confusing! Who's on first?

[John A]

Originally Posted by Christian Van H

Wait...so are you Wotname or TaoJones? This is soooo confusing! Who's on first?

Do your children know that you're on the internet again?

[Lodesman]

Originally Posted by John A

and sometimes I wonder about you.

Yes, but you've now confirmed my suspicions

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by TaoJones

loop around an equatorial island, .... I could see her abandoning the effort somewhere in Chile without attempting to 'round the Horn.

TaoJones

Now I want to disassocuate the next comments from this family. So Please don't relate it back to JW's motives.

If one was doing this sort of thing, Like the Abi girl, where they don't own a boat. Could the sponsorship details mean that they need to get a certain distance to then get given the boat? So like they start with nothing and end up after x,000 miles with wealth but NOT having completed the whole trip?

Originally Posted by Lodesman

it appears he's gone completely off his rocker, so still a chance for my prognostication to happen.

He seemed quite lucid in his email to me today. It was a short reply to my email complimenting him on 912 days. I don't mind the odd floating nutter drifting around the world on this own personal voyage of discovery.
I wonder what he will do at the end of the 1,000 days? Go home and sit in front of the tv watching The Bold and Beautiful?


I think I would just do the media interviews, bank the cheques, reprovision and go for another 1,000 days...........

[MarkJ]

A 14-year-old Dutch girl Laura Dekker

"It's probably the most prudent if I just finish this school year" which ends in May, she said, citing the arrival of winter weather and a need for preparations before she departs on her 26-foot (8-meter) boat named "Guppy."
Dekker was in court for a closed session Monday. The court is expected to issue its decision Friday.

Her lawyer told reporters after the hearing that the young sailor had received numerous sponsorship proposals, as well as offers to make a "reality television" show of her attempt

Ho hum....
LOL

[Ex-Calif]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

If one was doing this sort of thing, Like the Abi girl, where they don't own a boat. Could the sponsorship details mean that they need to get a certain distance to then get given the boat? So like they start with nothing and end up after x,000 miles with wealth but NOT having completed the whole trip?

The precedent is set (was it the Vendi Globe?) where the sponsors sue the skipper for their money back if they don't feel they got their money's worth - whatever that is...

[surfingminniwinni]

Whats got me beat is why Jessica would employ Bob McDavitt (the ambassador for New Zealand's met service).for weather & routing, when she could of got all this "expert" advice for free.

[c-kow]

on that subject, what does that even mean?

"the ambassador for the met service"

what is a met and what does it service?
if it's a meteorological service, then why do they need ambassadors?

[llyrisk]

Newspaper article with information on Jessica's tracking.

"On day nine of her journey she had passed Norfolk Island and covered 900 nautical miles.
"We expect her to pass 1000 nautical miles on Wednesday," her spokesman Andrew Fraser said.
Mr Fraser said he was reluctant to give out exact coordinates of Jessica's location, to avoid television crews tracking her down to obtain footage.
"She just doesn't want to be annoyed with choppers and planes," he said.
However, Mr Fraser said a tracking device would be added to Jessica's website in the next 48 hours.
"That way we will give people an estimate of where she is," he said."

An "estimate" only? Who is going to send planes out in the middle of the ocean just to film her?

Full article at
Solo sailor Jessica Watson past Norfolk Island | The Courier-Mail

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by c-kow

on that subject, what does that even mean?

"the ambassador for the met service"

what is a met and what does it service?
if it's a meteorological service, then why do they need ambassadors?

Bob McDavitt (great name for a cruising guy!) works for the NZ Bureau of Meteorology but also offers a service where he gives a weekly forecast for $50 individualised to your cruise.
He is very good.

We paid for a forecast from him for a nasty bit of passage between Tonga and Sydney where we needed to avoid an East Coast Low between 7 and 14 days out, early in the season. They don't like doing forecasts over 7 days but our trip was looking at 14 to 20 days - took us 16 days to do 1,600 miles and only the last week being difficult. Well we picked a weather window and he confirmed it that lasted 16 days so we were very happy with his work.



Mark