Jessica Watson warned after collision: do not sail
By Michael Crutcher and Greg Stolz
The Courier-Mail
September 26, 2009 12:00am
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Jessica Watson told to abort her solo trip around the world after a damning report of her skills
TEENAGE sailor
Jessica Watson and her parents have been given a clear warning by authorities to call off the 16-year-old's solo trip around the world after a damning assessment of her skills.
The Courier-Mail has obtained a copy of the report into a
collision between Jessica's yacht and a Chinese bulk carrier this month which shows basic problems led her to a potentially fatal crash off southeast
Queensland.
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.
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* 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.
"But it's clear to me, and I think most Queenslanders, that no
record is worth putting a young life at risk. I'm the first to admit, I'm not an expert in this area.
"But this is something I'd rather be proved wrong about, than right."
Jessica's parents were last night defiant, saying they had full confidence in their daughter as she prepared to sail her mended yacht from the Gold Coast to
Sydney to officially start the voyage.
Jessica's mother Julie confirmed the
family had received an official letter from Maritime Safety Queensland but that they would not be deterred.
"They have made some recommendations and we have followed them," she said.
"I was confident beforehand and I'm even more confident now."
Ella's Pink Lady has been on the Gold Coast for more than two weeks undergoing
repairs from the damage caused when it and Chinese coal carrier Silver Yang collided off Point Lookout at 2.10am on September 9.
Jessica was less than 24 hours into her trip from the Sunshine Coast to
Sydney to start her journey. The collision dismasted her yacht and forced Jessica to
head to Southport for
repairs.
The report by MSQ was compiled after detailed discussions with Jessica.
The Courier-Mail has shown the report to maritime experts who said the findings reflected poorly on Jessica's skills.
"It's like driving your car at night without your lights on," one expert said. "When you're sailing solo around the world, you need to know where you're going.
"All the
equipment is there for a reason - your safety - and it needs to be used properly. There's no room for error."
The MSQ report found Jessica had set her vessel on
autopilot and checked her
radar about 2am, noting "a target at about six nautical miles" and "determined the vessel was passing to starboard well clear and not in a crossing situation" before going below
deck.
"Satisfied there were no immediate dangers, (Jessica) put her
head down for 10 minutes," the report says.
"The master (Jessica) ... may have dosed (sic) off. The master recollects the roar of a close vessel and went topside as the
boat scraped port side to port side."
The report says that after the vessels separated, with Jessica's yacht dismasted, she contacted the
skipper of the Silver Yang by
radio and received an apology and a pledge to pay for the damages.
But the report also found problems with the alarms fitted on Jessica's yacht to alert her to nearby vessels including a device that "was not enabled that night".
It also found Jessica could not produce "course plots on paper
charts or waypoints on the plotter" or a "fatigue management plan for single-handed conning".
Government authorities have analysed legislation in an attempt to prevent Ms Watson from embarking on the gruelling test. But the laws indicate that Jessica - who will become a
legal adult when she turns 17 next May - needs only the approval of her parents to start the journey.
After the collision, Premier Anna Bligh said Jessica should continue on, saying "you don't take on a big dream like this and (baulk) at the first hurdle".
But
The Courier-Mail understands high-ranking
government officials were alarmed by the facts of the collision once they became known.
Additional reporting by Jeremy Pierce
Jessica Watson warned after collision: do not sail | Queensland | News.com.au