10:35 PM Sat 24 Apr 2010 GMT
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'After her knock-down'
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Jessica Watson, on the home stretch of her non-stop unassisted circumnavigation, has had another knock-down as the first of several forecast systems pass.
Jessica is roughly in line with Ceduna in South Australia and heading to round the most southerly tip of Tasmania. A Customs aircraft flew over just after the knock-down.
What did they say? Something approximating, 'Don't forget to check-in on arrival Ms Watson.'
In spite of the knock-down and the timely reminder from Customs, Jessica is feeling up-beat.
She wrote in her log: 'Despite the fact that today started with a knockdown, a wet bunk, a headache and some pretty huge seas, I've had a great day. I know the words knockdown and great don't belong in the same sentence, but right now I'm feeling better than I have all week. And I don't mean that I've been feeling lousy all week, I mean that right now I've got sore cheeks from smiling all afternoon.
'The wind started coming up yesterday and sat on about 35 knots all night with maybe the odd gust reaching close to 40, which isn't really a big deal with Ella's Pink Lady sailing under just the storm jib, because I was being extra conservative (i.e. my nerves weren't really feeling up to any fast surfing!).
'It was the swell that got interesting. The big seas were from a nasty low pressure system passing to the south and although we missed most of its wind, we sure copped some big seas. Probably the biggest I've seen so far (the sea during that storm in the Atlantic was nastier though because it was steeper and more closely spaced.) These swells were 10 metre liquid mountains, rolling past with tumbling white tops. Ella's Pink Lady was handling it all beautifully though and when we were knocked down just after it got light this morning, I'd actually started relaxing because the wind and sea had already started easing.
'I was in my bunk asleep this time when we went over and was woken up when various objects (see Pic 2 below) and a whole lot of water landed on top of me. Seriously whatever happed to gently shaking someone awake and handing them a cup of coffee?'
LIke everyone else in Australia, Jessica is celebrating Anzac Day:
'It's Anzac day tomorrow so I'll make a special effort to watch the sunrise, take a minute to think about all our soldiers away from home and maybe I'll have a crack at making some Anzac cookies.'
by Sail-World Cruising
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