O/T: Jessica Update

On Mon, 22 Feb 2010 17:33:42 -0800, the infamous "Lew Hodgett" scrawled the following:

Hey, Lew! Why is she talking in nanometers? ;-\

May the swells rise up to meet ya and may the wind at your back always be your own, Jess!

-- "Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it whether it exists or not, diagnosing it incorrectly, and applying the wrong remedy." -- Ernest Benn

...and may the fish you catch be bigger than the hole in your net! . . . . wait, what?

Really? I thought the circumpolar current created the worst rogues in the drake passage and scotia sea.

The Agulhas Current is reputedly worse.

well, then there's *two* places on my 'not-to-visit' list.

something to do with wind and waves going in opposite directions ...

From her 02/24 & 25/10 blog.

--------------------------------------- Speeding, Surfing and Dancing Along Thursday, February 25, 2010

It's my sister's 18th birthday today so first off, happy birthday Emily!!

It's the second year running that I've been away, so I'll have to find a

special way to make up for the late presents next year!

Loving the fast sailing at the moment. It's a bit breezy and the sea is up enough to give Ella's Pink Lady something to surf.

She's really dancing along, climbing up each wave, surfing down and rolling with the gusts of wind.

But it's not too uncomfortable with the wind gusting to just over

The sun is out again after a drizzly overcast night and morning, which means the waves are a lovely shade of turquoise blue and the streaky white caps look pretty, rather than menacing.

I'm finding it a bit hard to concentrate on anything much at the moment,

because of frequent glances at the log displaying our speed.

I keep catching myself watching it, as our speed ranges from 6 to 9 knots and occasionally shooting higher as each wave rolls past.

I think I may have confused a few people yesterday saying that there are only 4,200nm till Australia, that's only till we're under Cape Leeuwin in West Australia.

Sydney's still a long way after that and that's not accounting for any of the likely zig-zagging around weather systems.

Not much else to report, so I'll finish up for today.

Jesse

==================================================== Another Cape Down and into the Indian! Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Well that's it.

Another ocean and cape down!

It took a while with light winds for the last few days but Ella's Pink Lady has passed under Cape Agulhas, but being 400nm south of land I couldn't quite see it this time.

A bright orange half moon and a spectacular sky of stars was enough of a celebration.

But of course, I also put a bit of a dent in the chocolate supplies and let off a few party poppers!

There's still so many miles to cover across the Indian and then around the bottom of Australia, but it really feels like we're on the homeward leg now.

Only 4,200nm till Cape Leeuwin and Australia, a very exciting and slightly scary thought!

From her 03/14/10 blog:

It's just easier this way, if interested.

She's back in Australian waters.

---------------------------------------- From her 04/10/2010 blog:

Today started with a lovely sunrise as Ella's Pink Lady sailed over the green line on the chart and into Australian waters. Hot chocolate in hand (yes I managed to repair the kettle!), a light sprinkling of rain and with an albatross circling above, it was one of those really special moments.

--------------------------------------- It's just easier this way, if interested.

From her 04/24/2010 blog:

-------------------------------- A reference to Anzac day which includes a cooment that maybe she will make som Anzac cookies on board.

Details at:

From her 05/06/2010 blog:

She expects to be back in Sydney on 05/15/2010.

-------------------------------------- Details at:

From her 05/13/2010 blog:

"Only two more sleeps". Details at:

On Thu, 13 May 2010 18:18:41 -0700, "Lew Hodgett" wrote the following:

-- Work and struggle and never accept an evil that you can change. -- Andre Gide