Photo courtesy of Jessica Watson

I can’t say I didn’t get a little verklempt when I watched video footage of Jessica Watson stepping off of Ella’s Pink Lady and into the arms of her family. They hugged and cried; she was gone, after all, for 210 days. Being that my interview with her in June of last year was my first ever, the story holds a special place in my heart, so it was especially touching to to see her complete her journey.

Departure: 17 October 2009 9:49 AM. Finish: 15 May 2010 1:50 PM.

32 cans of Spam, 64 cans of tuna, 32 cans of pineapple, 576 chocolate bars, and 290 freeze dried ready meals later, she can call herself the youngest person to sail solo around the globe. Only issue is, it won’t be recognized by the World Speed Sailing Record Council.

But ocean swells as big as 4-storey buildings didn’t faze her, and neither will this. In fact, her camp already knew this since the council discontinued its under-18 category after Jesse Martin, a fellow Aussie, broke the record in 1999 when he was 18. Her response:

Call me immature but I’ve actually been having a bit of a giggle over the whole thing. If I haven’t been sailing around the world, then it beats me what I’ve been doing out here all this time!

Why did she do it?

With all that time on the boat, she must have had opportunities for self-reflection. In her blog she talks about one, which came when she was about half-way around the world:

Photo: whatmegsaid

When I first dreamt of sailing around the world, the first thing that caught my attention, was curiosity about whether or not it was even something that was achievable.

It wasn’t so much the action and adrenaline parts that appealed to me, but thinking about all the details and finding ways to minimize the risks. I wanted to challenge myself and achieve something to be proud of.

And yes, I wanted to inspire people. I hate that so many dreams never actually become anything more than that, a dream.

I’m not saying that everyone should buy a boat and take off around the world, but I hope that by achieving my own dream, I’m showing people that it is possible to reach their own goals, whatever they might be and however big or small.

Although she would like to say that she didn’t do it to prove a point, it isn’t entirely true. Being brushed off in the sailing world based on her age and gender frustrated her. She knew she could handle certain tasks but wasn’t given the opportunity.

I hope that part of what I’m doing out here is proving that we shouldn’t judge by appearance and our own expectations. I want the world to know exactly what ‘little girls’ and young people are actually capable of!

Skepticism

If you haven’t followed her story, shortly after departing Brisbane on her way to Sydney to start the trip, she had a run-in with a merchant ship.

Photo: mikebaird

Basically, she got ran over. She wasn’t injured in the event, but her boat, Ella’s Pink Lady, sustained some damage. The critics’ voices became more vocal.

John Morrissey of the Australian Family Association said this:

I’m a secondary teacher and I’ve been teaching 15 year-old girls for 42 years and I’d be amazed if any of them could cope with something like that. I don’t know how closely they are shadowed…but on long-distance epic journeys like that there is a lot of isolation and it is normally people of 50 or 60 who have the sort of maturity needed to deal with it.

Bill Muehlenberg, secretary of the Family Council of Victoria, called the venture “irresponsible.” Furthermore, “it sounds fairly reckless indeed given that even old experienced sailors can get into a lot of strife.”

Some comments from the general public:

• “I saw this on the news last night and turned to my wife and said I bet this girl dies [doing], it.”
• “What a load of garbage. The kid should be given a clip over the ear, told to get into her room and do her homework and the parents should be told to get a responsible attitude or they will be taken to task by authorities. This is a disgrace.”
• “The family don’t have a TV – so this little girl will be quite unworldly-wise! Horrifying thought that a kid can go off alone in this day and age. Pirates abound for instance – hope someone steps in and offers her a companion to look after her.”
• “This is a no brainer. The parents should be counselled. How ridiculous.”
• “Sounds like a recipe for disaster. But don’t worry the Australian Navy will be more than happy to chase her around the world to save her hide, at our expense of course.”

Not a hero

One of the men greeting Jessica on her return was Australia’s Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd. In his speech, he referred to her as a hero. When Jessica took the mic afterward, she rebuffed the label, stating:

I’m an ordinary girl who believed in her dream, you don’t have to be someone special to achieve something big. You just have to have a dream, believe in it and work hard, anything is possible.

With her signing a $700,000 deal with Rupert Murdoch and securing other contracts, a book deal, a documentary, and merchandising, she will be left open to attacks from people insisting she, or her family, was in it only for the money and fame.

Photo: Jonas B

This is a shame.

For people to judge her and her family like this while fat cats around the world are getting rich off of other people’s work and we’re glued to the television watching American Idol and Big Brother — we should be discussing these issues, not questioning the motives of a teenager who dreamed big.

And that’s all she is. A young woman who wanted something so badly that she did everything in her power to make it a reality. I hope she gets everything she deserves.

Welcome home, Jessica.

Community Connection

Jessica’s story embodies the Matador spirit of chasing your dreams, beating your fears, and taking the road less traveled. Show Jessica your support and send her a Welcome Home message.

Photo: Brandon (Vic Fan)

The answer is no. I do have some friends living in the city, but this is their opportunity to cash in on the Olympic hype. This is capitalism at its finest, and I can’t say I wouldn’t do the same if I were in their shoes. However, this doesn’t change the fact that my wife and I need somewhere to lay our heads for the night when we visit next February.

So we’ve been scouring the ‘net for “good” deals on any type of accommodation. Our mistake was assuming that this existed. It doesn’t.

You can forget Couch Surfing

Just for fun I started a discussion forum at the Vancouver Couchsurfers group asking if Vancouver hosts were planning on taking guests in during the Olympics, and when they were first contacted. Aside from the few anti-Games rants, the answers I got were pretty revealing.

Not gonna happen / Photo: Venturist

For one, people have been messaging hosts for about a year now. And secondly, most hosts seem disinterested in having any guests at this time; if anything, they’re thinking of renting their places.

But all this is hardly any excuse to give up. As travelers, we’re known for our resourcefulness and gumption, so I’m offering up these tips to get yourself free lodging. Warning: Some of these may straddle the line between legal/illegal and moral/immoral; but hey, I’m not one to judge.

1. Camp in Stanley Park

This urban forest is smack dead in the middle of the city. And it’s big. In fact, it’s 10% larger than New York’s Central Park and is one of the largest urban parks in the world. Bushwack yourself out of sight and I’m sure no one will bother you. Besides, who would think anyone would be camping in the middle of winter?

Mountain Equipment Co-op (or, MEC as it’s known locally) is your source for budget outdoor gear. Bundle up.

According to Wikipedia, you can get free showers at the Strathcona Community Centre, although to be honest, you probably won’t do much sweating.

2. Sleep at YVR

Vancouver’s airport is in the top 10 world wide to sleep in, according to sleepinginairports.com.

Photo: doviende

One reviewer on the site stayed one night, then another, then it “turned into a three month stay. I showered at community centers and spent my days in malls & Chapters bookstores…I was never even once approached by security and I always [tried] to look as if I was in transit.”

Some amenities include:

* 24 hour Tim Horton’s (a Canadian staple)
* seats without armrests
* long, cushioned benches

If this option is up your alley, make sure you read up on BNT’s The Budget Traveler’s Guide to Sleeping in Airports.

3. Sleep on the Skytrain

Skytrain is the longest automated driverless light-rail system in the world. And it just got bigger. The Canada line is the new line running from YVR in Richmond into downtown Vancouver. First train leaves the city at 4:50 AM and last train is at 1:05 AM. That’s almost 24 hours of coverage.

You may have to adjust your sleeping patterns a little, but you should be able to get enough shut-eye riding the rails to keep you coherent during the Games.

A $9 Day Pass will get you access to everything — including the sea bus, if you need some waves to rock you to sleep. No, it’s not free, but it beats paying $400 per night. If you’re blessed and have an actual event ticket, you have the privilege of accessing all transit for FREE for the day of that event.

Photo: deeners

4. Pour on the charm

This might be more for the emotionally detached, but there are lots of singles in Vancouver. And most, if not all, have a home. If you’re a slow worker, get in touch online beforehand and butter him/her up for your arrival. If you’re as slick as a car salesman in a cheap Italian suit, try your hand in any of Vancouver’s busy nighclubs.

In my twenties we referred to them as “meat markets”, and for good reason.

What to do with the money you save

Now that you’ve saved yourself hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars on accommodation, you can buy tickets to the events. Right? Maybe not. A quick eBay search for tickets found me these:

*4 tickets to the opening ceremonies: USD $8937.60 Buy It Now

*4 lower level tickets to 3 quarter-final men’s hockey games: CDN $20,000 Buy It Now

*4 tickets to the closing ceremonies: USD $15,400 Buy It Now

Yeah, on second thought, maybe stick with watching in a pub.

COMMUNITY CONNECTION

Are you going to the Games? Where will you be setting yourself down for the long, winter nights?

Photo above: Uncleweed / Feature photo: roland

Growing up in Vancouver we didn’t have a big range of options for terrain. The cul-de-sac out front of my house was littered with blast ramps and quarter-pipes that I built (with stolen wood, but that’s another story). My friends and I used to wheel a ramp a couple kilometers down the road to a big brick building to do some wall riding.

There were only two skate parks in those days: the Broadway bowls and the North Van bowls. My preferred stomping grounds was the one in the North Shore. It had a big snake run that led to a deep bowl. We’d ride up and down the banks, picking up momentum, then dip down and up the bowl and launch an air out the other side.

The author gets air, circa 1988

There was also the Richmond Skate Ranch, but that was far and you had to pay to get into the warehouse full of halfpipes, so more likely for us was the concrete playground of downtown Vancouver — the steps and rails of the art gallery and anything we could find before being chased away by security guards.

But enough reminiscing. Although the board has been put away for a long time, I still love to stop and watch the skaters anytime I’m out. The sport is different, evolving way beyond my ability levels. The sticker “Skateboarding Is Not A Crime” doesn’t make sense anymore, because it no longer is a crime. As Chris Young of the Vancouver Skateboarders Coalition says:

“10 years ago kids were getting tickets, getting their boards confiscated, and there was nowhere to skate except for China Creek.”

In Vancouver the scene is thriving. One of Vancouver’s premier bloggers, Miss 604, brought to my attention that this week, June 15-22, has been offically named Skateboard Week in Vancouver.

It’s sanctioned by the city, and has been announced by Commissioner Sarah Blyth on behalf of Mayor Gregor Robertson. The week culminates in Go Skateboarding Day with the Emerica team on Sunday, June 21.

These days, skate parks are popping up regularly, including six new ones in the past 10 years, and the VSBC are a major part of the sport’s success. To hear these words from the Vancouver mayor was something I would never have dreamed about in my youth:

“NOW THEREFORE, I, Mayor Gregor Robertson, on behalf of the City of Vancouver, do hereby proclaim June 15 – 22, 2009 as “Skateboarding Week” to recognize the importance of this sport in our city.”

Congratulations, Vancouver.

COMMUNITY CONNECTION

For a glimpse of what Vancouver looked like 20 years ago in the skate scene, check out Baxter Jackson’s article, Egypt’s Emerging Skate Scene.

All photos courtesy of Jessica Watson

In 1999, fellow Australian Jesse Martin successfully completed a solo sailing trip around the planet. In doing so he became the youngest ever to circumnavigate the globe unassisted. This September, 16-year-old Jessica Watson sets off with a goal that might take that distinction away from him.

Dreaming about this since age 11

If you read comments left by readers of articles written about Jessica you’d think this was a controversial event. Her parents are getting attacked; people are questioning their decision to let her attempt this. Julie Watson, Jessica’s mum, has this response:

“A lot of people say `how ridiculous, she is 15′. But I would say if they had a daughter like mine they would let her go. She instills confidence in you.”

There’s no question she’s not your average teenager. She’s been sailing and racing dinghies since she was eight and has been dreaming about the solo trip since age 11. Fueling her fire are other inspiring sailors like Kay Cottee — the first woman solo-sailor around the world — and Jesse Martin.

When it comes down to it, there’s no way you can prepare yourself in your head for eight months alone…the only way to find out is to get out there and do it.

To prepare herself mentally for the epic voyage, she’s reading books by people who’ve done this and how they coped. In addition, she’s talking to a sports psychologist and will also have access to the Internet and a webcam. She admits these technological advances might make it a bit easier for herself compared to previous sailors.

As far as physical preparations go, she says she’s “learning a lot about the word compromise; everything’s a compromise, weight and performance versus comfort, power and communication.”

Ending up where she started

Making sure to follow the rules of a true circumnavigation, Jessica’s route has her starting in Brisbane, then sailing northeast across the equator to Washington Island in the North Pacific, around Cape Horn below South Africa and the Cape of Good Hope, across the Indian Ocean and finally up the east coast of Australia back to Brisbane. This plan covers around 23,000 nautical miles and will take approximately 230 days.

Her choice of transport is the S&S 34, a 34-foot yacht made famous by Jon Sanders, David Dicks and Jesse Martin after their history-making solo circumnavigations.

A few words with Jessica

Recently, Jessica was kind enough to take a few minutes out of her ridiculously busy schedule to chat with me over the phone and answer a few questions for our Matador readers:

Q. Many young travelers have a hard time convincing mom and dad to let them go on their first big trip, especially by themselves. When you decided that you wanted to try to break the record, how did your parents react when you first told them?

Yeah, mum and I had a laugh at this question. It definitely took some time. My mum came on board when she saw how determined I was and my dad only came on board quite recently, when he saw how much support we were receiving, and how determined we all were.

Q. Do you have any tips on the young travelers out there trying to get their parents’ blessings?

That they do anything possible to show them how determined, and how perfect and organized you’re going to make it.

Q. Can you describe the feeling you get when you’re out in the water?

It’s definitely something special. Yesterday I skippered the boat for the first time by myself. It was only a couple hours and was only motoring, but it is something very special…when you’re by yourself everything is more exciting. You see it in a different way, I suppose. It’s really cool.

Q. There must be a lot of things that are out of your control when you’re at sea. How do you handle that?

I never used to be very confident, I suppose, and when everything’s out of your control and you don’t know what you’re doing, when you’re not confident, then it’s scary. So, you do absolutely everything that you can and then you rely on the boat looking after you, and if you have confidence in the boat, then it isn’t some terrifying kind of feeling.

It’s not possible to be overconfident when you’re trying to do something like this, but you know, anything can come at you at any time, so you gotta be confident and constantly ready for anything.

Q. I understand you’re not allowed to take on any supplies or food during your attempt. How do you do that for your estimated 230 days out there?

Yeah, it’s really careful planning because obviously it’s really important not to forget anything and you know, you get help, and you get the right advice, and you put it all together. So a lot of what I’ll be eating is freeze dried and a bit of tin and a bit of everything. So it’s just really careful planning and coordination.

Q. How do you prepare for the isolation and the unexpected?

You do what you can. You talk to the right people and you get all the advice and you can do your practice runs and all that. But when it comes down to it, there’s no way you can prepare yourself in your head for eight months alone. There’s no test for that.

How you’re gonna handle yourself after two weeks just doesn’t compare to eight months, so the only way to find out is to get out there and do it.

Q. You’re also a member and active supporter of OceansWatch. Can you talk about the importance of this, especially in the difficult times many are experiencing these days?

It’s important, and especially for sailors and yachtees, that we all do our part…and I think that that’s what they’re [OceansWatch] all about. It’s just everyone doing a little bit of what they can and chipping in. That’s how it happens.

Keeping up with the progress

Jessica is managing to find some spare moments to keep a blog up to date, talking about the preparations and what she’s going through as the departure date grows nearer. Visit her at youngestround.blogspot.com and wish her the best.

Sources:
Youngest Round
Mooloolaba’s Jessica dreaming of the open sea
Sailing solo around the world non-stop at 15

COMMUNITY CONNECTION

If you’re keen on setting sail yourself, check out Buy a Boat and Learn to Sail: 5 Lessons for the Perfect Lifestyle.

Jessica may not need a crew on this trip, but others do. Read up on How to Travel the World By Crewing On Yachts.