Jessica Watson. Photo supplied.
So far the 16-year-old from the Sunshine Coast and her New Zealand-born parents have rejected all calls for her to abandon the circumnavigation attempt after the collision with a cargo ship on the first night of her initial trial run earlier this month.
Queensland Deputy Premier Paul Lucas has publicly urged Jessica to abandon the gruelling 27,000-nautical mile solo voyage, after a damning report into the collision between her yacht Ella's Pink Lady and a 63,000-tonne cargo vessel off North Stradbroke Island on September 9.
At the time, she was sailing from the Sunshine Coast to Sydney to get everything shipshape for the record attempt.
The Maritime Safety Queensland report listed basic problems that contributed to the collision. It said Jessica had kept "irregular latitude and longitude entries'' in her log, and had neither plotted a course, nor devised a fatigue-management plan.
It also said she most likely "dozed off'' before the collision, and had not activated an alarm device that could have warned her of the approaching ship.
Jessica's spokesman Andrew Fraser yesterday said the onboard electronics were still being fine-tuned, but she should be ready to resume the voyage to Sydney later this week.
"It was always on her schedule to do a sea trial to Sydney to test whether all the equipment is right,'' Mr Fraser said.
He said the trip to Sydney from the Gold Coast was expected to take four or five days and, depending on weather conditions, Jessica was expected to start the voyage proper not long afterwards.
Her mother, Julie Watson, has rejected suggestions of insufficient preparation.
She said all recommendations had already been implemented before the family received a letter from the maritime safety authorities.
"I guess everyone's entitled to their own opinion. The letter from Queensland Safety, we took that very seriously,'' she told ABC Radio.
"We've gone to great lengths to do a lot of preparation - things way over and above what is required.''
Queensland Premier Anna Bligh said she was inspired by Jessica 's dream, but believed the safety report put a "question mark'' over her preparedness.
"This is a decision for Jessica's mum and dad, and every parent has to make these decisions . . . just about every week, about whether your children will play sport, whether you'll let them go to parties, what sort of high-risk behaviour they may involve themselves in,'' Ms Bligh said.
"The Government has made it their business to make sure Jessica's parents and Jessica know the risks . . . I hope that her parents have made the right decision.''
Ms Bligh said she would personally rethink such an adventure.
"This is a very high-risk venture,'' she said.
