Australian teenage adventurer nears equator

Australian teenager Jessica Watson, who hopes to become the youngest person to sail solo and unassisted across the globe, is now nearing the equator after leaving Australia last month (pictured).
It is still too early to predict an exact date that she will cross the line, but based on her current progress, this could occur on the weekend of Nov 21-22.
Sunday marked three weeks since Ms Watson’s departure from Sydney Harbour, when she is expected to pass 2,300 nautical miles, 10% of the way through her epic journey.
For the next eight months, as the 16-year-old sails across more than 21,000 nautical miles of ocean, she will live aboard the 34-foot yacht Ella's Pink Lady with little except a satellite phone and internet access for company.
Her location will be tracked by a GPS device attached to her clothing as she voyages round Cape Horn and on towards the Cape of Good Hope.
Watson’s blog http://www.youngestround.blogspot.com/ is receiving thousands of hits from people around Australia and the world as they follow her adventures.
Her updated website http://www.jessicawatson.com.au/ has a tracking map so people can keep an eye on her movements.
“Really loving the way Ella's been chewing away the miles over the last few days,” she wrote in her latest blog post over the Tongan Trench.
“With the wind sitting on 20-25knots from the south east its good trade wind sailing, even if the sun hasn't been doing too much of that shining business lately.
“We're also really starting to make some good progress north.
“The GPS readout now puts our latitude well into the teens.
“The temperature is just starting to get a little warm in the cabin, but with so much water over the deck, having the hatches open is completely out of the question.
“But I'm sure this is nothing compared to how warm it will get over the over the next few weeks!
“With a bit of a headache, plenty of sea room and Ella's Pink Lady not needing much attention from me today, I pretty much just spent the day wedged into a comfy position working away at a book and staying dry.
“Apart from the odd flying fish and bird there's not really been a lot of wild life around lately and still no luck catching any fish.
“Then again we have just passed over the Tongan Trench one of the deepest places on earth.
“I'm not much of a fisherman but maybe it hasn't exactly been the greatest place to catch fish?
“I'll just have to keep trying!
“The overcast skies have been making for some dark nights out here.
“The sky and sea are completely black with no way of telling them apart.
“It's completely pot luck whether or not I get a face full of spray when I stick my head out above the dodger for a look around.
“But even if I do get un-lucky and cop a wave, I can't say it really bothers me.
“Normally I'll just laugh or squeal, even if I'm half asleep!”
“So it's all going well and at this pace, we'll be passing Samoa in the next few days and from there it really is a clear run to the equator.”