Collision
In a pre-launch trial run, Jessica’s little boat has a near-disastrous collision with a huge ship in the middle in the night. Imagery is effectively used to convey the aftermath: “When the boat steadied and the roar of the engines started to fade, I went back on deck. It was a mess. There was rigging, lines, and huge rusty flakes of black paint and slivers of metal from the ship’s hull everywhere. Beyond Ella's Pink Lady I could see the dark outline of the huge ship’s stern slipping away unaffected, leaving us at a stop in the foaming white slipstream.” The collision was a terrifying incident which, because it happened in the dark, produces a nightmarish quality that the imagery helps delineate.
Somewhere Under the Moonbow
A lunar rainbow occurs when the moon and not the sun is the source of light reflected through moisture in the air. Or, put another way, it is a very rare sign resulting from “a luminous full moon disappearing, and then reappearing behind the dark patches of cloud. It was very dramatic, as the world went lighter, then darker, and then the moon peaked out a bit more, and I saw a silvery, multicolored rainbow appear. I had to blink a few times to be sure that I was really seeing ... a rainbow at night! A moonbow.” A moonbow is actually another scientific term for this astronomical phenomenon, though Jessica did not know it at the time she saw it happen. This passage is a perfect example of the difference between dry technical explanation of facts and the power of imagery to convey the real wonder and magic of science.
Sailor’s Delight
Blue, white, gray, and black seem to be the limited color palette for most of the stretch of a solo trip around the world by boat. There are two semi-dependable, if all too brief, splashes of color to break up the tedium. “Watching an amazing sunset, or sunrise, was one of the things that could lift my spirits, especially after a few gloomy days. The different colors that move across the sky as the sun sets—the pinks, blues, inky indigos, and purples—could be absolutely breathtaking.” One may not necessarily think of the impact upon mental health of the monotonous décor supplied by Mother Nature for extended periods at sea. Jessica paints by numbers with imagery to reveal just how impactful upon the mental state this aspect of sailing can be.
Simply Jessica
Imagery very often has the effect—whether purposely or not—of reminding the reader that this is the story of a young girl. Such is the impact of her exercising the sailor superstition of toasting Neptune when crossing the equator. “Neptune was toasted with fruit juice and plenty of chocolate. I’m not normally one to toss good chocolate into the sea, but I figured that this was my chance to get myself into Neptune’s good graces.” One doesn’t have to work to imagine the long history of toasting Neptune with something much harder and more mature than fruit juice and chocolates. At the same time, the imagery also reminds the reader that older sailors actually engaged in this superstitious ritual out of a genuine belief that it would have an impact.
