At the daring age of 16, Jessica Watson decided she would travel the world. Her journey to get there would become a story now being heard worldwide. With the Netflix debut of True Spirit, we’re excited to share our honour of being involved in such a tale.
Jessica’s dream is, and was, unique. This ambitious teenager planned to set out in a small sailboat on her own to travel 23,000 nautical miles worldwide. She hoped that eight months later, she would become the very first individual their age to accomplish such a feat.
To successfully fulfil the plan of sailing unassisted and without stopping, no other individuals could offer their physical support. She was restricted from mooring at any port for the duration, although radio communications were permitted. Jessicas 10-metre vessel would, of course, need an electricity source to run her equipment.
Namely, one of Marlec’s Rutland 913 Windchargers to keep her navigation equipment and appliances up and running. Our micro wind turbine can be clearly seen on the stern of her boat, Ella’s Pink Lady. Since this brave teen’s expedition, she has received many awards. Fast-forward to today, and you can watch Netflix’s rendition of the entire trek.
The streaming service giant wanted to reimagine Jessica’s setup as closely as possible, which includes the Rutland Windcharger. We were then tasked with crafting a prop version of the same model. Our original was already en route to a museum by the time production rolled around.
With our engineers and technicians ready, a false Rutland 913 Windcharger was born from spare parts from our factory. Granted, that doesn’t sound very glamorous, but you would never tell the difference with some movie magic. Stella Marine, our Australian distributor, helped a great deal in getting our prop ready and liaising with Netflix.
If you ever find yourself in Queensland, visit the Maritime Museum, where you can see Ella’s Pink Lady, still with our original turbine pride of place. But, in the meantime, you can sit back and allow Netflix to share the tale on Jessica’s behalf. Watch out for our Windcharger; you can’t miss it!
