Another teen sets off around the world.
On August 21st, 14-year-old Dutch sailor Laura Dekker left Gibralter aboard Guppy and set off on her quest to be the youngest sailor to solo circumnavigate the world, a record recently set by then-16-year-old Australian Jessica Watson. Dekker begins her journey after intense scrutiny and a court battle in which it was debated whether the Dutch government could prevent her from setting sail due to her age, particularly after the fact that she had previously run away from home in an attempt to buy a boat and set sail on her own, a decision that did not exactly scream “responsible”. Speaking of responsible, we at Cruising Compass are wondering why the first leg of this young sailor’s journey is from Gibralter to the Canary Islands during peak hurricane season when the majority of Atlantic hurricanes form just south of the Canary Islands. As a general rule, this is not a good time for Atlantic crossing. We might also mention that Hurricane Danielle has currently formed in the Atlantic. We aren’t saying that Dekker shouldn’t be allowed to go, but the quality of her decisions is already questionable a mere three days into the trip. Unfortunately, the tracking feature on her web site is not yet working, and her updates have been as simple as “Freedom,” but check out www.lauradekker.nl for the latest news and updates that are available throughout her journey. There is sure to be much more discussion on whether teens who aren’t old enough to get their driver’s licenses should be allowed to sail solo around the world, and we’ll be keeping up with all the happenings of Dekker’s attempt. Fair winds, Laura!
