After waiting out the hurricane season in the Canary Islands 15-year-old Dutch sailor Laura Dekker has resumed her attempt to sail around the world alone on her 38′ ketch Guppy. Ms. Dekker had been at the center of a ten month Dutch court battle to determine whether she would be allowed to sail alone. If she completes her around the world voyage prior to the middle September 2012, she will earn the title of the youngest solo circumnavigator, a designation now held by Australian Jessica Watson. As Dekker plans on making multiple stops in her voyage, Watson will likely continue to retain the title as the youngest sailor to complete a non-stop solo circumnavigation.
Old Salt Blog
a virtual port of call for all those who love the sea , hosted by nautical novelist Rick Spilman
Laura Dekker is a child who has been given permission to sail her boat on a series of passages. These may or may not take her around the world. In no way may she be described as ‘sailing alone around the world’. Those who set out with that clear intention and either did not make any intermediate landfalls or did make intermediate minimum time landfalls, may be so described as ‘sailing alone around the world’. This does nothing to diminish the seafaring skills of any of them including Laura but lets describe it correctly and not with media spin – please.
Good Watch
On this one we may agree to disagree.
Joshua Slocum took over three years to sail Spray around the world, making stops along the way and he is still credited as the first person to sail around the world alone. If Laura Dekker succeeds in sailing around the world alone on Guppy, I will be happy to give her credit for it.
Indeed true and when Slocum called at Gibraltar he was invited to dine with the RN Base Commanding Officer. A pinnace was sent out to Spray to pick him up and as it was smartly handled Slocum asked the coxswain his name – Midshipman Boucher, Sir – answered my great uncle.
Good Watch.
I salute you, sir. In addition to being remarkable yourself, you do have a remarkable family indeed.
Thank you our family including now myself at 74 next month have been seafarers for 400 years both in the Royal Navy and Merchant Navy. Rather than remarkable perhaps its more an accumalation of events over time. By the by that Boucher, who was my Dads godfather, went on to command a destroyer with the rank of Commander, at the Battle of Jutland known as the Battle of Heligoland on the German side.
Good Watch.