Maidentrip, A 16 Years Old Captain

[mcapeans]

Amigos,

QUÉ HISTORIA MÁS CHULA!!!

No me responsabilizo de los sentimientos que os invadan tras meteros en esta historia (en particular los que tenéis hijos jóvenes)

Hicieron peli que no creo que pongan en España:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zl6c9ucviho


Esta historia demuestra que no hay barcos ni mares sino personas:

http://zeilmeisjelauradekkerarchives...-voiliers.html

http://www.lauradekker.nl/LauraDekker.html

A calm teenager


When 10 years’ old Laura was already the owner of her second boat, a small 6 meters coastal cruiser. With that boat she used to sail the islands of [the Dutch province of] Friesland. Before that she had sailed all over a nearby lake with her Optimist [a small dinghy] every time it was possible. She just loves sailing. Is it because she was born aboard the family sailboat during a stopover in New Zealand after having sailed half the world? No doubt about that. To note, that 45-foot polyester ketch built by her father according to plans by Van de Stadt [a Dutch designer of sailboats], closely resembles the Gin Fizz that Laura later chose for her circumnavigation. There you have it!
Her grandparents discuss about the weather in the cockpit before they start on their return trip after visiting in Sint Maarten. Indeed, Laura Dekker’s circumnavigation is a family affair. And no, this is not a remake of "Little Miss Sunshine" with parents who push their children to achieve the dreams they were unable to accomplish. They even tried to dissuade Laura from it. No chance. When she was 12 years old she crossed the English Channel solo. And at fourtheen she felt ready to go further, much further. But the authorities of her country did not agree. A long legal battle followed and left scars behind. After she won the case, there was only four months left to find a cheap boat and get it ready. Laura‘s family put their hands in their pocket as her father used his hands to refit the boat. On August 4th 2010, Laura set off from the Netherlands, heading for Lisbon [Portimao] in company of her father.

Quick and easily

Her next destinations were Gibraltar, the Canary Islands, the Cape Verde Islands, St. Maarten, Panama, Galapagos, the Marquesas Islands, Tahiti, Niue, Vanuatu, Darwin, Durban, Cape Town and St. Maarten again... [Note: Laura had planned to sail to Niue but finally dropped that plan]. This rapid round the world tour (366 days from St. Maarten back to St. Maarten) carefully avoided risk areas, cyclones and pirates. And at each stop Laura took the opportunity to do some sightseeing and to make friends. She enjoys sailing her boat, and racing isn’t really her thing. Her trip was unlike those by Mike Perham‘s or Abby Sunderland’s who both sailed around the world on Open 50 feet racing boats. As for Laura it’s more like Tania Aebi and Jessica Watson who completed their world tours with a Contessa 26 for Tania and a S & S [Sparkman & Stephens] 34 for Jessica- simple and solid cruising sailboats. Tania’s book (Maiden Voyage), figures prominently in Guppy‘s library next to Joshua Slocum, and has lose pages for having been read and reread so many times! Laura reads a lot. She plays her guitar, too. She began playing the flute because a flute is more convenient at sea than a guitar.