Philosophy
Laura Dekker set a steady foot aboard a dock in St. Maarten on Saturday, ending a yearlong voyage aboard a sailboat named "Guppy" that apparently made her the youngest person ever to sail alone around the globe, though her trip was interrupted at several points.
Dozens of people jumped and cheered as Decker waved, wept and then walked across the dock accompanied by her mother, father, sister and grandparents, who had greeted her at sea earlier.
Dekker arrived in St. Maarten after struggling against high seas and heavy winds on a final leg from Cape Town, South Africa,
Dekker claims she is the youngest sailor to complete a round-the-world voyage, but Guinness World Records and the World Sailing Speed Record Council did not verify the claim, saying they no longer recognize records for youngest sailors to discourage dangerous attempts.
Dutch authorities tried to block Dekker's trip, arguing she was too young to risk her life, while school officials complained she should be in a classroom.
Dekker said she was born aboard a yacht off the coast of New Zealand and said she first sailed solo at 6 years old. At 10, she said, she began dreaming about crossing the globe. She celebrated her 16th birthday during the trip, eating doughnuts for breakfast after spending time at port with her father and friends the night before.
The teenager covered more than 27,000 nautical miles on a trip with stops that sound like a skim through a travel magazine: the Canary Islands, Panama, the Galapagos Islands, Tonga, Fiji, Bora Bora, Australia, South Africa and now, St. Maarten, from which she set out on Jan. 20, 2011.
"Her story is just amazing," said one of Dekker's fans, 10-year-old Jody Bell of Connecticut. "I can't imagine someone her age going out on sea all by herself."
Bell was in St. Maarten on a work trip with her mother, Deena Merlen, an attorney in Manhattan, who wanted to see Dekker complete her journey. The two wore T-shirts that read: "Guppy rocks my world."
"My daughter and I have been following Laura's story, and we think it's amazing and inspiring," Merlen said.
Unlike other young sailors who recently crossed the globe, Dekker repeatedly anchored at ports along the way to sleep, study and repair her 38-foot (11.5-meter) sailboat.
During her trip, she went surfing, scuba diving, cliff diving and discovered a new hobby: playing the flute, which she said in her weblog was easier to play than a guitar in bad weather.
Dekker also complained about custom clearings, boat inspections, ripped sails, heavy squalls, a wet and salty bed, a near-collision with two cargo ships and the presence of some persistent stowaways: cockroaches.
Highlights of her trip include 47 days of sailing the Indian Ocean, which left her with unsteady legs when she docked in Durban, South Africa, where she walked up and down the pier several times for practice.
Dekker launched her trip two months after Abby Sunderland, a 16-year-old U.S. sailor, was rescued in the middle of the Indian Ocean during a similar attempt. Jessica Watson of Australia completed a 210-day solo voyage at age 16, a few months older than Dekker.
Dekker has said she plans to move there after her voyage, but it is unclear is she still plans to do so.
The auspicious voyage has begun--Laura Dekker has set sail
Laura Dekker update
Laura Dekker...why not?
- Analytic/continental Divide, Ps And Qs, And Scientific Disproof
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- Laura Dekker And New Film Of Her Voyage..."maidentrip"
"Why a 14-Year-Old Girl Decided to Sail Around the World Alone" A film follows the journey of Laura Dekker as she attempts to circumnavigate the globe. by Sam Price-Waldman January 3rd 2014 The Atlantic In 2010, 14-year-old Laura Dekker took...
- Laura Dekker Update
"How Young Is Too Young? Dutch Sailing Phenom’s Record Attempt Raises Safety Concerns" by Erik Malinowski August 6th, 2010 Wired Just two months after Abby Sunderland, a 16-year-old from Southern California, was rescued from a failed attempt to...
- Laura Dekker...why Not?
"14-year-old Laura Dekker has Dutch court's -- and her mom's -- permission to sail around the world" Laura Dekker has convinced a Dutch court that she's done her sailing homework and is ready to attempt to beat Jessica Watson's record...
- Thrill Seekers To Be Restricted?
Now the debate begins. "Should There Be Age Limits on Thrill Seeking?" by Allie Townsend June 21st, 2010 Time Since her circumnavigation attempt ended in a dramatic search-and-rescue mission more than a week ago, 16-year-old Abby Sunderland has become...
Philosophy
Laura Dekker...remember her?
"Teen ends globe-circling voyage in St. Maarten"
January 21st, 2011
USA TODAY
January 21st, 2011
USA TODAY
Laura Dekker set a steady foot aboard a dock in St. Maarten on Saturday, ending a yearlong voyage aboard a sailboat named "Guppy" that apparently made her the youngest person ever to sail alone around the globe, though her trip was interrupted at several points.
Dozens of people jumped and cheered as Decker waved, wept and then walked across the dock accompanied by her mother, father, sister and grandparents, who had greeted her at sea earlier.
Dekker arrived in St. Maarten after struggling against high seas and heavy winds on a final leg from Cape Town, South Africa,
Dekker claims she is the youngest sailor to complete a round-the-world voyage, but Guinness World Records and the World Sailing Speed Record Council did not verify the claim, saying they no longer recognize records for youngest sailors to discourage dangerous attempts.
Dutch authorities tried to block Dekker's trip, arguing she was too young to risk her life, while school officials complained she should be in a classroom.
Dekker said she was born aboard a yacht off the coast of New Zealand and said she first sailed solo at 6 years old. At 10, she said, she began dreaming about crossing the globe. She celebrated her 16th birthday during the trip, eating doughnuts for breakfast after spending time at port with her father and friends the night before.
The teenager covered more than 27,000 nautical miles on a trip with stops that sound like a skim through a travel magazine: the Canary Islands, Panama, the Galapagos Islands, Tonga, Fiji, Bora Bora, Australia, South Africa and now, St. Maarten, from which she set out on Jan. 20, 2011.
"Her story is just amazing," said one of Dekker's fans, 10-year-old Jody Bell of Connecticut. "I can't imagine someone her age going out on sea all by herself."
Bell was in St. Maarten on a work trip with her mother, Deena Merlen, an attorney in Manhattan, who wanted to see Dekker complete her journey. The two wore T-shirts that read: "Guppy rocks my world."
"My daughter and I have been following Laura's story, and we think it's amazing and inspiring," Merlen said.
Unlike other young sailors who recently crossed the globe, Dekker repeatedly anchored at ports along the way to sleep, study and repair her 38-foot (11.5-meter) sailboat.
During her trip, she went surfing, scuba diving, cliff diving and discovered a new hobby: playing the flute, which she said in her weblog was easier to play than a guitar in bad weather.
Dekker also complained about custom clearings, boat inspections, ripped sails, heavy squalls, a wet and salty bed, a near-collision with two cargo ships and the presence of some persistent stowaways: cockroaches.
Highlights of her trip include 47 days of sailing the Indian Ocean, which left her with unsteady legs when she docked in Durban, South Africa, where she walked up and down the pier several times for practice.
Dekker launched her trip two months after Abby Sunderland, a 16-year-old U.S. sailor, was rescued in the middle of the Indian Ocean during a similar attempt. Jessica Watson of Australia completed a 210-day solo voyage at age 16, a few months older than Dekker.
Dekker has said she plans to move there after her voyage, but it is unclear is she still plans to do so.
The auspicious voyage has begun--Laura Dekker has set sail
Laura Dekker update
Laura Dekker...why not?
- Analytic/continental Divide, Ps And Qs, And Scientific Disproof
C. Ewing asks, "Is the difference between analytical philosophy and continental philosophy one of history/tradition or methodology? both? neither?"Both. The divide that defined 20th century philosophy derives from a split in how to proceed after Kant....
- Laura Dekker And New Film Of Her Voyage..."maidentrip"
"Why a 14-Year-Old Girl Decided to Sail Around the World Alone" A film follows the journey of Laura Dekker as she attempts to circumnavigate the globe. by Sam Price-Waldman January 3rd 2014 The Atlantic In 2010, 14-year-old Laura Dekker took...
- Laura Dekker Update
"How Young Is Too Young? Dutch Sailing Phenom’s Record Attempt Raises Safety Concerns" by Erik Malinowski August 6th, 2010 Wired Just two months after Abby Sunderland, a 16-year-old from Southern California, was rescued from a failed attempt to...
- Laura Dekker...why Not?
"14-year-old Laura Dekker has Dutch court's -- and her mom's -- permission to sail around the world" Laura Dekker has convinced a Dutch court that she's done her sailing homework and is ready to attempt to beat Jessica Watson's record...
- Thrill Seekers To Be Restricted?
Now the debate begins. "Should There Be Age Limits on Thrill Seeking?" by Allie Townsend June 21st, 2010 Time Since her circumnavigation attempt ended in a dramatic search-and-rescue mission more than a week ago, 16-year-old Abby Sunderland has become...