Girl, 13, in legal fight to solo circumnavigate
A Dutch court is scheduled to decide on Friday whether 13-year-old Laura Dekker will be legally allowed to pursue her plans to become the youngest person to sail solo around the world.
Dekker’s parents think it’s a fine idea, but authorities think otherwise.
The Dutch Council for Child Protection is so concerned about the dangers of the girl’s planned circumnavigation that it’s asked a court to grant temporary custody of Laura to prevent the trip. Judges at a district court are expected to announce their decision on Friday.
Dekker would follow in the footsteps of 17-year Zac Sunderland from Thousand Oaks, California, who last month became the youngest person to solo circumnavigate when he completed a 28,000-mile trip on his 36-foot boat in just 13 months. But he likely won’t hold his title for long: British sailor Mike Perham, who’s a few months younger than Sunderland, is expected to claim it by completing his own circumnavigation in the coming days by arriving in the English city of Portsmouth.
Meanwhile, 16-year-old Australian Jessica Watson is scheduled to leave in early September on a 34-foot boat for a nonstop solo trip around the world.
Dekker’s case is a fascinating one that raises questions about healthy child development and appropriate parenting. She claims to have been sailing solo since the age of six. Six? Where were the parents? How can a 13-year-old possibly have the maturity to deal with potentially dangerous situations at sea or on land? How might personal growth be impacted by the lack of interaction with adults and other kids?
It also illustrates the “superchild” phenomenon and the compulsion for children to achieve more at increasingly younger ages.
The Los Angeles Times has an interesting story today about the increasing numbers of teens embarking on solo circumnavigations, and the Associated Press has also explored the issue.
What do you think? Is there an appropriate age to embark on a solo sailing trip around the world? How young is too young?
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