Laura Dekker

[sigmasailor]

Originally Posted by MacG

That news is not so significant.
People, people, make you homework!

I think for Laura the significant part is that she can fulfill her dream (I wonder how many of us can do that; most of us (myself included) dream about crossing oceans but get no further than the occasional charter, if even that).

I have decided to ignore all the debates about the legal and other stuff and just follow Laura on her way fulfilling her dream; to me that's more significant than all the discussions which have nothing to do with the circumnavigation part.

[MacG]

Originally Posted by sigmasailor

I think for Laura the significant part is that she can fulfill her dream (I wonder how many of us can do that; most of us (myself included) dream about crossing oceans but get no further than the occasional charter, if even that).

I have decided to ignore all the debates about the legal and other stuff and just follow Laura on her way fulfilling her dream; to me that's more significant than all the discussions which have nothing to do with the circumnavigation part.

We are fully with Laura. No doubt about.

However, the legal part is the main deal of her excisting problems.
Personally I feel she can cope with the sea just like that.

The only countercurrents are created by the bureaucrats. Those things you have to anticipate and eliminate before they blow up.

[Barth]

Originally Posted by MacG

Her father is therefore obliged to accompany her to the borderline of the 12 mile zone, till she is in international water.

But she didn't depart from Portugal. She went to Gibraltar and departed from there for her voyage.

[MacG]

Good thinking after all. Gib should be my first choice. Cheap for (service) parts.
Any more news about repairs?

[Patient]

Go Laura!

I actually love this young sailors story more than others for a couple of reasons.

First of all would be her adamant desire to be on the water because she feels she belongs there and not just for media attention.

I know she is aiming for a record, but at the same time the way she handled the media by basically sending them to the wrong location just says clearly to me that this girl wants nothing but to sail.

Her desire to break the record resonates the same attitude. Ie. "Well I might as well do it now, because I know I can and by the time I am done I will be 16-17."

Lastly, her dad saying this quote regarding her experience and the fact that she was born on their circumnavigation sealed the deal for me,
"Salt runs in her veins."

[Barth]

Laura arived at the Canary Islands, she will stay there for some time

[bengtinge]

There is media interest in her. Here heare a few articles about her arrival to the Canary Islands.
Dutch teen sailor Laura Dekker reaches Canary Islands | Herald Sun
Dutch teen sailor reaches Canary Islands - Yahoo! News
Dutch Teen Sailor Reaches Canary Islands - CBS News
and many more.

They don't know exactly where she is, but I bet they try to find out as soon as possible. Maybe with a helicopter, judging from the amount of press attention. I think they should not follow her this close.

I had two objections against having so many stops: Often near land means a lot of other boats which is a problem since the sailor must sleep sometimes. Another problem is navigation near land with is more demanding and risky.

Now there are two more problems for her because of the multistop plan. She is too young to have a boating licence which meant she couldn't start in Portugal and not stop in Madeira, legally a full part of Portugal. There will probably be more ports with that kind of problem. The other problem is the press which will wait in all her planned ports.

I hope she will make it. I don't want her to fail or give up, so don't interprete my small critisism as that.

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by bengtinge

... I hope she will make it. I don't want her to fail or give up, so don't interprete my small critisism as that.

Indeed.

As Winston Churchill said:
"Criticism may not be agreeable, but it is necessary. It fulfils the same function as pain in the human body. It calls attention to an unhealthy state of things."

[rgscpat]

As I recall being told the original Bendy Gin Fizz had cabintop winches and the traveler was way forward in the cockpit. What sort of mods has Laura Dekker's "Guppy" had to make it easier to single hand?

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by rgscpat

As I recall being told the original Bendy Gin Fizz ...

I presume that you mean the JEANNEAU Gin Fizz.
Notwithstanding, you pose a relevant question.
➥ Sailing Magazine | Jeanneau Gin Fizz

[rgscpat]

Sorry, after the first bottle of vin rouge they all look the same!

[Healer52]

Originally Posted by GordMay

I presume that you mean the JEANNEAU Gin Fizz.
Notwithstanding, you pose a relevant question.
➥ Sailing Magazine | Jeanneau Gin Fizz

Isn't Jeanneau French for bendy? Every bannanatow I've ever seen was....

[Hirophant]

I think that of the recent teen circumnavigationmobiles, Laura Dekker's Gin Fizz looks the best. Abby's Open 40 was just a racing sled, Jessica's S&S34 may have been robust in force 10 gales but had something of the air of a bath toy (especially with its pink livery) but Laura's beamy ketch somehow looks just like an ocean-going sailboat should; even though it's fibreglass it has a traditional charm to it. I don't know how well it would cope with force 10 seas, the cockpit looks rather exposed in comparison to the S&S34, but since it has a good reputation for circumnavigating I guess it must be ok, and anyway this particular boat isn't going to be doing Cape Horn etc anyhow.

As for singlehanding, the only issue mentioned in the review seems to be that things are a bit of a long reach in the cockpit, I don't know if she has done anything to address that, and I wonder if it really matters that she has to leave the helm to get to the winches, I mean it's steered by a windvane so it's not like she will be at the helm normally anyhow.

[MacG]

If you can deal with Dover Port Control and Rotterdam Maas you can deal with any harbour. both ports are quite difficult to approach and requires special operating procedures. The Dutch coastal waters are about the busiest in Europe so if you know how to address those, you are good enough for anything else.
I heard where she is but I am not going to disclose her port of call.
She has a windvane steering and an electronic autopilot as for selfsteering devices.
Sleeping is the problem of singlehanders. I paid almost dearly when I fell asleep behind the rudderpost and ran on a sandbank. A Belgian motoryacht had to get me off.

[rgscpat]

Apparently Laura Dekker and her family have a pretty good plan with frequent inspections and some scheduled haul-outs, plus the option of avoiding the Red Sea if things look dicey. Quite possibly they'll arrange an escort or convoy if she does get to the Red Sea approaches.