Laura Dekker
Encyclopedia
Laura Dekker is a Dutch
solo sailor. In 2009, she announced her plan to become the youngest person to circumnavigate
the globe single-handed
. A Dutch court stepped in, due to the objections of the local authorities, and prevented Dekker from departing while under shared custody of both her parents. In July 2010, a Dutch family court
ended this custody arrangement, and the record breaking attempt finally began on 21 August 2010.
, New Zealand
during a seven-year trip by her parents. Her father, Dick Dekker, is Dutch and her mother, Babs Müller, is German, thus Dekker has Dutch, German, and New Zealand citizenship. Her parents divorced in 2002.
Dekker spent the first four years of her life at sea.
At six, Dekker owned her first boat, an Optimist, and learned to sail it herself. The next boat she received at the age of ten was a Hurley 700. She named it Guppy and used it for solo-sailing during her multiweek-long summer vacations; her trips included the Wadden Sea
and the North Sea
.
In May 2009, Dekker made a solo-crossing from Maurik
, Netherlands
to Lowestoft
, England
where local authorities requested her father to come and accompany her on her return voyage.
. If successful, she would be the youngest person to have done it (currently the Australian Jessica Watson
is the youngest aged 16 years and 362 days). To achieve that, Dekker would have to finish before 16 September 2012. Her father supports her; she lived with him after the separation of her parents. Dekker planned to sail a seagoing 38 ft Jeanneau Gin Fizz ketch
, also named Guppy. The boat was to be equipped for long-distance sailing and adapted for solo-circumnavigation. The planned route was to start from Portugal westwards, to cruise the Caribbean and then to go through Panama and past Indonesia. Then she planned either to go past Somalia to the Mediterranean, or around Africa, should piracy become a serious concern. Her plan was to make around 26 stops.
It was planned that on 14 locations Dekker would be met by a support team which also would help her along difficult spots such as the Panama Canal. In reality, for cost reasons, that will be done much fewer times. She has been given some assistance by other leisure sailors she has met, for example through the Panama Canal. An Iridium tracking system onboard will allow a team in the Netherlands to monitor her course closely. She will avoid the stormy roaring forties
, and she will avoid the hurricane season
during which she might fly home to study.
Her education would be conducted through the Wereldschool (Worldschool), an educational institution that would provide her with material for self-learning.
Since the very beginning of her solo circumnavigation in late August 2010, Laura is writing a weekly column for the Algemeen Dagblad of Rotterdam. English and German translations of her columns are available.
, her place of residence, objected and the Child Welfare Office became involved. A family court
judgment was obtained that placed Dekker in shared parental custody with the Council for Child Care who stopped her departure. The shared custody was to last until July 2010, but a successful application by the child protection agency saw that extended until at least August of that year.
Dekker's plan and the intervention by the government received extensive international attention. Discussed was, aside from the personal matters, the issue to what degree government has a right to intervene when minors engage in risky behaviour that is parentally supported.
According to the Dutch inland shipping regulations, it is prohibited for a captain younger than sixteen years to sail a boat longer than seven meters in Dutch waters; thus Dekker would not be allowed to use the boat for any solo excursions within the Netherlands until 2012. She has still done so, with the effect that the police required her father to come and sail the boat home together with her. The circumnavigation, however, would not start in the Netherlands, thus Dutch naval regulations do not apply to her voyage.
On 18 December 2009 a member of Dekker’s family reported her missing to the police. A farewell letter was left for her father, although her boat remained in the port of Maurik. On 20 December, Dekker was found safely on Saint Martin
. Two days later she returned to Amsterdam where she was questioned by the police.
On 26 December it was reported that another court in the Netherlands overruled the objections of the social workers and permitted her to sail alone next year; she was expected to do so in September 2010 when she turned 15.
On 27 July 2010 the Dutch court ended supervision of Dekker, and decided it was "up to the girl's parents to decide whether she can make the trip." Dekker reported that she would depart "within two weeks".
Dekker later commented about the authorities in an interview, saying "They thought it was dangerous. Well, everywhere is dangerous. They don't sail and they don't know what boats are, and they are scared of them."
While in Australia, Dekker gave an interview in which she admitted that she was not doing much schoolwork, since she was busy with sailing, maintenance, customs procedures and other tasks related to her journey. This led to press and other commentators suggesting that she has quit school and thrown the school books over board. She has tried to correct this by saying that she has not stopped studying totally and will continue her academic studies after returning to the Netherlands.
On 14 October 2011 Dekker was nominated for the Conny van Rietschoten
Trophy, a very prestigious Dutch sailing award, in the ocean sailing category.
In February 2010 she and her father acquired a new boat. It is a French-built 11.5 metres (37.7 ft) two-masted Jeanneau Gin Fizz ketch
.
, Netherlands on 4 August 2010 headed for Portugal. This segment was not a part of the solo circumnavigation, as she had her father onboard. It included boat testing and boat training for her. The published plan was going to Lisbon
, and starting solo from there. They instead sailed to Portimão
, with arrival on 15 August. She sailed with others from Portimão to Gibraltar
on 18–20 August, because she was according to Portuguese law too young to be formally qualified to captain her ship.
2010/2011 Solo circumnavigation progress:
She has an alternative plan if the Gulf of Aden
is not considered safe enough, and that is sailing around South Africa
:
This route has more weather problems.
A NATO representative has warned Dekker and other sailors from trying to pass the Gulf of Aden. NATO generally rejects requests to protect leisure boats from pirates.
Dutch people
The Dutch people are an ethnic group native to the Netherlands. They share a common culture and speak the Dutch language. Dutch people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably in Suriname, Chile, Brazil, Canada, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and the United...
solo sailor. In 2009, she announced her plan to become the youngest person to circumnavigate
Circumnavigation
Circumnavigation – literally, "navigation of a circumference" – refers to travelling all the way around an island, a continent, or the entire planet Earth.- Global circumnavigation :...
the globe single-handed
Single-handed sailing
The sport of single-handed sailing or solo sailing is sailing with only one crewmember . The term is usually used with reference to ocean and long-distance sailing, and particularly competitive sailing....
. A Dutch court stepped in, due to the objections of the local authorities, and prevented Dekker from departing while under shared custody of both her parents. In July 2010, a Dutch family court
Family court
A family court is a court convened to decide matters and make orders in relation to family law, such as custody of children. In common-law jurisdictions "family courts" are statutory creations primarily dealing with equitable matters devolved from a court of inherent jurisdiction, such as a...
ended this custody arrangement, and the record breaking attempt finally began on 21 August 2010.
Family
Dekker was born in the city of WhangareiWhangarei
Whangarei, pronounced , is the northernmost city in New Zealand and the regional capital of Northland Region. Although commonly classified as a city, it is officially part of the Whangarei District, administered by the Whangarei District Council a local body created in 1989 to administer both the...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
during a seven-year trip by her parents. Her father, Dick Dekker, is Dutch and her mother, Babs Müller, is German, thus Dekker has Dutch, German, and New Zealand citizenship. Her parents divorced in 2002.
Dekker spent the first four years of her life at sea.
At six, Dekker owned her first boat, an Optimist, and learned to sail it herself. The next boat she received at the age of ten was a Hurley 700. She named it Guppy and used it for solo-sailing during her multiweek-long summer vacations; her trips included the Wadden Sea
Wadden Sea
The Wadden Sea is an intertidal zone in the southeastern part of the North Sea. It lies between the coast of northwestern continental Europe and the range of Frisian Islands, forming a shallow body of water with tidal flats and wetlands. It is rich in biological diversity...
and the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
.
In May 2009, Dekker made a solo-crossing from Maurik
Maurik
Maurik is a town in the Dutch province of Gelderland. It is a part of the municipality of Buren, and lies about 8 km north of Tiel.Maurik was a separate municipality until 1999, when it was merged with Buren....
, Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
to Lowestoft
Lowestoft
Lowestoft is a town in the English county of Suffolk. The town is on the North Sea coast and is the most easterly point of the United Kingdom. It is north-east of London, north-east of Ipswich and south-east of Norwich...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
where local authorities requested her father to come and accompany her on her return voyage.
Plans for a global circumnavigation
In August 2009, Dekker announced her plan for a two-year solo sailing voyage around the globe in the Dutch national newspaper, Algemeen DagbladAlgemeen Dagblad
The Algemeen Dagblad is a Dutch newspaper. Founded in Rotterdam in 1946, it currently has a daily circulation of 315,000. The newspaper is owned by AD NieuwsMedia, a joint venture between Wegener and PCM Uitgevers....
. If successful, she would be the youngest person to have done it (currently the Australian Jessica Watson
Jessica Watson
Jessica Watson is an Australian sailor. She resides in Buderim, Queensland. In May 2010, she unofficially became the youngest person to sail non-stop and unassisted around the world, although her route did not meet World Sailing Speed Record Council criteria for circumnavigation of the...
is the youngest aged 16 years and 362 days). To achieve that, Dekker would have to finish before 16 September 2012. Her father supports her; she lived with him after the separation of her parents. Dekker planned to sail a seagoing 38 ft Jeanneau Gin Fizz ketch
Ketch
A ketch is a sailing craft with two masts: a main mast, and a shorter mizzen mast abaft of the main mast, but forward of the rudder post. Both masts are rigged mainly fore-and-aft. From one to three jibs may be carried forward of the main mast when going to windward...
, also named Guppy. The boat was to be equipped for long-distance sailing and adapted for solo-circumnavigation. The planned route was to start from Portugal westwards, to cruise the Caribbean and then to go through Panama and past Indonesia. Then she planned either to go past Somalia to the Mediterranean, or around Africa, should piracy become a serious concern. Her plan was to make around 26 stops.
It was planned that on 14 locations Dekker would be met by a support team which also would help her along difficult spots such as the Panama Canal. In reality, for cost reasons, that will be done much fewer times. She has been given some assistance by other leisure sailors she has met, for example through the Panama Canal. An Iridium tracking system onboard will allow a team in the Netherlands to monitor her course closely. She will avoid the stormy roaring forties
Roaring Forties
The Roaring Forties is the name given to strong westerly winds found in the Southern Hemisphere, generally between the latitudes of 40 and 49 degrees. Air displaced from the Equator towards the South Pole, which travels close to the surface between the latitudes of 30 and 60 degrees south, combines...
, and she will avoid the hurricane season
Hurricane season
Hurricane season refers to a period in a year when hurricanes usually form. For more information see: Tropical cyclone#Times.* The Atlantic hurricane seasonFor a lists of past seasons, see:...
during which she might fly home to study.
Her education would be conducted through the Wereldschool (Worldschool), an educational institution that would provide her with material for self-learning.
Since the very beginning of her solo circumnavigation in late August 2010, Laura is writing a weekly column for the Algemeen Dagblad of Rotterdam. English and German translations of her columns are available.
Government objections
The local authorities at Wijk bij DuurstedeWijk bij Duurstede
- The city of Wijk bij Duurstede :The city is located on the Rhine. At Wijk bij Duurstede, the Kromme Rijn branches off, and the main branch is called Lek River downstream from Wijk bij Duurstede....
, her place of residence, objected and the Child Welfare Office became involved. A family court
Family court
A family court is a court convened to decide matters and make orders in relation to family law, such as custody of children. In common-law jurisdictions "family courts" are statutory creations primarily dealing with equitable matters devolved from a court of inherent jurisdiction, such as a...
judgment was obtained that placed Dekker in shared parental custody with the Council for Child Care who stopped her departure. The shared custody was to last until July 2010, but a successful application by the child protection agency saw that extended until at least August of that year.
Dekker's plan and the intervention by the government received extensive international attention. Discussed was, aside from the personal matters, the issue to what degree government has a right to intervene when minors engage in risky behaviour that is parentally supported.
According to the Dutch inland shipping regulations, it is prohibited for a captain younger than sixteen years to sail a boat longer than seven meters in Dutch waters; thus Dekker would not be allowed to use the boat for any solo excursions within the Netherlands until 2012. She has still done so, with the effect that the police required her father to come and sail the boat home together with her. The circumnavigation, however, would not start in the Netherlands, thus Dutch naval regulations do not apply to her voyage.
On 18 December 2009 a member of Dekker’s family reported her missing to the police. A farewell letter was left for her father, although her boat remained in the port of Maurik. On 20 December, Dekker was found safely on Saint Martin
Saint Martin
Saint Martin is an island in the northeast Caribbean, approximately east of Puerto Rico. The 87 km2 island is divided roughly 60/40 between France and the Kingdom of the Netherlands ; however, the Dutch side has the larger population. It is one of the smallest sea islands divided between...
. Two days later she returned to Amsterdam where she was questioned by the police.
On 26 December it was reported that another court in the Netherlands overruled the objections of the social workers and permitted her to sail alone next year; she was expected to do so in September 2010 when she turned 15.
On 27 July 2010 the Dutch court ended supervision of Dekker, and decided it was "up to the girl's parents to decide whether she can make the trip." Dekker reported that she would depart "within two weeks".
Dekker later commented about the authorities in an interview, saying "They thought it was dangerous. Well, everywhere is dangerous. They don't sail and they don't know what boats are, and they are scared of them."
While in Australia, Dekker gave an interview in which she admitted that she was not doing much schoolwork, since she was busy with sailing, maintenance, customs procedures and other tasks related to her journey. This led to press and other commentators suggesting that she has quit school and thrown the school books over board. She has tried to correct this by saying that she has not stopped studying totally and will continue her academic studies after returning to the Netherlands.
On 14 October 2011 Dekker was nominated for the Conny van Rietschoten
Conny van Rietschoten
Cornelis van Rietschoten, round the world yachtsman – winner of the 1977/78 and 1981/82 Whitbread Round the World Race.Born: 23rd March 1926, Rotterdam, Netherlands...
Trophy, a very prestigious Dutch sailing award, in the ocean sailing category.
Boat
Dekker had planned to sail a boat that was lent to her by a sponsor, Guppy, a Hurley 800, with a length of 8.3 metres (27 ft) and a beam (width) of 2.75 metres (9 ft).In February 2010 she and her father acquired a new boat. It is a French-built 11.5 metres (37.7 ft) two-masted Jeanneau Gin Fizz ketch
Ketch
A ketch is a sailing craft with two masts: a main mast, and a shorter mizzen mast abaft of the main mast, but forward of the rudder post. Both masts are rigged mainly fore-and-aft. From one to three jibs may be carried forward of the main mast when going to windward...
.
2010/2011 solo circumnavigation
Dekker sailed from Den OsseDen Osse
Den Osse is a village in the municipality of Schouwen-Duiveland, in Zeeland, Netherlands....
, Netherlands on 4 August 2010 headed for Portugal. This segment was not a part of the solo circumnavigation, as she had her father onboard. It included boat testing and boat training for her. The published plan was going to Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
, and starting solo from there. They instead sailed to Portimão
Portimão
Portimão is a Portuguese town located in the District of Faro in the Region of Algarve, the southern coast of Portugal. It was formerly known as Vila Nova de Portimão . In 1924, it was incorporated as a cidade and became known merely as Portimão. The town has 41,000 inhabitants and the Portimão...
, with arrival on 15 August. She sailed with others from Portimão to Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
on 18–20 August, because she was according to Portuguese law too young to be formally qualified to captain her ship.
2010/2011 Solo circumnavigation progress:
- Departed from GibraltarGibraltarGibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
on 21 August 2010. - Arrived at LanzaroteLanzaroteLanzarote , a Spanish island, is the easternmost of the autonomous Canary Islands, in the Atlantic Ocean, approximately 125 km off the coast of Africa and 1,000 km from the Iberian Peninsula. Covering 845.9 km2, it stands as the fourth largest of the islands...
on 25 August. - Stayed in the Canary IslandsCanary IslandsThe Canary Islands , also known as the Canaries , is a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara. The Canaries are a Spanish autonomous community and an outermost region of the European Union...
for several weeks because of the Atlantic hurricane season. - Departed Gran CanariaGran CanariaGran Canaria is the second most populous island of the Canary Islands, with a population of 838,397 which constitutes approximately 40% of the population of the archipelago...
on 10 November heading for Cape VerdeCape VerdeThe Republic of Cape Verde is an island country, spanning an archipelago of 10 islands located in the central Atlantic Ocean, 570 kilometres off the coast of Western Africa...
, where she arrived on 18 November. - Atlantic crossing from Cape Verde to Saint MartinSaint MartinSaint Martin is an island in the northeast Caribbean, approximately east of Puerto Rico. The 87 km2 island is divided roughly 60/40 between France and the Kingdom of the Netherlands ; however, the Dutch side has the larger population. It is one of the smallest sea islands divided between...
—a distance of 2200 nmi (4,074.4 km; 2,531.7 mi)—was started on 2 December and finished when she reached Simpson Bay LagoonSimpson Bay LagoonSimpson Bay Lagoon is a large lagoon in the west of the Caribbean island of Saint Martin. The border between the French and Dutch halves of the island runs across the centre of the lagoon...
on 19 December. Due to calm weather she had to use the engine for two days, to get there in time. - She was a crew member for 10 days on the tall ship Stad AmsterdamStad AmsterdamThe Stad Amsterdam is a three-masted clipper that was built in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, in 2000 at the Damen Oranjewerf....
, departing from St. Martin on 5 January 2011. - After Saint MartinSaint MartinSaint Martin is an island in the northeast Caribbean, approximately east of Puerto Rico. The 87 km2 island is divided roughly 60/40 between France and the Kingdom of the Netherlands ; however, the Dutch side has the larger population. It is one of the smallest sea islands divided between...
, she has visited the islands of Îles des SaintesÎles des SaintesThe Îles des Saintes , also called simply Les Saintes , is a small archipelago of French Antilles located in the South of Basse-Terre Island, on the West of Marie-Galante and in the North of Dominica in the arc of Lesser Antilles...
, DominicaDominicaDominica , officially the Commonwealth of Dominica, is an island nation in the Lesser Antilles region of the Caribbean Sea, south-southeast of Guadeloupe and northwest of Martinique. Its size is and the highest point in the country is Morne Diablotins, which has an elevation of . The Commonwealth...
, Bonaire and San Blas IslandsSan Blas IslandsThe San Blas Islands of Panama is an archipelago comprising approximately 378 islands and cays, of which only 49 are inhabited. They lay off the north coast of the Isthmus, east of the Panama Canal...
, all located in the Caribbean. - From 27 February to 10 March she made a visit to the Netherlands to speak at a boat show and more places. She is a figure of comsiderable media attention in the Netherlands. For example the newspaper site ad.nl has a standing link from the front page to a collection of articles.
- She completed the passage through the Panama CanalPanama CanalThe Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
on 11 April 2011. She visited the Pearl IslandsPearl IslandsThe Pearl Islands are a group of 100 or more islands lying about off the Pacific coast of Panama in the Gulf of Panama.- Islands :...
later. - Dekker crossed the EquatorEquatorAn equator is the intersection of a sphere's surface with the plane perpendicular to the sphere's axis of rotation and containing the sphere's center of mass....
on the evening of 25 April, and reached the Galápagos IslandsGalápagos IslandsThe Galápagos Islands are an archipelago of volcanic islands distributed around the equator in the Pacific Ocean, west of continental Ecuador, of which they are a part.The Galápagos Islands and its surrounding waters form an Ecuadorian province, a national park, and a...
the following day. - Departed the Galápagos Islands on 7 May and arrived at the Marquesas IslandsMarquesas IslandsThe Marquesas Islands enana and Te Fenua `Enata , both meaning "The Land of Men") are a group of volcanic islands in French Polynesia, an overseas collectivity of France in the southern Pacific Ocean. The Marquesas are located at 9° 00S, 139° 30W...
on 25 May, having sailed about 2960 nmi (5,481.9 km; 3,406.3 mi) in 18 days. This was her longest leg so far, open sea only, no islands near the route. - Between 1 June and 8 June, Dekker sailed from Marquesas Islands to TahitiTahitiTahiti is the largest island in the Windward group of French Polynesia, located in the archipelago of the Society Islands in the southern Pacific Ocean. It is the economic, cultural and political centre of French Polynesia. The island was formed from volcanic activity and is high and mountainous...
, a journey of 770 nautical miles (1430 km), a demanding sail for her with shifting winds, many reefs, ships, and little sleep. - Visited MooreaMooreaMoʻorea is a high island in French Polynesia, part of the Society Islands, 17 km northwest of Tahiti. Its position is . Moʻorea means "yellow lizard" in Tahitian...
and Bora-Bora, and then sailed the 1400 nm (2530 km) journey to Vava'uVava'uVavau is an island chain of one large island and 40 smaller ones in Tonga. According to tradition Maui fished both Tongatapu and Vavau but put a little more effort into the former. Vavau rises 204 meters above sea level...
, TongaTongaTonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga , is a state and an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, comprising 176 islands scattered over of ocean in the South Pacific...
in 12 days, where she arrived 8 July. - On 17 July 2011 arrived at SuvaSuvaSuva features a tropical rainforest climate under the Koppen climate classification. The city sees a copious amount of precipitation during the course of the year. Suva averages 3,000 mm of precipitation annually with its driest month, July averaging 125 mm of rain per year. In fact,...
, FijiFijiFiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
after a 4 days sail, and on 30 July to Port VilaPort VilaPort Vila is the capital and largest city of Vanuatu. Situated on the south coast of the island of Efate, in Shefa Province, the city population at last was 29,356, an increase of 55% on the previous census result . This suggests a 2007 population of about 40,000 or around 65% of the province's...
, VanuatuVanuatuVanuatu , officially the Republic of Vanuatu , is an island nation located in the South Pacific Ocean. The archipelago, which is of volcanic origin, is some east of northern Australia, northeast of New Caledonia, west of Fiji, and southeast of the Solomon Islands, near New Guinea.Vanuatu was...
after a 3 days sail. - On 8 August departed from Vanuatu heading for DarwinDarwin, Northern TerritoryDarwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of 127,500, making it by far the largest and most populated city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities...
, AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. After a distance of about 2300 nmi (4,259.6 km; 2,646.8 mi), she arrived in Darwin on 25 August after one of the toughest legs so far which included the passage through Torres StraitTorres StraitThe Torres Strait is a body of water which lies between Australia and the Melanesian island of New Guinea. It is approximately wide at its narrowest extent. To the south is Cape York Peninsula, the northernmost continental extremity of the Australian state of Queensland...
, filled with reefs, islands and large ships. Her father visited her in Darwin, the first time they met since she visited Netherlands in March 2011. Together they carried out a major overhaul on the boat and they celebrated her 16th birthday. - Dekker departed from Darwin on 25 September, heading west. She has here published her blog with about two weeks delay, because of security concerns regarding Indian Ocean pirates.
- She went all the way to DurbanDurbanDurban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...
, South Africa, arriving 12 November, after 47 days at sea non-stop. She has reported wind varying from none to hard wind that often shifted direction, and there was high and sometimes rough waves. The theoretical distance Darwin–Durban is 5540 nmi (10,260.1 km; 6,375.3 mi). - Arrived at Port Elizabeth, South Africa, on 18 November.
- Dekker passed Cape AgulhasCape AgulhasCape Agulhas is a rocky headland in the Western Cape, South Africa. It is the geographic southern tip of Africa and the official dividing point between the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, South Africa, on 26 November. Cape Agulhas is the southernmost point on the African continent. Dekker's circumnavigation also reached its southernmost position at Cape Agulhas. Having made this passage, for the first time since departing from The NetherlandsNetherlandsThe Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
Dekker sailed on a northerly course. - She passed the Cape of Good HopeCape of Good HopeThe Cape of Good Hope is a rocky headland on the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula, South Africa.There is a misconception that the Cape of Good Hope is the southern tip of Africa, because it was once believed to be the dividing point between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. In fact, the...
on 27 November, in really rough weather, and reached Cape TownCape TownCape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
the same day. Her father, journalists and the boats of the Volvo Ocean Race met her there.
Planned route
A plan with 24 stops was published by Laura Dekker before her journey. She has not followed the plan exactly, only approximately, so therefore only a selection of stops is shown here:- GibraltarGibraltarGibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
(originally LisbonLisbonLisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
) - Canary IslandsCanary IslandsThe Canary Islands , also known as the Canaries , is a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara. The Canaries are a Spanish autonomous community and an outermost region of the European Union...
- The CaribbeanCaribbeanThe Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
(about 2600 nautical miles from the Canary Islands; 2200 from Cape Verde where she actually sailed) - Panama CanalPanama CanalThe Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
- Galápagos IslandsGalápagos IslandsThe Galápagos Islands are an archipelago of volcanic islands distributed around the equator in the Pacific Ocean, west of continental Ecuador, of which they are a part.The Galápagos Islands and its surrounding waters form an Ecuadorian province, a national park, and a...
(about 880 nautical miles) - French PolynesiaFrench PolynesiaFrench Polynesia is an overseas country of the French Republic . It is made up of several groups of Polynesian islands, the most famous island being Tahiti in the Society Islands group, which is also the most populous island and the seat of the capital of the territory...
(about 3000 nautical miles (5550 km) to Marquesas IslandsMarquesas IslandsThe Marquesas Islands enana and Te Fenua `Enata , both meaning "The Land of Men") are a group of volcanic islands in French Polynesia, an overseas collectivity of France in the southern Pacific Ocean. The Marquesas are located at 9° 00S, 139° 30W...
) - AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, north coast (about 4300 nautical miles, (8000 km) to Cairns) - SingaporeSingaporeSingapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
(about 2900 nautical miles from Cairns, 1900 from Darwin) - Sri LankaSri LankaSri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
(about 1600 nautical miles from Singapore) - Suez CanalSuez CanalThe Suez Canal , also known by the nickname "The Highway to India", is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Opened in November 1869 after 10 years of construction work, it allows water transportation between Europe and Asia without navigation...
(about 3500 nautical miles) - GibraltarGibraltarGibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
(originally LisbonLisbonLisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
)
She has an alternative plan if the Gulf of Aden
Gulf of Aden
The Gulf of Aden is located in the Arabian Sea between Yemen, on the south coast of the Arabian Peninsula, and Somalia in the Horn of Africa. In the northwest, it connects with the Red Sea through the Bab-el-Mandeb strait, which is about 20 miles wide....
is not considered safe enough, and that is sailing around South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
:
- Mauritus (about 3450 nautical miles from Singapore)
- Cape TownCape TownCape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
(about 2200 nautical miles) - Fernando de NoronhaFernando de NoronhaFernando de Noronha is an archipelago of 21 islands and islets in the Atlantic Ocean, offshore from the Brazilian coast. The main island has an area of and had a population of 3,012 in the year 2010...
(about 4300 n.m.) - Cape VerdeCape VerdeThe Republic of Cape Verde is an island country, spanning an archipelago of 10 islands located in the central Atlantic Ocean, 570 kilometres off the coast of Western Africa...
(about 1800 n.m.), where she would cross her path after a full circumnavigation.
This route has more weather problems.
A NATO representative has warned Dekker and other sailors from trying to pass the Gulf of Aden. NATO generally rejects requests to protect leisure boats from pirates.