Update on Laura Dekker

This is great news. I had mentioned Laura Dekker in relation to the furor over solo sailor Jessica Watson, namely that certain moral conservatives (ie, Michael Carr-Gregg) had argued that Jessica was too young and should be prevented from making her attempt. Jessica proved them to be the idiots they are by succeeding brilliantly and becoming a national hero and Young Australian of the Year.

Laura has had her own battles and like Jessica has proved her critics wrong. She has announced that she is about to successfully complete her solo voyage, becoming the youngest person to circumnavigate the world. Congratulations Laura!

On her blog she uses the occasion to attack her critics.

As a 13 year old girl, it was never my intention to be the center of world news. From the moment my plans became public, Youth Care and other government organizations tried to stop me. During the first court case, in August 2009, (even before Youth Care had ever seen me, or had spoken to me…), they asked the Judge to take me away from my father and to lock me up in a secure clinic! By doing this they tried to stop me from sailing. Another five court cases followed and another five times Youth Care asked the judge to lock me up. I only wanted to go sailing! Fortunately the judge never honored this terrible request. Over a period of 11 months, I was constantly afraid that Youth Care would lock me up. Also during this period, there were intimidating interviews with Youth Care workers. It was all a frightening and traumatic experience. So often these terrible memories come to me. I can’t ignore them. It is painful. Now, after sailing around the world, with difficult port approaches, storms, dangerous reefs, and the full responsibility of keeping myself and Guppy safe, I feel that the nightmares the Dutch government organizations put me through, were totally unfair. I think that the nightmares will follow me for the rest of my life… At sea, I feel comfortable and I come to rest. I especially enjoy the long passages over the Indian and Atlantic Ocean. I hear now that the Dutch government organizations have started causing problems again. I am seriously thinking about not returning to the Netherlands. (Entry 18/1/12)