Laura Dekker Nears End of Sail Around the World
Dutch sailor Laura Dekker is on the last leg of her solo mission to sail around the world, calling it a dream come true.
Laura Dekker, 16, started her trip around the world in 2010 when she set sail from the Caribbean island of St. Maarten, according to the Huffington Post.
Dekker is currently around Cape Town, South Africa and will be arriving at a port in Philisburg at the end of January, according to her lawyer, Peter de Lange.
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During a satellite interview with a Belgian radio station, Friday, Dekker said that the trip was a "dream come true."
A Dutch court originally blocked her expedition due to lack of a bigger, sturdier boat than the one she originally planned to use. They required her to use advanced navigation and radar equipment, enroll in a special correspondence school and take courses in first aid and coping with sleep deprivation, according to The Springfield Sun.
Just two years prior to Dekker's journey, Abby Sunderland, a 16-year-old American, had to be rescued from a remote section of the Indian Ocean during a similar attempt. Australian sailor, Jessica Watson completed a 210-day solo voyage at the same age.
Dekker, who is more than 500 days deep into her circumnavigation trip, won't be recognized by Guinness World Records for any new records. The record keepers have decided to no longer recognize records for "youngest" sailors to avoid encouraging dangerous attempts, according to The Springfield Sun.
She has also taken time to rest, make repairs to her boat and catch-up on her studies.
According to Dekker's lawyer, Peter de Lange, she was faced with controversy during her voyage. Towards the end of the voyage, there was a conflict with the Dutch school system over approval of the young lady's trip.
A Dutch newspaper reported that truancy officers issued Dekker's father a summons to appear in court after it was reported that she wasn't giving her studies full attention. Her father refused to show up in court and child protective services were notified, which angered the family.
DeLange said it was a misunderstanding and the incident has blown over, but joked that Dutch authorities may not think so, according to the Huffington Post.
"Who knows, maybe they'll be waiting for her with handcuffs at the finish line," DeLange said.
Dekker said that she plans to return to school once the voyage is over and is considering moving to New Zealand.
