Solo sailing across the Indian Ocean by young yachtswoman Laura Dekker

Solo sailing across the Indian Ocean by young yachtswoman Laura Dekker

The Dutch authorities opposed all of her plans due to her age. In December 2009, Dekker violated a court order and went into hiding in the Dutch Antilles, from where she was brought back home. The English sailing community was shocked by the arrival on the east coast of a 14-year-old Dutch woman, who single-handedly operated a small yacht that she bought with borrowed funds. In July 2010, a Dutch court lifted the restrictions on Laura Dekker. Her father declared his confidence in his daughter's abilities, and she made her journey alone. One year and five months later, Laura became the youngest solo circumnavigation of the world at the age of 16.

This excerpt from her book One Girl One Dream describes part of her 6,000-mile journey from Australia to South Africa. Her story is filled with youthful excitement and passion, and those who feel a certain lethargy towards life should read it right now.

Day 15 - October 10

Finally, at least some wind, but the outside is so dark and gray that it seems that clouds will envelop the boat at any moment. 4 meter swell, and squall after squall for the last two weeks. The wind changes every hour, which requires regular sails and course adjustments.

I dive into a book to forget about everything, but every time I get up, I see dark clouds, rain and a little wind. During my trek from the Galapagos Islands to the Marquesas Islands, I walked 2,600 miles, although in reality the path covers only 1,500 miles. This part of the ocean has done me no service, and I will be glad to leave it behind.

Guppy walks at three knots and bounces like a useless rubber duck on a high wave. At the top of the waves, I have an endless view of the endless gray sea, which is replaced by fine rain on the horizon. I have to accept this because I cannot change it and everything has to get better.

Solo sailing across the Indian Ocean by young yachtswoman Laura Dekker

Day 16

During the day's breaks, several squalls pass by, forcing the wind to overtake first from the back, and then directly in the forehead, just to give me problems. High waves and crisscrossing seas are not very fun ...

The Guppy is swinging very hard and the sails are flapping in all directions, but as soon as the squall disappears on the horizon, I can feel it - WIND! Great wind. Guppy flies forward and reaches real speed for the first time since Darwin. Everything is going well and the boat bounces on the waves at seven knots like a young colt and looks like she is enjoying the wind just like her skipper.

Taking a look at the solar panels, I see that there is work to be done. I clean them over and over as they seem to have become a favorite spot for all feathered friends. Not good, and I'm angry about the wasted energy that I need so badly. There was almost no sun, the Guppy batteries did not charge optimally, which means that I can use my radar and my favorite SSB radio is very limited because they need a lot of electricity. It's a shame, because my SSB offers me some entertainment other than looking at the gray sea and sky.

By the evening my mood improves when the weather begins to gradually clear up. I am proud of my Guppy when I watch her cut the waves beautifully. We have walked so many miles and experienced so much together. I remember my first transitions, many years ago, in my little 7m Guppy. At ten years old, I did not know what lay ahead of me, but that did not prevent me from taking a step into the unknown.

Solo sailing across the Indian Ocean by young yachtswoman Laura Dekker

After the first plunge into the depths of the unknown, many more attempts followed, but I never regretted my decisions. I'm glad my father gave me the freedom to discover life on my own, but never before have I been so confident that I can handle the situations that I will have to face.

This journey has already taught me a lot. When I left the Netherlands, I had no idea who I wanted to become in the future, like any other teenager, but now I have a lot of plans. I want to go to New Zealand, finish my studies there, and then achieve something in sailing. But above all, I really got to know myself.

I deliberately faced the fear of the unknown, faced myself and conquered anxiety and loneliness. I have become stronger mentally and I feel at the top of the world. I know that I will get to South Africa with experience, crossing 6,000 miles of the Indian Ocean.

Day 17

Today birds do not bother, and there are no squalls, but the wind is strong and there is something to strive for! It's still cloudy, but the sun breaks through from time to time, and that cheers me up.

The sheets are still rubbing against the spinnaker poles and I come up with a new solution. Something like a safety rope. I make a short loop at the tip on the genoa and attach a spinnaker pole to it. This device will probably explode too, but it's not that bad. While it holds up, I'm already thinking about other options - duct tape, rescue tape and patches. But in theory it should work.

Before I had time to notice that a massive wave was coming, it breaks over the cockpit and penetrates me to the bone, making me even more salty. When I go downstairs to change into dry clothes, I feel Guppy balancing on the peak of the wave, and before I can figure out what is happening, I’m already thrown around the cabin with the rest of my belongings. Once again, everything in Guppiland is back to normal ... Welcome back, wind!

Solo sailing across the Indian Ocean by young yachtswoman Laura Dekker

Day 18

Meanwhile, the wind has become too harsh ... Braids of white foam fly over the water, and the waves rise menacingly. Unlike the Pacific Ocean, the waves are steep and high with swells that come in the opposite direction from the wind. Guppy blows forward at eight knots as massive waves wash over the deck.

The companionway must remain closed and when I look outside I see walls of water chasing the previous ones. But Guppy does a good job of it. I am proud of her and know that she will continue to rumble over the waves until the sea calms down. I just need to follow. I have been at sea for 18 days and this is my longest trip in terms of time. And I'm not even halfway there yet.

Sitting at the chart table, one foot on the cabin steps and the other resting firmly against the cabin wall, I turn on the receiver. Guppy occasionally picks up waves in excess of 10 knots and sways dangerously from side to side.

I have to put the sails away, put a second reef in the mainsail and maybe set the staysail before nightfall, because otherwise it’s just too dangerous. I'm busy thinking about all this when I get a call. I talk for a few minutes when Guppy starts walking faster and faster. A huge breaker crashes into us from the side, grabbing Guppy up a mountain of white foam, and throwing him down with all his might.

Looking through the plexiglass door, I see the sea lapping in the cockpit. Still holding the microphone in one hand, I, hanging horizontally to the companionway, stare in shock at the approaching wave.

Slowly, Guppy manages to cope on her own as I explore the chaos inside and the water that slowly rushes out of the cockpit. “I, I, we… Guppy just got knocked down,” I stutter into the radio. "I'll call you back in half an hour." I turn off the receiver, instantly switch and wait for the right moment to step out on deck.

Almost everything in the cockpit was swept away. The bimini has been completely flattened on one side, and I stand knee-deep in the water in the cockpit. I take the rest of the genoa, which is still tied to the spinnaker boom. When the water flies over me, I scold myself, I insert the second reef into the grotto. This is what I should have done a few hours ago.

In half an hour everything will be under control again. It seems that this did not do much harm to the mast and armament. Cold and soaked to the bone, I return to my radio buddy Henk, who is also at sea, and explain what happened. Guppy is now more stable when she walks slower and I feel more comfortable facing the night.

Solo sailing across the Indian Ocean by young yachtswoman Laura Dekker

We chat about life on board. What is so easy to do at home is a real challenge on board. Just going to the toilet is an important task, and you have to wedge yourself into a certain position if suddenly an unexpected wave throws you across the boat.

But what needs to be done has to be done! This includes eating liquid food that flies around the cabin the moment you release it, and you also lose things that you left on the deck. Taking the reefs on time but not too early, or if Guppy becomes a toy for the waves, is all part of life on board.

Guppy seems to be on the roller coaster all night. I can hear the breakers rise in the dark, but I can only see them when they hit with all their might. The cockpit is regularly underwater. All hatches must remain tightly closed, which makes the boat very stuffy inside. I am impressed by the waves here. They are not only huge, but they are especially cool. Every big breaker could knock a boat down, but she does a good job of it and walks at seven knots on a small piece of sail.

Solo sailing across the Indian Ocean by young yachtswoman Laura Dekker

Day 19

It is already brightening when the wind begins to calm down a little. By noon, it is only 25 knots and the waves are getting longer. The Buruns disappeared. I shake out the reef and unfold part of the genoa. The situation is improving and I suddenly feel exhausted. I did not sleep all night. But we have made good progress over the past few days.

Day 20

The wind has completely died, and again a gray and wet day. I can't even remember the last time I saw the sun. Everything is timeless here. If I hadn't kept a diary every day, I would have completely lost my sense of time.

What does it matter if you are at sea for 20 or 25 days? There is a big difference between one and five days, though. I am still very tired, miss the sun and sometimes feel like running. At the same time, I am very happy here on the boat, on the waves that have now calmed down. There are times when I want to be on land, but on land I always want to be at sea more. The sea is pulling me forward, and my curiosity is in anticipation of what is beyond the horizon.

25.08.2017