Movie: Maidentrip

Documentary about Laura Dekker, a 14-year old Dutch girl who sailed around the world solo, the youngest ever to do that.

She would have done it at thirteen, but the Dutch courts fought a year-long battle to have her declared insane. She won that fight too.

Turns out she was born during a seven-year round-the-world sail by her parents, and just always felt more comfortable at sea than on land.  She'd been sailing all her life.  Her father told her to get some open ocean experience by sailing solo from Netherlands to England.  He thought this would discourage her, as the sea is notoriously treacherous on this voyage.  Instead she had the time of her life.

In fact, during the documentary (which she shot almost entirely herself, on board) she complains of boredom when the sea is flat.  During a really hairy storm, with waves crashing up over the bow, she's giddy with excitement (even took the time to film it!) and exclaims how much fun she's having.

She worries about getting seasickness when she steps on land again.

I hope the child knows more about sailing than she does about seasickness.

She seems pretty confident. She did the Cape of Good Hope during one of the century's worst storms -- in a 38-foot sloop!

Her parents should be prosecuted for child abuse.

They're circumnavigators themselves. They encouraged her.

And from the documentary it's pretty evident nobody tells Laura Dekker what to do.