Comments on: Mike Perham

By: nathanleefloats

nathanleefloats — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 07:56:15 +0000

Teenage girls can do lots of things I can’t, and there are many many many better sailors then myself out there, but thankfully, I don’t do it for Kudos, I do it for myself, and it’s irrelevant who has done it before me.

By: Yacht Ninky

Yacht Ninky — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 15:35:59 +0000

and another inspirational young female..this time planning to do a nonstop. i wonder if there is an element of blokes feeling their challenge is a little undermined if a teenage girl can do it?

http://www.youngestround.com/

By: Yacht Ninky

Yacht Ninky — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 15:31:26 +0000

here’s laura’s website. personally if i were a teenager again i’d find her much more of an inspiration than high school musical wannabees etc.

http://www.lauradekker.nl/English/About_Laura.html

By: Yacht Ninky

Yacht Ninky — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 15:23:24 +0000

i think she should do it. i wonder if the reason some are so against it is not so much concern about her well-being but a sneaky little bit of annoyance that she is clearly a much more capable and accomplished sailor that many of us. she’s already crossed oceans solo. unlike ellen or dee she is not putting herself under any time contraints and she is not attempting to do it non stop.

it is impressive when someone of tender years can do something really accomplished. like that teenage olympic diver. personally i also find it impressive when someone old manages to do a challenge too. if this was someone in their 80s or 90s i’d find it just as praiseworthy.

one think i particularly disliked about the worries over the 13 year old girl were the concerns about how she might be “attacked” at port. the people statistically most likely to be attacked (ok not sexually, but knifed etc) are teenaged boys and yet no one attempts to curtail their freedoms to roam and be where they like.

By: Will

Will — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 17:39:01 +0000

I’m not sure I see where the idea that she’s got a “press a button” mentality comes from.

Even if everything you’ve said is right though, maybe it is too young… maybe she wouldn’t be able to cope… but why is it anyone else’s business or anyone else’s right to say whether she goes or not than her and her parents?

Personally I think it’s a bloody crazy idea, though I admire her courage, ability and determination… but considering the plan (2 years as opposed to 6 months or so) – via both canals and no great capes – waiting for weather windows… it seems like a MUCH more sensible trip than people have been making out.

It’s a big undertaking, but not the same kind of extreme sailing you’d find in a non-stop solo via the capes – crazy, yea. But I see no reason she should be stopped.

By: Ocean Escape

Ocean Escape — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 13:01:49 +0000

Coincidentally, I’ve just this moment replied to a friend about this, who emailed me a news article (like, as if I hadn’t heard). Here’s part of my reply, which sums up my feelings on the matter…

Thirteen is too young – don’t care how long she’s been sailing. If she sets off and all goes well then she’ll be OK, but it’s mental attitude that counts when you’re on your own and something goes wrong. Can’t see any thirteen year old being resourceful enough to be able to cope if it goes tits up. Having a ‘press a button and help will come’ mentality is dangerous when you’re thousands of miles from land.

By: Will

Will — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 21:33:22 +0000

I dunno…
…even Holland has gone WAY down the pan on the government-busybody front recently.

I wonder, how much do these shrinks know about sailing?

There’s another huge problem though, and it’s not that she’s been stopped, but that someone who has NO right to interfere in the matter is taking the decision away from the only people that DO have that right.

Government has no business protecting people from themselves. That’s one of the great things about sailing in the UK, thus far we’ve managed to get the interfering busybodies that ruin everything else good and decent have left us the hell alone.

Whatever her motivation and preparedness I find it sickening that anyone (and in this case not even someone democratically elected – for what difference that would make – i.e. none) other than her and her parents feel they have any right to give or deny permission.

It’s the very definition of illiberal and should be frowned on by all and sundry.

As for expertise in understanding teens, “poppycock”… Firstly no 2 people think alike so the concept of an expert in that case is flawed to begin with… Secondly this is clearly an exceptional girl (she was sitting in a library in Lowestoft after sailing from Holland and would have sailed back again if the same race of busybodies (this time English ones) hadn’t jumped in and ruined things.

She’s so obviously more mature and capable than some people as much as 10 years her senior that she’s probably a lit like the really bright, different kids that get pumped full of RITALIN by exactly these kinds of child “experts”.

Grr…
I’m going out to calm down – all this is starting to wind me up – nothing personal mind, just the whole subject. It just seems so obviously wrong.

By: Ken

Ken — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 17:16:56 +0000

Actually I think it’s a good decision (characteristically, very civilised people IMO) by the Dutch court. An uninvolved person/s with expertise in undertsnding teenagers is going to make an assessment of Laura’s motivation, preparedness and understanding of what she is setting out to do, and could well recommend that she should be permitted to carry on. Good call I think.

By: Will

Will — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 16:32:15 +0000

Well I just saw the news…
…the Dutch child protection agency has got part custody and is blocking the trip.

The more I’ve thought about it today the more wrong it seems for them to get involved and now I’m really quite annoyed about that. Hearing what she’s said in articles like this one make it seem even more inappropriate for anyone to stop her. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8226196.stm

Especially considering she was planning to make the whole trip by port-hopping to avoid the really bad weather.

Gah!

Poor kid.

By: Will

Will — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 10:19:25 +0000

OK… one last post!

The “World’s Worst Mom” has a blog and I just went to see if she’d mentioned the whole Laura Dekker thing… she has… and is completely in favour of the state stepping in and stopping her going.

I’m actually inclined to disagree with her on this one – even though I agree with her on just about everything else she has to say about kids.

http://freerangekids.wordpress.com/2009/08/27/weighing-in-on-the-13-year-old-wants-to-sail-solo-round-the-world/

Back to work!