Would you sail around the world in this boat? I would.

Joe

Joe

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Jun 1, 2004
8,161
Catalina 27 Mission Bay, San Diego
After a long time away, I recently dropped by solo circumnavigator Laura Dekker's blog. Let's see... she got married in 2015, she's traveled all over the world presenting seminars and supporting a number of causes, she worked for an adventure diving company, makes deliveries, has a Yachtmaster Ocean certificate, and more... oh... she'll be 22 soon.. so she's moving on to a more ambitious project (her new adventure)... which is prompting her to sell her beloved Guppy, a 37 foot Jenneau Gin Fizz ... to raise money for a larger, commercially oriented vessel. Her comments on her ideal boat for the new project are interesting also.

Please understand that this is NOT and advertisement for the sale of Guppy. What I thought would be interesting for some of you newer sailors (older ones too), is to take a look at the boat pictures and features on her blog, and perhaps take a look at the listing linked there for more insight. This boat was modified some for long distance cruising and she has lived on it most of the time.... Your comments on the rig, the safety features, tankage, etc, etc....are welcomed, I think it'll be very educational. Click on the picture to see more about this interesting boat.
 
justsomeguy

justsomeguy

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Feb 20, 2011
8,048
Island Packet 35 Tucson, AZ/San Carlos, MX
She's got an Autoprop, plus another folding prop? That would be for the second engine, I suppose.

image.png


Seems like a fine boat, but I prefer a gin and tonic.
 
Joe

Joe

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Jun 1, 2004
8,161
Catalina 27 Mission Bay, San Diego
One obvious thing about this boat, and many other blue water types in this size range.... all lines are not lead aft.
 
capta

capta

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Jun 4, 2009
4,905
Pearson 530 Admiralty Bay, Bequia SVG
Folks have sailed around the world on everything from home designed backyard built boats to Wharram cats, which are held together with lashings. That certainly doesn't make them the right boat for the job.
Just because it can be done doesn't mean that it should be done.
 
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AlastairLC

AlastairLC

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Jan 2, 2017
765
O'Day & Islander 322 & 37 Scottsdale, AZ & Owls Head, ME
It should be understood that when she "sailed" around the world at age 16, she went through the Panama and Suez canals. Still an accomplishment but...
I tend to agree with the Netherlands authorities who tried to stop her from doing this. It could have ended very badly.
-Alastair.
 
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J

JohnShannon

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Jan 4, 2010
1,037
Farr 30 San Francisco
Movie about her, think it is called Maiden Voyage or something like that. She sailed The Netherlands to UK at 13 by herself.
 
capta

capta

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Jun 4, 2009
4,905
Pearson 530 Admiralty Bay, Bequia SVG
AlastairLC said:
I tend to agree with the Netherlands authorities who tried to stop her from doing this. It could have ended very badly.-Alastair.
Click to expand
I can't agree that a government had any business sticking it's nose into this. It is a parental/family decision, period. As for it turning out badly, it's a lot more dangerous for a teen in society today, than at sea.
 
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AlastairLC

AlastairLC

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Jan 2, 2017
765
O'Day & Islander 322 & 37 Scottsdale, AZ & Owls Head, ME
It is the responsibility of government to prevent parents from endangering the lives of their children, which I believe her father was doing in this case.
 
frankies56

frankies56

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Mar 5, 2012
152
Hunter 37-cutter Saint Augustine
weather your 14 years old or 80 years old no one should snip your wings. and that,s what matters. life is what happen while your planing it.so go live your life. look out for that car theirs a 20 year old texting.
 
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jon hansen

jon hansen

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May 25, 2012
4,338
john alden caravelle 42 sturgeon bay, wis
my great grandfather was issued his unlimited masters license for sailing vessels at age seventeen here in the us by the federal gov. sailed wooden schooners up here on the lakes. no engine, no electronics. captain alexander laurie.
his father built the boat.

she , laura, was raised on a boat.

from age 7 on my daughter handled the wheel and throttle for ALL docking on my old alden on all our summer cruises. my son and i manned the lines and fenders. by twelve she was helming the a scow. it was funny, she was too short to see so she straddled the cockpit seats to drive then would jump down to shift the throttle then jump back up to drive. drove the old starchy wana bees nuts.

its all how you raise them.

she , laura, was plenty old enough and had the training.
 
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Joe

Joe

.
Jun 1, 2004
8,161
Catalina 27 Mission Bay, San Diego
AlastairLC said:
It is the responsibility of government to prevent parents from endangering the lives of their children, which I believe her father was doing in this case.
Click to expand
I was hoping this thread would be about boats... btw... "Maiden Voyage" was Tania Aebi's book about her circumnavigation in the early 90's in a Contessa 26... a must read for any sailor.
 
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Brian Schwerdt

Brian Schwerdt

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Sep 29, 2008
93
Oday 22 Oneida Lake, Syracuse, NY
Joe said:
One obvious thing about this boat, and many other blue water types in this size range.... all lines are not lead aft.
Click to expand
Interesting observation. Why is that? I would have thought you'd want them all led aft for long-distance cruising. Is the concern over fowling the lines as they criss-cross the deck?
 
redhead78

redhead78

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Dec 30, 2009
680
jeanneau 38 gin fizz sloop Summer- Keyport Yacht Club, Raritan Bay, NJ, Winter Viking Marina Verplanck, NY
My 2 cents, our children are in more danger when they walk out the door and get into a car, and that's just one small way to buy the farm on land. I think she was safer in the boat. BTW, if you check my avatar my boat happens to be same thing, only a 1977, and a sloop not a catch. Had it over 20 years very solid boat, like any boat has its plus and minuses. my biggest bitch is no port windows and only 2 hatches. Red..
 
Scott T-Bird

Scott T-Bird

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Oct 26, 2008
6,240
Catalina 320 Barnegat, NJ
Joe said:
I was hoping this thread would be about boats... btw... "Maiden Voyage" was Tania Aebi's book about her circumnavigation in the early 90's in a Contessa 26... a must read for any sailor.
Click to expand
Yes, she also lived in Vernon, NJ in the mountains before she lived in NYC during high school years. From a chaotic family, her father thought her lifestyle in NYC as a teenager was far more dangerous than a solo-sail around the world in a 26' boat, so he challenged her to do it. She left Sandy Hook, NJ bound for Bermuda without any instrumentation except a radio and a sextant (which she didn't fully know how to use). Somehow, she made it to Bermuda and the rest is history. Talk about starting out with a bucket of luck! She soon gained the experience to offset the luck.
Joe, lots of lines on that mast. I think a boat rigged with soooooo many lines simply can't have them all led back to the cockpit!
 
Joe

Joe

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Jun 1, 2004
8,161
Catalina 27 Mission Bay, San Diego
Brian Schwerdt said:
Interesting observation. Why is that? I would have thought you'd want them all led aft for long-distance cruising. Is the concern over fowling the lines as they criss-cross the deck?
Click to expand
On small boats that may be an advantage... on the larger cruising boats I've seen, it doesn't seem to be that important. Much less friction with fewer turning blocks, I guess.

Scott, not trying to be picky... but it was a Radio direction finder on Tania's boat... navigating the same way aircraft did. Tania was not a novice to sailing... her father took the family across the atlantic when he bought a boat and sailed it home from the med. According to her, though, she was not that attentive.
 
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K

kampuniform

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Jan 20, 2017
78
Yamaha 33 Vancouver
capta said:
I can't agree that a government had any business sticking it's nose into this. It is a parental/family decision, period. As for it turning out badly, it's a lot more dangerous for a teen in society today, than at sea.
Click to expand
More dangerous in society than at sea...

Can you support your claim with some hard evidence, as the counter argument is intuitive, and probably leaden with evidence.
 
capta

capta

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Jun 4, 2009
4,905
Pearson 530 Admiralty Bay, Bequia SVG
kampuniform said:
More dangerous in society than at sea...

Can you support your claim with some hard evidence, as the counter argument is intuitive, and probably leaden with evidence.
Click to expand
Naw, I don't think so. If you don't see it, nothing I can say will change your mind.
 
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