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Dekker and Socrates Keep on Truckin’

Laura Dekker really seems to feel at home on the sea, but a challenging Atlantic crossing is still in front of her.

Guppy
© Latitude 38 Media, LLC

Dutch teen Laura Dekker, 14, finally left the Canary Islands last Wednesday aboard her 37-ft Jeanneau Gin Fizz Guppy on the next leg of her attempt to become the world’s youngest solo circumnavigator. Dekker had spent nearly three months months exploring the Canaries while waiting for the end of hurricane season before leaving for the Cape Verde Islands off the west coast of Africa. She arrived safely on Tuesday, about a week later.

Her website and blog give only the barest hint of her proposed route and schedule — which is probably wise, considering how quickly plans can change at sea — but it appears she’ll explore the Verdes some before crossing the Atlantic. One disturbing part of her planned route will take her directly through the Gulf of Aden, otherwise known as ‘Pirate Alley’. Given the fact that piracy has grown to epidemic proportions in the area — and that pirates are just as happy targeting small yachts as big commercial vessels — we certainly hope Laura and her team have an appropriate plan in place.

After a very slow start, Jeanne has picked up speed and is chugging right along.

© 2010 Jeanne Socrates

Meanwhile, Jeanne Socrates, 68, is flying right along in her effort to become the oldest woman to solo circumnavigate nonstop, as well as the first woman to do the voyage from the West Coast of North America (she left Victoria, B.C. on October 25). "We’re about 1,500-1,600 due west of the Gulf of Tehuantepec," Socrates noted in her latest report. "Being a La Niña year, the ITCZ, which we’re heading to, isn’t as bad as usual. It’s around 10ºN, so hopefully we should be through by Sunday." Jeanne has seen little ugly weather to date, but she has been battling some autopilot issues, which she hopes to sort out in the next day or so.

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