Teens are a bundle of never ending energies, bizarre and adventurous ideas. While many fancies for high speed cars and bikes, prom nights, gorgeous and expensive dresses, these teens decided to venture into an unconventional and unknown territory. Taming the unpredictable tides is never going to be a cake walk, but they dared to befriend tides and went out on their own ‘voyage’. We have shortlisted seven such dare devil teens who created a chapter in the annals of sea voyage.
Laura Dekker
She dreamt of sailing around the world at the age of 10. By the time, she was 13, she dared to convert her dreams into reality. Though her initial attempts were put on hold by Dutch authorities due to safety concerns, her spirits never got dented. Laura, aged 16 now, was finally allowed to live her dreams last year under a strict safety and academic guidelines. She covered 27,000 nautical miles in 123 days last Saturday to be ‘unofficially’ regarded as the ‘youngest ever’ to complete a solo trip.
Jessica Watson
18 years old Aussie, Jessica Watson was conferred the title of world’s youngest circumnavigator on May 2010. She is widely acclaimed and credited for sailing sans any break or assistance around the Earth’s Southern part. She returned to Sydney harbor just three days before her 17th birthday. Much like Abby’s, Jessica’s parents were also criticized for letting her sail all alone.
Mike Perham
Teenaged English sailor Mike Perham gained media attention after undertaking a nine month long sea voyage. At the age of 17, he became the youngest person to sail around the world. He covered around 28,000 nautical miles, braving hostile storms. Perham confessed, he found ‘loneliness’ toughest to bear with, when interviewed by ‘BBC’.
Zac Sunderland
California teen Zac Sunderland started off his navigation from his home port at the age of 16. He had some lethal encounters with pirates and wild storms before finally covering 28,000 nautical miles. His 36 foot long boat entered his home harbor after 13 months. Till then, already a record was carved.
Abby Sunderland
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This high spirited teen, then 16, started off from her home port of Marina del Ray, in January 2010. Reportedly, her brother Zac inspired her to create a new record on waves. She headed off to Southern point of Pacific ocean but her attempt got aborted after four and half months, by a series of storms which took a toll on her boat. Though rescued, her family faced the mass’s music over their sanity in letting her go all alone in tides.
Jesse Martin
Martin was 18, when he returned to Melbourne on November 1999, after completing a 11 month long journey on the tides. He was tagged widely as the ‘youngest solo’ teen sailor, who sailed nonstop across the globe. Martin, on course of his journey had close calls with disaster on several occasions when he escaped collision with tanker and sharks.
Tania Aebi
18 year old Tania Aebi found sailing a better and more comfortable option over college. She started from Manhattan’s South Street and covered 27,000 nautical miles, stopped at 23 countries and eventually came back New York in November 1987. Upon returning, she was considered as the first ever youngest person to deal with the tides alone.
