‘Mummy, can I sail around the world? By myself?’

Laura Dekker got into some trouble with her first solo crossing from the Netherlands to England in a sailboat in 2009.

It wasn’t the strong currents or heavy shipping traffic, but social services.

When she steered her 7-metre cruiser into Lowestoft, port authorities called her father and told him to come and get her, because she was just 13. When he said, ‘Nah, she’ll be fine,’ she was put into care.

Finally, he came to ‘spring’ her, saying he’d fly her home. But he didn’t. He took her back to her boat and waved her off before heading to the airport by himself.

Back home, Dutch authorities made her a ward of the courts because they’d caught wind of her plan to sail solo around the world.

She bided her time, and when court supervision ended in July 2010, she set sail from Gibraltar, aged 14.

518 days later, she sailed safely back into harbour, having circumnavigated the globe.

By herself.

When I’m in danger of pigeon-holing people and defining their limits, I try and remember Laura Dekker.

The authorities were convinced she couldn’t sail long distances safely, alone, but having been born on a boat, she knew she could.

Don’t underestimate your delegatees!