THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) - Thirteen-year-old Laura Dekker wants to become the youngest person to sail solo around the world, and her parents think that's a great idea.

But the Dutch Council for Child Protection is so concerned about the dangers of the marathon voyage it has asked a court to grant it temporary custody of Laura so it can do what her parents refuse to: Halt the trip.

"Laura has divorced parents and it is very normal for a child of this age to be very loyal to the parent (he or she) is living with," Child Protection spokesman Richard Bakker told The Associated Press on Tuesday. "How much does she identify herself with her father, who is a good sailor?"

In an editorial Tuesday, the Dutch daily De Volkskrant warned that the young sailor was unwittingly putting herself in significant danger.

"She simply does not have the experience to anticipate the problems and possible crises that await her," the paper wrote.

What do you think?  Can a child of 13 have the experience to accomplish such a feat?  I know at 13 I was not equipped to handle this.  She must be an amazing kid to be attempting a circumnavigation!

A recent Boat US newsletter reported:

While access issues are complex and usually very local problems that deal with private property, there is at least one potential solution at the federal level, The Keep Our Waterfronts Working Act introduced in Congress, July 2007. This bill (H.R. 3223) sponsored by Maine Rep. Thomas Allen, is aimed at preserving sites for “waterfront dependent commercial activities”.

H.R. 3223 would establish a grant program to be administered by state agencies to protect and promote access. Language in the bill incorporates key elements from strategy to preserve access developed by participants at Working Waterways and Waterfronts, a national symposium conceived by BoatU.S. and cosponsored by 23 other organizations last May (see “Access Summit Shares Solutions,” BoatU.S. Magazine, July 2007). Rep. Allen's bill is particularly timely in that it would amend the federal Coastal Zone Management Act, now up for Congressional reauthorization.

Boaters should write to their own members of Congress and ask them to cosponsor H.R. 3223.

Please ask your elected federal representatives to co-sponsor H.R., 3223. It is common-sense legislation.

It's easy to contact your local representatives. You don't even have to live near the coast to write! Click on the links below now.

Click here for bill text.

Click here for a sample email letter.

Click here to easily send an email to your Members of Congress.

I have lived my life for the moment and this just reaffirms this. Go out spend time with your loved ones, buy that boat and learn to sail, take that trip, do that one thing you've always wanted to do. Here's to you Joe Valley, happy sailing.

For 34 years the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has exempted discharges from recreational boats from the Clean Water Act permit system. Regretfully, a recent court ruling cancelled this permit exemption. EPA is required by the court decision to develop and implement by September 30, 2008 a national permit system for ALL vessels in the United States for a variety of normal operational discharges.

We have been working behind the scenes with other boating organizations to get the exemption reinstated for recreational boats. Fortunately, the Recreational Boating Act of 2007 (H.R. 2550) has been introduced by Representatives Gene Taylor (D-Miss) and Candice Miller (R-Mich) which would protect recreational boats from being swept into this unnecessary and expensive permitting system.

It is critically important that H.R. 2550 be passed and your support is essential. Please contact your Congressman and Senators TODAY and ask that they co-sponsor or support H.R. 2550.

If the permit system becomes a reality, you will be required to pay for a state permit for each of your boats. EPA will be monitoring your deck runoff, grey water, bilge water, engine cooling water, and the use of copper bottom paints.

The original lawsuit that led to this court decision sought to address ballast water discharges from large ocean-going ships, which can introduce damaging aquatic invasive species into U.S. waters. Keeping our waterways clean and preventing the spread of invasive species is of utmost importance to the future of boating. But taking a complex permitting system designed for industrial dischargers and applying it to recreational boats will not yield significant environmental benefits and it will come at a very high cost. Requiring recreational boaters to purchase a permit would not prevent the spread of invasive species.

BoatUS has been a leader in educating boaters about Clean Boating practices for more than a decade. Our nonprofit Foundation has funded local education projects on invasive species prevention, helped develop voluntary Clean Marina programs, and authored much of the country's Clean Boating outreach. These positive education efforts are making a difference.

Please ask your elected federal representatives to support H.R. 2550. It is common-sense legislation. As you send your emails to your Members of Congress, please copy BoatUS at GovtAffairs@BoatUS.com . We’d also like to ask you to send a copy of your correspondence to the EPA, so they can see how this will affect citizens. However, please know that if you choose to send it to EPA, it will become a part of the public record. EPA’s email is ow-docket@epa.gov, and your email needs to have a subject line with Docket ID No. OW-2007-0483.

For More Information:

Click here for Frequently Asked Questions

Click here for a sample email letter

Click here to easily send an email to your Members of Congress.
Forward this Action Alert to your friends, your fishing and boat club, your
marina neighbors, and your local press!

Thank you for your help.

Sincerely,

Margaret Podlich

BoatUS Government Affairs
GovtAffairs@BoatUS.com <mailto:GovtAffairs@BoatUS.com>
703-461-2864 or 703-461-2878 x8363

Staying at hotels is an easy way of recreation. In this regard the best deal is that of new york hotels. Although the san francisco hotel is also great, as well as the orlando hotel, the luxury is incomparable.

Sailors practice “hyperboating”. While “your mileage may vary”, for me a tank of diesel fuel typically lasts a whole summer of day sailing. Departing or entering the marina, occasional lulls in the wind, or getting out of a tight spot quickly, are the few times that operating the engine are necessary. It can be very peaceful with no engine running. Just the quiet hum of the shrouds as the wind propels you forward. This is green boating at its best.

While pump prices are averaging $3.20 a gallon this week, dockside you can certainly add a $1.00 to this price. A weekend outing in a comparable sized boat to my 30’ sailboat can easily exceed several hundred dollars and go over a thousand depending on the size and number of engines.

It will be interesting to see how continued pressure at the pump affects recreational boating. Will there be a shift towards more conservative sized boats? Will boating only be for the wealthy? Will interest in sailing increase? I welcome your comments.