The 14-year-old solo sailor, Laura Dekker, has finally been granted permission by the Dutch authorities to set sail around the world on her Jeanneau Gin-fizz ketch, Guppy.

She wrote on her blog:

For the past few days we were extremely busy working on the boat. We are working on the very last things to prepare “Guppy” for her and of course my great journey.

Jeugdzorg – part of the Dutch youth welfare department – asked the Court in Middelburg to cancel the supervision order put in place in October last year.

But a separate part of the department, the Kinderbescherming, insisted that for mental reasons the 14-year-old wouldn’t be able to survive the journey.

Dekker wrote: ‘This is so odd because in the past year I had to take a psychological examination which came to the conclusion that I am able to survive. I´m one year older now but no longer able to survive?

She plans to spend two years sailing around the globe.

Keep up with the journey at www.lauradekker.nl