My parents weren’t thrilled with the idea, but they knew I’d do it anyway

I was born during my parents’ sea voyage around the world, and always wanted to make the trip myself. They divorced when I was six, and I grew up living with my dad in the shipyard in the Netherlands where he worked.

I started planning my trip around the world at the age of eight after reading the American sailor Tania Aebi’s memoir, Maiden Voyage. I began saving and sailing as much as possible to make that dream a reality. I was a confident sailor: at 13, I crossed the Channel solo. I didn’t tell my parents before I left; I didn’t think they’d say yes.