Laura Dekker, the 14-year-old girl who wants to sail solo around the world, was planning to buy a boat on the Caribbean island of St Maarten, according to various media reports on Wednesday. Laura was found on the island on Sunday after running away from home last week.

‘She [Laura] went to buy a boat that needed to be done up and was planning to sail in it. She took a large sum of money with her from Holland to do this,’ the girl’s lawyer Peter de Lange told reporters on Wednesday afternoon after a court hearing to decide whether Laura can continue to live with her father or should be put into care.
Laura was made a ward of court earlier this year after her plans to sail solo around the world were made public. The story has evoked media interest from around the world.
The youth services responsible for Laura have asked the court for the girl to be put into care. A decision on where she is to live is expected at 6pm on Wednesday.
According to De Lange, a request by Laura’s mother for her daughter to live with her has been turned down (her parents are divorced).