California teen sails around the world

By Scott Thompson
CNN
(CNN) - A Southern California teenager has serious bragging rights: After docking back in his home state late Thursday morning, Zac Sunderland, 17, can claim to be the youngest person to sail around the world alone.

Sunderland was greeted with thunderous applause and congratulations as he arrived at Marina del Rey in his 36-foot sailboat.

"It's kind of crazy to have it done now because, I mean, for the past year I've been just fighting for the next ocean, fighting to get back. And now I'm back so it's amazing," he said.

The teen admitted the 27,500-mile voyage wasn't easy. He told CNN in a one-on-one interview that pirates off the coast of Indonesia gave him quite a scare.

"(I) had a boat circle in and ended up calling in the coast watch and they chased them off but, yeah, (I) lucked out there! About an hour and a half of hell."

Severe storms also were a problem, he said.

Sunderland's personal Web site says he bought the boat, Intrepid, with his own money. His parents had hoped he would find something that would spark a fire in him, a passion that would direct him away from all the negative and harmful influences that are so prevalent in society, but even they were stunned by the scope of his dreams and desires, it says.

He left Marina del Rey on June 14, 2008.