Parents, would you allow your 16-yr old daughter to...

[kenny]

. . . sail the entire world alone?

This girl was doing it but now she''s lost at sea.

CNN story

 

[redfaerythinker]

No... I would not. I think that it was incredibly stupid of them to let her do that.

 

[Mara]

oh hell no.

seriously!

 

[RaiKai]

Date: 6/10/2010 4:11:12 PM
Author: redfaerythinker
No... I would not. I think that it was incredibly stupid of them to let her do that.

I am NOT a parent, but no, I would not. While I do not think I will prevent my child from taking ANY risks (I have been involved in some risky ventures in my own life!), there are some that are too great. And one of them is this. She may have been "experienced" however she was still 16 and to sail around the world also takes certain maturity...and plain LUCK.

I remember when this first flared up, I had a feeling she would disappear. Maybe I watch too many of those documentaries about people who do these sorts of things and go missing. Or maybe it was just a gut feeling. And while I wish that had been wrong, now she has.

While I feel for her parents (and family), I also feel a bit of anger that they seemed quite assured they were aware of the risks a few months ago and felt it was important that their daughter do it anyway, and now expect others to put their OWN lives at risk for the rescue operations. I can't say in that situation I would want differently....but that is just my initial reaction.

I hope she is found alive and well.

 

[iheartscience]

I just saw that-so scary! I don't know, if it was my kid's dream to do something like that and I felt she (or he) was prepared for it, I'd probably let them. My parents let me and my twin sis go to Europe for 2 months by ourselves when we were 17. We had the time of our lives and it really helped us both grow. I know that's less dangerous than sailing around the world, but it was still really hard for my mom to let us go! My dad was all about it but he's a lot more adventurous than my mom.

 

[Kaleigh]

No way. That''s crazy.

I pray they find her and soon!!!!!

 

[Smurfysmiles]

Ditto that I would let her if she was well trained. There are many 16 year olds out there that can do stuff I could never dream of and I''m 25.

 

[TravelingGal]

Date: 6/10/2010 4:16:00 PM
Author: thing2of2
I just saw that-so scary! I don''t know, if it was my kid''s dream to do something like that and I felt she (or he) was prepared for it, I''d probably let them. My parents let me and my twin sis go to Europe for 2 months by ourselves when we were 17. We had the time of our lives and it really helped us both grow. I know that''s less dangerous than sailing around the world, but it was still really hard for my mom to let us go! My dad was all about it but he''s a lot more adventurous than my mom.

I would let my daughter do what your parents did. I think that''s sort of a rite of passage for many late high schoolers. It''s stuff they should be going through (although I''d prefer my daughter go post college or during college). I want my kid to enjoy typical high school things...going abroad (that''s why they have those exchange programs after all), prom, sports, studying, whatever. Going around the world at 16, while admirable in its desire, is just not something I think a 16 year old needs to be doing.

 

[ksinger]

My husband is a serious sailor with over 20 years of experience sailing and racing both inland inland and offshore, and he thinks it''s the dumbest thing ever, to let a kid do that.

I hope they find her.

 

[ksinger]

Date: 6/10/2010 4:15:56 PM
Author: RaiKai

Date: 6/10/2010 4:11:12 PM
Author: redfaerythinker
No... I would not. I think that it was incredibly stupid of them to let her do that.

I am NOT a parent, but no, I would not. While I do not think I will prevent my child from taking ANY risks (I have been involved in some risky ventures in my own life!), there are some that are too great. And one of them is this. She may have been ''experienced'' however she was still 16 and to sail around the world also takes certain maturity...and plain LUCK.

I remember when this first flared up, I had a feeling she would disappear. Maybe I watch too many of those documentaries about people who do these sorts of things and go missing. Or maybe it was just a gut feeling. And while I wish that had been wrong, now she has.

While I feel for her parents (and family), I also feel a bit of anger that they seemed quite assured they were aware of the risks a few months ago and felt it was important that their daughter do it anyway, and now expect others to put their OWN lives at risk for the rescue operations. I can''t say in that situation I would want differently....but that is just my initial reaction.

I hope she is found alive and well.

Yeah, that irks me too.

 

[kenny]

EEK!!!

Here is a partial snip from her parent's blog:

thursday, june 10, 2010

Update on Abby
We spoke with Abby early this morning and learned that she had had a very rough day with winds up to 60 knots and seas 20-25 feet.
She had been knocked down several times but was handling things well.
The wind had subsided to around 35 knots which she and Wild Eyes [her 40' sailboat] are quite comfortable with.

We were helping her troubleshoot her engine that she was trying to start to charge her systems.
Satellite phone reception was patchy.
She was able to get the water out of the engine and start her up.

We were waiting to hear back from her when American Search & Rescue authorities called to report having received a signal from her emergency beacon (EPIRB).
We initially thought that the signal was sent automatically from her water-activated EPIRB and that it had been activated during one of her knockdowns.
As we pulled the paperwork from her EPIRB registration, we learned that the signal had come from her manually activated EPIRB.

We were referred to Australian Search & Rescue and while we were on the phone with them another signal came in from her handheld PLB (Personal Locator Beacon).
Her water-activated EPIRB has not been activated so we are hopeful that the boat is still upright.

END SNIP

Read more on their Blog

 

[yssie]

IMO that situation is the story of a trio of fools - parents and child.


Traveling abroad, especially with a sibling, is so very different.

 

[princesss]

No way.

 

[Kaleigh]

My kids have traveled in Europe, that''s a lot different than sailing the globe all by yourself...



The sea is very unforgiving even for the most experienced sailors. Her strength to manage the sails under high winds, rain and torrential downpours??
She''s 16, how strong could she be?


On the other hand my parents let my brother move to NYC when he was 16!!!! I was like are you kidding me?? I can''t fathom that now. But that''s what happened, he moved with $200 in his pocket.

 

[ksinger]

Hubs said he''s been on lake Michigan - with a CREW - at 35-40 knots, and 18 footers, and he said that absolutely nasty. Sixty knots and 25 footers are like dropping a car on the boat, which is almost not enough boat for those seas. He also says that a 40 footer is at the edge of being unsailable by a single person. It is very dependent on technology and when that technology fails, you''re back to being a single person on a 40 foot boat. He also says she is probably sleep and food deprived right now, and may very well be in the middle of a complete mental breakdown. There was a documented case of a fully grown woman doing a transatlantic, and she filmed the whole thing. She had a fully documented mental breakdown on the trip.

Those parents are likely the type who truly think that if they spend enough money that nothing can REALLY happen. Idiots.

 

[RaiKai]

Date: 6/10/2010 4:48:36 PM
Author: ksinger
Hubs said he's been on lake Michigan - with a CREW - at 35-40 knots, and 18 footers, and he said that absolutely nasty. Sixty knots and 25 footers are like dropping a car on the boat, which is almost not enough boat for those seas. He also says that a 40 footer is at the edge of being unsailable by a single person. It is very dependent on technology and when that technology fails, you're back to being a single person on a 40 foot boat. He also says she is probably sleep and food deprived right now, and may very well be in the middle of a complete mental breakdown. There was a documented case of a fully grown woman doing a transatlantic, and she filmed the whole thing. She had a fully documented mental breakdown on the trip.


Those parents are likely the type who truly think that if they spend enough money that nothing can REALLY happen. Idiots.

Very good points. And that fully grown woman was one who had maturity on top of the experience and it still happened.

Sleep deprivation (dehydration, hunger, etc) can turn one quite "mentally unbalanced" and if there is no one there to support them through it...who knows what can happen.

They can not only fail to make good decisions, they can make some very irrational ones (like jumping over and trying to swim for shore), have hallucinations, and so on. And if there is no one else there WITH you to support you, calm you, and handle you in the way that needs to be done then who knows what happens. I have known a couple people to be admitted to a psych ward for serious sleep deprivation due to the way they acted out.

All in all, it sounds like she is not in a good situation.

A totally different situation than just traveling abroad. I did plenty of that too as a teen and so on.

 

[Kaleigh]

Date: 6/10/2010 4:48:36 PM
Author: ksinger
Hubs said he's been on lake Michigan - with a CREW - at 35-40 knots, and 18 footers, and he said that absolutely nasty. Sixty knots and 25 footers are like dropping a car on the boat, which is almost not enough boat for those seas. He also says that a 40 footer is at the edge of being unsailable by a single person. It is very dependent on technology and when that technology fails, you're back to being a single person on a 40 foot boat. He also says she is probably sleep and food deprived right now, and may very well be in the middle of a complete mental breakdown. There was a documented case of a fully grown woman doing a transatlantic, and she filmed the whole thing. She had a fully documented mental breakdown on the trip.

Those parents are likely the type who truly think that if they spend enough money that nothing can REALLY happen. Idiots.

See?? This says it all.

Remember how I got injured on one of the America Cup Sail boats last summer. A lovely breezy cruise..?? It was being run by a captian and many crew.. Well that boat went on it's keel, that's why I slipped and cracked 6 ribs...

That boat was going so fast, I was holding onto dear life at a 90 degree angle... I was looking at the captian like really??


It will be a year this August 15th, and NO. I am never ever going on a sail boat again.

 

[luv2sparkle]

So very very sad. I am sure they regret their ''confidence'' now. Although, I would never personally allow or fund my kids to do anything alone, that risky, it is a hard balancing act to encourage kids to shoot for their
dreams and protect their safety. That would be way over the top for me. My heart aches for them and their daughter. Hopefully, she will be found alive.

 

[iheartscience]

Date: 6/10/2010 5:05:14 PM
Author: luv2sparkle
So very very sad. I am sure they regret their ''confidence'' now. Although, I would never personally allow or fund my kids to do anything alone, that risky, it is a hard balancing act to encourage kids to shoot for their dreams and protect their safety. That would be way over the top for me. My heart aches for them and their daughter. Hopefully, she will be found alive.

Yeah I''m sure this is where they were coming from. Plus her brother completed it successfully so I bet they were pretty confident. I hope they find her alive.

 

[E B]

Absolutely not.

I hope she''s found (alive).

 

[Dreamer_D]

I cannot believe parents would be such fools.

Travelling in Europe is one thing -- good lord it is on land and there are people all around! But alone ina boat aorund the world?

At 16 you cannot separate a child''s aspirations from their parents readily, nor do I think a 16 year old is equipped to make that choice. The parents should be ashamed of themselves for letting their daughter do this before she is emotionally ready.

I hope she survives.

 

[Dreamer_D]

Date: 6/10/2010 4:48:36 PM
Author: ksinger
Hubs said he''s been on lake Michigan - with a CREW - at 35-40 knots, and 18 footers, and he said that absolutely nasty. Sixty knots and 25 footers are like dropping a car on the boat, which is almost not enough boat for those seas. He also says that a 40 footer is at the edge of being unsailable by a single person. It is very dependent on technology and when that technology fails, you''re back to being a single person on a 40 foot boat. He also says she is probably sleep and food deprived right now, and may very well be in the middle of a complete mental breakdown. There was a documented case of a fully grown woman doing a transatlantic, and she filmed the whole thing. She had a fully documented mental breakdown on the trip.

Those parents are likely the type who truly think that if they spend enough money that nothing can REALLY happen. Idiots.

Or they think that every desire of the child should be fulfilled so that her spririt is not stifled. Equally dumb.

 

[Asu]

Maybe I remember wrong,but wasn''t this girl the one who two years ago tried to get the permission of the minor court to do this trip because her parents won''t let her?I remember hearing about this on tv.

 

[honey22]

Date: 6/10/2010 4:24:45 PM
Author: Smurfyimproved
Ditto that I would let her if she was well trained. There are many 16 year olds out there that can do stuff I could never dream of and I''m 25.

Depends on the situation. Did you guys see the Aussie Jessica Watson make it around the world? She was only 16. I think the natural reaction would be to say no way, but some teenagers are clearly up for the challenge ie. Jessica.

 

[yssie]

Re. Jessica Watson -

Really? Just because some get lucky doesn't make it any less idiotic a venture to begin with. IMHO.




ETA: honey I recognize that your post is meant to state the 'other side' of the argument. My statement is not directed at you specifically.

 

[RaiKai]

Date: 6/10/2010 5:15:17 PM
Author: dreamer_d

Date: 6/10/2010 4:48:36 PM

Author: ksinger

Hubs said he''s been on lake Michigan - with a CREW - at 35-40 knots, and 18 footers, and he said that absolutely nasty. Sixty knots and 25 footers are like dropping a car on the boat, which is almost not enough boat for those seas. He also says that a 40 footer is at the edge of being unsailable by a single person. It is very dependent on technology and when that technology fails, you''re back to being a single person on a 40 foot boat. He also says she is probably sleep and food deprived right now, and may very well be in the middle of a complete mental breakdown. There was a documented case of a fully grown woman doing a transatlantic, and she filmed the whole thing. She had a fully documented mental breakdown on the trip.


Those parents are likely the type who truly think that if they spend enough money that nothing can REALLY happen. Idiots.

Or they think that every desire of the child should be fulfilled so that her spririt is not stifled. Equally dumb.

But, but, but, it was her dream since she was 13 and she started single-handing to one day sail solo around the world (this is according to her blog).

I missed the part where "one day" meant "three years from then" though.

 

[RaiKai]

Date: 6/10/2010 5:30:18 PM
Author: yssie

Date: 6/10/2010 5:28:16 PM

Author: honey22

Date: 6/10/2010 4:24:45 PM

Author: Smurfyimproved

Ditto that I would let her if she was well trained. There are many 16 year olds out there that can do stuff I could never dream of and I''m 25.

Depends on the situation. Did you guys see the Aussie Jessica Watson make it around the world? She was only 16. I think the natural reaction would be to say no way, but some teenagers are clearly up for the challenge ie. Jessica.

Really? Just because some get lucky doesn''t make it any less idiotic a venture to begin with. IMHO.

Ditto this.

 

[kenny]

The Los Angeles Times has 18 pictures of her and the boat. Link

SNIP:

[Her father] Sunderland, 46, a shipwright and lifelong sailor, and his wife ignore the criticism but understand the risks that Abby, 16, faces in attempting to sail nonstop and unassisted around the world.
"I do grapple with it," he said.
"But she's ready for it from the standpoint of sailing ability, and emotionally I believe she's ready to tackle this head-on."

 

[April20]

I''m not a parent, but heck no! I''m not even comfortable with an adult doing it alone. Too risky for unnecessary gain in my opinion.

 

[kama_s]

Uhhh...I wouldn''t be comfortable if an adult did that, let alone a chld.