Teen Sailor Abby Sunderland Missing

Hi,

Now there is an idea, get the trawler guys who are en route to pick her up to Jury rig it and send her back the way she came. There must surely be some sort of record for the longest solo run against the Southern Hemisphere winter storms under jury rig for a minor.

I think sending her and her family the bill for the rescue operation would stop any further thought of continuing.

Have to love a generation who, instead of sacrificing for their children, uses them to advance their own egos and finances. "Youngest person to" should not even be considered as a record category or else some selfish fool will cast their 2 year old off to sea or up a mountain. Kids always try to grow up to fast and before their maturity will allow. Parents are supposed to protect them from themselves, and force them to stay kids. Personally, I'm tired of seeing 7 year olds dressed like hookers, and doing stunts that they'll pay for later in life when these parents will be pressing them for support. I second the vote for making the parents pay the cost of the rescue operation, and maybe a bit extra for being selfish and stupid.

NYCAP, I do agree with you in much of what you say......however, trying to stop a 16 year old from doing what they want can be very difficult. OK, you will now say stop the funds, this could be the worst thing to do. They take revenge in the cruelist of ways, ie by doing things that really scare the cr*p out of you.
I do not like the attitude of the parents, having listened to their interview this evening in Aus. The thought that all this effort & dollars & worst of all, risk of life to the rescuers is being spent on a 16y.o is not right. But what will stop this happening is NOT the parents. It is the culture that buys the story, gives the attention and craves any form of media, good or bad.
You cannot shame anyone anymore.
So, adding another rule/law/policeman to the long list of life won't change a thing for these guys, just those who give a dmn.
If her face was not getting published at all, she would stay home, IMO.

Sorry, but a parent's job is to protect their child from society's cravings. That's why we don't pimp out the kids even though it would be great money. This is no less than pimping. Talk with any child star now in their 30's or beyond. Allowing a child to act in the adult world is irresponsible. Even if they end up monetarily rich their lives aren't exactly great. Lindsey, Paris, Tiger, Michael Jackson, Gary Coleman, and those are ones that made it. Any more names needed? Society is just a mob of individuals. Each is responsible for their own. Yes 16 year olds will do everything they can to scare the c--p out of you. That's part of growing up. That doesn't mean that the parents should aid in the effort. These parents have now had 2 wake-up calls. Let them be hurt in the wallet before they get hurt through the permanent loss of their child. This is not what a 16 year old CHILD should be doing. She should be hanging with her friends and fretting over boys,grades, zits and makeup. Take her day sailing or on family sailing vacations. Let her enter local sailing regattas. As K1W1 mentioned, solo sailing is irresponsible and dangerous to innocent mariners because nobody is standing watch for a good portion of the day, not to mention that the only watch keeper is suffering severe fatigue. These parents are as bad as they come. Strip away the fancy veneer and the clean cut image and what you find is neglect and irresponsibility.

I completely disagree with your first point. We raised 2 in a community where their friends had far more than they did and NO is indeed an answer that parents have to give.

Dad, can you buy me a new car? No

Dad, can I go to Atlantic City with Mary and Jane? No

Dad, can you buy me a that pair of jeans for $200? No

Dad, can I sail around the world? NO NO NO

This is about her parents wanting her to do it.

Amen!!!!!! Firstly, I am very happy this child survived her latest brush with death; Having said that, I completely agree with what the Captain has said. This incident was the topic of conversation among my lunchmates, (An 80 year old grandmother and 72 and 63 year old grandfathers), and all agreed that this situation constituted neglect and extreme irresponsibility. I agree with all who have suggested that the parents be presented with the bill for the rescue operation. I quote the Captain from NY because I most closely identify with his post, but appreciated the words of Ken Bracewell, Mark I and others.

"Sailing and life in general is dangerous. Teenagers drive cars. Does that mean teenagers shouldn't drive a car?" Laurence Sunderland told the AP. "I think people who hold that opinion have lost their zeal for life. They're living in a cotton-wool tunnel to make everything safe." her father's words. Someone forgot to tell him that 16 year olds are restricted in their driving privileges although he probably doesn't enforce that either. They will not be charged for the rescue, and if anybody gets hurt in the rescue I guess that's OK too as long as he can maintain his "zeal for life" at his daughter's expense. Let him be shamed. BTW, he "is a shipwright and has a yacht management company" no less.

This is great news about the young lady and her gutsy endeavor. In regards to having her parents pay for her rescue; this topic has come up in other thrillseeker type activities (extreme skiers, mountaineers, etc) that they should have to take out insurance in case of rescue because the taxpayer pays the bill for their endeavor.

But unlike the top of a mountain, millions use the oceans everyday. Why should her parents have to pay the bill when other use the oceans in ways, some could argue, are equally dangerous ways. The Discovery Channel has a show on one of them that I'm sure we've all seen. Unless I'm wrong, and please inform me if I an, Alaskan Fish/Crabmen don't pay additional to the Coast Guard to assist in a rescue. (Disclaimer - I'm not advocating that they should nor am I criticizing what they do - just using it as an example of a dangerous use of the ocean)

My point is that who is going to decide, okay do this activity and you need to pay the cost of the rescue but these others you don't?

A minor is the responsibility of the parent. Besides the peril of the worlds oceans, I (and many others I have spoken with), find it negligent to sent a 16year old girl out alone to possibly encounter pirates, and many other unsavory types on the sea and in port that have no regard for the safety and virtue of a young, unattended, inexperienced female. As a man, I find her father's actions reprehensible and in keeping with neglect for a childs welfare. It was suggested in an earlier post that had she been successful she would have stood out as a poitive American role model. I find this situation to be an embaressment to Americans in general and a sad commentary on the state of too many parents in this country. A Fool should have known better. Just my opinion but I will take it to the grave.

Then how far is acceptable for a 16 year old to be allowed to sail?

Alone? Allowed? Not out of sight and certainly not out of sight of land. The only reason I'd like to see the family charged with the rescue expenses is, not because of the risky adventure, but to knock some sense into them in a language they understand. Of course, that's not the job of the rescue units. So, it's just wishful thinking. For the parents home town citizens and his clients to shun him would certainly be appropriate. Would you do business with someone who drives drunk with his children in his car or who lets his child carry a handgun or let's and encourages his kids do drugs? Would you want someone this irresponsible with his own children caring for your yacht? Especially someone in this field should understand the dangers involved. This one didn't even understand enough to know that the southern ocean is not a place to sail in winter. This fool needs to get far, far away from the boating world. Maybe shoe salesman would be a better job choice (sorry shoe salespeople).

records

This is a fad, like the youngest to fly solo across the USA a few years back, which ended on it's own. Now its sailing around the world.

16 year old girl sailing Solo around the world...in southern oceans during wintertime....something is wrong with this picture. I sailed many years out of San Francisco, took excellent classes at the local Sailing Club in Berkeley, ran into all kinds of wonderful people that would simply not go out in certain times of the year because its stupid to take unnecessary risk.
This sailing plan is full of holes...something is amiss.

Agree, good sense and Seamanship with common sense should prevail.

Agree again, finally we have good sailors and no fluff on this board:

The Rules of the Road regarding look-outs are out there not only to avoid collision at sea, but also to spot emergency signals from vessels in distress.
Any solo sailor should read that one again and put an anchor down after 20 or 30 hours.

All these self proclaimed hero's like Dodge Morgan and other solo-studs writing books about their accomplisments are nothing but insecure idiots in my book.

Wanna sail around the world?
Get a good boat and a good crew, no problem but don't put my life in danger to run the small ***** ego-trip solo voyage.

SAFE and on board the French fishing vessel.

Hi,

A trawler ( or any vessel subject to Flag State and Class rules) down in those latitudes at this time of year no doubt has a RIB or Inflatable as it's Rescue Boat. Whether or not the crew have actually practised launching and retrieving in rough conditions which make most of them resemble a pendulum swinging back and forth often hitting the ships side on the way is another matter altogether.

Whilst it is good news that everyone is on vessels that can make way safely, it doesn't remove the question as to the sanity of sending the girl out there in the first place.

The father appeared on the news this morning still defending his position despite almost losing his daughter (and putting others at risk) while his son and pregnant wife sat along side. I hope the sailing organizations in San Diego discuss his imprudence with him and recommend a different line of work before he sets his new baby off while still in diapers for the record or otherwise continues to make sailboaters appear irresponsible. Personally, I wouldn't want him teaching my children anything much less sailing.

Hi,

I wonder if the Australian Taxpayer has been so keen to contribute to this rescue as the rescued one seems to have a strong link to the worlds largest island - I think her Father is or was one by Birth.

I got the following text off an Austtralian Govt Website @ The rescue, coordinated by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority’s Rescue Coordination Centre – Australia (RCC Australia), was conducted with the support of a Global Express aircraft which provided top cover during the transfer

I wonder who fronted for that type of A/C to run down there and circle around while the xfer took place?

Better tell some old age pensioners who are freezing this winter that the subsidy money for their heating has been spent on heating the atmosphere via the exhaust of two big planes running around the roaring 40's.

Some years ago I had to make a substantial voyage deviation on a large cruise ship to assist in the rescue of a solo yachtsman. When I arrived on scene the I found the yacht to be de-masted and the yachtsman had suffered a back injury. However the yachtsman, despite initiating a distress call, refused to be rescued as I was unable to also rescue his yacht. The result of this situation was a significant financial cost to the shipping company, a delayed arrival of 12 hours with consequential inconvenience to over a thousand guests. Of course the yachtsman bore no responsibility for this & was probably blissfully unaware. (Note: he safely limped into port eventually with a jury rig).

Responding to a distress call is a strict obligation written into SOLAS Ch. V "The master of a ship at sea which is in a position to be able to provide assistance, on receiving information from any source that persons are in distress at sea, is bound to proceed with all speed to their assistance ... ". Note: It is not a reasonable excuse that your vessel is a great distance from the distress or there is a large economic impact.

This is one of the many reasons I am utterly opposed to solo yacht races.

This latest incident with the 16 year old girl is a particularly bad example. However whether it be the failed Abbey Sunderland or the winning Ellen MaCarthur, (to give just one example), the principle remains the same that long distance solo yacht racing is indefensible.