How young is too young?

**Pete** · 06-10-2010, 14:00

How young is too young?

We've had this discussion before on the one that made it. I hope this one is found.

"Abby Sunderland Feared Lost at Sea"

"Crew Receives Repeated Distress Signals, Loses Contact With 16-Year-Old Attempting Circumnavigation"

http://abcnews.go.com/2020/abby-sund...ry?id=10877108

"....... Guinness World Records says it will no longer recognize "youngest ever" sailing records, because they are so risky. But still-younger sailors are hoping to get their yo-ho-ho on.

A Dutch family court barred 13-year-old Laura Dekker from raising her mainsail alone. But she may finally get her chance later this year.

Her quest completed after 210 days at sea, Jessica Watson pulled into Sydney Harbor early this spring to a huge welcome -- and a classic sailor's response............."

mark46th · 06-10-2010, 14:30

I live out in California and used to work in Marina Del Rey, her home port. Quite a bit was made about this be cause she is so young. Her parents should be jailed...

sf11b_p · 06-10-2010, 14:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by mark46th

I live out in California and used to work in Marina Del Rey, her home port. Quite a bit was made about this be cause she is so young. Her parents should be jailed...

Bullshit.

Utah Bob · 06-10-2010, 14:54

I think her parents made a foolish decision to let her do this. To what end? Just so she could claim a record?
Foolish.

Red Flag 1 · 06-10-2010, 16:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by mark46th

I live out in California and used to work in Marina Del Rey, her home port. Quite a bit was made about this be cause she is so young. Her parents should be jailed...

Can not agree more!!

I have sailed West from Dana Point in the mid 80's many times. I never sailed alone, and filed a sail plan with my family each time. There is no way I would ever have put my daughter/son on a boat alone with any degree of comfort. If my son or daughter just had to go, I would have gone as well; to do otherwise would criminal in my mind. My prime concern would be that my son/daughter would not have the experience/sea time to know when he/she was in trouble, let alone how to deal with the trouble.

There are young sailors that have been trained to deal with the challenges at sea. What I do not know is how well this 16 y/o sailor has been trained. It is possible that this young sailor has been well trained, I still would have gone with her.

My $.02

RF 1

greenberetTFS · 06-10-2010, 16:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by Red Flag 1

Can not agree more!!

I have sailed West from Dana Point in the mid 80's many times. I never sailed alone, and filed a sail plan with my family each time. There is no way I would ever have put my daughter/son on a boat alone with any degree of comfort. If my son or daughter just had to go, I would have gone as well; to do otherwise would criminal in my mind. My prime concern would be that my son/daughter would not have the experience/sea time to know when he/she was in trouble, let alone how to deal with the trouble.

There are young sailors that have been trained to deal with the challenges at sea. What I do not know is how well this 16 y/o sailor has been trained. It is possible that this young sailor has been well trained, I still would have gone with her.

My $.02

RF 1

I concur with RF 1 completely........

Big Teddy

PSM · 06-10-2010, 17:15

Sailing solo also adds a severe fatigue factor.

Pat

Gypsy · 06-10-2010, 18:07

What parent allows their child to go into potentially dangerous situations? Alone?

I'm just saying.

She is WAY too young for this kind of thing.

Richard · 06-10-2010, 18:31

MOO - their call (parents + girl) - their having to live with the outcome.

However - YMMV - and so it goes...

Richard's $.02

Green Light · 06-10-2010, 19:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by Richard

MOO - their call (parents + girl) - their having to live with the outcome.

However - YMMV - and so it goes...

Richard's $.02

Very true. But a parent's first job is to get the child safely to 18 years of age. After that, it's the offspring's call. IMO this is an epic fail for the parents.

That said, I hope she's found OK.

Penn · 06-10-2010, 19:52

Single parenthood taught me many things, and I needed allies, but not at the expense of "Oh, sure you can get the "motorcycle"... or....Oh, of course you can have a sleep over at your boyfriend parents house....NO, I was an asshole. If they were not at the house they were to be at, and I called, guess who showed up knocking on the door....A sail in the bay with life jackets and under the watchful eye of ten yacht club sailors, Maybe!!!
The parents are responsible for her welfare up to the point she is self-efficient; 18 I'm not convinced that 18 years of age equates with the ability to discriminate outcomes.

**Peregrino** · 06-10-2010, 20:09

Another victim of California Kulture. "No limits" isn't the same as "no consequences".

abc_123 · 06-10-2010, 20:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by sf11b_p

Bullshit.

Ok. What specifically is bullshit?

My positon is that the parents failed. My guess is that the price is that their child will die a totally unnecessary and lonely death far from soild ground let alone the companionship of another human being. They caved in to the desires of their CHILD and in some way their own desires to see her gain success and notoriety. THere were warnings about her timeline and the fact that she would be in the Indian Ocean during winter.... but no worries...right?

NO should be a regular part of every good parents vocabulary. My kids have a lot of freedom, yet I use it quite frequently. THe fact that my kids friends think of me as an a**hole and ask them how they can live with me is something that lets me know that I'm on track.

I don't know if the parent's should be jailed.. but regardless I'm sure that the fact that their daughter is likely to have suffered a terrifying and lonely death because of their failure to say NO will weigh on their mind.

Now they may go on TV and put on brave faces and talk about how their daughter died doing what made her happy and all sorts of other horseshit... but after thre cameras stop rolling they will have to go back home and look themselves in the mirror.

Very sad and unnecessary.

my $0.02

Green Light · 06-10-2010, 20:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by Penn

I'm not convinced that 18 years of age equates with the ability to discriminate outcomes.

I didn't say they'd make good decisions at that point.

I'm a father of three. One of them is 21 and his ability to make good decisions that bring desired outcomes is still "iffy." I let him make the mistakes and point out the consequences when they come around. He quit his job a couple of months ago without something waiting for him. He soon found out that no job means no money.

Fortunately, he doesn't do anything fatally or legally stupid. He's coming around, tho. He has a roof over his head, but mom and dad aren't subsidizing him past that. He's taking his college boards on Saturday. He's tired of being poor and out of gas.

Some lessons take longer than others.

But I hear you on watching the kids like a hawk. My wife and I both play the jerk. Our "No's" are pretty much in concert. I won't have my younger kids out there doing things that they can't handle. That means that you have to piss them off. I've gotten pretty good at it.

GratefulCitizen · 06-10-2010, 21:31

If she had held a job, supported herself, and had enough left over to buy her own boat and finance her own trip, then she would have demonstrated enough maturity for such an undertaking.

Otherwise, the parents are just enabling risky behavior in order to enjoy vicarious fame and accomplishment.