However you feel about this girl's capabilities, I heard a caller on a radio show today reiterate what his brother in the USCG said, "No matter how sharp you think your are, or more specifically or how well this girl was 'trained' by her parents, the ocean is the last place you want to go "play in", especially by yourself. That demonstrates a complete lack of respect for the ocean."
I mean, maybe she is a quit-witted, bad-ass of a 16-year old. But what could she possibly have over centuries of competent sailors who have died on ships with full crews? Technology? We all know how Uncle Murphy likes to tag along for the ride. Seems he was hanging out in the crows' nest for this journey and took hold of the wheel at just that opportune time.
Also, I mentioned in another thread about entering the food chain when you leave safe and comfy civilization and go bumbling out into the wilderness. Going out onto the ocean solo magnifies that at least by 10-fold. Make it an imature age/life experience level and it goes up to 100-fold.
As for protective parents, I'm the 11th of 12 kids. Dad was a Major in SF and Mom a 1LT in the Nurses Corps. By the time I came along, if I got banged up or what not, mom just kinda looked at me, threw back a shot, and told me to rub some dirt on it and walk it off.
