How young is too young?

[echoes]

Originally Posted by GratefulCitizen

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.

Agree 110%!!!!!!!!!!

The above written words are exactly what I thought first thing when reading about this! I mean, WTF?

When a Job is to be done, a person must train, train, train...then train some more. When a Round-the-world SOLO sail is to be made, would not the same rules apply??? IMVHO, TRAINING takes time, right? Proper training takes even more time, and well, this little girl is lucky, IMVHO. And am glad she is okay.

Hope she now becomes aware that pleasing dad and mom, by risking her own life for an Un-Neccessary purpose , is not worth it.

Just my .00002

Holly

[sf11b_p]

Originally Posted by Pete

So you're OK with the 13 year old giving it a go?

Abby Sunderland isn't a 13 year old.

What I'm ok with is competence and demonstrated ability. There seems to be some of that in this family. The father is a ship builder who learned sailing from his family in the UK, and his continued sailing since. Seems he has some measure of experience sailing having learned from an early age from his family.

The Sunderland family in fact has spent some years sailing and living on water, from the U.S. to Australia. Her brother made the sail solo at seventeen. Seems he was also home schooled to a level ahead of his peers and kept up with his studies during his voyage.

True there are families who send their kids out the door with no preparation. There are others who spend time teaching their kids skills, test their awareness and competence and then gradually allow them bigger challenges. The Sunderland parents read like the latter.

Here's some sage thinking from an individual commenting on Abby.

I took my own 12 year-old son on a sailing voyage that lasted almost six years — but my wife and I were with him.

First I don't see the comparison, but he was comfortable with the chance of his 12 year old son drowning at sea, since mom and dad would be there too.

From what I can find Abby was prepared and equipped and the planning was done in detail. The Sunderlands, from what I've read, prepared their kids for life better than most parents prepare their kids for a walk to school or trip to the mall.

So I'm good with Jessica Watson, Zac Sunderland, Mike Perham, David Dicks and Jesse Martin having made the trip.

By the way, here's some response to Jessica Watson at the completion of her sail.

After she wobbled onto dry land at the Sydney Opera House, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd told her she was "Australia's newest hero." Other teenagers might think twice before disagreeing with their country's leader on national television. Not Jessica.

"I'm actually going to disagree with what our prime minister has just said," she told the crowd cheering her return. "I don't consider myself a hero. I'm an ordinary girl who believed in a dream. You don't have to be someone special or anything special to achieve something amazing. You've just got to have a dream, believe in it, and work hard."

The premier of New South Wales state, Kristina Keneally, told her she had inspired the nation.

“You have reminded us in a spectacular way that life itself is a risk, and those who don’t risk never win,” said Ms. Keneally.

[Buffalobob]

I worry about my son going to war and he is 21. What makes it worse is that I know what war is. These people are sailors and they know the dangers for a expert sailor and yet they send an untested, unproven child out alone in equipment that has proven to be not up to the ordeal. The operative word is child and it appears that they were just hoping for "good luck" instead of normal weather. As I understand it, the weather she encountered was not really abnormally bad weather for that region. They further cast aside all personal responsibility by saying it was her choice.

If I understand the situation correctly their son who is older once held the title of youngest but then last year lost the title to another person. The family has now sent the daughter to regain the title. It is all in the mind of the parents and they are the ones activity's pushing their children into an extremely risky stunt.

[echoes]

Originally Posted by sf11b_p

From what I can find Abby was prepared and equipped and the planning was done in detail. The Sunderlands, from what I've read, prepared their kids for life better than most parents prepare their kids for a walk to school or trip to the mall.

Excuse me for saying this sir, but at 16 years old, how prepared could she be? The Sunderlands need an ego check, IMHO. And they need to listen to folks outside of their, "circle," of friends who probobly promoted this at Their insistence. I say this b/c folks like these need outside approval from friends first, then once they have that, all is golden. Their own daughter disappears, and in that place becomes a twisted sense of prestige, IMHO.

Holly

[echoes]

Originally Posted by NORMAL550GIRL

I sure wouldn't have let my 16 year old do what this girl attempted - with any amount of training. I don't think training can make up for immaturity. Even a16 year old who is mature for her age is still less mature than a 20 year old.

From my own personal experience, (navigating different shark infested waters,) it all comes down to training, training, and more training!

(ANd looking back now, I see that as a neccessity!)

When a 16 yeras old girl or guy wants to please, they feed on and build on accolades from those in authority. In all honesty, this is a little girl, who like some of us at that age, wanted approval.

Bottom line, the parents better have drank their cup of STFU, otherwise, guarantee it, this poor child will be back at her attempt in no time flat.
Holly

[GratefulCitizen]

Originally Posted by afchic

But if we chained them in their rooms until the magical age of 18, or 21 or 25 (whatever societal norms of the times dictate) they would never become responsible adults who will be able to mentor and raise the next generation.

Concur.

There are no guarantees; "control" is illusory and counterproductive.
Children have to learn the action/consequence relationship.

That being said, there is a big difference between "letting go" and "enabling".
Enabling is just another method of control.

It seems the parents of this girl did a great deal of enabling to promote their own agenda.

Somewhere between too strict and too permissive is the ever-moving target.
Regardless, the opposite of dysfunctional is dysfunctional.

[TOMAHAWK9521]

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.

[Longstreet]

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.

Robitussin is what I prefer before walking it off. My students know it by name. "Less cuss'in, more Tuss'in!"

jaYson

[levinj]

I've sailed all my life, and had done a fair amount of offshore sailing by the time I was sixteen. My father and grandfather were both excellent sailors, and my brother is a downright prodigy. I learned from the best.

Would I consider myself ready, at sixteen, to circumnavigate the globe? Hell no. Certainly not in anything less than the massive ships the professional racers use when attempting it - and I doubt her parents were able to afford anything quite that seaworthy.

I'm with everyone else. What were they *thinking*?

[Richard]

...enabling risky behavior in order to enjoy vicarious fame and accomplishment.

And along those lines of risky behaviors, fame, etc... ...

WARNING: Video will probably raise blood pressure.

I'd rather take my chances alone on a boat in the IO.

Richard

Woman Striving To Be World's Heaviest
Reuters, 9 June 2010

A New Jersey woman is waging a campaign to become the world's heaviest living woman, admitting that she is as hungry for attention as she is for calorie-rich food.

Oddly Enough

Donna Simpson, 42, weighs more than 600 pounds (272 kg) and aims to reach 1,000 pounds (455 kg).

The mother of two children, ages 3 and 14, models on a website called supersizedbombshells.com, where admirers and the curious can pay to watch videos of her eating greasy foods or walking to the car.

She has appeared in television interviews and said she welcomes media coverage.

A Guinness World Records spokeswoman said Simpson has submitted a claim for the title of world's heaviest woman to give birth, a claim that is being reviewed.

(cont'd) http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6584WO20100609

[LarryW]

NORMAL550GIRL, or, maybe she could be the first whale to sail solo around the world ... on a Twinkie. Ah, 600lbs...what an image!

Originally Posted by NORMAL550GIRL

Woman Striving To Be World's Heaviest
Reuters, 9 June 2010

A New Jersey woman is waging a campaign to become the world's heaviest living woman, admitting that she is as hungry for attention as she is for calorie-rich food.

__________________



Oh DEAR GOD!!!

Good for her maybe she'll be the world's heaviest woman to have her kids taken away by protective services when she has a coronary in her bathtub.

I guess we can add this onto the list of why people hate NJ.

[sf11b_p]

Originally Posted by echoes

Excuse me for saying this sir, but at 16 years old, how prepared could she be?

First I have no personal experience of having met her or her family, or special knowledge outside what I can find on the internet. What do you know of Abby, Zac or the father Laurence.

Second how prepared can an individual be for any task. How much training do they receive over how much time, and what is the quality and intensity of the training. What is the quality and dedication of the individual receiving the training.

Your belief is at 16 she's a child too inexperienced and unprepared for this now. But in four months and a few days the country is good for her to enlist, receive a few months training and step into a hostile and deadly environment in a time of war.

Whats the experience requirement for a teen going into an urban assault firefight, vehicle ambush. What's the life preparation for that.

Their parents foolish neglectful, criminal.

[Green Light]

Originally Posted by sf11b_p

Whats the experience requirement for a teen going into an urban assault firefight, vehicle ambush. What's the life preparation for that.

I thought it was called BCT and AIT. Along with an older, wiser squad leader and platoon sergeant to give on the scene guidance. It's also why there's no one man patrols. Works pretty well.

[mojaveman]

Originally Posted by Broadsword2004

As a sidenote question, but what is the point of sailing anyway? Why not just use a motor on the boat?

Better yet, why not just hire a crew of illegal immigrant day laborers to row for you?