Liveaboard Family Looking for a Miracle

[smackdaddy]

Originally Posted by chall03

...but for the record Australia is a friggin long way to row on a piece of foam.....

Easy mate, you'll have every pre-pubescent sailor kid on the planet going for that record.

[chall03]

Originally Posted by smackdaddy

Easy mate, you'll have every pre-pubescent sailor kid on the planet going for that record.

Just watchout for shipping off Brisbane, hitting a 700ft cargo freighter can be a real bitch on your rigging apparently.

Jessica Watson survives collision, still wants to sail around the world alone | Outposts | Los Angeles Times

[smackdaddy]

Maybe she should go for the foam thing. Might be safer for everyone involved.

[chall03]

I do actually like Jess. I think the girl has real spunk and fortitude

[smackdaddy]

Yeah - I'm kind of joking. As for her individually - I do like her dreaming big, ballsiness, etc. But just like with the Laura Dekker thing - I personally think her parents are insane if they let her go unaccompanied.

[chall03]

Originally Posted by smackdaddy

Yeah - I'm kind of joking. As for her individually - I do like her dreaming big, ballsiness, etc. But just like with the Laura Dekker thing - I personally think her parents are insane if they let her go unaccompanied.

Really??

I do think it would be hard for her parents to let her go sure. But hey isn't part your kids growing up releasing them to follow their dreams??
She is 16, and is VERY mature for her age. I guess I just don't find it so crazy.....like at 16 there are alot of other things she could be doing which would probably worry me more as a parent.....

If she didn't know what she was doing then sure, or if she was on a 'Ronnie' style mission then maybe. But she does know boats, is sailing a well equipped little Beauty, and appears to have the skills and fortitude to pull this off.

She is off on the ultimate BFS dude.

[smackdaddy]

Yeah - I know, the BFS freak harshin' a youngun for going for it is a little off. But, man, I look at my own kids and think about shoving them away from the dock even at 16 and crossing my fingers for the next year...no way.

If they're going alone I think they should definitely not be minors - boys or girls. That's just me. I know it's all the rage and everything - but jeez.

[chall03]

I know. It is easy for me to say as I don't have kids......I can only imagine what it would be like....but still I think it is more a question of if it was what the wanted to do more than anything in this life, would you stand in their way?

Here in Oz 16 is actually legally old enough to make your own decisions about a lot of things....

I don't know.

Like I said I don't have kids so I can only imagine, But I do have a younger Brother who is 17 and we are pretty close. He just got his license and that scares the hell out of me.......when he stays at my place and goes out to see a movie I freak out if he doesn't call, and isn't home on time.......when he tells me about school I stress that he won't get the marks he needs........when he tells me about a girl I worry that she will end up breaking his heart....we can drink alcohol here legally at 18. He wants me to take him out for a big night on his 18th! That worries me. I worry about the first time he does get drunk.....and the first time he will have a hangover. Basically I am turning into my mum!

[wind_magic]

14 years old, no, I think not. 16, that is a bit more reasonable in my opinion.

I think all of these journeys should be measured at least against past journeys, and that means there are probably going to be life threatening trials. I don't know if Zac Sutherland ran into any real danger, I didn't follow his circumnavigation that closely, but Tania Aebi did, and so did Donna Lange, and a whole host of other solo circumnavigators back to Joshua Slocum, many attempts ending in death. Most of the solo circumnavigation attempts involved severe weather at one point in the journey (at the very least), are these 16 year old kids ready for that ? Is a 14 year old ready for that ? I'm not sure I'd be ready for it, so I wonder.

And now it looks like there is a third young lady tossing her hat into the ring, Zac Sutherland's sister Abby Sutherland, link provided.

Source: Younger sister of Zak Sutherland eyes non-stop trip around the world

[imagine2frolic]

chall.

Life is scary as hell, and basically we all sooner, or later turn into our parents.

As far as age, and sailing away. I think that's a case by case issue. At least she's not hanging out getting drunk, doped up, and pregnant....IMHO.....i2f