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14-year-old Laura Dekker free to leave

9K views 72 replies 30 participants last post by  Minnewaska 
#1 ·
Laura Dekker is free to go! She is back under her parents supervision. And accoding to the court well prepared to set off. She has an extended sail-plan and followed an survival course. Her plan is to set off in 2 weeks. So at least she is much better prepared then last year. Good luck to Laura!
 
#55 ·
[idiocy format=sarcasm; dry]

In this post, I'll wax on about the legal age of consent for kittens. Please move on if this subject offends you.

First, it's important to note that - as we all know - the cat is one of natures early adopters. They are quite independent, and other than the bizarre need to cover their poo in sand, they are pretty clean. On the other hand, who hasn't wanted to bury a lawyer on a beach a time or twelve? So maybe we have that poo-burying desire in common...

But I digress. Furthermore, the kitten is clearly in a unique position to know what is right for the kitten. Who are we to question it? Until you walk a mile in it's paws (which is doubly difficult, with the four paws rather than two) who gets to tell it what to do?

And finally, lets be honest, most of us are just jealous of all that hot kitten-on-kitten nooky. How many of the kitten-haters are really just wanna-be kittens, desperately wishing they hadn't spent their own kitten years doing 'normal' things?

But I'll say this, and I'll say it with spittle hitting the monitor.. if a kitten engages in sexual congress, it must then accept the consequences of said congress! And lets be face it.. if there's one thing that gets in the way of a good sexual event, it's congress. Those rats are always mucking up the works. You wouldn't believe what's illegal in the state I live in...

And so, my fellow sailors, join me in standing firmly on both sides of the kitten consent issue by wishing no evil on the kitten, but also firmly stating that I think it's wrong!

[/idiocy]
 
#56 ·
Lunacy?

I personally think that this project is insanity. Does a 14 year-old have the judgment needed for good decisions when things go wrong? Perhaps, but I have my doubts. :eek:

That said, if she and her family are willing to agree that SAR efforts should not be undertaken, I guess she has the right to risk her own life if her guardian and/or family agree. :eek:
 
#57 ·
You guys, come on. For the overwhelming majority of human history the boundary between childhood and adulthood has been puberty, 12 for girls and 14 boys.

Argue all you like, but please everyone try to stop making statements that imply your personal cultural bias is somehow the true natural order of things.
 
#58 · (Edited)
Well, first, I think that Laura has significantly more experience than Abby did.

Second, she's also choosing a boat that will be far more seakindly and easier to handle than Abby's Open 40. A ketch rigged Gin Fizz 38 should be far easier to balance the sailplan on and has smaller sails than an Open 40—because it is not a racing boat, it is a smaller boat overall, and it is a split rig design.

Third, she has owned, and presumably, used the boat for longer than Abby had Wild Eyes prior to leaving. The Sunderlands only got Wild Eyes in October, and Abby was supposed to leave in November and actually left in January. That is far less than the six months or so that Laura has had Guppy, the Gin Fizz 38.

Fourth, she's not trying for a NON-STOP SOUTHERN OCEAN route, but a much more reasonable route via the Panama Canal. Of course, the Panama canal requires that you have four line handlers aboard the boat and her route probably brings her in to closer proximity with known pirate problems areas. Both of these could present problems for Laura.

However, that all said, I still think that Laura going for it is a bad idea. Not as bad as Abby's version of going for the record, but still not a good idea.
 
#59 ·
smacky: I think we're talking past each other. You're coming from a philosophical "is it right" or "should she go" perspective. I'm coming from a rule-of-law "does she have the right to do it" perspective. Incidentally, I think we're both right.

SD: I agree that this trip is probably a more realistic voyage that Sunderland's.

And to the both of you, it probably isn't the best idea that anyone has ever had to let a 14-year-old sail around the world. We're almost certainly all in agreement there. It's probably not something I'd let my kid do at 14. Then again, by the time it's all said and done, I'm certain that my kid will do all kinds of things that other people may not think were great ideas.

The point is that as long as it isn't illegal, they have a right to do it. And it is a legitimate voyage -- book deals and sponsorships being totally irrelevant to that determination -- so it would be wrong to try to withhold aid if she needs it simply on the basis of her age. There's no fraud going on, she's not going out there with the intention of getting into trouble, so if she needs help, she deserves it as much as anyone else.

[As a side note, if one has a problem funding the rescue of someone at sea who is being "reckless" or "idiotic" or "stupid," one should move to a landlocked country.]

lydanynom: You're absolutely right. Try to find a sailing warship during the Age of Sail that didn't have 13 - 17-year-olds as junior officers.
 
#64 ·
smacky: I think we're talking past each other. You're coming from a philosophical "is it right" or "should she go" perspective. I'm coming from a rule-of-law "does she have the right to do it" perspective. Incidentally, I think we're both right.
At the end of the day - I agree with you that it comes down to the legal question more than anything else. But even this is obviously getting pushed into grayer and grayer areas with the "youngest" craze.

If a kid is not a legal adult, they are the responsibility of the parent (in most societies). And if the kid is solo in a boat at sea for a year facing undeniably substantial risks - alone - without parental supervision - then the parent is an open target for neglect and endangerment charges.

When one of these punks buys it at sea or at the hands of not-nice people, things will go nuclear pretty quickly from a legal and political perspective.

It's all fun and games until...
 
#60 · (Edited)
OK again I read this thread and again as B-4 there are sailors pro & con and I think by myself who gives a d#$m. Are you related to her, do you have a stake in her well being, do you know her family, etc. I'm sure the answers are NO. So again who gives a D#@m.
Let her and her family be maybe she'll get pregnant (she's old enough for that)
What a waste of our time, I should not have read this thread, I should have been sailing, as a matter of fact it is Friday afternoon and I'll close shop and go to the boat to do some sailing and hope you all will do the same.

Lets talk about sail/boats.
Maybe somebody can teach me how to get in a 11ft wide slip with a 10' beam sail boat in a river that flows at 10 plus knots. Just so you know I have no problem doing this with a twin screw motor-boat just with a single screw inboard 13,000 lbs sailboat.

EJO
s/v SAILMATES 1973 Irwin 32 Classic
 
#62 ·
Good point but we're sailing solo. yes it helps but even with a good deckhand a spring-line can't be hooked up until 1/3 of the boat is in the slip and at that time the river will want to (has turned) turn the boat sideways down river i.e. you're to late.
 
#70 ·
Good luck, Laura!

I don't know too much about the various sailboats out there (yet), but I do think that choosing a cruiser over a racer was a good idea... and also shows a nice degree of maturity in the choice. After all, it's not about how fast she gets around the world - it's about the successful conclusion of the trip. I cheered Abby on, as she attempted her trip; I only wondered at why it had to be a racing vessel... and why one so expensive! Plenty of nice boats available, out there, for a lot less money, that are already well equipped for such long trips. I hope the poor ending to her trip didn't sour Abby on sailing... I think it's amazing for someone to go out there, and try to live their dreams. I wish more of us had families that encouraged us to live our dreams.

I've known some 14 year olds who were very mature adults. At least, so you'd think, if you'd met them. I've also known plenty of people 30 years or older who should be sent back to kindergarten just to see how much more mature small children are than them.

Oh, yes: That "youngest to climb Everest" was a 13 year old boy, from California, just this past May. He has a goal of climbing the highest peak on all seven continents... and Everest was number 6. All that's left, is Antarctica. He must have started his climbing career some time ago.

Good luck, Laura! Keep safe.
 
#71 ·
While I'm not a big fan of the race for the youngest... I do wish Laura a safe voyage and hope that she finishes without incident. Her voyage, unlike Abby's original intended voyage and Jessica's successful voyage is not a non-stop ordeal through the Southern Ocean, but a more moderately paced trip with planned stops and a less severe route.

Her choice of boat seems to be, at first glance, a bit better than Abby's but not as good as Jessica's IMHO. She appears to have a bit more familiarity with the boat and its systems than Abby did with Wild Eyes. It sounds like she may actually have more experience than Abby, which would be a good thing.
 
#72 ·
I went and read the blogs about what each girl says about the other. Both Jessica and Abby have nothing negative to say about the other. I think these girls have pretty good qualifications to understand the capability and judgment of each other. They are close enough in age to compare themselves and what they are capable of. They know better than any of us what the requirements are both emotionally and technically. yet they speak very positively about the prospect of Laura.
 
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