The Publisher
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Jun 17, 2010, 1:27 PM
Post #16 of 19
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Re: [The Publisher] Abby Sunderland - Solo circumnavigator
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* From Capt. Rick Rahm:
It's probably been mentioned somewhere many times on the web or in a magazine. All sailors know of the danger an around the world trip can present and prepare for every possibility that may arise. You can't prepare for the weather. But you can choose the right moment to ensure a greater chance of success. That said, I believe that sailors like Abby should post a bond or have insurance to cover the costs of a rescue anywhere in the world. Her rescue came at a high cost in money and resource. Where will the pursuit of fame and fortune end?
* From Doran Cushing, St. Petersburg, FL:
It al comes down to bad decisions. We all make them. We all have to live, or die, by them. Some people expect for others to save them from their bad decisions. Another part of the population, a part I would label as "realists," don't expect other people, other governments, to save "us." Abby had weather routing services available to her. Did they say "go?" If so, they should share the cost of the rescue.. If they said no, she and her born-again fundamentalist "keep government out of our lives" parents should go to jail..unfortunately at taxpayer expense. Hell, the father isn't even an American...is he a legal immigrant? Forest Gump said it all - "stupid is as stupid does.:" It doesn't matter whether she was 16 or 60...all true sailors know when to go, and when not to go.
* From Adrian Morgan
What an example we set to our kids: we overfeed them, over protect them, then criticize them for sitting in front of computers all day, and then when a young girl has the guts to attempt to sail around the world alone, guess what? Some smart Alec, quoting the Old Testament, kicks her when she's down. World Wars were fought by 16-year-olds. So what's the big deal about a 16-year-old facing stormy oceans? Give her a break and stop this snip, nip, snipping from the old codgers in their armchairs. My only comment would be to reiterate Blondie Hasler's view that solo sailors should be self sufficient and self reliant, to the point of accepting the possibility of death.
My criteria for all criticism is, am I being hypocritical? Do I have enough facts? Am I trying to see both sides? The coverage of the Sunderland story seems not to conform to those criteria. What's the difference between a bunch of highly paid pros, heading across the Atlantic into a storm and pressing their EPIRBs and a young, frightened, brave girl doing the same in the Indian Ocean?
* From Diane Swintal:
I knew the sailing version of the Sunday quarterback would come out in force when news of Abby Sunderland's rescue hit the sailing world.
All I can say is - if she had been a veteran sailor, she would probably have encountered a bad situation in the Indian Ocean. Her age had nothing to do with her circumstances. Whether she should have been in the Indian Ocean in June, though, is a valid point of debate.
But if we stop these pursuits, what does that say about us as a culture? That we're afraid to leave our homes in case something goes wrong? That kids (of all ages) shouldn't go exploring, shouldn't push their personal limits, that we should all just forget about the moon and the stars and learning and exploring. I, myself, am willing to risk failure in order to push my limits.
And to the guy who accused Abby of "crying Mommy" - I'm assuming you've never dismasted 400 miles from land, have you?
* From Taylor B. Grant, Newport Beach, CA:
As a parent with three boys: They are all different. One would over analyze the entire sail around the world adventure and finally leave when he was 17. One would go because it is cool. The third would go because it is what it is. I would support them all if I and my wife thought they were ready. Having done Fastnet at 18, finished the Bermuda race at 20 in a Hurricane, sailed a Soling in 35 knots at 17, sailed around San Nicholas Island in 40 plus knots as skipper at 19, I would not think twice, if I wanted to go.
Should Abby have gone? I think she had more support than most of us will ever have and was better prepared than most.
Was she old enough? We send 18 year old boys and girls to war? We let them drive at 100 miles per hour (well not legally but all of mine I am sure cheated at some point). Sail a well prepared boat around the world with constant support from land? Sounds safe to me. Risky yes, but how many 18 year olds die on motorcycles every year? How many 16 year olds die in a car? Again I know a lot of 16 year olds I would not trust on a bicycle and others I would go off watch and sleep like a baby in bad weather.
I am glad she is safe, and I wish her the best. Abby you are my hero and I believe you did great, and probably better than 90% of the people I know who claim to be offshore sailors.
* From Ray Tostado:
Abby's event, the cost of rescue is more of a topic than the experience of the voyage itself. Now the notice that the family will likely recover some of their investment by doing a reality TV episode. OK, it was their gene pool risk and they felt it was within their rights as parents. Not for me to argue their point. But didn’t those involved in her rescue risk their gene pool to save Abby's? As an example: The captain of the French vessel as he fell into the ocean during the rescue; will he get a cut from the royalties? Had he died, would Abby's parents fund a memorial in his honor?
Most cruisers who do not have sponsors will find insurance difficult to cover any such event. This would certainly temper such ambitions from family sponsorship. Let the kids go up mountains, across storm tossed seas, do 300' acrobatic air leaps on moto bikes. But please don’t expect the people in the stands to cover your medical bills and buy you a new platform.
The conversation regarding Abby's feats should remain separated from the issue of ethics where her parents admitted they have not the means to repay the cost of her rescue. They must have been aware of that the day she sailed. Try getting that kid a drivers license in California without financial responsibility insurance. See how that flies in a claims court.
* From Reynald Neron:
Every time a sailor gets pick up by the rescue services, the media ask how much it cost, and who will pay. I am afraid this debate is pointless, as, in most part of the world, rescue at sea is always done free of charge for the sailors in trouble. It does not matter if the sailor is young, old, male or female, prepared or foolish, working at sea (fishing...) or just messing about on a sailing yacht. Rescue is free.
This is a long standing fact and agreed upon by pretty much every country that has a coast line. Australia has agreed to be in charge of a large area, including the part between Australia and the Antarctic continent. On a regular basis, our defence forces have to organise search and rescue for sailors in trouble in that area. The Australian government has never asked to be paid. In fact, in the case of Miss Sunderland, the Australian government clearly stated that no payment would be required for the rescue effort. The statement also said that we would be very happy if another country would organise the rescue efforts without considering costs, if an Australian citizen was involved.
On the other hand, it is a good idea that when one gets rescued, to make a donation to the rescue services. In Australia, our coastlines are under the control of a volunteer organisation, and the funding comes in part from the public. In the case of Miss Sunderland, the parents have stated that they are broke, yet, there is a deal to make a movie or some TV programs. Maybe the Sunderland family should consider giving up on the money received to make a donation to the rescue services (in this case, the Australian Defence Forces) who worked so hard to get Abby back to dry land.
In the interest of a better understanding I should also say that I am a professional sailor, have had to be rescued once, made a large donation to the rescue services, am both French and Australian, paying my taxes in Australia.
* From David Gill, Portland, Oregon:
The decision to sail around the world alone, shorthanded, or with a full crew non-stop or with stops, should be based on ability and capability not age. Although, I commend Ms. Sunderland on her courage, I also question her wisdom in handling difficult situations and her ability to fix and overcome problems with her boat. Sailing solo nonstop around the world is as much about a person’s ability to fix, maintain and overcome mechanical failures, as it is about the person’s ability to sail. The risks of sailing around the world alone are known. If one decides to take that risk, they should accept the responsibility of failure and of abandoning their boat and having to be rescued. This should include the financial responsibility. If this responsibility is not taken by the individual, we all suffer. Once the cost of failure starts to add up, the freedom of choice will be taken away from the individual and become mandated by those paying the bills.
* From Gerard Koeppel:
There's nothing more elevating for the soul than being alone at sea, but it seems to me that anyone who chooses to sail solo through the Southern Indian Ocean in winter (ie, now) ought to be old enough to swap stories about it afterward at the bar.
* From Jim Whistler:
Having done boat deliveries since the age of 14 myself in the days before the EPIRB, distance sailing is understood to be a challenge, planned in depth with serious forethought. Many nights my parents watched the storms roll by while I was out on the water in the middle of the night "doing what I do best"; they were pacified by the knowledge of my experience. It was in my composition to be out there; I'm sure that Abby's parents are sound with the depth of her knowledge and not anything else as they might be portrayed.
The modern media have a way of jumping aboard any mishap and clamoring for their own financial benefit. Abby managed half of the globe, it wasn't her failure but the equipment that failed; she knew enough to stay with the boat and ride it out till help arrived. I'm not a proponent of this seemingly "youngest to ..." movement but again, it's the media that showcase it. She had thousands of sea miles to her credit but the media only focused on the things that went wrong, not what she did right. Is it that she's a female that makes this so controversial?
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