Abby Sunderland - Would you have let her try?

Probably not; but I can undestand why parents of a kid who had that kind of drive and ambitions would let her try. My son roade a motorbike across the country last summer; I was nervous about it but since he was 26 there was nothing I really could say.

Never, not in a million years. Once she is of age the choice is hers, until then I would not give my consent.

16?? That is a tough call prolly not, maybe 18 and either way I would not yet write her off.

Not an effing chance. When she’s 18 she can decide to do it possibly without my blessing.

I’d like to mention this – Her brother, Zac, did it last winter, when he was 17. And their whole family sails, and she’s been sailing since she was little. She’s not like any other 16 year old.

My daughter is 18 and has been super independant her whole life. When the initial story ran – I thought to myself Thank God my daughter isn’t that adventurous (adventuresome? Jeruba?)

My heart goes out to the parents – I hope she is found soon. I would die.

It would completely depend on how confident I was that she could handle herself and do it. With proper training and enough maturity, I would consider it. My son is 8, so I can only imagine actually being in that situation.

I hope she is found soon.

Am I crazy? Wasn’t this feat completed a few weeks ago? How old was that girl?

I just read that they found Amy, but ships won’t be there to rescue her for about 30 hours. Apparently her mass and some other equipment got damaged.

@faye There were two 16 year old girls doing this at the same time. One girl recently finished (I forget her name) and Abby was still completing her trip.

@seaofclouds is correct. They have had communication with Abby: http://soloround.blogspot.com/2010/06/abby-is-fine.html#comment-form

It seems apparent to me, from reading over her blog, that she is equipped for this. Abby and her family have the money, experience, and resources to support this endeavor. I understand why they all find it reasonable to attempt.

Of course, it makes my momma heart want to stop just thinking about it. I have a hard time letting mine go to the park alone! Yet, if my son or daughter could be properly equipped, he or she was mature enough, and exceptionally sea wothy, I would say yes. I’ve met teenagers more mature and capable in life than many adults. Though lots of work would need to be done to prove it to me.

Glad she was found relatively safe and unharmed.

I’m glad she was found too. This is a hard question to answer. Apparently she’d been sailing all of her life and was a professional. So…why not? I don’t see that her age is the relevant factor her. Her expertise and maturity are. The parents made the call they did, and I don’t think it’s up to us to judge them, because we really don’t know them or anything about their lives, their situation or their daughter.

@WestRiverrat Also, they specifically plotted her course to avoid pirates. Also, she had been in daily contact with a meteorologist for a month before her planned start date. It’s not like this was a spur of the moment kind of thing.

I agree – this was a sailing family with a great deal of expertise. I don’t think it’s just a publicity stunt. I don’t know how I would feel, but I would give a lot to enable my children’s true heart’s desires.

I don’t think it was a publicity stunt either, else we would have heard about her brother doing it last year. I can’t imagine how the parents must have felt when she went missing!

If she had been my only child then absolutely not but if I had spares… j/k. No, I wouldn’t have let an underage child of mine out on their own.

@Val123 Yes, but pirates can read blogs too. And taking a celebrity automatically raises the amount of the ransom.

Oh jeesh.

@WestRiverrat Well, first, she didn’t become a celebrity until she was lost. Lots of people try things like this. I’ve never heard of pirates specifically going after them…..IDK