13 yr old Dutch girl to sail the globe, maybe...

[Buoy]

I saw a blurb in the local newspaper today, and had to research this a bit further.
The girl is 13, and wants to be the youngest to sail the globe.
The parents are supportive.
The Dutch gov't is putting this into council, and trying to take the girl into protective custody.

My wife and I got in an hour and a half long debate (argument...) about whether she should be allowed to do this or not.
My opinion -
If the girl is well trained, has a good solid plan, and that there are some safety nets in place (a chase boat 25-50 mi away, or the like...) let her try it!
If she contacts the chase boat, forget the solo record.
Where does the gov't have the right to step into this?
If she is confident and well trained, and the parents think she is capable, and are supportive, let her do it.
My wife thinks I'm absolutely nutz.

Now, I have a 10 yr old daughter, and a 23 yr old step-daughter. My 10 yr old would not be capable of making such a voyage in 3 yrs, and neither would the 23 yr old. I doubt either ever would.

But, I'm guessing that this girl has some extensive training, and some skill, and also is mature enough at a young age to take on something like this. I don't see where the gov't has any business not allowing her to embark on this trip. She has the full support of her parents.
I have to assume that her parents have trained her well, and have helped her carefully go over her plan and preparation for this trip. They must feel confident that she is fully capable of completing this.
How else would you allow your own child to take on such a challenge?
As I mentioned, neither my daughter, or step-daughter are capable of something like this, and I don't think either ever will be. I don't think I ever would be.

My wifes argument is that the girl is only 13.
My argument is that its not age, but instead, maturity, training, and skill.
I say let her go, but provide a bit of a safety net ( a chase boat 25-50 mi away) - but as I mentioned, if she contacts the chase boat, no record.
My wife argued that the "safety net" would not be the same as sailing the globe solo.
I'm kind of torn on that fact.
I don't want to see a child get killed out on the water, but at what point does the safety become too much to consider it a solo around the globe?
Is wearing an EPIRB also too much?

What are your thoughts?

Here's a link to an article about this.
http://www.theoceans.net/news.php?id=18593

 

[Scarab KV]

I have to say I'm leaning towards your wife's side on this Tim.
It's a neat idea in concept, but is it straddling the fine line of child endangerment. Are the parents competent enough to decide whether she can handle a solo. Gotta wonder about routing her through pirate infested Somalian waters with all the recent activity there. Now that the story is all over the internet, she could be a target for the attention the pirates crave. As far as the government getting involved, we see enough cases here stateside where government agencies have to intervene on behalf of the child's safety due to poor decisions made by parents.
I don't think I could give the go ahead for my kid, no matter how good I thought they were.
What ever the out come...if they decide to let her try, I wish her all the luck.

 

[Buoy]

I have to say I'm leaning towards your wife's side on this Tim.
It's a neat idea in concept, but is it straddling the fine line of child endangerment. Are the parents competent enough to decide whether she can handle a solo. Gotta wonder about routing her through pirate infested Somalian waters with all the recent activity there. Now that the story is all over the internet, she could be a target for the attention the pirates crave. As far as the government getting involved, we see enough cases here stateside where government agencies have to intervene on behalf of the child's safety due to poor decisions made by parents.
I don't think I could give the go ahead for my kid, no matter how good I thought they were.
What ever the out come...if they decide to let her try, I wish her all the luck.

Wayne, I understand your point - it's the same point my wife was making.
But...
Many of the people on this board are risk takers, it's just our nature.
Quite honestly, I'm working a good safe job right now, and I'm following all the rules, and doing exactly what I'm being told to do - whether that is the smartest move, or the wisest decision is debatable, but, they aren't paying me to make improvements, they are paying me to do what I'm told to do. They are not even open to my suggestions - although they hired me because this is what I have previously done.
Enough of hijacking my own thread.

I don't think it's fair to the girl to hold her back if she is capable and has a solid plan. My wifes argument was also that the parents must be "yahoos" to allow such a thing. But, if they trained her, and they love her, and they feel that she can accomplish her dream (if truly is the young girls dream, and not the parents dream)... I support it.

As many other "risk-takers" on this board, I imagine they also felt like they were held back in childhood, and many of us have taken the risks later in life as adults - I know you have, and I have - and for some it has worked out better than others.
I've taken a risk everytime I've moved from state to state.
This time I did it cross country.
I'm currently actively looking for the next risk to take.
(sorry, I guess that's another potential hi-jack)

Back to the girl in the boat - if she is capable, I say let her sail!

 

[Scarab KV]

I guess I'm not saying she shouldn't be aloud to try, I just hope they have a good plan with a full contingent of back ups. I'm on the fence on this one.

If you taunt me with a cocktail, I could fall off on your side

 

[Buoy]

I guess I'm not saying she shouldn't be aloud to try, I just hope they have a good plan with a full contingent of back ups. I'm on the fence on this one.

If you taunt me with a cocktail, I could fall off on your side

No cocktails on this one... It's open debate.

I want to see the gal make it, or at least have a safe attempt - even though I view it as a lofty one.
And I'm not looking to sway anyones thoughts, just a place to collect open thoughts.
My concern is more of the Gov't stepping in and essentially saying these are unfit parents because they are allowing this.
If the gal is capable, and the parents are approving, why not?

The Gov't in Cuba hasn't stopped parents from trying to bring floating busses to KW or MIA...Not that it's right, and, I feel if you want to enter the country, you need to do it legally.
But, the only factor I see in this is age.
As a young man, I was held back from many things that I was fully capable of simply because of age, my folks even agreed - but those were the rules/laws. I would hate to see this girl punished because of age if she has already earned merit.

Don't even get me started...

 

[fund razor]

Ok, here is how I pictured her, and her actual pic.

 

[fund razor]

She looks a lot more like Dave Mustaine than I expected.

 

[erierunnin]

HAH yeah, she kinda does look like dave mustane

 

[MarylandMark]

23 yr old step-daughter.

hmmmm.... :sifone:

Age is just a number. With the proper training and maturity level I see no issue with this.

I can't water my dog on a semi regular basis so even at 3 times her age I'm not ready for some thing like this (and have 0 interest in being ready).

Prime example- Alex P. Keaton is more capable of running our country than the current buffoon in there who is 3 times his (TV) age.

Besides, you are the man of the house which means you are always right anyway. :rofl:

 

[ROGUE]

My German parents shipped me off to travel Europe for an entire summer when I was 12. There was just that expectation of responsibility that in some ways diminished my youth. In hindsite I wish I could have done it when I was 16 or so. I would have enjoyed it more and remembered it better. But somehow I survived and made it back. I say if it doesnt interfere with her schooling, off she goes.

 

[Audiofn]

I think the youngest was a boy that was 15? The book is "The Boy that Sailed Around The World". Interesting story really and he did it totally alone, no chase boat no GPS, none of the modern stuff we have now and he did it on a very small slow boat. The boats that they have now can make it in a lot faster time then he did. In fact the boats of today could almost do it on electronics alone. That said she could run into a storm and at that point some times the only thing that saves you is your strength that comes with age. I have done a lot of long range sailing and can relate because my father used to let me sail his boat by myself at a very younge age. Funny really he would get calls at his office telling him that I had the boat out by myself. A lot of safty can be built in with short sails through a lot of it but eventually you have to take the plunge and cross two very large ponds. Plus traveling around Africa is NOT safe for anyone never mind a 13/14 year old.

 

[PatriYacht]

There is no question the girl would be in great danger trying to sail around the world. The thing I keep thinking of is all of the people climbing Mt. Everest. They all want to push themselves to the limit and accomplish something that very few have accomplished. That's great but 1 in 10 die on the mountain and many others are crippled for life. The oceans have killed many sailors also. I think this girl is too young to make that kind of decision.

 

[Ratickle]

I'd have tried something like that too when I was 13/14. The stuff we did get away with, climbing TV towers/water towers/suspension bridge towers, jumping off bridges into rivers, racing motorcycles, fishing 20 miles out in the North Pacific in 14' to 16' boats, sledding or skateboarding tied to cars going 70 down the freeway, etc. are all things that could kill you. So, if I could have pulled something like that off at that age, great, on my way :seeya: .

But, if it is condoned by adults, no way. At that age I was fearless, period. That's why there are supposedly more mature people to make rules to follow. Obviously her parents haven't matured yet, so the government needs to step in. They are morons who shouldn't have been allowed to have kids.......

Why wouldn't she want to go?????? World famous at 14???Yeah baby!!!!!!!

 

[cigdaze]

I don't think it's a good idea, I don't care how 'mature' she is. I don't think the government should have any say in it, but the parents are crazy for even allowing the thought of this.

 

[Davidmnc]

I think it's amazing that this thread got started at 1am, and has been going strong with good discussion on the subject since!

But to be honest, I am not sure how I feel about this one. I have a 13yo daughter. She is bright talented and confident in her skills. She is capable of any thing she sets her mind to. She is a good decision maker. But there ain't no way in HELL I would let her take this on. Call me an over protective father, but it's not a risk I would be willing to take.

 

[mosi]

There were moments, when my daughter was 13 that I 'WANTED' to send her off to sea in a boat!!!!

Those moments passed and there is no way in hell that a 13 year old is mentally capable to handle that kind of experience!!!

 

[sledge]

How young do we teach kids to shoot?
How young do kids start riding a dirtbike for the first time? (There are classes for 4yrs old and up)
How young when kids start racing go karts? (5yrs and up)
How old when you drove the car? (12, 13? At 15 you can get behind the wheel legally and do IMMENSE damage; an adult in the passenger seat doesn't guarantee anything)
How young do we let kids fly solo? They can't get their license signed off until 16, but they can still fly in their early teens. H U G E responsibility/liability/fear factor here...

A boy did it at 15, girls "mature" faster than boy (so goes the stereotype ), so if she's got the skills, made successful practice runs and everybody is confident in her preperation...then let her go. What do we do, wait until she's 18 so she's an "adult?" Any number of bad things happen at any time. Instead of fearing all the nasty things that can happen we should celebrate a child that wants to go out and do something instead of just sit around playing video games.

For as many parents there are that should never have been allowed to reproduce because they're just useless humans themselves, there are as many parents that are so overprotective that their children have no freedom and have no clue what the world can offer them.

Hear's one for you-what would you consider more risky: sending your 13yr old girl on a cross country trip by herself on a Greyhound bus, or letting her sail around the world?

 

[PatriYacht]

There was just someone who sailed around the world solo on the news. He was 16 when he started and 17 when he finished and they called him the youngest. This girl is a good bit younger. If she were 16, all of this would be a little bit more understandable.

 

[PatriYacht]

http://www.theledger.com/article/20...rit-Teen-Is-Youngest-to-Sail-Around-the-World

 

[Audiofn]

The guy that I was talking about started at 15 but it took him 5 and a half years to finish the trip. He did this with no GPS or anything like that. I am guessing it was early 70's that he made the trip. More amazing is the boat he started the trip in (pictured below)

The problem for a kid more then anything with a trip like this is the psycological toll that it can take. Days and days out on the water with nothing but your own thoughts. You can be stuck in duldrums out there for days only moving a few miles what ever direction the boat wants to go. Running low on water, food, and other things.