Recovered/Located Emergency rescue effort is launched for teen sailor Abby Sunderland, June 2010

[raeann]

Good news to wake up to this morning, I knew last night when I left the thread that it was only an hour or two till contact by the plane, but couldn't stay on any longer to keep checking on her status. Yes, the broken mast was likely due to the trouble she had been having, and in the long run one of the better scenarios.
Parents on CNN just said she has food and water and heat, so she should be ok to wait on the rescue vessel.

jmoo

 

[raeann]

They made the rounds of all the stations--- every time I changed they were there. Mother, Father and brother,

LOL
They were probably in one central location, and the media outlets were the ones "making the rounds" by taking turns doing their own interviews.

jmoo

 

[mysticrose]

Teenage sailor on verge of being rescued
Friday, June 11, 2010 - 01:49 PM


A 16-year-old girl trying to sail solo around the world was adrift in the southern Indian Ocean today awaiting rescue after 30ft waves wrecked her yacht.

Following a desperate emergency call then tense 20 hours of silence, a search plane launched from Australia’s west coast made radio contact with Abby Sunderland.

The boat’s mast was broken – ruining satellite phone reception – and was dragging with the sail in the ocean, said the Australia Maritime Safety Authority which chartered a commercial jet for the search.

But the keel was intact, the yacht was not taking on water and Abby was equipped for the conditions, a spokesman said.

“The aircraft (crew) spoke to her. They told her help was on the way and she sounds like she’s in good health.

“She’s going to hang in there until a vessel can get to her,” probably on Saturday, he said.


Read more: http://www.irishexaminer.com/breaki...ge-of-being-rescued-461287.html#ixzz0qYAqgprK

 

[mysticrose]

I am so happy to wake up to this news that Abby is safe and alive .....

 

[Trino]

Glad she's okay, and I wish her a safe return.

IMO there's a fine line between allowing your children to venture alone in the world and keeping them safe. Since I'm not a sailor, I cannot define that line for Abby.

However, I'm going to bet there will be a 15 yr old, maybe a 14 or 13 yr old who will attempt to break the current record. And, I predict a child will be lost. Only the parents can say if it was worth the cost.

 

[raeann]

Glad she's okay, and I wish her a safe return.

IMO there's a fine line between allowing your children to venture alone in the world and keeping them safe. Since I'm not a sailor, I cannot define that line for Abby.

However, I'm going to bet there will be a 15 yr old, maybe a 14 or 13 yr old who will attempt to break the current record. And, I predict a child will be lost. Only the parents can say if it was worth the cost.

LOL.....you must have missed this whole controversy along the way!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/wor...rl-from-parents-to-block-her-solo-voyage.html

 

[ziggy]

yay Abby! I'm so relieved today. Mr. zig and I have opposing views on this; he's very critical of the parents and I said it's less safe for a teen to drive a car - in truth it is.

Like I said before these are extraordinary teens so you can't compare them to the average kid. Girls her age are also victims of kidnappings and murders - They don't get to live their dreams so I say go for it while you can.

I'm just glad to see that Abby has some serious balls! I'm bummed she won't get to say she sailed solo around the world; can you even imagine being able to say that? She will take this experience with her in life and I believe it will instill an incredible power in her to accomplish anything she desires.

 

[belimom]

Picture of her dismasted boat (from her blog - larger picture there):

 

[belimom]

yay Abby! I'm so relieved today. Mr. zig and I have opposing views on this; he's very critical of the parents and I said it's less safe for a teen to drive a car - in truth it is.

Like I said before these are extraordinary teens so you can't compare them to the average kid. Girls her age are also victims of kidnappings and murders - They don't get to live their dreams so I say go for it while you can.

I'm just glad to see that Abby has some serious balls! I'm bummed she won't get to say she sailed solo around the world; can you even imagine being able to say that? She will take this experience with her in life and I believe it will instill an incredible power in her to accomplish anything she desires.

Ziggy - don't know if you saw the link I posted in response to your previous post. But you must read it - it's very thought-provoking:
http://irresponsibility.wordpress.com/2009/08/29/boob-jobs-at-13-better-than-going-to-sea/

 

[yeknomaras]

Fingers crossed for Abby!

I'm so proud that she went out to do what she dreamed of doing. What a courageous and adventurous teen she is. I for one think it's great that her parents encouraged her to live her dream. So many teens get into drugs or drinking or they're murdered or raped... life is too short nowadays. Good for her. I hope they get to her soon!

 

[ziggy]

Ziggy - don't know if you saw the link I posted in response to your previous post. But you must read it - it's very thought-provoking:
http://irresponsibility.wordpress.com/2009/08/29/boob-jobs-at-13-better-than-going-to-sea/

THANK YOU FOR THE REMINDER - VERY THOUGHT PROVOKING!!!

LOL snipped from article: "Even the most amnesiac adult must have an inkling that the cruelties of the schoolyard can be as scary as a force-4 gale."

You know, it's so true. We don't question the psychological stability of teen girls who want to tattoo and pierce themselves, have plastic surgery for bigger or better noses, pretend to be bi sexual to get attention, sext themselves to boys and girls, yet they have the gall to question the mental stability of a teen girl, born on the sea, who wants to sail around the world. Go figure.

Yay government to the rescue! Thank GOD they stopped her right? This is just a reminder why it is so important to keep the government out of our business here in America, as much as we can, In a way it's almost too late; we are sliding down the slippery slope in the name of saving the children but have you taken a look around at the kids? I don't think this kind of opression is the answer.

 

[ziggy]

Fingers crossed for Abby!

I'm so proud that she went out to do what she dreamed of doing. What a courageous and adventurous teen she is. I for one think it's great that her parents encouraged her to live her dream. So many teens get into drugs or drinking or they're murdered or raped... life is too short nowadays. Good for her. I hope they get to her soon!

EXACTLY. Do me a favor. Take a trip over to the "Missing/Located" forum. Just scroll down all the names of young girls who will never see a 16th birthday. Wander to the cold cases, the hot cases, all the sub forums and look at the names of the girls raped and murdered in their precious youth.

Now times that by thousands and that's how many kids are doing drugs, getting pregnant or pimped out, molested, physically abused...

Life is short and life is precious.

I say, "SAIL AROUND THE WORLD IF YOU CAN!" Celebrate the human spirit.

 

[Elphaba]

Well, guts aside, after some researching I smell an agenda with this family, given that when brother came off of his world record attempt, last year, Abby started her blog about how she would be setting out mid 2010 for her own expedition. In the process her brother was officially denied the record and the young lady from Australia took to her boat and was off, so Abby set off in January (a full 6 months ahead of her original calendar start) in a boat built for speed that would have helped her take the record if the other girl grabbed it (and the Aussie girl did), though Abby had little experience in handling the boat (she knew how to handle a cruising boat... but a boat built for speed: not much experience). (10 months ago she didn't even have a boat, and she was talking about how her dad was going to design her one)

Her parents better be thankful that they are able to see her come home safe...

 

[lonetraveler]

LOL.....you must have missed this whole controversy along the way!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/wor...rl-from-parents-to-block-her-solo-voyage.html

I'm not the poster you are addressing but I'll give my personal opinon anyway. In my life time I have seen countless times that the rescuer themselves are killed in the attempt to rescue people who don't have the sense to not be in the situation that they have to involve rescue and support operations to rescue them. There have been many friends, fathers, brothers, sons, grandsons, daughter, granddaughters, mothers who have sacraficed their lives to save someone in danger of losing their lives because of their egotistical and self centered actions. In my opinion, these risk takers have absolutely no consideration or regard to the families of the people who will have to risk and maybe lose their lives to save them. Their egos go above everyone else. These parents should really think about what their actions have cost the rescuers and maybe even the risk of lives involved with their decisions. Right at this very minute, there are planes and rescue boats involved with this very lucky young child's life. Sixteen years old is not old enough to be out alone on a world sail. I have sailed all my life and I would never even think about a child out on their own on an ocean with extreme weather conditions. I'm thinking that the parents are a bit immature themselves and think likewise.

 

[raeann]

I'm not the poster you are addressing but I'll give my personal opinon anyway. In my life time I have seen countless times that the rescuer themselves are killed in the attempt to rescue people who don't have the sense to not be in the situation that they have to involve rescue and support operations to rescue them. There have been many friends, fathers, brothers, sons, grandsons, daughter, granddaughters, mothers who have sacraficed their lives to save someone in danger of losing their lives because of their egotistical and self centered actions. In my opinion, these risk takers have absolutely no consideration or regard to the families of the people who will have to risk and maybe lose their lives to save them. Their egos go above everyone else. These parents should really think about what their actions have cost the rescuers and maybe even the risk of lives involved with their decisions. Right at this very minute, there are planes and rescue boats involved with this very lucky young child's life. Sixteen years old is not old enough to be out alone on a world sail. I have sailed all my life and I would never even think about a child out on their own on an ocean with extreme weather conditions. I'm thinking that the parents are a bit unmature themselves and think likewise.

I was thinking about that earlier. How much did it cost for Australia to lease a full size jetliner to do the flyover, and are they just doing it to be kind, or are we in the US going to repay them?


As far as experience, I know adults who have far more than the 10 years of sailing experience this girl states she has. Even if they count the whole 16 years of her life as experience.....there are few adult sailors with that amount of experience who would ever try this trip. I most certainly applaud her bravery and self sufficiency....but even with all the safe-guards they brag of putting in place, she got into some BIG trouble that she could not handle. The trip timing of crossing that ocean in the cold and storms of winter.....the person who outfitted the boat saying it was not up to the trip....some errors in judgement seem evident here. Anyway, does it not count as doing it on your own if a rescue boat (with a powerful engine) follows somewhere behind within a reasonable few hours distance????

 

[Dark Knight]

Let's keep in mind, folks, that she isn't safe yet. She is stranded in a boat that is no longer able to act normally due to the mast and sail dragging behind it (thereby possibly keeping it from automatically righting itself if it capsizes) and those giant waves and strong winds are still battering her, regularly. That's exactly what is delaying the rescue ship, huge waves and winds. So, she is far from out of the woods (or water, in this case.) Those storms could still wreak havoc on her and her damaged boat.

 

[JBean]

My understanding is that the Australian Maritime Safety Authority is paying and expect no repayment. They said that is the way it should work and they were glad to help. I heard this on a radio discussion and I will see if I can find a link. I think it was 100k.

 

[JBean]

The Australian maritime authority did not say how much the rescue mission would cost but said it would not be seeking compensation for the search, which initially fell just outside of Australia's search and rescue region.
"That's the way the system runs," search coordinator Kinley said. "It's our obligation to do this and we'll fulfill those obligations as Australia does."


http://www.wtop.com/?nid=385&pid=0&sid=1978066&page=2

 

[belimom]

I think one thing to keep in mind is that Abby did not fail, her boat has failed her. First the autopilots, now the dismasting. I do not believe any of this reflects on her sailing ability or her young age, but rather poor choice in boat which her parents and "Team Abby" played a large hand in choosing. A heavy, solid cruising boat would have been slower and easier to handle in heavy winds. My husband and I were discussing the speed of her ocean racing boat and how it was probably zipping out of control in those conditions.

If she had been in a different boat, I think she probably would be fine. She has made it more than halfway around the world and probably could have made it the rest of the way, if she had a boat as strong as she is.

 

[montana_16]

I think one thing to keep in mind is that Abby did not fail, her boat has failed her. First the autopilots, now the dismasting. I do not believe any of this reflects on her sailing ability or her young age, but rather poor choice in boat which her parents and "Team Abby" played a large hand in choosing. A heavy, solid cruising boat would have been slower and easier to handle in heavy winds. My husband and I were discussing the speed of her ocean racing boat and how it was probably zipping out of control in those conditions.

If she had been in a different boat, I think she probably would be fine. She has made it more than halfway around the world and probably could have made it the rest of the way, if she had a boat as strong as she is.

I'm just thinking that is what this was all about. Not encouraging her to "follow her dream" but to set a record.

Like Captain Smith. Up until he took the helm for the last time he had been an excellent Captain. Then he ignored the signs of iceburgs to try to set a record and down went the Titanic.