Broke Dad Put Abby Up for Sail

Fox News ^ | June 14, 2010

[Ron C.]

Here's a dose of reality.

The father of teen sailor Abby Sunderland told The NY Post that he's broke and had signed a contract to do a reality show, "Adventures in Sunderland," about his family of daredevil kids weeks after she set off on her doomed and dangerous solo sail around the globe.

[Professional]

Very well said.

[DJ MacWoW]

According to the designer the boat was 'unsinkable'.

They couldn't sink it. It's still floating and they left a warning for other ships. That was posted in an article this weekend.

[UCANSEE2]

Abortion ... has nothing to do with taking meaningless risks at a young age.

I completely disagree.

[VOA]

bump

[Gatún(CraigIsaMangoTreeLawyer)]

Ref. post #218.

The whole thing continues to stink more and more.

[DJ MacWoW]

I completely disagree.

I imagine that you do since you cut the quote.

Abortion is not ignored on FR and has nothing to do with taking meaningless risks at a young age.

This isn't about abortion and using that is a deflection of the risks that were allowed by this girls parents.

[UCANSEE2]

GOOD preparation wouldn't have put her in the Indian Ocean in winter.

Because no one ever climbs a mountain if it has any snow on it. What would you have said if she had made it?

[UCANSEE2]

A child risking their life to set a meaningless record that a YOUNGER child will try to break.

Meaningless to who?

[meadsjn]

Most homeschoolers are beyond highschool at 16 years old. Many are in college with dual enrollment; some as full-time college students.

[DJ MacWoW]

Because no one ever climbs a mountain if it has any snow on it.

Guides will not take you up Everest in the winter. No knowledgeable sailor goes on the Indian Ocean in winter.

What would you have said if she had made it?

She didn't. And now a 15 year old, Laura Dekker, is going to try to beat Watsons record. What's next? 14? 13?

[DJ MacWoW]

Meaningless to who?

What was advanced? What did this accomplish?

[Pessimist]

I agree entirely.

They want us smokers to “reimburse” the gvt for our health care costs (even though I have insurance).

I’ve often thought they should make “weekend warriors” pay for their own costs too.

[UCANSEE2]

She didn't have a pit crew.

Then neither should they. They could call their pit crew and ask them how to start the engine.

The point someone was trying to make was that she was unprepared because she called her dad for help in restarting the engine. That is what I was addressing.

[BenKenobi]

“Back when Farragut was sailing, 10 and 12 year olds were working 10 hour days too. There is no comparing the different generations of young people as it’s apples to oranges.”

Which is sort of the point, isn’t it? You want kids who can take control of their own lives, and can go on to accomplish things, you shouldn’t be following today’s model.

“Abby also had all the highest tech toys available to her which made up for any lack of skill. “

So your thought is that anyone could have sailed the world successfully with that boat? Technology makes difficult things possible, they don’t make them easy to do.

[DJ MacWoW]

The point someone was trying to make was that she was unprepared because she called her dad for help in restarting the engine.

If there had been no technology, she'd have been lost. I wouldn't call having all the latest tech toys "being prepared".

[UCANSEE2]

I wonder why we’re so quick to criticize this accomplished teen.

Because she failed and even though she is safe, the finger of blame must be pointed somewhere so that the MSM can sell laundry detergent.

[GonzoGOP]

I’ve often thought they should make “weekend warriors” pay for their own costs too.

If i go out and break my leg while bicycling I have to pay for the ambulance ride to the hospital. Now I have insurance to cover the cost, but I do have to pay for that insurance. I'm sure Lloyd's of London would issue a pickup policy for any extreme sailor or baloonatic that wanted to circumnavigate the world.

[Balding_Eagle]

LOL! That’s rich.

[DJ MacWoW]

Which is sort of the point, isn’t it?

No. Child labor laws ended that.

So your thought is that anyone could have sailed the world successfully with that boat?

Chay Blyth

In 1968, with no sailing experience, he competed in the Sunday Times Golden Globe Race, aboard a 30ft yacht called Dytiscus retiring just past the Cape of Good Hope

He didn't have all that technology in 1968.