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ADELAIDE, Australia – Countries involved in the rescue of an American teenager adrift in the southern Indian Ocean have brushed off questions about the rescue's cost and have no plans to seek compensation. They explain that rescues at sea are a no-cost agreement under global conventions regarding maritime search and rescue operations. "The Australian taxpayer at the end of the day makes a contribution," Transport Minister Anthony Albanese said. "But we have to put this in context. If there was an Australian lost at sea, we would want ... every effort to be made to save that person." On the...

I don't know Abby Sunderland as well as those close to her, but I think I know her better than other reporters and columnists know her. I've interviewed the Thousand Oaks teenager several times, and before she set out to chase a dream and try to circle the planet on a 40-foot yacht, I sailed with her through the night aboard that yacht, Wild Eyes, which by now probably rests at the bottom of the Indian Ocean. Same goes for Abby's older brother, Zac. While working for the Los Angeles Times, I followed his 13-month around-the-world odyssey from the beginning,...

The International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea was first adopted in 1914 in response to the Titanic disaster. Along with mandating the number of lifeboats and the notification of a ship's routes, it also dictates that any ship in the area of a distress call will divert to assist that ship.

LOS ANGELES -- The family of a 16-year-old California girl rescued from the Indian Ocean as she tried to sail solo around the world has no plans to cash in on their child's adventure with a reality TV show, documentary or any other deal, Abby Sunderland's mother told The Associated Press on Monday. Marianne Sunderland also said reports the family signed a deal for a reality show while her daughter was at sea were untrue.

TEENAGE solo sailor Jessica Watson and the watchkeepers of a bulk carrier were both responsible for their collision off Queensland, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau says. The ATSB today released its final report on the September 9, 2009 collision between Jessica's yacht Ella's Pink Lady and the Hong Kong registered bulk carrier Silver Yang off Point Lookout. The collision happened when the then 16-year-old was on a preliminary solo journey to Sydney, ahead of her ultimately successful bid to sail solo and unassisted around the world. It led to calls for her parents to ban her from going on her...

Dangerous, Inexperienced Sailing: The Real Sunderland Reality Opinion by laconic (4 Hours Ago) in Society Abby Sunderland was rushed out the gate in an ill prepared attempt to get an obscure record. She had to stop at Cabo for major upgrades on her boat. There were 2 auto pilots on the boat and the electrical demand exceeded the ability of the wind generators and solar panels to supply power. This was in California and Mexico, not the overcast Atlantic or Souther Ocean where you might not see the sun for days. Bad omen and signs of total incompetence before even...

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. Laurence Sunderland, a sailing instructor who lives in the middle-class Los Angeles suburb of Thousand Oaks with his pregnant wife and seven kids, opened their home to film crews four months ago.

he 'born-again' American teenager who had been attempting to sail solo around the world defends herself against the critics of her young age INDIAN OCEAN - Sixteen-year-old American Abby Sunderland, a "born again" teenage girl attempting to sail solo around the world, was rescued on Saturday, June 12, 2010 in a remote spot of the Indian Ocean, bringing to a successful conclusion the dramatic bid to save her life. Abby, who is part of a Southern California Christian family, was picked up from her stricken vessel by a dinghy launched from the French fishing boat Ile de la Reunion.

FAILED teen solo sailor Abby Sunderland's team did not put a cent towards her rescue but still tried to get the public to pay for the boat's salvage. The 16-year-old American abandoned her 12m yacht Wild Eyes last week after storms snapped its mast, leaving her stranded 3700km from the West Australian coast. She was picked up by a French fishing boat on Saturday after an international search mission costing an estimated $300,000. Her mother MaryAnne said yesterday the family could not afford to contribute to her daughter's rescue. "We're not wealthy people," she said. She suggested Australian rescue authorities...

Abby Sunderland's recent adventure has everyone questioning teen safety. It all depends one how one defines it. Parents, where are your teenage daughters? They had better be "safe" at home watching the perverse antics of Disney role models like Miley Cyrus or Lindsay Lohan on TV. Perhaps they're "safe" at school, where they are being educated about the sexual revolution, and in some states, being ushered "safely" by administrators to a clinic where the abortion procedure will be administered with you parents none the wiser. At the very worst, one can rest assured that even if America's daughters have ventured...

Here's a dose of reality. The father of teen sailor Abby Sunderland told The Post yesterday 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. Laurence Sunderland, a sailing instructor who lives in the middle-class Los Angeles suburb of Thousand Oaks with his pregnant wife and seven kids, opened their home to film crews four months ago. "The show might be about family, it might be about Abigail's trip. It's something that...

(Info derived from linked article) Sunderland "reality" show was preplanned before Abby's misadventure: Adventures in Sunderland (Reality TV Show) Distribution Rights: Magnetic Entertainment Exec Producer: Magnetic Entertainment "A family oriented Adventure show, based on the Sunderland Family of Thousand Oaks, CA. We follow the family in their day-to-day lives as shipbuilder Laurence Sunderland and mother/teacher Marianne try to balance work and family." http://www.magneticent.com/html/projects.htm "Magnetic Entertainment" is the sponsor of the ill-fated voyage. (pdf list of sponsors) http://abbysunderland.com/images/sponsors/abby_sponsorship.pdf

THE United States' peak sailing body was so concerned about Abby Sunderland's solo record bid that it refused to sponsor her. As the young sailor blasted her critics, the American Sailing Association confirmed it had knocked back the teenager's appeal for help, fearing commercial endorsement might encourage her to take too many risks. "We chose not to be sponsors of Abigail because we did have concerns about the timing of her departure," said executive director Charlie Nobles. Abby's route placed her in the treacherous Indian Ocean during the notoriously tough winter months. "She had a lot of sponsors that were...

THE Rudd Government has confirmed Australia can't seek to recover the cost of rescuing US teen sailor Abby Sunderland after her boat was demasted in the Indian Ocean. Abby, 16, is now on the French fishing vessel Ile De La Reunion, which is heading to the French archipelago Kerguelen Islands. Transport Minister Anthony Albanese says Australia couldn't send Abby and her backers a bill even if it wanted too. "That's not the way the law works," he told Channel 10. "The Australian taxpayer at the end of the day makes a contribution. "But we have to put this in context...

American teenager Abby Sunderland vowed Saturday that she would attempt to sail solo round the world again, after her first try at the record was thwarted when she became stranded for two nights in rough Indian Ocean seas. Sunderland was plucked from her damaged yacht by a French fishing vessel on Saturday, 2000 nautical miles from the western coast of Australia. Her 40-foot sailboat Wild Eyes remains adrift. The 16-year-old sailor was waiting to be evacuated since Friday, when Australian rescuers spotted her from the air and made radio contact. "It's been a little bit crazy these past few days....

I've found the slander and contempt expressed on Free Republic towards Abby Sunderland and her parents quite interesting. Of course, we're all supposed to believe that every post on FR is independently made, but these hate posts have been too interlocked in similiarly bizarre content for me to believe that. Basically the hateful screeds boil down to Abby being a child instead of a young woman, unable to understand the danger of her trip, put at risk by fame seeking parents, to do something with no socially approved redeeming value, which ended in abject failure due to Abby's incompetence, and...

A French fishing vessel rescued a California teenager Saturday from her crippled sailboat in the turbulent southern Indian Ocean, bringing relief to her family but ending her around-the-world sailing effort.

Californian teen sailor Abby Sunderland was rescued by French fishermen today after two days of battle with gale force winds and freezing temperatures while stranded on her stricken boat in the Indian Ocean. The 16-year-old was said to be in good health when the Ile de la Reunion, a French fishing vessel, reached her battered yacht Wild Eyes in heavy seas earlier today. Speaking outside the family home in Thousand Oaks, southern California, her father Laurence Sunderland said maritime authorities had contacted him to confirm the successful rescue operation, which took place at 7.45pm eastern Australian time (10.45 BST). An...

SOLO teenage US sailor Abby Sunderland has been rescued from her battered yacht Wild Eyes. The 16-year-old was taken aboard the fishing vessel Ile De La Reunion about 7.45pm (AEST) on Saturday.

THE Australian Defence Force has deployed two aircraft to Cocos Island, in the Indian Ocean, to assist in the rescue of US sailor Abby Sunderland. A French fishing boat was on its way to rescue Abby on Saturday afternoon, following a rescue crew making brief contact with the 16-year-old on Friday afternoon by air. On Saturday afternoon the Australian Defence Force joined the rescue by deploying two Royal Australian Air Force AP-3C aircraft. "If needed, one of the AP-3C Orion will fly to Mauritius to refuel and will then fly south and provide coordinating support for civilian ships that have...

What were her parents thinking? Many people were asking that question as a 16-year-old girl sat adrift and alone in the frigid southern Indian Ocean, her ship's mast dashed along with her around-the-world sailing effort. Abby Sunderland's ship was rolling in 20- to 30-foot waves as she waited to be rescued by a boat that was expected to arrive early Saturday morning Pacific time. She set off a distress signal Thursday after rough seas disabled her ship and her satellite phone reception. There were 20 hours of tense silence before a search plane launched from Australia's west coast made brief...

CANBERRA, Australia -- A 16-year-old California girl who was feared lost at sea while sailing solo around the world has been found alive and well, adrift in the southern Indian Ocean with rescue boats headed toward her damaged yacht, officials said. After a tense 20 hours of silence, a Qantas Airbus A330 search plane launched from Australia's west coast made radio contact with Abby Sunderland on Friday in the frigid southern seas where her boat was repeatedly knocked down by huge waves and she lost satellite phone contact.

STRANDED, alone and scared aboard her stricken yacht in one of the most remote stretches of water in the world, 16-year-old sailor Abby Sunderland faces an anxious wait to be rescued. But as emergency boats race to reach the American teenager, an angry debate has erupted over whether she should have been allowed to set sail at all. Abby was spotted late yesterday about 3700km southwest of Perth after a 12-hour search that has already cost Australian taxpayers more than $200,000. ..... A rescue ship had been expected to reach her by this afternoon but rough weather will delay its...

Abby Sunderland, the 16 year old attempting to sail around the world, was feared missing at sea yesterday, but has now been found alive and well. Sunderland had sent out numerous distress signals after her yacht, “Wild Eyes”, was pounded by huge waves in the Indian Ocean some 2,000 miles off the south African coast enroute to Australia. Word of Abby’s rescue was first posted on her blog by her parents: We have just heard from the Australian Search and Rescue. The plane arrived on the scene moments ago. Wild Eyes is upright but her rigging is down. The weather...

AUSTRALIA will to pay for its part in the search and rescue of teenage solo sailor Abby Sunderland who encountered extremely rough weather in the Indian Ocean. Australian Maritime Safety Authority chief executive Mick Kinley said searchers saw and made radio contact with Abby just after 4pm (AEST) on Friday. "She sounds like she's in good health, as far as we can tell, and she's going to hang in there,'' Mr Kinley told said in Canberra. Australian authorities commissioned a Qantas plane to search for Abby, who is about 3700km off the coast of Western Australia. Mr Kinley did not...

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. (AP) -- A family spokesman says searchers have contacted a 16-year-old Southern California girl who was feared lost at sea and she is alive and well. William Bennett with "Team Abby" said Thursday that searchers aboard an Airbus A330 spotted her boat in an upright position and made contact with her via radio. Bennett said Sunderland said she was doing fine and had plenty of food.

BREAKING NEWS: Abbey Sunderland has been found alive on her boat in the Indian Ocean. The signal from her boat was spotted by a chartered Airbus A330 aircraft. She was able to communicate with the aircraft via VHF radio. The boat is de-masted and unmaneuverable, but she has at least 30 days of food on board. A fishing ship is approximately 27-hrs, away from her and is currently en route to her location. This info was from a live news conference that was just broadcast on FOXX-11 News in LA.

The man who built Jessica Watson's yacht says missing solo teenage sailor Abby Sunderland's boat is not designed for a solo trip around the world. A multi-national search and rescue operation has been launched after emergency beacons onboard 16-year-old Sunderland's boat were triggered when the young American adventurer ran into huge waves hundreds of kilometres from land in the Indian Ocean early this morning. A Qantas Airbus is heading to the search zone, which is about 3,600 kilometres from the WA coast between Australia and Africa. Veteran yachtsman Marty Still built Jessica Watson's yacht and sailed it for 17 years,...

A 16-year-old Southern California girl attempting a solo sail around the world was feared in trouble Thursday thousands of miles from land in the frigid, heaving southern Indian Ocean after her emergency beacons began signaling and communication was lost. An international effort to rescue young Abby Sunderland began, but the vast distances meant long hours of waiting for her family and support team, which expressed confidence that she was alive because the beacons were deliberately turned on rather than set off automatically.

A Qantas Airbus is joining the search for a solo teenage girl sailor who is missing in mountainous seas in the middle of the Indian Ocean. The rescue effort was launched after emergency beacons onboard 16-year-old Abby Sunderland's boat were triggered when the young Amercian adventurer ran into huge waves hundreds of kilometres from land. Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) spokeswoman Carly Lusk says the Airbus is expected to take about four hours to reach the search zone, which is around 3,600 kilometres from the WA coast. "We've got two Qantas flight crews on board, as well as 11 trained...

The engineer behind Abby Sunderland's solo trip around the world says he believes the 16-year-old Thousand Oaks sailor is "alive" and "most likely floating" in the middle of the Indian Ocean. Speaking to a throng of reporters outside the family's home, Jeff Casher said he spoke to her at 3:45 a.m. Thursday, then lost contact after she went to check on some equipment on her boat. About an hour later, she apparently activated her emergency beacons – devices that sent automatic alerts to the Coast Guard and her family. Casher said the family is looking at three possible scenarios. Either...

Abby Sunderland, one of two 16-year-old girls on different quests to sail around the world alone, nonstop and unassisted, has announced she will head to Cape Town, South Africa, to repair a faulty autopilot system. The high-school junior from Thousand Oaks, Calif., stressed on her blog that she will continue her journey after making repairs and seek to become simply the youngest person to solo-circumnavigate the planet in a sailboat. [...] Autopilots are supposed to hold a sailor's course but Sunderland's primary and backup units have been faulty. At one point recently, in rough seas and freezing temperatures, the...

Rescuers searched Thursday for a 16-year-old Southern California girl feared missing while attempting a solo sail around the world. Family spokesman Christian Pinkston said the search began for Abby Sunderland somewhere between Africa and Australia after emergency beacons were activated overnight and there was a loss of communication.

A rescue effort has been launched in hope of finding Abby Sunderland, 16, who set off her emergency beacon locating devices from the southern Indian Ocean early this morning. Sunderland, who had been attempting to sail around the world alone, endured multiple knockdowns in 60-knot winds Thursday before conditions briefly abated. snip Abby is hundreds of miles from land. The nearest ship was about 400 miles away. The rescue effort is being coordinated by the French-controlled Reunion Islands and Australia. Sunderland had been sailing in 50- to 60-foot seas and it was dark when the EPIRB devices were activated. snip...

A rescue effort has been launched in hope of finding Abby Sunderland, 16, who set off her emergency beacon locating devices from the southern Indian Ocean early this morning. Sunderland, who had been attempting to sail around the world alone, endured multiple knockdowns in 60-knot winds yesterday (Thursday local time) before conditions briefly abated. However, her parents lost satellite phone contact early this morning and an hour later were notified by the Coast Guard at French-controlled Reunion Islands that both of Sunderland's EPIRB satellite devices had been activated. One apparently is attached to a survival suit and meant to be...

MARINA DEL REY, Calif.—A 16-year-old Southern California girl attempting to become the youngest person to sail around the world alone has rounded Cape Horn on the southern tip of South America. Abby Sunderland is believed to be the youngest person to sail alone around Cape Horn, known for treacherous winds and waves. Sunderland says on her blog that she didn't get to see the cape because she was some 50 to 60 miles offshore as she crossed from the Pacific Ocean into the Atlantic. Sunderland embarked five months after older brother Zac completed a westerly solo circumnavigation at the age...