Young sailor Abby Sunderland found Alive and Well!!!!

[NYC_SKP]

Abby Sunderland is alive and apparently safe aboard her damaged sailboat

By: Pete Thomas, GrindTV.com

Abby Sunderland, 16, is alive and apparently well, floundering in rough seas in the Indian Ocean without a mast, but safely aboard her 40-foot boat and awaiting the arrival of rescue ships.

An Australian plane with 11 trained observers found Sunderland, who on Thursday had activated two emergency distress beacons signaling an international rescue attempt, not long after daybreak Friday. Its crewmade contact with her on a marine radio channel.

The mariner from Thousand Oaks, Calif., who had been attempting to become the youngest person to have sailed around the world alone, had lost has mast and rigging after her vessel apparently rolled in heaving seas. Her position is extremely remote, more than 2,000 miles from Australia and Africa.

"I was envisioning all sorts of nightmare situations," Marianne Sunderland, Abby's mom, said when reached via phone at her family's home in Thousand Oaks, Calif.


http://www.grindtv.com/outdoor/blog/17960/abby+sunderland+is+alive+and+apparently+safe+aboard+her+damaged+sailboat/

:bounce:

[mikelgb]

1. good news

[DrDan]

2. sure hope the parents get the bill for the search and rescue . .

[mikelgb]

3. good looking out

think of the money first

:crazy:

[DrDan]

4. no - I am thinking of the safety of that child - those parents should be faulted for this whole

thing

[cbayer]

8. Just going to say this - I am really glad that my parents held a view similar to Abby's parents,

and not one like your own.

And I assure you, my kids feel the same way.

[DrDan]

10. to encourage kids be be adventurous, curious and to take chances is a good thing

to sail solo around the world - not so much. That is a heavy task for a very experienced, very knowledgable adult. Not a 16 year old.

If your parents encouraged risks of this magnitude, thank the stars you are here to brag-on-them

[Chiyo-chichi]

25. I don't normally agree with Nebraska football fans, but...

You are spot on.
I have a 16 year-old-daughter. While sailing yachts is far from our world, I cannot imagine that ANY 16-year-old child, male or female, should be attempting to sail around the world solo.

[DrDan]

29. lol

as a former Ball State student, I could make a comment on Indiana football. But I won't.

[Chiyo-chichi]

36. I will be the first to welcome our new Gridiron Overlords to the Big Ten.

I'm originally from Oklahoma and always a Sooner at heart.

[DrDan]

37. thanks

grew up with Big-8 - and the Nebr-Oklahoma game was never to be missed. Will never forget the great game of '71. Jack Mildren vs. Jerry Tagge. Johnny Rodgers. Greg Pruitt.

35-31 good guys

What a great game.

[muffin1]

30. I'm not sure if I've ever agreed with you,

but like the other poster, I certainly agree on this.

I'm so glad she's alright, too. :hi:

[muffin1]

31. delete - dupe

[treestar]

14. Why is such a thing necessary to do?

She could have done a lot of sailing without attempting this. Nobody is held back from doing anything interesting to say that extremes or not good. This kid could have been dead. I'm just relieved she's not.

[gateley]

54. I can see both sides, but I agree with you. There are 16 year olds and then there

are 16 year olds. She's apparently mature, responsible and extremely capable. I don't think age really matters -- it's the person.

[JonLP24]

55. I agree

I'm not qualified to do what she does and I'm older than she is.

[depakid]

5. Aussies don't behave that way

although if she writes a book or gets big money from some appearances, it would be good form to send a bit of a thank you.

[Seneca]

6. Fuck yes

I don't expect the governments of the U.S., Australia, etc., to pay for my hobbies when they go awry, lol.

The Abby Sunderland worship is indeed puzzling.

[amborin]

51. +1 imagine letting their teen out alone, especially in storm season!

[arcadian]

7. A daughter of privilege stops the world

i could really care less. One of the risks in sailing is Davy Jones locker, if she doesn't know this, she isn't truly a sailor.

[cbayer]

9. Privilege?? You don't know anything about Abby or her family - absolutely nothing.

:rofl:

[treestar]

12. Having one's own sailboat and the time to do that

tends to indicate not being a member of the poorer classes.

[Chiyo-chichi]

26. Bingo.

[Maine-ah]

32. bullshit.

my father was a teacher in the 1980's supporting a family of six and we had a 28' sailboat. And if it's something you like to do, you make the time for it. Hell, he made extra cash running day-sails during the summers. He left teaching in '86, and ended up teaching sailing courses plus a full time job. Sorry, but it's not as expensive as you may think. Come to the coast, almost everyone has a boat of some kind, and the average income is about 40k per year. It doesn't mean you're some elitist rich-bitch because you own a sailboat.

[treestar]

45. sorry, no way you're going to convince me your family was poor

Or that anyone who can take a year to just sail doesn't have means of support that are enough to allow for it.

[Maine-ah]

58. average salary of a teacher was about 26k. Family of six. yep.

I could care less whether you believe me or not.

[gateley]

53. I think she had sponsors -- of the commercial $$$ type. nt

[arcadian]

15. Missing white girl syndrome.

Also, care to share with me who bought her boat and supplies for her journey?

[cbayer]

19. All that information is readily available to anyone who actually wants to know something

about her, her family and how she put this together.

Or one could just choose to draw conclusions without actually obtaining any factual information at all.

You get to decide which of those you want to be.

Now, before I lose my cool and get overly involved in this conversation, I am going to bow out.

[arcadian]

22. I'm asking you.

Since you apparently know them personally as per your posts. How about a link?

[DrDan]

16. Sunderland Yacht Management?

"Operating primarily in the Los Angeles area and surrounds, SYM manages numerous vessels based in Marina del Rey, providing services ranging from repairs and maintenance, teaching and writing, to hosting and Captaincy of pleasure cruises."

yeah - I agree that "privilege" pretty well describes them.

Just another set of parents trying to capitalize on the feats of their children. Wonder if they know the baloon-boy's parents.

[arcadian]

20. Those in the yachting industry have hit hard times don't you know?

The billionaires are pushing out the millionaires. It's tough all around.

[DrDan]

21. I guess they are being forced to find creative ways to make money . . . .

[arcadian]

28. The son also solo sailed around the world

Looks like the dad forces the kids into this lifestyle to grab a little media attention.

[cbayer]

23. He's a freaking boat mechanic with seven kids who has grease permanently under

his fingernails. Everyone who knows him and his family would die laughing at this post.

:rofl:

[DrDan]

27. you would not know it from his site

http://www.sunyachts.net/main/About%20SYM.html

10-12 yachts under management

[Dappleganger]

39. It's a boat yard.

Sounds like a small family business to me, or is that not allowed around here?

[DrDan]

40. looks quite up-scale to me

http://www.sunyachts.net/Galleries/g1/index2.html

[Dappleganger]

41. It looks like most of the boat yards I've been to.

Have you spent much time in any of them, visiting and asking what they do and watching them work?? The people they employ all work with their hands. There is dock space to rent and people do so. How is this a problem? Anything on the water with sailboats is not usually going to look like a dump, and if does it probably isn't up to code.

[cbayer]

11. Wonderful news! Knowing Abby, I know that she will try again.

:toast:

[depakid]

17. Preferably in a better vessel, not during our winter season

and at age 18+

[oldhippie]

18. I hope her boat can be towed to Australia, .....

..... repaired, and she can continue on her way. It would be nice for her to spend some time with Jessica.

There are thousands of people worldwide (like me, for instance) that would be willing to send a sizable donation to help get her boat repaired. I have been following her voyage from the beginning. She's a gutsy young woman and I would be honored to meet her some day. She is one of the ones that will help make the world better, not the ones sitting safely at home complaining about "rich people." She's just getting more experience.

[arcadian]

24. How is sailing alone around the world making the world better?

Donate? Are you serious? Why not donate that money to a local homeless shelter?

[Name removed]

35. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Dappleganger]

13. Glad to hear it.

Good luck to her!

[Warpy]

33. She's damned lucky

to have parents who let her follow her dream, to be privileged enough to be able to attempt that dream, and to have been found when it all went awry.

She should go buy a lottery ticket.

[freddie mertz]

34. Her parents seem to be more than a bit irresponsible.

I mean, I am all for adventure and letting teenagers take initiative and all.

But this was a seriously bad idea.

[Liberal_in_LA]

38. good news. Now keep her home

[whistler162]

42. and barefoot and when proper pregnant!

Idiots!!!

[hayu_lol]

43. Aside from having a family in the boating industry...

Abby trained hard for three years to gain the additional skills to do this cruise. She is extremely well-qualified to make the attempt. Many large boat owners are not qualified to take their own boats out of the slip it is moored in. There are even party boats in some marinas that have no engines...are used just for social events.

Abby made the right decisions and undoubtedly handled her boat well. Time got by her during her two equipment breakdowns putting her at risk because of the change of seasons...seasons wait for no person--male or female; being dismasted was a disappointment to her, but she knew what to do and did it.

As for missing school, she learned more making this effort than she could have possibly learned sitting in a schoolroom for the same amount of time.

My own hunch, based upon a bit of experience with boats, is that the boat was the wrong boat for an extended international cruise. The smaller Ella's Pink Lady, a 34 footer, was better designed for the long haul. Not so flashy, not so high-tech, but far more reliable.

There are fewer than 250 people who have made this circumnavigation since Josh Slocum.

For those who worry about the money...much of the cost was defrayed by sponsors, family picked up some, and much of the rescue effort will be paid by the family and sponsor organizations. No matter, that some teens are still dreaming of things to do and challenges to meet in this day and age is encouraging.

Abby was mature enough to handle the job...and has.

[oldhippie]

46. My main worry about her boat was ...

..... that it was too high tech. Too dependent on the electro-mechanical auto-pilot. Jessica's boat used a simpler mechanical wind vane. I continue to worry about reliance on hi-tech. But, if this had been 20 years ago before satellite phones, internet and EPLBs, she may very well have been lost at sea.

I hope her boat gets repaired in Aussie Land and she sails the Pacific and home.

[yawnmaster]

57. yes find a nice padded room. Don't let anything bad happen to her...

At least until 18 when she is magically an adult.

[seaker]

44. I am humbled

I was one who blithely proclaimed, no big deal...with all tech and such. I was arrogant and wrong. Well done Abby!...Sail-on, girl!:bounce:

[amborin]

47. balloon boy redux:irresponsible attention-seeking parents let their daughter go off in storm season!

i hope they get bad press and are made to foot the bill

echoes of the balloon boy in Colorado

[Fumesucker]

48. I didn't realize balloon-boy was in the balloon..

You learn something new every day on DU.. :eyes:

[amborin]

50. never said he was! said it was redux of attention-seeking irresponsible parenting

[Arugula Latte]

49. I'm glad she's been found.

And I admire her bravery and sense of adventure.

Having said that, no way in HELL I'd let one of my kids do that. No way. No how.

[gateley]

52. This was the first thing I heard on the radio when I awoke this morning -- then

didn't see much about it so wondered if I'd been dreaming.

My heart is truly filled with joy - I honestly expected the worst. :bounce:

[yawnmaster]

56. this was great news. I hope she tries again.

What a great experience.
She has more gained more and experienced more at 16 then many people do living their entire lives.

I applaud her and her parents.

[KansasVoter]

59. Hope her parents pay the rescue bill!

[Taverner]

60. Good.