MacGregorSailors.com

She's off http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33366623/ns ... iapacific/ Rob

Dave B: You've got some serious time on the pond-I'm impressed. Hopefully I'll gain some serious time on the pond over the coming years.Enjoyed your stories!Thanks-Curtis

News article from, Utrecht, Netherlands, concerning another youth, 14 year old girl, Laura Dekker was required to CANCEL her planned sailing trip around the world. A Dutch Court said she is too Young AND inexperienced.

Im wondering...where are the parents' minds concerning the welfare of these kids ?

LOUIS B HOLUB wrote: Im wondering...where are the parents' minds concerning the welfare of these kids ?

Louis, my 1999 is down in Kemah too; on the hard now. Look forward to following your threads and perhaps picking up some mod/mait advice.

Anyway, regarding parents' minds...I must say I think it's great. Kids now a days are way over protected. They don't get to experience any danger or excitement. As a parent of 2 boys, my wife and I do want to protect them; but we(more like I) also want them to experience adventure and excitement...yes danger. May I suggest a book for your reading pleasure while on the hook off of Redfish Island...it's called "Wild at Heart" by John Eldridge...http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss?url=s ... d+at+heart

It's a great book to help explain how God made us with a desire for adventure.
That philosophical point being made; I would certainly make sure my young little sailor was over-experienced, over-equipped, and brimming with self-confidence before I let them go.

See ya down in Kemah.

thanks,

Te

TexasDan40 wrote:

LOUIS B HOLUB wrote: Im wondering...where are the parents' minds concerning the welfare of these kids ?

Louis, my 1999 is down in Kemah too; on the hard now. Look forward to following your threads and perhaps picking up some mod/mait advice.

Anyway, regarding parents' minds...I must say I think it's great. Kids now a days are way over protected. May I suggest a book for your reading pleasure while on the hook off of Redfish Island...it's called "Wild at Heart" by John Eldridge...http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss?url=s ... d+at+heart

It's a great book to help explain how God made us with a desire for adventure.
That philosophical point being made; I would certainly make sure my young little sailor was over-experienced, over-equipped, and brimming with self-confidence before I let them go.

See ya down in Kemah.

thanks,

Te

Hi ya Dan, and thanks. Hey, I agree kids are "overprotected" in many cases. You are absolutely correct...there's something "built into" man that makes adventure natural.

Happy sailing Be sure and give us a "Texas Howdy" and an air-horn-blast when passing by on the water...its always great seeing a fellow Mac'ier.

LOUIS B HOLUB wrote: Hi ya Dan, and thanks. Hey, I agree kids are "overprotected" in many cases. You are absolutely correct...there's something "built into" man that makes adventure natural.

Happy sailing Be sure and give us a "Texas Howdy" and an air-horn-blast when passing by on the water...its always great seeing a fellow Mac'ier.

Right now I'm keeping my Mac behind Tails & Sails on 2094...but moving it very soon to beind the Boaters Resale Shop on 2094...so I can keep her rigged and ready to dip. I've seen at least 2 other Mac's parked in there...maybe we can start a little Mac club in Kemah.

cheers,
Te

I don't know about "overprotected" but one only rarely gets the opportunity to do something great. There are billions of people on the planet and the huge majority will never do anything worth talking about. Those who do will always have to overcome the majority who thought it was a bad idea. Jess' just talking about sailing around the world has generated more discussion than most of our lives ever will. Amelia Earheart was one of the most experienced flyers on the planet when she didn't make it around the world at the age of 39. If Jess makes it she will then be one of the most experienced sailors in the world (at 17!). Face it, if you are not the first, the youngest, the fastest or maybe the oldest, you are just someone else who did.

MD, I agree with you. My claim to fame is that I am the least experience sailor to ever buy a new . I had never seen a sailboat up close. Two years later and still without any professional lessons and very little sail time, I’m thinking about actually making a solo, round the world trip myself. NOT!

That's cool. The first sailboat I was ever on was my own so I know where you are coming from.

It's not just "claim to fame". That is external (like praise or applause). It's also about an internal sense of accomplishment and self worth. Feeling like one did something with their life worth doing.

If successful it would be a trip of a lifetime. Things to talk about and documentation to prove it.

Also, there would be magazine articles and speaking engagements. Advertising contracts. Likely acceptance to any college or professional program. So on an so forth.

The down side of this type of endeavour is quite obviously the danger. Failure (not resulting in death) may deal a crushing blow as well. Also furthering the competition is an issue. The next person will have to be 15 and the next 14.

Mike

My IQ is the inverse of my PHRF rating coincidentally - does that get me anything??

Seriously - I dont think there will be a path to fame and fortune for this young lady. Apparently, publishers are inundated with 'life story' manuscripts from various endeavours, so she had better count on a trade to make a living.

It's akin to Child Abuse is all it is....

Rich

richandlori wrote:It's akin to Child Abuse is all it is....
Rich

Child Abuse, yes, and including Child Neglect, and Child Endangerment.

I assume there are "built in" features of "all" the limits of protection that are available, shadow boat, etc., etc., otherwise the publicity wouldnt be supportive. Anyway, I wouldnt allow my kid/s to do this.

As most parents of girls know a 14 year old girl does what she really wants too anyway. In some states 14 is legal age to marry and in history girls world wide 14 year old started having children and telling there husbands what to do. Why shouldn't mature girls 14 not sail around the world, it is probably cheeper to let her sail around the world than get involved with shopping and dating.

As I said before anytime one pushes the boundries the vast majority will think it is a bad idea. If ones goal is to be ordinary (a job, 2.5 kids etc) it is a bad idea. There is real risk. It, however, is NOT child abuse. Abuse is willful mistreatment. The parents would have to intend to do harm. Nor is it neglect which involves an ambivalence about the outcome. No evidence to suggest either of those are true. I think one could suggest the same things about a parent who bought a child a car or a motorcycle. Yearly thousands of kids go out for a drive and never come home. That actually would meet the definition of neglect if the parents intention was to get the kid a car so they no longer had to drive them places (to avoid being responsible for the childs transportation). Most parents, I think, underestimate the risk of driving but the insurance company doesn't just look at the bill. Another tangential thought is about the significance of age. She is 16 BTW. There were 17 year old boys who went ashore on d-day. I don't know if she can sail around the world but if she is not successful its not entirely because she is 16.

Looks like she is doing real well. 22 days in. Keep our fingers crossed.