Teen girl attempting solo sail around the world

[Incognito]

Her parents should have to suffer a lifetime of guilt for their horrible judgment call.

You seeing this as a little harsh yet? Like I said, they know their child a lot better than we do. What I can tell about her is that she is strong-willed, independent, and courageous. If she were my daughter, I would be very proud of her.

A lot of what I said was based on the notion that she was dead or gonna die out there in the middle of the ocean. She's alive ...so her parents won't have to face the guilt.

As for the CHILD being courageous and all of that, it doesn't matter. The parents made a stupid decision and they could have lost their daughter. They should count their blessings. Regardless of the girl's character, I would never have let her go to begin with. Call me a big fat meanie-head, call me strict, call me over-protective. I don't care.

[GameTime]

What I can tell about her is that she is strong-willed, independent, and courageous. If she were my daughter, I would be very proud of her.

if you were her father, you'd also probably be an overly wealthy pushover as a parent. 

[cyberdude557]

I guess she should have gone the safer route and gone to the prom, get hammered, and get pregnant like every other teenager.

[GameTime]

I guess she should have gone the safer route and gone to the prom, get hammered, and get pregnant like every other teenager.

so its solo trips around the world or pregnancy now?

[Skull and Bones]

well if I had to choose between my daughter drowning or getting pregnant I'm going with the latter.

[Incognito]

^^Same here

[olafberserker]

it doesn't appear that she has drowned.  it actually sounds like she knew what she was doing and was qualified to be out there

[Skull and Bones]

no one said she didn't know what she was doing but as a minor her parents are responsible for her and it probably wasn't the smartest thing for them to allow.

[Incognito]

^^Yep.

Being "qualified" doesn't mean she's not in great danger out there.

[Skull and Bones]

wow.  we keep agreeing on this Incognito.  say, do you like money and sex too?  if so, maybe we should hang!

[cyberdude557]

She was an experienced sailor. She had the right equipment. She had GPS, emergency beacons, multiple communications equipment, life vests. Boats these days are designed extremely well. They all understood the dangers out on the sea.

The proper precautions were taken. The only wrong decision may have been trying to travel the south Indian ocean this time of year. There are sometimes extremely high wind gusts even beyond hurricane force. And that's likely what broke the mast on her ship.

[Obamessiah]

It's a human being, not a pet. Your job as a parent is to teach them how to survive and prosper without you, not keep them in a gilded cage.

if you were her father, you'd also probably be an overly wealthy pushover as a parent.  

I make my kids pay rent. They get paid for the chores they do and they pay me for services provided. When they leave my charge they are responsible and ready. My oldest was sixteen when she left for college.

[Incognito]

It's a human being, not a pet. Your job as a parent is to teach them how to survive and prosper without you, not keep them in a gilded cage.

if you were her father, you'd also probably be an overly wealthy pushover as a parent. �

I make my kids pay rent. They get paid for the chores they do and they pay me for services provided. When they leave my charge they are responsible and ready. My oldest was sixteen when she left for college.

You make your CHILDREN pay rent?? Wow. I try not to judge parents for the way they raise their kids... but some people are just absurd. You brought them into this world. They didn't ASK to be born. Its your duty to support them in every way (including financially). Making them pay rent is quite harsh.

So you would let your CHILD sail around the world alone... AND you actually make them pay rent. My God.

No WONDER why your 16 yr old wanted out. I'd want to escape a "parent" like that as well.

[Obamessiah]

You weren't paying attention to the details. I also said that I pay them for the chores they do. And I pay them more than I charge them in rent. It works out about the same as paying them an allowance. The difference is, along the way they learn financial responsibility. I can state unequivocally that I would be much further ahead in life if I had possessed this skill when I left home.

Illuminator -

I see no problem with that.  There are a lot of parents who are teaching their kids adult values early.  Nothing makes a kid think harder about money when they have to give most of it to someone else...