Posted on 06/14/2010 8:12:08 AM PDT by jimbo123
>> The freedom to sail around the world comes with the responsibility of financing a rescue if it’s needed. If you cannot afford a rescue, a responsible freedom loving person’s response should be “then I can’t go.”
I wish I had your gift for clearly but succinctly stating a concept! I tried my best to get that across in an Abby thread yesterday, apparently without success.
sadly, remember the little girl a few years ago “flying” around the world? she didn’t make it
Instead of raising money to rescue the boat, they should have tried to raise money to give a reward to the fishing boat captain who risked his life in the rescue.
That would have lifted my opinion of the parents.
If she had a “certain level of capability” she would be thankful to be alive and would not be casually passing the cost of losing the boat off to the US taxpayer.
I’ll insist my kids get their pilots licenses. If they crash a plane, we won’t insist you pay for it.
Well, I’d call it “child abandonment” by letting a minor go, completely unattended in a vast ocean, such that the girl needed help at all.
If the parents had gone with her, that might be a better thing, but as it was, they left her to die.
As for the costs of saving her, for them to suggest they have no money and that the US government ought to pay for them shows their cards. This is all about fame and fortune and taking no responsibility for poor judgment or injury along the way.
If your friends know these people and defend them, obviously they are poor judges of character. Sadly, this then reflects on you.
1. Countries do not charge for rescue. It is the law and practice of the sea.
2. The boat is damaged and not worth recovering. Most boats this damaged are sunk as it would be far more expensive to fix than simply replace. Her Dad is a commerical boat builder and knows what he is talking about.
3. These people live around boats and the sea every day of their lives. They know it intimately and are qualified to make decisions that you people with your bass boats are not qualified to make.
4. Abby is a great sailor. She has taken on a really difficult challenge and survived. Congratualtions to her.
5. Most all of you who are whining about Abby are decendents of 14, 15 and 16 year olds who threw their meager belongings in a wagon (which they may have built themselves) and headed West. Abby resembles your great-great-grandparents more than you do.
6. If she writes a book, I will buy it. It will be a good story.
Maybe they can get Oprah to pimp it for them. 
So now Australia has reversed that statement? Who is charging $300K?
Oh I'm certain is was the family that sought out this or any of the hundreds of other reporters...................../s.
The boat as well as her adventure was paid for by sponsors.
The boat is nowhere near shipping lanes and will probably end up floating into an island in a few months.
Well by ALL MEANS!! Have US taxpayers pick up the tab for the publicity stunt of our little princess!! I wonder if sweetie-pie will share the book royalties with any of those little, unimportant tax payers?
If you can, please extend my congratulations to her family and to Abby. Sorry that she couldn’t finish the trip, but the sea is like that sometimes.
I support her 100% and I think everyone in this project did a wonderful job. Abby is a real jewel.
I threw all my meager belongings in an old Vega and went to California with 300 dollars, does that count? I immediately got employment and worked for a living, no one then or now ever bailed me out of anything. I might have gone around the world on a yacht, but guess what? I couldn’t afford it and was too busy trying to better my situation in life. That kid wants to be an adventurer, she needs to , like the poster said, become something first, and pay her own way. Those are better values to instill in kids than quick rich schemes and fleeting fame.
Yes, they would have. They may have done so.
300k? Wow! OMG!
&$%#*.
Illegal aliens are costing American tax payers 20,000,000,000 every 12 months, and now this!
If she had become shark chow, sharks would have eaten her. Abby would be good chum.
You think spoiled kids write good books, do you?
BINGO!!!!
She should of opened any through hulls and let the boat sink in three miles of water.
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