There is a reason even professionally crewed, fully sponsored raceboats don't do the Southern Ocean in winter, it's the known frequency of gales, storms, and fatally dangerous waves. It's the same reason even professional mountain climbers don't do Everest or K2 in winter.
But Abbey's media-whore parents knew their grab for glory would expire when Abbey aged-out of her “youngest ever” record attempt. That's why the website splashed across her mainsail was “Abbey16.com”
Shameless media whores, who threw their gung-ho but foolish and unprepared daughter's life onto the craps table, do or die, in a grab for fame and money at any cost.
Well, I couldn’t do that as she’s just a kid. Which has been my objection all along. A kid, doing something dangerous and not just foolhardy.
There's been just amazing and amazingly hostile posts made online towards people who are disgusted with Mr. and Mrs. Sunderland.
Abby is a little girl, all of 16 years old who was raised by weirdos, so isn't really accountable for strange blog entries, ya know?
You are over-the-top emotional about this story, Travis McGee. Maybe take a break, and stop slandering people. You Do No Know The Whole Story, and are making asinine judgments based on your ignorance of The Whole Story.
Thank God she is safe. Semper Fi.
Posted by laconic, Free Republic. http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2534683/posts?page=56
When both navigation systems inevitably failed Abby stopped in Cape town to replace them. Her Father flew down to help. As well as replacing the navigation system he helped with repairs. Rather than wait for a cradle at the boat yard to hoist the boat out to repair a scratch in the hull, they did the most boneheaded and dangerous repair you can do on a sailboat. They tied a rope to the top of the mast and using leverage pulled the boat over to expose the hull (photos on Abby's blog Thursday May 13). I have seen masts snap when this has been tried and the fact that her mast later broke might not be coincidental.That action creates enormous stress on the mast and deck fittings. It is something you do on hobby-cats and small sailboats, not on a 40 foot boat if there are any alternatives. Again, incompetence, rushing and ignorance setting her up for failure. Posted by laconic, Free Republic. http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2534683/posts?page=56
Ex Navy. All ships are required to respond to distress calls and not expect repayment. Otherwise you get ships not responding to distress unless you have your Visa card handy. The issue of whether her parents are idiots/derilict for allowing this trip is a separate issue.