Posted on 06/27/2010 8:02:21 PM PDT by LibWhacker
SAINT-DENIS, Reunion -- Sixteen-year-old sailor Abby Sunderland is homeward bound - though her plane flight back to California isn't the homecoming she originally imagined when she set off in hopes of sailing around the world.
About two weeks after her rescue at sea, Sunderland departed Sunday from the French island of Reunion, off the southeastern coast of Africa, en route to France, then on to California.
(Excerpt) Read more at fwix.com ...
So what's your experience with sending your child out onto the ocean alone for 8 months?
Do yourself a favor and read the comments on a forum dedicated to sailing by sailors with ocean experience...You just might find that you are totally ignorant about the dangers the wacko parents subjected their daughter to. And you also might find some interesting info on the weirdo dad that has conveniently been ignored by the MSM.....
My own experience, such as it is, is with the Sunderlands. I followed Zac for the final 2/3 of his voyage and then I've followed Abby since she left MDR. I've been impressed with the sort of repairs that Abby has been able to make as she went along. (Zac too.) They seem quite together to me. You're entitled to your opinion that they are some sort of wackos that must be protected from themselves by the Nanny State. But I hope you will allow me my own opinion that Abby and the Sunderlands should be at least as free as our Framers were.
ML/NJ
“Jeez, if the kid can navigate on the open ocean, surely she can get around in a modern airport.”
That was said in jest...however, she had people meet her (including her older brother), and escort her back to LAX.
OK, except that I don’t know that they had even thought it out that well.
.
You have a strange interpretation of the word “well”
All 200 + pages? I am really impressed!
So what's your take on those accusations about Larry?
GPS is a frill!
A fairly accurate timepiece, an HP15 calculator, and a cheap sextant, following a quick read through W.S. Kaals Practical Navigation, all of which could be obtained in a day or two, will do the trick.
You don’t need GPS.
Oh knock it off with your patriotic BS., this isn't about our "Framers" or the U.S. Constitution..............This isn't about "FREEDOM" so don't even go in that direction.
This is about real life comnmon sense and as evidenced by all the posts you claim you read, there aren't too many seasoned sailors who would agree that what this stupid family allowed their child to do was very intelligent..............
In fact, most of them agree that it was stupid beyond belief.
That was one of the points. Abby did need it.
Hard to say. Some of the negative comments I've seen have come from people who obviously know more about sailing than I do. But I cannot tell if these same people all also know more than he does. I've been impressed with how he has gotten supplies and teams together to help Zac and Abby with their repairs.
So what's your take on Zac? Does he know anything about this sailing stuff? Do you think he has had nothing to do with Abby's effort?
ML/NJ
“I gave my 11 year-old daughter a ticket to Europe (Germany, actually) and told her I would see her in three weeks.”
Are you serious? And you didn’t pay a little extra to have the airline handle her as an “unaccompanied minor?”
That’s when someone physically escorts her (with paperwork) from the ticket counter (and you), through security and to the departure gate. From there, she is handed over to the flight crew. A flight attendant individually briefs the UM on safety, including items/equipment. They look after her throughout flight.
Upon landing, the UM is physically accompanied through customs, out of security, and handed over to the party waiting for her at her destination...but only after verifying a government issued picture ID of this person...their name/names are on the UM paperwork.
You didn’t do this for her?
One more thing about those "accusations." I've known about Abby's trip since before she left California. I don't recall any of the sailing wizzards here saying anything negative about her effort until after she got in trouble.
E.g. check out the thread at http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2486211/posts.
ML/NJ
Actually no. But that's because it was free when my kids did this. I think she was a UM then. I doubt she was when she came home by herself from Israel when she was 16 though.
ML/NJ
Yea, I would say considerably so.
With that being said, your comment reminds me of the kid in my English Lit. class who tried to BS the teacher by citing what he had read in his Clift Notes when questioned about Shakespear.............You obviously missed the pages regarding the real controversy about Larry.
It must be wonderful to have the brilliance you do.
ML/NJ
I couldn't care less about the brother..........
I remember this so well...it was years ago..on a DC10...full flight...287 passengers...
Awaiting clearance out of Denver for Chicago...were on the tarmac for several hours...there were severe thunderstorms in Chicago...
We took off, but could not land in Chicago...were diverted to Milwaukee. By now it was after midnight. Passengers were given the choice of staying with the plane, and hopefully flying to Chicago, or getting bussed to Chicago.
A child approached me (a flight attendant), and asked what she should do. She was 12 years old, traveling alone...not a UM, and had a connecting flight in Chicago. I advised her to to stay with me. At 2am or so, we landed in Chicago...everything closed at the airport...all connecting passengers had to find their own hotel accomodations.
Because she was not a UM, she was not the airline’s responsibility. I called her grandmother, asked that she give me permission to take the child to a hotel with me. I received the okay...the kid was excited, but the grandmother told me she was upset because her (grandmom’s) birthday was now “ruined” if I didn’t get the kid to the airport first thing in the morning for her flight to grandma’s.
The child and I arrived at the hotel by taxi...20 miles from the airport (only one available)...very hungry. By then it was 0330. We found a fast food place a block away and got to bed at 0430! Got up around 0600...took her back to the airport, and got her on her on a flight to grandma’s. It wasn’t the very first flight to grandma’s, but I did my best. Never heard from the family. I guess I ruined the birthday.
“She is a super girl. If all our youth in our country were like her, it would be a much better country and we would have a much brighter future.”
Mmm mmm mmm. Young people approaching voting age - give them all the rights they can tolerate...and more with no guidance or supervision necessary! I know which political party practices that policy and I know why they do it - obviously, you’re sympathetic to those policies.
Me? Not.
“So how much exactly did this search overseas cost YOU specifically?”
Just don’t get it, do you? If there was an Aussie 13 year old here in the U.S. who decided to swim across Lake Michigan in January with nobody there to rescue said idiot, would Obama spend my money to rescue that fool? Sure he would. It doesn’t have to be MY money for me to dislike the act by the porter, excuse me, the fool.
But there wasn’t....so again, how much did it cost you? Oh that’s right, nothing. So you’re bellyaching just to be bellyaching - when there are so many real things to be upset about. Bunch of curmudgeons who have zero spirit of adventure around here....
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