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Thread: Abby Sunderland- 16yr old Sailor Missing in the Indian Ocean

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    Re: Abby Sunderland- 16yr old Sailor Missing in the Indian Ocean

    Lucky girl!
    My life is sunshine, lollipops and rainbows.....

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    Re: Abby Sunderland- 16yr old Sailor Missing in the Indian Ocean

    So who foots the bill for all this?  The state of the art boat?  The rescue efforts?  The satellite technology?

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    Re: Abby Sunderland- 16yr old Sailor Missing in the Indian Ocean

    Well, that's good.

    I'm a god mother fucker and it's judgment day.

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    Re: Abby Sunderland- 16yr old Sailor Missing in the Indian Ocean

    We are Peavey.  As in Australia.  We're generous like that.  :|  I think it is just how it goes, if one of us were lost at sea near the USA I would gather the USA would foot the bill.  I'm not willing to test this theory for you!  :-P

    http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/australia-to-cover-costs-of-abby-sunderlands-rescue/story-e6frfku0-1225878600356?from=public_rss

    Australia to cover costs of Abby Sunderland's rescue
    From: AAP June 11, 2010 6:11pm

    AUSTRALIA will pay for its part in the search and rescue of teenage solo sailor Abby Sunderland who encountered extremely rough weather in the Indian Ocean.

    Australian Maritime Safety Authority chief executive Mick Kinley said searchers saw and made radio contact with Abby just after 4pm (AEST) on Friday.

    "She sounds like she's in good health, as far as we can tell, and she's going to hang in there,'' Mr Kinley said in Canberra.

    Australian authorities commissioned a Qantas plane to search for Abby, who is about 3700km off the coast of Western Australia.

    Mr Kinley did not say how much the rescue mission would cost, but said there would be no attempt to recover costs.

    Abby's emergency beacon went off outside Australia's search and rescue region, in the region of La Reunion and La Reunion asked Australia for assistance.

    The boat then drifted into Australia's search and rescue region. Australia is now co-ordinating the rescue mission.

    When asked if Australia would seek to get the money back, Mr Kinley said: "No, that's the way the system runs.

    "We would expect people to rescue any Australian yachtsman in these conditions,'' he said.

    "It's our obligation to do this and we'll fulfil those obligations as Australia does.''

    A vessel should reach her in about 24 hours, he told reporters at 5pm (AEST).

    Her boat was upright but had lost its mast due to rough weather conditions.

    "She's in the boat, the boat's seaworthy, it's not taking on water,'' Mr Kinley said.

    Mr Kinley said a French fishing vessel would rescue Abby.

    Australia would send more aircraft to monitor the situation tomorrow.

    It was quite likely Abby would be taken to La Reunion, but that had not been settled.

    The accident happened in very heavy weather, but conditions were now normal, with a 4-5m swell and fairly heavy winds.

    Abby's location was described as "way down in the southern ocean''.

    It was a long way from merchant shipping routes and it was lucky the French vessel was in the vicinity, Mr Kinley said.

    She is in international waters, but in Australia's search and rescue zone.

    Mr Kinley explained that Abby had dropped out of contact because her satellite communications were lost when she lost her mast. The rescue plane had to get quite close to her to establish radio contact.

    It was believed she had not been able to speak to her family yet.
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    Re: Abby Sunderland- 16yr old Sailor Missing in the Indian Ocean

    [quote author=DinHB link=topic=25671.msg1644550#msg1644550 date=1276211168]
    OK, so I don't know jack about boats.

    She's been out to sea for a long time...I'm wondering, what the heck do you eat while out @ sea for that long?

    I'm guessing this is a pretty big boat?

    School me please  :?


    [/quote]


    You'd be amazed at how much food you can stow on a 40 foot boat. At the start of the voyage she would eat perishables like fruite etc and then move to canned food etc.

    [quote author=mydeathspace link=topic=25671.msg1644552#msg1644552 date=1276211298]
    Cool self-righting test photos from her MySpace. Kinda looks like a different boat in the first 3 though...

    [/quote]


    Same boat. Basically all keel boats are self righting, even my Catalina 25. In my case, I have 1800 LBs of lead in the bottom of my keel.  That fact helps calm down passengers when we heel over past 30 degrees.  If you get rolled over and all your hatches are open, you'll probably sink. Ocean racers like Open 40's, 50's, 60's and 70's are designed to take a bunch of shit. In her case she was rolled and dismasted, rendering the boat inoperable.

    [quote author=Peavey link=topic=25671.msg1644778#msg1644778 date=1276255773]
    So who foots the bill for all this?  The state of the art boat?  The rescue efforts?  The satellite technology?
    [/quote]

    Typically whoever rescues the person in trouble. At sea, other boats/ships will divert course and  drop everything to rescue a mariner in trouble with the idea that they would do the same for you. Hell, I've rescued a couple boats on the lake that were in trouble and when they tried to offer me money I refused. It's just what you do. I'm sure the USCG has rescued plenty of aussies.    Australia is famous for their awesome rescue efforts as Australia and Chile are the two nations that have any reach into the Southern Ocean where Abby was. The Southern Ocean is the most brutal ocean on the face of the planet, one of the last untamed wildernesses. Much of it is beyond the reach of any countries rescue efforts, so she's lucky. Not sure why she would pick her route down there in winter.  :|[quote author=deeply shaded link=topic=25671.msg1644733#msg1644733 date=1276234802]
    When I asked if someone said it was an old tub, I meant why are you defending that part because nobody said that.

    Why is this kind of thing allowed without charging the parents with neglect or something? Sending a 16 year old kid into the ocean alone on a boat is not good parenting, right?
    [/quote]

    This is a big debate in the sailing forums. This girl and her 17 year old brother (Who just finished his sail around the word) came from a sailing family and were extremely accomplished sailors. She probably has a higher skill set than most sailors that put to sea. If you know this as a parent and you know the risks, I don't see it as bad parenting at all. How many 16 year olds die  in car wrecks? Should we charge parents with neglect in those cases? I do though see your point and in my mind it's more the skill and physical condition of the sailor and the ability of the boat than the age or male or female etc.

    [quote author=brie link=topic=25671.msg1644554#msg1644554 date=1276211921]
    Yeah if I were sailing around the world, I would want to stop at all the places I was sailing through.
    I don't know anything about this sailing around the world business either, does she get to stop at places?
    [/quote]

    Cruisers do this all the time and when I finally retire and get my blue water boat I'll be taking my time, soaking up the islands and the culture. I guess she was trying to do it without stopping which she had blown anyways before this happened.


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    Re: Abby Sunderland- 16yr old Sailor Missing in the Indian Ocean

    [quote author=deeply shaded link=topic=25671.msg1644733#msg1644733 date=1276234802]
    When I asked if someone said it was an old tub, I meant why are you defending that part because nobody said that.

    Why is this kind of thing allowed without charging the parents with neglect or something? Sending a 16 year old kid into the ocean alone on a boat is not good parenting, right?
    [/quote]

    Hi DS,

    If I may retort....

    This is part of the pussification of America....  This girl is 16....  a few generations back.. she could have been easily been married with a child already.  She would have been in charge of the daily household, and probably done a lot of manual labor.  Her male counterpart could have been a soldier, or married with his own farm, or a job. 18 years doesn't make an adult, or set in place skills automatically.... it is an arbitrary number.
    Life experience, mental capacity, and emotional maturity make an adult more so than years.  Travel the world a bit and you will see lots of 16 year old's filling the roles of adults, and doing just fine at it.
    Many teen couples and brides helped to populate and tame  our country, and I'm sure that was quite an adult job. Lot's of teens fight and die in most wars... hell the AVERAGE age of a soldier in Viet Nam was 19.
    That's a shitload of 17 year old's factored in with the old guys.

    I think the parents should be commended for allowing their kid to aspire to great things. Money be damned, this is a great accomplishment for anyone. If she pulls this off and sets her sights on a worthy goal, who the hell is ever going to be able to tell this girl it's an unreachable goal.

    I think 1/2 the problems with kids today.... is we tell them they CAN'T do shit.... instead of telling them they CAN do shit.



    This girl is an expert sailor, with years of experience, a bad ass boat, and a brother who accomplished the same task. She's intelligent, and aware of the risks and dangers.
    I hope she's ok, and I feel pretty optimistic.

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    Re: Abby Sunderland- 16yr old Sailor Missing in the Indian Ocean

    [quote author=Mortis link=topic=25671.msg1644808#msg1644808 date=1276265090]
    If I may retort....


    [/quote]

    you may not!  :hitwitrock:




    :lol:

    all kidding aside, you and pcp make some very good points. 
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    Re: Abby Sunderland- 16yr old Sailor Missing in the Indian Ocean

    [quote author=Mortis link=topic=25671.msg1644808#msg1644808 date=1276265090]
    Hi DS,

    If I may retort....

    [/quote]
    The only time we act like teens are adults in this country is when they commit felonies.
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    Senior Member deeply shaded's Avatar
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    Re: Abby Sunderland- 16yr old Sailor Missing in the Indian Ocean

    My whole point is people do stupid things and someone else has to eat the bill for their rescue. What is the point of sailing around the world? What is the point if climbing the highest mountain? I know people want to do these things, but why should someone else have to risk their life and spend millions to bail them out? She's an expert sailor. Let her sail her own ass out of trouble.  :lol:

    Mortis, kids can be grown up in some useful way that makes sense.

    No response required. I know all the arguments. I just think it's ridic.
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    Re: Abby Sunderland- 16yr old Sailor Missing in the Indian Ocean

    [quote author=deeply shaded link=topic=25671.msg1644865#msg1644865 date=1276270039]
    My whole point is people do stupid things and someone else has to eat the bill for their rescue. What is the point of sailing around the world? What is the point if climbing the highest mountain? I know people want to do these things, but why should someone else have to risk their life and spend millions to bail them out? She's an expert sailor. Let her sail her own ass out of trouble.  :lol:

    Mortis, kids can be grown up in some useful way that makes sense.

    No response required. I know all the arguments. I just think it's ridic.
    [/quote]

    i see where you're coming from, but what if it was your kid out there?  would you expect something to be done, someone to help?
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    Re: Abby Sunderland- 16yr old Sailor Missing in the Indian Ocean

    [quote author=neenerneener link=topic=25671.msg1644830#msg1644830 date=1276267342]
    you may not!  :hitwitrock:




    :lol:

    all kidding aside, you and pcp make some very good points. 
    [/quote]

    Why thank you neens.

    From what I understood these kids learned to sail before they learned to ride bikes. I hope to do the same thing with Jackson. We take him sailing every time we go so he's getting real familiar with sailing in general. I have a little 12 foot sailboat in the garage which will be his. Hardly wait to see him single hand.

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    Re: Abby Sunderland- 16yr old Sailor Missing in the Indian Ocean

    [quote author=neenerneener link=topic=25671.msg1644869#msg1644869 date=1276270455]
    i see where you're coming from, but what if it was your kid out there?  would you expect something to be done, someone to help?
    [/quote]

    My kid would never be out there as long as I had anything to say about it.  :lol:
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    Re: Abby Sunderland- 16yr old Sailor Missing in the Indian Ocean

    [quote author=PCP777 link=topic=25671.msg1644871#msg1644871 date=1276270927]
    Why thank you neens.

    From what I understood these kids learned to sail before they learned to ride bikes. I hope to do the same thing with Jackson. We take him sailing every time we go so he's getting real familiar with sailing in general. I have a little 12 foot sailboat in the garage which will be his. Hardly wait to see him single hand.
    [/quote]

    you're welcome.  :kiss3:

    i wish my parents had been as cool as you.  i want my own boat.  :x


    [quote author=deeply shaded link=topic=25671.msg1644872#msg1644872 date=1276270992]
    My kid would never be out there as long as I had anything to say about it.  :lol:
    [/quote]

    :lol:

    ok, but say she went out there, sans permission. then what?
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    Re: Abby Sunderland- 16yr old Sailor Missing in the Indian Ocean

    [quote author=neenerneener link=topic=25671.msg1644873#msg1644873 date=1276271094]
    you're welcome.  :kiss3:

    i wish my parents had been as cool as you.  i want my own boat.  :x


    :lol:

    ok, but say she went out there, sans permission. then what?

    [/quote]

    She would have to be saved so I could beat her.

    My kids went out on our boat with us, too, but would I ever let them go out in it alone? No way. It's not like you fall off a boat and skin your knee. You fall off a boat and die. If that's pussification, I will continue to pussify, thankyouverymuch.
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    Re: Abby Sunderland- 16yr old Sailor Missing in the Indian Ocean

    [quote author=deeply shaded link=topic=25671.msg1644874#msg1644874 date=1276271220]
    She would have to be saved so I could beat her.

    My kids went out on our boat with us, too, but would I ever let them go out in it alone? No way. It's not like you fall off a boat and skin your knee. You fall off a boat and die. If that's pussification, I will continue to pussify, thankyouverymuch.
    [/quote]


    Any single hander will always clip onto a jack line.

    A jackline is a rope or wire strung from a ship's bow  to stern  to which a safety harness can be clipped, allowing a crewmember to move about the deck safely when there is risk of falling or being swept overboard.

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    Re: Abby Sunderland- 16yr old Sailor Missing in the Indian Ocean

    [quote author=deeply shaded link=topic=25671.msg1644872#msg1644872 date=1276270992]
    My kid would never be out there as long as I had anything to say about it.  :lol:
    [/quote]

    And I respect ad understand that.... I wouldn't let my 16 yo sail the world either....  I would and have let her canoe about a hundred mile for a weel, alone with her friends, and I would let her do it solo if she wanted. Of course she would have a cell phone... but this girl is being kept tabs on).  I also can think of about a hundred other things taxpayer money gets spent on, that opiss me off way more than to search for a girl with the balls to sail around the world alone.  I'm just saying a 16 year old with training is just as apt as a 30 yo with the same training and experience.  She isn't 11, she's 16.

    Amazing kids in the past include Mozart, Joan of Arc, Alexander the Great, King Tut.  You have to admit that given the opportunity, many kids can meet a challenge.


    As far as why climb the mountain....  well if no one ever had, we would still be stuck in a valley somewhere, thinking the world ends beyond the impassable mountains and/or  ocean. It may be a pointless gesture to some now, but to conquer the indomitable is in human nature. We would not be what we are if we did not possess this spirit.  Amelia Earhart and Charles Lindbergh are heroes.....  what's the difference?


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    Re: Abby Sunderland- 16yr old Sailor Missing in the Indian Ocean

    [quote author=deeply shaded link=topic=25671.msg1644874#msg1644874 date=1276271220]
    She would have to be saved so I could beat her.

    My kids went out on our boat with us, too, but would I ever let them go out in it alone? No way. It's not like you fall off a boat and skin your knee. You fall off a boat and die. If that's pussification, I will continue to pussify, thankyouverymuch.
    [/quote]

    and would you pay for her to be saved?  or would you expect someone else to?


    and why dont you ever take me out on a boat?  :x
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    Re: Abby Sunderland- 16yr old Sailor Missing in the Indian Ocean

    [quote author=neenerneener link=topic=25671.msg1644883#msg1644883 date=1276273311]
    and would you pay for her to be saved?  or would you expect someone else to?


    and why dont you ever take me out on a boat?  :x
    [/quote]


    I would totally take you out on my boat!

    See how happy kids can be on sailboats?



    The best thing about sailing is that you have to deal with elements that are beyond your power and work with them. The sea, the wind. My favorite part of sailing is when I turn off the engine. (Sometimes I just sail out of the slip too.) It's just you, the wind, the waves, the sun, so awesome.

    The other thing that hasn't been discussed is the mental aspect one has to have to single hand on a circumnavigation. It's not like you can just go down below and sleep for 10 hours. You have to trim sails, adjust the auto helm, keep watch for ships etc. so you really don't get much sleep.


    It takes a very strong individual to handle that amount of time with no real human contact.


    DS, what kind of boat do you have?

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    Re: Abby Sunderland- 16yr old Sailor Missing in the Indian Ocean

    [quote author=Mortis link=topic=25671.msg1644882#msg1644882 date=1276273261]
    And I respect ad understand that.... I wouldn't let my 16 yo sail the world either....  I would and have let her canoe about a hundred mile for a weel, alone with her friends, and I would let her do it solo if she wanted. Of course she would have a cell phone... but this girl is being kept tabs on).   I also can think of about a hundred other things taxpayer money gets spent on, that opiss me off way more than to search for a girl with the balls to sail around the world alone.  I'm just saying a 16 year old with training is just as apt as a 30 yo with the same training and experience.  She isn't 11, she's 16.

    Amazing kids in the past include Mozart, Joan of Arc, Alexander the Great, King Tut.   You have to admit that given the opportunity, many kids can meet a challenge.


    As far as why climb the mountain....   well if no one ever had, we would still be stuck in a valley somewhere, thinking the world ends beyond the impassable mountains and/or  ocean. It may be a pointless gesture to some now, but to conquer the indomitable is in human nature. We would not be what we are if we did not possess this spirit.  Amelia Earhart and Charles Lindbergh are heroes.....   what's the difference?


    [/quote]

    king tut really didnt do anything.  :lol:  he died, and left some shiny stuff behind.  :lol:

    [quote author=PCP777 link=topic=25671.msg1644915#msg1644915 date=1276276019]

    I would totally take you out on my boat!

    See how happy kids can be on sailboats?





    [/quote]



    and gah, your kid is so cute. 

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    Re: Abby Sunderland- 16yr old Sailor Missing in the Indian Ocean

    [quote author=neenerneener link=topic=25671.msg1644919#msg1644919 date=1276276527]
    king tut really didnt do anything.  :lol:  he died, and left some shiny stuff behind.  :lol:

    [/quote]
    And in the meantime ruled the most powerful and advanced country on earth (arguably), and hunted crocodiles with a spear, and dealt with all the shit any king deals with.  He was influential enough that he was killed. I learned in humanities that it was because he was converting the country's religion, although I can't say for it wasn't over something else.

    Anyway. you can belitttle,  but it was an accomplishment, from what I learned he wasn't a puppet king, he was married, and he made decisions.  He was purposely erased from history because the murder wasn't justifiable, not overlooked out of mediocrity.

    This is however just what I learned from one professor... no one really knows a lot of this stuff. He may have been a choad for all I really know.

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    Re: Abby Sunderland- 16yr old Sailor Missing in the Indian Ocean

    Shouldn't this girl be in school or something? Maybe she should get general education down first before she attempts to sail around the world.
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    Re: Abby Sunderland- 16yr old Sailor Missing in the Indian Ocean

    [quote author=ShortestStraw link=topic=25671.msg1644928#msg1644928 date=1276278590]
    Shouldn't this girl be in school or something? Maybe she should get general education down first before she attempts to sail around the world.
    [/quote]

    That's what I've been thinking.

    I'm a god mother fucker and it's judgment day.

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    Re: Abby Sunderland- 16yr old Sailor Missing in the Indian Ocean

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/southland-times/news/world-news/3800550/Abby-Sutherland-found

    Found Her


    For the family of teenage solo sailor Abby Sunderland it was the best news possible - she had been found alive and well after fears she had been lost in wild weather in the middle of the Indian Ocean.

    But for 16-year-old Abby, who was attempting to better Australian Jessica Watson by becoming the youngest person to sail solo round the world, it was the end of that dream.

    "It's bittersweet. We've got our Abigail back, but the quest will be over," Laurence Sunderland told ABC Radio from his home in California on Friday just moments after she was found.

    "Knowing she's alive and well means far more to me than any sailing record."

    Abby activated two emergency beacons late on Thursday night, barely minutes after telling her parents about fierce weather conditions off Australia's west coast.

    A chartered Qantas plane was sent from Perth early on Friday morning to search the area, about 3700km off the coast of Western Australia, and located her just after 6pm (NZT).

    Mick Kinley, chief executive of the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (ASMA), said searchers saw and made radio contact with Abby just after 4pm, Australian time.

    "She sounds like she's in good health, as far as we can tell, and she's going to hang in there," Mr Kinley told reporters in Canberra.

    Her 12-metre yacht, Wild Eyes, was upright but had lost its mast due to rough weather conditions.

    "She's in the boat, the boat's seaworthy, it's not taking on water," Mr Kinley said.

    Perth police say Ms Sunderland was packing up her possessions and getting ready to abandon her yacht.

    She will be picked up late on Saturday afternoon by a fishing vessel which is on its way.

    Family spokesman William Bennett, speaking outside the family's home in Thousand Oaks, California, said Abby was inside the boat and doing fine with a space heater and at least two weeks' worth of food.

    Mr Kinley did not say how much the search and rescue mission would cost but said there would be no attempt to recover the expense.

    The French regional administration on the island of Reunion has sent three boats in her direction, with the first expected to reach her on Saturday.

    Abby's location was described as "way down in the southern ocean", about 2000 nautical miles (3700km) southwest of Perth. It was a long way from merchant shipping routes and it was lucky the French vessel was in the vicinity, Mr Kinley said.
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    Mr Kinley said Abby had dropped out of contact because her satellite communications were lost when she lost her mast. The rescue plane had to get quite close to her to establish radio contact.

    A lifelong sailor whose father is a shipwright and has a yacht management company, Abby set sail from Los Angeles County's Marina del Rey on January 23 in an attempt to become the youngest person to sail around the world alone without stopping.

    Her brother briefly held the record in 2009.

    Abby soon ran into equipment problems and had to stop for repairs. She gave up the goal of setting the record in April, but continued on.

    On May 15, Australian Jessica Watson claimed the record just days before turning 17.

    Her mother said Jessica and Abby had formed a friendship and the Watsons were all praying for Abby and her family.

    "They've been communicating (Jessica and Abby) and we've been communicating with the family as well," Ms Watson told the ABC.

    She said the dangers of solo sailing had been brought home to Jessica now that she was back on land.

    "She just knows exactly what's going on," she said of her daughter, who was imagining what conditions were like for Abby.

  24. #49
    Senior Member poppy213's Avatar
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    Re: Abby Sunderland- 16yr old Sailor Missing in the Indian Ocean

    [quote author=ShortestStraw link=topic=25671.msg1644928#msg1644928 date=1276278590]
    Shouldn't this girl be in school or something? Maybe she should get general education down first before she attempts to sail around the world.
    [/quote]
    Yes, because in a classroom is the only place where you can get an education  :roll:

    Great job Abby!  You took a dream and went for it

    "Satisfaction of ones curiosity is one of the greatest sources of happiness in life" Linus Pauling

  25. #50
    Certified Grumple Bottoms Ron_NYC's Avatar
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    Re: Abby Sunderland- 16yr old Sailor Missing in the Indian Ocean

    But should kids be exposed to failboats. MBS, comment?
    Quote Originally Posted by bowieluva View Post
    Ron was the best part, hands down.

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