16 year old solo circumnavigates the world

[boxtops]

would you let your 15-year-old do this? I wouldn't! http://www.google.com...N0053391327172910450A

[emmie]

I am ready to accept others opinions, but like you i don't have to accept them

[Anlyn]

Yes, Imagine 65ft waves crashing down your boat, the boat begins to break up and seconds later you're being tossed around in the water clinging to a piece of wreckage. You're thousands of miles from anywhere....where is the help coming from?
How could any parent expose their 15/16 yo to such danger, and if she hadn't of made it back how could they possibly live with themselves?
Thankfully there was a happy ending! could of very easily gone the other way.

[EvianBaby]

Im with Em on this. I dont have a child so of course the reality of my letting my child do that might be different but its not like she just woke up one day and decided to sail around the world, sailing has been her whole life.

Id rather she did that then sat on her arse playing games and getting fat. You never know, she might just inspire other youngsters to try and do something with their life instead of wasting it on their backsides.

[Sqad]

If she is knowledgeable enough, experienced enough and well prepared ................then she is old enough......in my opinion.

[sandyRoe]

Didn't opinions like that get Gary Glitter into lots of trouble? ^^^

[Sqad]

sandy...;-)

[Khandro]

I agree with Squad; at what age does it become acceptable, 18, 20, 22 ? Remember there were 16 year olds fighting, in the trenches of Flanders in WW1

[SeaJayPea]

Indeed, before she started out the Dutch authorities had her and her parents in court in an attempt to ban the venture. She had to postpone leaving, if memory serves me correctly, until her parents sorted out who had custody, them or the authorities.

She stopped 26 times on the journey, parked herself for several weeks during the hurricane season and flew back to Holland on one occasion. Her parents met her at various places on the way. It wasn't the solo non-stop circumnavigation that Helen McArthur did. Sounds like a fantastic trip. Wish I'd had the gumption to do something similar at that age.

There's a good bit about her here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laura_Dekker

[anotheoldgit]

Khandro

/// Remember there were 16 year olds fighting, in the trenches of Flanders in WW1 ///

That was almost 100 years ago.

Many things have changed since those days, some for the better and some for the worse.

[pastafreak]

She is also not the first to have done this...she beats the record of another girl-from NZ I believe-who was just a few months older.
I think when sailing is in the blood,and has been done since an early age by all members of the family,it is far easier to see that 'child' as being mature,capable and physically strong enough to take on such a journey.
Not that I'd want my daughter to do it...even if she was 40!

[ludwig]

// ludwig, so she goes at what age 18, 20, if so and then has an accident, wouldn't you still feel the same? would you also have said the same if it had been a boy, after all they get up to some hair raising stuff. //

If she goes at 18 that's her decision. I'd no longer be in a position to veto it.
Of course I'd still worry. I'd still worry if she was 45 - any parent would.
Exactly the same applies to a boy or girl.

The rush to go at such a young age is all about chasing a record and being the youngest - I don't think that's a great reason to do it. You should want to do it because it's a fantastic thing to do, and the age you do it shouldn't really be a consideration.

[naomi24]

//Remember there were 16 year olds fighting, in the trenches of Flanders in WW1//

There were, but that doesn't mean it was sensible and two wrongs don't make a right. 15/16 year olds are children - even if they think they're not.

[Anlyn]

Oh, none of that was reported in the original link SeaJayPea, thanks for the additional info :0)

[Khandro]

naomi, Joan of Arc led the French Army in the siege of Orleans when she was 19. I suppose you would have advised caution :-)

[boxtops]

interesting answers' folks - I'm glad I posted this.

[Anlyn]

...but Khandro, back in 1400 life expectancy for some people was 25. So not a good comparison.

[emmie]

she wanted to do this much earlier but the Dutch authorities and her mother thought otherwise. After a lengthy battle she got her way, the mother seeing the daughter had what she considered enough experience, training, finally gave her blessing. she did have plenty of stops along route, so some agree with her, most on here do not. That is the way of the world, so she doesn't get her world record. There are endless examples of other teens successfully crossing the oceans alone, not just Helen MacArthur, seems to be something they love doing. Even the most experienced sailors come a cropper, so i hope she carries on doing the thing she loves, whether that's sailing or any thing she tries her hand at.

[Ann]

Em if you are logged in - please see the thread in Chatterbank I made for you.

[ludwig]

There's no doubt it's a magnificent achievement. The thing is, if she'd died, everyone would be wanting to know who the irresponsible bast*rds were who encouraged her to do it, and how long they're going to prison for.

[Gromit]

Apparently, her bedroom was a right tip.