I'm a Mom of twins just six months younger than Abby.
If you don't know who she is, she is an American teenager who has been attempting to sail around the world solo, unassisted, in a 35 foot yacht. Today the worst happened, she has gone missing at sea after fighting 30 foot waves in the Indian Ocean, approximately 2,000 miles off the coast of Western Australia.
This is Abby's blog for more info http://soloround.blogspot.com/2010_06_01_archive.html
Here's where my Momma Bear comes out. It is WINTER in the Southern Hemisphere. The absolute WORST TIME OF YEAR to be sailing between Australia and Antarctica, and yet "Team Abby" thought it appropriate, safe and wise to send this 16 year old child off around the world from California in January--meaning her itinerary taking her through the Southern Hemisphere in winter?
Hullo? WHY would anyone put a young sailor--a child really--through almost ALL winter conditions (Northern and Southern Hemisphere)? Is this to somehow top Jessica Watson's recent accomplishment? Well, ding-dang-dong, the goal *isn't* to end up with a DEAD sailor, but that's probably what has happened to our dear Miss Abby.
My children are sweet, wonderful, considerate (mostly)...but I won't let my daughter walk to the CVS alone, much less sail around the world. ITS JUST DANGEROUS.
Many a Sailor has died attempting to do what Abby tried and Jessica succeeded in doing. Jessica Watson is damned lucky she didn't meet the same fate as Abby. I read her blog and followed her trip (which lasted from October 2009 - May 2010).
Jessica darned near didn't make it to Sydney, going through the exact same seas that (in all probability) have taken Abby Sunderland's life. Jessica limped home, with a torn mainsail and a host of other problems. Just before making it home, she had a night where she had 4 knock downs (where the boat is knocked on its side or upside down by huge waves). Jessica wasn't even fighting the truly hideous storm that Abby was fighting before her TWO emergency beacons were activated (one automatic and one manual).
Abby's in trouble. BIG trouble. I am beside myself and can't sleep tonight because I am worrying about someone else's child. I don't even know Abby, but right now I could cheerfully throttle her parents.
If she has, indeed, perished at sea I hold THEM and ONLY THEM responsible.
As a parent, it is our role to nurture, protect and raise our children TO ADULTHOOD. Emphasis on the *protect* part.
Sending your child on a solo-round-the-world-yacht-trip at age 16 is just about the dumbest thing you can do. I mean, heck, why not hand the checkbook, car and keys over to your toddler and say "See ya later"? It's the same effect.
Abdicating responsibility.
If it was truly Abby's dream to circumnavigate the globe alone and unassisted, surely this goal could have waited a few years until she had more maturity to deal with the situations at hand. I've been reading Abby's blogs, and the poor child has been through a harrowing ordeal already. She was NOT mentally prepared for this journey, in my very humble opinion. I feel quite certain she felt pressure from her family to take this trip. Her older brother made the trip a year ago. Her father has been big in to pushing this trip....and now? NOW, he may not have a daughter anymore.
He should he drawn and quartered. Tarred and feathered. I am SO beside myself.
Abby has been bouncing around in freezing temperatures, sub-freezing waters, for well near 18 hours now. The absolute *SOONEST* a rescue craft can reach her is another 36 hours or so. I fear this will have a very poor outcome for our dear Abby.
Nobody can survive those conditions, for that long, no matter how well prepared they are equipment wise (and she *was* well equipped).
So, my dear readers and friends, you'll have to bear with me if I am a) absent from my blog focusing on Abby and her fate, or b) here posting often and with great aggravation and impatience about her fate.
As I said--the Momma Bear in me is out. The worst place to be is between a Momma Bear and one of her cubs. If Abby's parents can't or won't be her Momma Bear, I WILL!!!
Get our girl OUT OF THE DAMNED WATER ALREADY!!!!!
And to other parents who might consider this foolishness: STOP! NO MORE DEAD TEENAGE RECORD SETTERS!
Damn! Just DAMN!!!!!
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